1939 Universal Map Co. Chalkboard Map of Asia and Europe

This is a c. 1939 chalkboard map of Asia and Europe. It is a didactic tool designed for schoolroom use - students and teachers could write on the map with chalk then easily wipe it clean.

A Closer Look

Coverage embraces all of Europe and Asia, from Portugal to the Aleutian Islands and from the Arctic to Java and Northern Australia. Other than the title, there is no text on the map. The whole is colored in dark tones and coated to create a chalkboard like surface which could be written on and easily erased. The piece was made for schoolroom use and we see it, and similar maps, advertised in catalogs promoting educational visual aids.

Publication History and Census

The map is part of the Universal Map Company's 'Tri-Color' series, which also included wall maps of Europe, North America, South America, Africa, and (presumably) the world. Although undated, the geography of Europe suggests that this map was issued after the 1939 Anschluss, but before the outbreak of World War II (1939 - 1945) and the invasion of Poland. The map is rare and we see no other cataloged examples or sales history.