The Rand McNally 1931 Histomap is a marvelous piece of map-making.
The Histomap is also an interesting piece of historiography, especially for the amount of data included. The graphic map is subtitled “Four Thousand Years of World History.” The design is great, a predecessor to today’s popular infographics.
The Original Histomap
Buyers were promised an “actual picture of the march of civilization, from the mud huts of the ancients thru the monarchistic glamour of the middle ages to the living panorama of life in present day America.” Created by John B. Sparks, the Histomap was first printed by Rand McNally in 1931 and sold for a dollar.
The David Rumsey Map Collection hosts an exportable or zoomable version here. Or you can double-click to enlarge and zoom on the image below.
A dealer is offering a used one through Amazon for $900.
Reproduction Histomap
You can buy a reproduction here that measures 73 inches x 24 inches. Includes a 4 inch border on the sides and a 1 inch border on the top and bottom.
Combining maps and genealogy is one of my favorite topics. Click here for more posts on maps to help your family history research.
Histomap (courtesy David Rumsey)
Fascinating, Nancy. Thanks for finding this and sharing it.
NOW…..why don’t I find something like an original of this, in the 8 boxes of ephemera and memorabilia from my parents’ home (after the 1-week-shy-of-75 years they lived in my childhood home)?
Actually, what I’m finding is worth so much more than that $900!
Cari