1920s Japan-American Enterprise New York City investment map

This is an unusual Japanese map of New York City and vicinity was issued in the 1920s, before the 1929 Black Tuesday stock market crash. The map, which is based upon an earlier American map, features red overprinting and is intended to promote Japanese investment in American, in particular New York real estate via the Japan-American Enterprise Company.

The Woolworth Building (233 Broadway), New York's first skyscraper constructed between 1910 and 1912, is featured at bottom center as an illustrations of the city's impressive building style and investment opportunity. Frank Winfield Woolworth himself in 1910 described the building as 'greatest income producing property in which I could invest my money.' Doubtless the mapmaker here is attempting to convey some of that enthusiasm to his Japanese audience.

The map covers a radius of approximately 45 miles from lower Manhattan. It includes all of New York City as well as substantial parts of new Jersey and Long Island. The overprinting features red concentering rings spaced increasing intervals of 5 miles radiating from City Hall. Areas of special to the maps issuer, the Japan-American Enterprise Company, are highlighted in Red and purple.

This thematic map is quite rare and we are aware of only one other example in private hands.