This World of Ours, 1929

This art deco world map captures the unbounded optimism of the United States in the late 1920s. The War to End All Wars had been won, and the words of Isiah are featured prominently below a white dove: "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." The map is surrounded by the flags of 52 nations, with the U.S. at the center top - and the vanquished Germany just three to the left. The American economy was booming, and the border frieze shows the inevitable progress of man. It begins with prehistory at the top center and moves clockwise from the slavery of Egypt through the glories of Greece and Rome to the "Chivalry" of the middle ages. From the conquest of the explorers, the illustrations progress from the Pilgrims and the Pioneers to the wonders of "Today," including the airplane, dirigible, ocean liner, locomotive, dynamo and finally, the shining family (top left) looking optimistically to the future.

Date

1929

Mapmaker / publisher

James Daugherty

Archive

Wikimedia Commons

Type

map

Original size

3,342 × 2,182 pixels

Need maps for a whole project? Add Find Any Map to Claude and ask for this one by its id: 139245.