1988 Mister Maps Pictorial View of Aspen, Colorado

Skiers Paradise with a small town energy.

This is a charming 1988 pictorial view of Aspen, Colorado, prepared by Mister Maps. Done in a whimsical style, the view nevertheless captures Aspen as it emerged as a luxury resort community with a small-town vibe.

A Closer Look

This view is oriented towards the southwest, looking towards Aspen Mountain, other nearby mountains, and the hotels and resorts at their base. Major streets are labeled throughout, either on the street itself or with small yellow signs, which are also used to indicate local landmarks ranging from the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, to City Hall, Aspen High School, and ski lifts. The view is not exactly a promotional view, as few businesses are named, instead being referred to with generic titles such as 'chalet,' 'steak,' and 'ski rent,' while others are represented graphically by coffee mugs and donuts, for instance, without being labelled. A McDonald's near the center is depicted as a hamburger with the Golden Arches sticking out of it. Many of the signs and illustrations are humorous, such as the 'still not boutique' ski rental and the headstone for Little Nell, a local bar named after a 'lady of the night' from the town's mining days, which was replaced by a five-star hotel around the time of this view's publication.

Historical Context

This map represents Aspen at a time when it had become firmly established as a national and even international destination for skiing and had successfully developed as a resort town. However, it maintained an appealing small-town feel with many mom-and-pop businesses. In the decades since, there has been additional development in the southern part of Aspen near Aspen Mountain, including very large and luxurious hotels and resorts, in areas that are only sparsely developed here.

Publication History and Census

This view was prepared in 1988 by Mister Maps, a Los Angeles based firm operated by artist Paul Shaffer, about whom we have been unable to find more information (similar views were prepared by him of Vail, Colorado, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego, and the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba). The present view is not cataloged in the OCLC and has only minimal market history.

Condition

Excellent.