Map, United States, Pictorial, New Yorker’s Idea, Daniel Wallingford, Vintage Print, c. 1939

Daniel K. Wallingford
A New Yorker’s Idea of the United States of America
New York: c. 1939
Color-process print on glossy paper
11 x 16 inches, image
15 x 20 inches, overall

Amusing map of the United States, from the perspective of a New Yorker. New York State is shown in oversized proportion to the entire country, and the 1939 New York World’s Fair, for which the map was likely produced, is prominently shown. Places names throughout the states are often incorrect or fictitious, satirizing a New Yorker’s lack of knowledge–and interest–in other parts of the country. For example, Minneapolis and Indianapolis are humorously shown together in Michigan as “The Twin Cities.” Decorative details include ships in the oceans, and various Art Deco views and images in the borders such as the Empire State Building and Fifth Avenue Coach (bus). Explanatory text in upper left.