1933 Lindgren 'Hysterical' Map of Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

This is the only known surviving example of one of the Lindgren Brother's earliest 'Hysterical Maps', their 1933 pictorial map of Mount Rainier. It is one of just 9 maps issued by the Lindgren Brothers using an ad hoc silkscreen technique they pioneered in-house - all of the Lindgren Brothers' rare screen-printed maps are striking for their rich color. After their first map in 1932, the Lindgren Brothers produced just four more maps in 1933, all copyrighted by local advertising agent Lee R. Double, likely a client of their sign-painting business.

A Closer Look

The map focuses on the snow-capped Mount Rainier's Columbia Crest. It is bounded by the borders of Mount Rainier National Park. The map is early in Jolly Lindgren's corpus, but it, nonetheless, already demonstrates his distinctive humor and illustration style. It does, however, predate the 1934 introduction of the distinctive Lindgren blue (later red) border work. Like his other 1932-1934 maps, it is printed on an unusual long-fibered brown paper - replaced in 1935 with more traditional white paper.

Pioneering Silkscreen Printing

Lindgren's earliest maps issued in 1932-33, as here, were printed in multiple colors via photographic multi-layered silkscreen stencils, a laborious process that, while they did not invent, they did pioneer. (Ott Lindgren was likely introduced to the technique while serving in Europe during World War I). According to business partner Ted Turner Jr., they used Swiss sieve silk acquired from a local flower mill supply company. The paint was regular house paint, doctored to achieve the right consistency with a proprietary blend of starch, vinegar, and kerosene. The paint blend was applied in layers, with colors applied first, then black ink, each color pressed through the open stencil mesh using a squeegee blade. The result was replicable (in small numbers) prints in striking, vibrant colors.

Lindgren's earliest maps used this method and were printed on unusual, long-fiber, brownish paper. These include the first of Spokane County (1932), four subsequent 1933 maps issued in partnership with local advertising agent Lee R. Double (Eastern Washington County, Puget Sound County, Mount Rainier, and Olympic Peninsula and Puget Sounds Country), Yellowstone (1934,where the distinctive blue border was introduced), and Jackson Hole (1935).

The use of silkscreen printing on Lindgren's initial map productions introduced elements that became synonymous with Lindgren's style - bold colors, simple print blocks, and thick lines.

Hysterical Maps of the Lindgren Brothers

The Lindgren brothers, based in Spokane, Washington, were known for producing lighthearted, cartoon-style pictorial maps of state and national parks. Their enterprise began as a sign painting business in 1928, with Hjalmer' 'Jolly' Lindgren serving as the illustrator and Oscar (O.S.) Lindgren managing operations and production.

Their first map, titled Hysterical Map of the Spokane Country Slightly Cockeyed, was screen printed in 1932. As the name suggests, it was designed to entertain rather than inform, aiming more for humor than historical accuracy. The map's popularity led to additional titles in 1933, all in partnership with local advertising man Lee R. Double: Eastern Washington County, Puget Sound County, Mount Rainier, and Olympic Peninsula and Puget Sound Country. Then, in 1934, they issued their groundbreaking Yellowstone National Park, the first to feature their trademark blue border.

Although the Great Depression strained many industries, national park tourism flourished. The Lindgren Brothers successfully tapped into this market by offering humorous, souvenir-style maps to eager visitors. Starting with the 1934 Yellowstone release, Jolly introduced a consistent visual template that became his hallmark: a bold blue (or red) border featuring the title, yellow to represent land (a nod to Yellow-stone), red for roads, black for labels, and touches of green and blue to accent the illustrations.

In 1930, the Lindgrens brought on Theodore 'Ted' Turner, Jr. (1902 - 1989) as sales director - it was Turner's clever idea to change the name of their 'slightly cockeyed' maps from 'Historical' to 'Hysterical'. Over the years, his involvement deepened, and by 1949, he became a full partner, and the company was renamed Lindgren-Turner.

Following World War II, as interest in humorous maps declined, the team pivoted to producing souvenir decals, which proved extremely popular. After Jolly Lindgren's death in 1952, Oscar and Turner continued to expand the company's offerings, introducing oversized map-themed postcards branded as 'King Size Mapcards.'

Publication History and Census

This map was silkscreen printed by the Lindgren Brothers and copyrighted by Lee Double. It was replaced in 1940 with a new map of Mount Rainier incorporating Lindgren's later stylistic developments. (c.f. Rumsey 12319.000). The silkscreen printing technique would have limited the production of this map to very low numbers. All Lindgren silkscreen maps are exceedingly rare, and this is the only example of the present map we have traced.