1943 Dratz Pictorial Cartoon Map Celebrating the Wines of Bordeaux, France

A most compelling map on many levels, this is the Belgian cartoonist Jean Dratz's 1943 celebration of the Bordeaux wines of France - issued in Belgium at the height of World War II (1939 - 1945), when Belgium was under Nazi occupation and all foodstuffs, let alone wine, were exceedingly scarce. Nonetheless, there was both a lively black market (perhaps hinted at by the color of the map?) and a demand for French wine by occupation forces, with more than 10,400,000 hectoliters of wine delivered to German troops from 1940 - 1944, more than any other commodity.

A Closer Look

Coverage focuses on the Bordeaux wine-producing region of the Gironde, particularly Médoc and St. Emilion. Against a black background, jolly images present a scene of bounty in sharp contrast to the wartime reality. Images entice with bountiful hunting and fishing, the rich regional gastronomy, sunbathing, picnicking, and, of course, wine production and consumption. Most of the cartoonish characters are overweight, with large red noses indicative of excessive wine consumption. At sea, several small boats shuttle barrels of wine, although it is unclear whether these are smugglers or legitimate shipments, perhaps intentionally so. The only indications of war and occupation are subtle and few, such as a German Heinkel He 111 bomber, recognizable for its distinctive shape and glass front, flying just north of Arcachon Bay.

Chromolithography

Chromolithography, sometimes called oleography, is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process uses multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Generally, a chromolithograph begins with a black base coat upon which subsequent colors are layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired effect. Chromolithograph color can be blended for even more dramatic results. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when it emerged as the dominant method of color printing. The vivid color chromolithography made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn in 1943 by the Belgian cartoonist Jean Dratz and printed in Belgium for the Office International d'Importation. The printer's logo 'GBB' appears in the lower right, and although we have been able to identify other wartime printings with this logo, we have been unable to unearth further information on the elusive company. We see no record of this map in any institutional collection or on the market. Exceedingly rare.