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1909 Walker Map of New England
NewEnglandStates-walkerlithpub-1909$225.00
Title
Map of the New England States, Showing State, County, and Town Boundaries, Post Offices, Railroad Stations, etc. / Automobile and Cycling Routes of the New England States.
1909 (dated) 41.75 x 28.5 in (106.045 x 72.39 cm) 1 : 750000
1909 (dated) 41.75 x 28.5 in (106.045 x 72.39 cm) 1 : 750000
Description
This is a 1908 George Walker map of New England. The map emerged as cyclists and motorists emerged as powerful political forces, aligning their interests to advocate for well-made, adequately drained, paved, and graded roads on both local and national levels.
Henry Ford introduced the Model T in October 1908. The Model T was the first easily maintained, reliable, mass-produced motorized transportation. Before the Model T, automobiles were expensive, hard-to-find, and unreliable. Thus, this map arrived at the beginning of the era when automobiles became accessible to not only the elite but to the public. This map thus represents the beginning of the American fascination with cars.
From about 1910 onwards, cyclists and motorists joined forces to sponsor the 'Good Roods Everywhere' movement, a collective lobbying effort to promote, as the name suggests, good roads.
A Closer Look
Coverage embraces New England from Maine to eastern New York, including Lake Champlain, the Hudson River, and New York City. Quebec from the U.S.-Canada border north to the St. Lawrence River is also included. Bold red lines highlight 'direct routes,' at the time, the only reliable 'roads.' Thin black lines mark the more extensive railroad network, with most lines identified. Counties are outlined in orange. Two insets appear in the lower-right: Boston and its environs and Narragansett Bay.From Bicycles and Automobiles
The bicycle emerged in the late 19th century as a reliable, safe, comfortable, and affordable tool for both transportation and recreation. Cycling clubs emerged as cyclists came together to determine the best routes, advocate for better roads, and just connect. Women, in particular, become very enthusiastic cyclists, as the bicycle provided freedom of movement and association - on bicycles the sexes could intermingle without parental oversight.Henry Ford introduced the Model T in October 1908. The Model T was the first easily maintained, reliable, mass-produced motorized transportation. Before the Model T, automobiles were expensive, hard-to-find, and unreliable. Thus, this map arrived at the beginning of the era when automobiles became accessible to not only the elite but to the public. This map thus represents the beginning of the American fascination with cars.
From about 1910 onwards, cyclists and motorists joined forces to sponsor the 'Good Roods Everywhere' movement, a collective lobbying effort to promote, as the name suggests, good roads.
Publication History and Census
This map was created and published by the Walker Lithograph and Publishing Company in 1909. Previous editions were published by George H. Walker and Company in 1904, 1905, and 1908. We note 2 examples of the present 1909 edition cataloged in OCLC: Osher Map Library at the University of Southern Maine and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.Cartographer
George Hiram Walker (January 4, 1852 - November 14, 1927) was a Boston based publisher of books, views, and maps active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Springfield, Vermont, Walker started his life as a dry goods merchant but developed an active interest in publishing during the early 1870s. Walker began publishing in 1878 when he partnered with an unknown New York Firm. Two years later, Walker brought the operation in house by partnering with his brother, Oscar W. Walker, in the opening of a lithography studio at 81 Milk Street, Boston. Shortly thereafter the firm expanded to new offices at 160 Tremont Street, Boston. The Walker brothers produced a large corpus of works, most of which focused on travel and tourism in New England. Walker also established the Walker-Gordon Milk Laboratory with Dr. Thomas Morgan Rotch and Gustave Gordon. This interesting investment was based on the premise that infant deaths could be avoided by providing higher quality milk. The company eventually became a great success, producing a high-quality cow milk that closely resembled human breast milk. In the process the Walker-Gordon laboratory developed many of the dairy health standards that are still with us today. Walker married Irene L. Loud on March 25, 1885. More by this mapmaker...
Condition
Good. Light wear along original fold lines. Verso repairs to fold separations and at fold intersections. Very minor loss at several fold intersections. Light toning.
References
OCLC 74717766.