1954 Offset Iberia Lima Pictorial Map of Lima, Peru

A charming c. 1954 pictorial map of Lima, Peru. lllustrations by R. Fiol present the city's impressive architecture and lively culture.

A Closer Look

Oriented towards the south, this map illustrates grand government buildings, statues, churches, and other landmarks throughout. These are interspersed with representations of leisure activities, such as cockfighting, horse racing, theaters, live music, and a bullfighting ring. Some neighborhoods are also represented, such as the figure in Chinese dress next to the Mercado Central, who represents the Barrio Chino.

Rebuilding Lima

Lima as seen here was largely the product of the early 20th century, as the city recovered from the upheavals of the 1879-1883 War of the Pacific, which saw unrest, occupation, and widespread destruction. Lima grew rapidly in the mid-20th century with an influx of migrants from elsewhere in Peru, especially indigenous peoples from the interior. Populist governments instituted urban renewal and public works projects, resulting in impressive new buildings, such as the Ministerio de Educación and Hospital del Empleado buildings seen here.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn by 'R. Fiol' and printed by Offset Iberia Lima, most likely in 1954 or later, as suggested by the large and distinctive Ministry of Education building (now the Javier Alzamora Valdez Building), which opened in 1954, at center towards left. No information is available on the artist, and little about Offset Iberia Lima aside from this map and another, more conventional city plan of Lima published in 1957. The present map is not cataloged in any institutional collections and has only appeared on the market once in recent years.