The United States as Viewed by California (Very Unofficial)
[Winchester]: [Privately published], 1940. Pictorial map. Single sheet. 19" x 25" A couple of shallow edge wrinkles, else fine.
Ernest Dudley Chase was an illustrator and creator of elaborately decorated pictorial maps in the early 20th century, which he privately published from his studio in Winchester, Massachusetts.
This is one of Chase's satirical maps, depicting a distorted California-centric view of the country. Among the amusing details are the Art Deco sun shining warmly on California alone, planes and trains eagerly California-bound, an exaggeratedly small remainder of the country in proportion to California, etc.
California itself is portrayed as a bountiful land of industry, agriculture, and natural resources and wonders. Though the rest of the country, then as now, probably thinks of Hollywood and the film industry when California is mentioned, Chase has cleverly downplayed its significance here. The only other section of the country given any detail by Chase is New England, because, as he explains in a caption, "After all, many Californians, or their forbears, came from this section."
A humorous and stunning piece of graphic design from 1940. Chase has signed the map in pencil at lower left margin beneath the cartouche.
Item #1155
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