1973 Millsap Pictorial Map of Oahu, Hawaii
Oahu-millsap-1973$750.00
Title
Pioneer Federal Country.
1973 (undated) 20.5 x 32.5 in (52.07 x 82.55 cm)
1973 (undated) 20.5 x 32.5 in (52.07 x 82.55 cm)
Description
This is a c. 1973 Darrel Millsap pictorial map of Oahu, Hawaii, issued to promote Pioneer Federal. This is one of only a few maps in the Fillmore style, pioneered by promoters of The Fillmore, a legendary 1960s-70s San Francisco music venue. The map is one of a series of maps of Hawaii commissioned by Pioneer Federal Savings and Loan, with 3 others created by Dawson (The Big Island, Kauai, and Maui) in the Millsap style.
A Closer Look
The map depicts Oahu in full, with major cities and sites labeled: Honolulu, Laie, Waimea, Wahiawa, Pearl Harbor, Punchbowl National Cemetery, Schofield Barracks, Waikiki, Diamond Head, and the Polynesian Cultural Center. Pineapples, golf courses, and lush vegetation fill the island. Illustrations along the right border highlight Iolani Palace, the Honolulu Wax Museum, the International Market, a luau, and a statue of Kamehameha.Fillmore Style and Millsap
Millsap adapted stylistic elements for most of his cartographic output from the iconic concert posters created for The Fillmore, a San Francisco music venue. The psychedelic Fillmore styling and innovative typography cemented their place in popular culture and modern art. Millsap adapted the style to compile several maps for Home Federal Savings: San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, and California. A similar series of the major Hawaiian Islands was issued by the unrelated credit union, Pioneer Federal. Of these, only the Oahu map was drawn by Millsap, with most other islands drawn in the same style by John Dawson. Why Dawson picked up Millsap's style is unclear. There may have been a conflict between Home Federal and Pioneer Federal, or they may simply have traded projects.Publication History and Census
This map was created by Darrel Millsap and published by Pioneer Federal Savings and Loan c. 1973. This map is not cataloged in OCLC. We know of only one other instance when this map appeared on the private market.Cartographer
Darrel Wayne 'Bunky' Millsap (May 9, 1931 - April 11, 2012) was an American artist. Born in Ontario, California, Millsap began showing artistic talent early, drawing portraits and pictures of animals on paper and brown bags he found in his childhood home. He served in the U.S. Navy and was honorably discharged in 1953. After being discharged, he enrolled at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California and graduated in 1956 with a degree in Commercial Illustration. After graduating, Millsap began his career at Fred Kopp Studios in Los Angeles working for Hector Huerta. Only a few years later, Millsap moved to San Diego and found work with Frye and Smith. He soon opted to start his own firm with Robert Kinyon called Millsap/Kinyon Illustration. Millsap and Kinyon worked together until Kinyon died of cancer. After Kinyon's death, Millsap worked alone under the name Darrel Millsap Illustration until he retired in 1999. Millsap suffered a stroke a few years before his death and died in 2012 of complications arising from the stroke as well as diabetes and Parkinson's disease. Over the course of his career as an artist, Millsap created maps as advertisements for banks, including several of California, one of Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin, and one of Oahu. Millsap married his wife Janice in 1959 and had three children. More by this mapmaker...
Condition
Good. Two small areas of infill above the 'Sea Life Park' label. Closed margin tear professionally repaired on verso. Two small areas of infill in upper margin.