New Grapho-Politico Map of the State of California, Compiled from the latest and most authentic official and special surveys.

Description

A large and remarkable wall map from 1902, produced by the San Francisco-based publisher and educational supply company Whitaker & Ray. The map is housed in an unusual spring-powered wooden case at the top with a wooden roller at the bottom.

The impressive composition consists of a central color relief map of California surrounded by eight thematic inset maps. The central map is graphically striking and highly informative. In the lower-left corner are tables detailing altitudes and recent census demographics, as well as two inset maps showing the location of historic missions and the state’s congressional districts.

A series of more complex, data-driven inset maps is found on the right side of the main map. These include explanatory texts and cover a variety of datasets, including yields like agriculture and timber, climate zones, geological and mineral profiles, and the extent of petroleum wells and deposits in the state. The map even provides an early overview of California’s emergent viticulture industry. A scroll with printed information on the state’s history sits alongside the insets. 

Census

OCLC (No. 21840144) lists just one copy each for 1903 and 1907, both held at the University of California Berkeley, but no copies of this 1902 edition.

The Whitaker & Ray Company also produced a dedicated map of the Bay Area in 1907 (Grapho-Relief Map of the Bay Counties). It appears more regularly on the market and has long been sought by collectors for its incredible and vibrant detail.