Woman’s World Hand Book on National Distribution

Innovative atlas offering insight into consumer behavior during the early 20th century.

“Our idea is to show all the principal distributing towns – where they are located, what their population is – and let the manufacturer and his advertising agent work out their own destiny. These are the only U.S. Maps published which are planned specifically from the standpoint of sales promotion. Most maps are political.” [pg. 3].

This intriguing atlas, described as a ‘Hand Book on National Distribution’ in the preface, was published in 1915 with a very specific audience in mind – namely, those interested in nationwide demographics for commercial purposes. Maps of each state are filled with black, green, and red circles – each representing different centers of purchasing power.

Black spots show cities of 25,000 or more and are surrounded by a circle 30 miles in diameter. Green represents towns of 2,500-25,000 and has a 20-mile circle, while red is settlements of 1,000-2,500 surrounded by a 10-mile circle. Extensive charts listing wholesale and retail trade categories present in each town are also provided, reflecting a tremendous amount of effort in terms of compilation. The atlas concludes with a large folding chart, about 30.5″ x 14.75″, that is titled ‘Business Guide to National Distribution.’

The statistics, diagrams, and maps were compiled by Rand McNally & Company, who used advance proofs from their forthcoming 1915 atlas. The handbook was published in Chicago by Women’s World in 1915. This is the second edition, Number 762 of 1,000 printed copies.