1950 Pictorial Tourist Map of Lebanon

This is a very scarce c. 1950 tourist guide and map of Lebanon evoking a halcyon era before the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War of 1958 and the subsequent Lebanese Civil War (1975 - 1990). The color-printed folding brochure is filled with scenic photographs of the country, with the interior dominated by an attractive pictorial map. Although the map is not dated, the cover (depicting a stylish, European trekking couple enjoying a vista overlooking a winding coastal road) bears the signature 'B.N. 50.,' suggesting a terminus post quem of 1950.

The Map

Color and shading indicate topography and agricultural viability, evoking Lebanon's mountain ranges and the key agricultural area of the Beqaa Valley. A lovely compass rose embellished with the Zodiac adorns the upper left and old-fashioned sailing ships are depicted off the coast. Orange lines trace Lebanon's road network. The black line along the coast highlights a Lebanese railway, while other inland routes follow the tracks of the Beirut-Damascus and the Rayak-Homs lines.

Publication History and Census

The map was printed by the Catholic Press on behalf of the Tourist Bureau of the Lebanese Government. No individual author or artist is credited. We see no examples listed in institutional collections and find no instances of the map in dealers' catalogues or auction records.