1942 Avey Pictorial Map of Arizona

Sunshine and Scenic Splendor.

This is George Avey's whimsical 1942 pictorial map of Arizona as colorful desert paradise, issued to promote both tourism and emigration.

A Closer Look

Arizona is depicted along with portions of neighboring states and Mexico. Red lines highlight highways, which are numbered, reflecting the map's function as a highway map despite its cartoonish aesthetic. Cities and larger towns are noted, along with national parks and monuments, Indian reservations and agencies, mines, dams (recently constructed), and major natural features. Illustrations reflect distinct local economies, cultures, and landmarks. Typical of the genre, Native Americans and Mexicans are highly caricatured. The verso contains additional visuals and text discussing the state's history and attractions. One sentence captures the mood of the piece: 'Today Arizona, despite its modernity and progress, still retains some of the flavor of the old west.'

Publication History and Census

This pictorial map was drawn by George M. Avey and published in The Desert Magazine March 1942. Avey originally composed this piece in 1939 for Arizona Highways magazine, of which he was the art director, and it appeared in several printings thereafter. The present work differs from that published in Arizona Highways only by the addition of The Desert Magazine to the title panel on the verso. The map's multiple printings inconsistent cataloging have caused uncertainty over the work's date as well as confusion over the author's name (his surname is sometimes erroneously listed as Avery). Nonetheless, we count approximately ten institutions hold an example of this map from the early 1940s.

Cartographer

George M. Avey (c. 1910 - 1995) was an artist based in Phoenix, Arizona, who served as the art director for Arizona Highways magazine. Born in Arkansas, little is known about his early life. He appears in city directories in Phoenix as early as 1923 as a student and by the early 1930s appears to have been teaching (presumably art) at a high school in Phoenix. In 1938, he was hired by Arizona Highways, hitherto a technical publication primarily for engineers, as art director and Avey set about radically changing the magazine's aesthetic. In addition to his own works, he contracted with other artists and photographers (including Ansel Adams) to give the magazine striking visuals. Avey himself produced several editions of a pictorial map of Arizona that appeared in the magazine.   Further Details...

Condition

Very good. Light wear along original fold lines. Text on verso.

References

Rumsey 11559.003. OCLC 10547282.