1939 Hagstrom Map of New York City w/Subway IRT and BMT lines

Early mapping of New York Subways.

An uncommon early c. 1939 edition of Hagstrom's map of New York City showing subways and elevated trains, including the BMT and IRT lines. The map covers most of New York City with the exception of Staten Island. Parks are detailed, as are major avenues and streets, but he focus of the map is the subway and transit lines. Color coding defines the lines, the IRT (blue), BMT (yellow), 8th Avenue line (Red), Joint lines (blue and yellow). The map also attempts to show major railway lines. This map is undated but predates the 1939 merger of the December 12, 1939 merger of the IRT, BMT, IND (independent lines), the largest railroad merger in U.S. history.

Publication History and Census

This map went through many states and editions, most of which are undated. We have tentatively dated this example to 1939 based upon the design, copyright notices, and an assessment of the content.

Cartographer

Andrew Gunnar Hagstrom (1890 - September 24, 1977) was a map publisher based in Maspeth, Queens. Hagstrom was born in Karleby, Skaraborg, Sweden. He emigrated to New York in 1909, where he took work milking cows at a farm near Coney Island, Brooklyn. He then worked in the meatpacking industry while taking a degree in commercial art at the New York Mechanics Institute. Afterward, he founded a drafting business in Manhattan and created a map to showcase his drafting skill and help customers find his shop. Around 1916, he purchased the copyrights to Dolph & Street Company's base maps of New York City. His maps proved popular, and he expanded operations by founding the Hagstrom Map Company (1916 - 1968) and issuing additional maps of parts of New York City and the surrounding regions. By 1949, Hagstrom had issued more than 150 maps, guides, and atlases, most of which focused on New York. Many of his maps from this period feature a unique dating cipher based on his name (HAGSTROMCX corresponds to the numbers 1-9, with 0 representing the months and years; for example, a map with the code OSO would be 7/47, or July 1947). Hagstrom pioneered a cartographic style that exaggerated street widths to improve clarity and make room for large-print, readable labels. The New York Subway system even hired Hagstrom to produce its map, which was in use from the 1940s to 1958. In 1958, the King of Sweden knighted Hagstrom (Royal Order of Vasa, First Class) for his success in the United States. His company flourished until 1968, when Macmillan acquired it. The brand has since passed through multiple corporate portfolios and is now owned by Kappa Publishing Group. Hagstrom died in 1977 at age 81 in the Virgin Islands.   Further Details...

Condition

Good. Laid down on archival tissue. Wear at old fold lines and intersections.