1905 Graham Map of the Philippine Islands

A scarce and impressive large format map of the Philippines issued in 1905 to illustrate proposed rail lines. In 1905 the Second Philippine Commission, under William H. Taft, put forth a request for bids to build a series of modern railway lines between important cities in the Philippines. This map was prepared to illustrate the proposals those received from various private companies. In total, 11 proposals are represented, some with alternative and branching routes. Most were eventually constructed and integrated into the limited existing Spanish Era rail lines. This map is accompanied by the original government report describing the bids.

Although the presently offered map is very large, it is based upon another map, nearly twice as large, issued by Andrew B. Graham in 1902. The Graham imprint remains in the bottom left hand corner of the map. Graham's map expresses little in the way of topography, but riverways, cities, and political boundaries are identified. Proposed railroad lines are defined in red.