this is classic americana at its best. one glance at the front and you see the nostalgic look of retro artwork of the 1950s.
i found this vintage road map while visiting oregon. in a tiny town near the coastline, i discovered this folded map in a quaint antique store. washington state wasn't faraway.
title: state of washington highway map, washington state highway commission, department of highways (the back shows a photo and message from the governor of washington, arthur b. langlie), copyrighted 1955, specially prepared by rand mcnally & co. and produced by north pacific boat note co., seattle, u.s.a.
made in the u.s.a.
it would look beautiful framed and makes an inexpensive, charming decor accent.
the whole state map is made with lovely colors--ivory, baby yellow, light aqua, black, red, and light green. the left side shows retro black-and-white photos of scenes around the state.
the map even shows dirt roads. smaller maps on the other side feature city maps of spokane, tacoma, and seattle. a mileage chart is included on that side, as well as eleven other features with artwork and descriptions for the san juan islands, lake chelan, grand coulee dam, tacoma narrows bridge, lake washington floating bridge, la push, mount rainier, mt. st. helens, puget sound, oregon, and vancouver island. two small articles include "enjoy yourself in washington state" and "safety suggestions."
the map is in very, very good condition for its age. the crease lines are still crisp. the map has no tears. a few extra small creases and lines are here and there, but nothing major. the corners show some extra fold lines and corner bends, shown in photos, but all minor.
please take a careful look through all the photos.
vintage item, as-is
rare item (none like this available online in my research)