1976 Dawson Pictorial Map of Kauai, Hawaii

This is a 1976 J. Dawson pictorial map of Kauai, Hawaii. Dawson utilizes the Fillmore style of design, pioneered by promoters of The Fillmore, a legendary 1960s-70s San Francisco music venue. This map is one of a series commissioned by Pioneer Federal Savings and Loan, with 2 others created by Dawson and one by renowned artist Darrel Millsap.

A Closer Look

Kauai fills the sheet with cities, towns, and sites of interest labeled in the distinctive Fillmore style. Among these are Mt. Waialeale (then the wettest spot on Earth), Waimea Canyon, Polihale State Park and Heiau, the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Opaekaa Falls, and Alakai Swamp. Captain Cook's ship appears in the lower left corner, creating an interesting juxtaposition with the helicopter in the upper left. A portrait of a young Hawaiian adorns the upper right corner.

Fillmore style graphic design

Dawson borrows some elements for this map of Kauai from the iconic concert posters created for The Fillmore, a legendary San Francisco music venue. The Fillmore posters' psychedelic styling and innovative typography cemented their place in popular culture. Dawson borrows this style from Darrel Millsap (1931 - 2012), an American artist based in California who utilized the Fillmore style for several maps of California published in the early 1970s, a map of Oahu, and a map of Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn by J. Dawson and published by Pioneer Federal Savings and Loan in 1976. It does not appear in OCLC, and we have not located any examples in institutional collections. We have not found another instance when it has appeared on the private market.