California.

Description

This is a manuscript map of California based on government maps with abundant vignettes and personalized details. It is a unique work of artistic cartography characterized by its peculiar composition and design.

While undated, the style resembles other mid-century pictorial maps of California, which romanticize the state’s history and Spanish heritage reminiscent of Jo Mora.

That said, the strange composition is unlike anything else we have encountered. The map divides California into two horizontal bands, one on top of the other, and drawn so that the upper band shows the northern part of the state while the lower band shows the southern part of the state.

Along the left flank, a scrolled title cartouche declares that the map was drawn using “the official road map of the Department of Public Work Division of Highways, of the state of California” as a template. Multiple editions of this map exist, but none bear any notable resemblance to our composition.

The inscription identifies the maker as one R.C. Hicks. Despite possessing clear skill and talent and seemingly being developed enough as an artist to use a monogram, we have not been able to identify this person so far. The map carries no date, but the combination of style and identifiable features, such as the Golden Gate Bridge (1937), allow us to suggest a production date in the 1940s or 50s.

The map contains many interesting attributes worth highlighting. We find a traditional focus on the state’s Spanish heritage among the stand-out features. Strung along the California coastline, many of the famous missions have been depicted in pictorial form (e.g., Carmel, Santa Ynez, San Antonio, San Miguel, Santa Barbara, San Diego, etc.). Also present are vignette portraits of some characters of the California story: from pious friars in brown robes across rugged gold prospectors in the hills to conquistadors in shimmering armor. The prominent figure of a cowboy on horseback, which traverses both bands of the map, has already been mentioned.

Other essential features include the pictorial depictions of California’s major cities and the vignettes associated with these places. Thus, outside Los Angeles, we find a mid-century camera car referring to the entertainment industry in Hollywood. In the southern parts of the San Joaquin Valley, oil fields have begun popping up all over, while in the northern half, it is still the state capital of Sacramento that dominates. In the hinterland, the iconic Sierra Nevada valleys of Yosemite and Hetch Hetchy have been drawn in generously. We see an odd elevation profile labeled the San Francisco Peaks along the top right of the lower register.

In sum, this is an evocative and unique piece of cartographic art that captures the essence of California in an innovative and celebratory manner while highlighting the state’s fascinating history and its many places of import. Produced by a skilled but unknown proponent of pictorial cartography, it is unlike any map we have sold before – due to its interesting composition and unique nature – and would make a stunning addition to any collection focusing on pictorial maps of California.