1954 Burgess Comic Pictorial Map of Frankfurt, Germany

This is a 1954 Byrel 'Lefty' Burgess humorous pictorial map of Frankfurt, Germany, published by Stars and Stripes in Darmstadt, Germany. This is part of a series of curious and rare maps by Burgess that capture ephemeral inter-war American expat military life. The map depicts the city from the Höchst district of Frankfurt to the town of Bad Vilbel and from the Harheim district of Frankfurt to Offenbach. Frankfurt is illustrated with special attention to the American military presence in the city - a layover of World War II. Several barracks are noted, as is the 97th Hospital and the quarters of the WACs (Women's Army Corps). The American school (referred to by its students simply as Frankfurt High) is also labeled, as is the area where dependents lived and the PX (Post Exchange). Numerous districts within Frankfurt are also identified, including Heddernheim, Bonames, Eschersheim, and Seckbach. G.I.s are present all over the city going about their lives and official army business, but also carousing with women, in beer halls, and simply wandering the city. Military Police are also shown, perhaps in an attempt to help remind the soldiers that there is a need for decorum.

Details, Details, Details

Streets throughout the city are labeled, some of which are marked by comical vignettes, such as a devil next to Dante Strasse saying 'He wrote about me!' or Beethoven Platz and Mendelssohn Strasse, which are accompanied by caricatures of the famous composers. Historic sites are also illustrated, labeled, and usually dated, such as the Dom which dates to the 13th century and, as Burgess notes, is 300 feet high. The Saalhof, the Karmeliter Kloster, and the Dominikaner Kloster are also labeled. Other sites, such as the Drei Königs Kirche, are highlighted by comical vignettes. Certain historical facts, like the 'Roman Tourist' from 900 or the spa in Bad Homburg where, apparently, 'Wilhelm II bathed', are included. Perhaps the most pervasive reference, though, is to beer, 'bier', a German cultural treasure. In a flair unique to Burgess, locations in the United States are situated along the map's top border, including Pike's Peak in Colorado and the Rocky Mountains, Texas, the 'Los Angeles City Limit', and Chicago.

Census and Publication History

This map was created by 'Lederhosen Lefty' Burgess, as he signed the map, in 1954 and published by Stars and Stripes. This map is scarce, with only one example currently in an institutional collection at the University of Chicago and we are aware of only a handful that have entered the private market in recent years.