1949 Thomas Brothers Map of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

A beautiful town by the sea.

A scarce large-scale c. 1949 Thomas Brothers map of Carmel-by-the-Sea on the Monterey Peninsula on California's Central Coast. By this time, Carmel and the Monterey Peninsula had been firmly established as a seaside haven for artists, writers, and other bohemians. This map is a significant enlargement fo the central portion of a smaller Thomas map, with red highlighting of the central district - likely intended for urban management.

A Closer Look

Oriented towards the east, this map indicates street names, property lines (including city-owned property), and block numbers throughout. Aside from the historic center of the town inland (east) from the coast, numerous later additions are also noted as such. Local landmarks the Forest Theater and Sunset School (now Sunset Center) are labeled, reflecting the city's character as a center for the arts.

The historic Mission San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo is at right. At this time, it was undergoing major renovations, having fallen into disuse, and become dilapidated in the 19th century. It was restored over many years by local craftsman John 'Harry' Downie, who received honors from the Pope for his efforts. The three neighborhoods just beyond city limits are Carmel Woods, Hatton Fields, and Carmel Point (here as 'Add'n No. 7'). These unincorporated communities were built in the 1920s to accommodate the rapidly growing population of Carmel. Further north along the coast, just beyond the scope of this map, is the famed Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Publication History and Census

This map was produced around the year 1949 by Thomas Brothers. It resembles but differs from other cataloged examples of Thomas Brothers' maps of Carmel-by-the-Sea (Rumsey 0994.041, OCLC 967942590, 123082192), most notably in its large size. The only known example closely resembling the current one was used as an Enumeration District Map for the 1950 Census (National Archives ID 7634596). There are no other known examples of this map.

Cartographer

Thomas Brothers (1915 – 1999) was a prominent California-based English-American publisher specializing in maps and guidebooks. Founded in Oakland in 1915 by George Copeland Thomas, Guilbert Thomas, and Leonard Thomas, the company began modestly, selling maps of movie stars' homes from a Hollywood street corner, before developing into a major cartographic and guidebook publisher. Following George Thomas's death in 1955, his widow retained attorney Warren Wilson to organize the company's affairs. When none of the Thomas heirs expressed interest in continuing the business, Wilson and accountant Tom Tripodic purchased it, preserving the Thomas Brothers tradition while pursuing a new direction and eventually relocating the company's headquarters from San Francisco to Irvine, California. The firm prospered under Tripodic, growing to more than 200 employees and dominating the West Coast map market. Rand McNally acquired Thomas Brothers in 1999, laid off many of its experienced cartographers and employees in 2003, and closed the company's remaining California operations in 2009.   Further Details...

Condition

Good. Uneven toning. Some edge tears repaired and reinforce on verso. Area of reinstatement bottom center.