1945 Sundberg 'Old Man River' Map of the Mississippi River System

This is a 1945 Edwin L. Sundberg map of the Mississippi River System in the United States. After the region suffered one of its worst floods in recorded history, attention focused on measures being taken to prevent such disasters. Red and blue notations highlight levees and reservoirs used in flood control, with red levees and reservoirs representing projects that had been completed or were currently under construction and blue ones noting future projects that had already been approved by Congress. This vast undertaking not only prevented citizens from losing their homes to floodwaters, but also held numerous other benefits, such as 'power production, irrigation, navigation, and wildlife and soil conservation' in the Missouri Valley. Similar projects in the Arkansas Valley were meant to help with irrigation and dust control. Each reservoir, no matter whether it was completed or proposed, is identified by name. Shading is used to illustrate the changes in elevation throughout the system, which provides a much broader image for the reader. Text boxes about the Missouri Valley Authority, the Arkansas Valley Authority, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Ohio Valley Authority, and the Upper Mississippi Basin contain information about each authority.

Publication History and Census

This map was created by Edwin Sundberg and published by the Sunday News on June 17, 1945. Even though Sundberg's works were produced for a New York City newspaper, his maps vary in scarcity today. We have been unable to locate any known examples in institutional collections and have been able to locate only two other instances when it has appeared on the private market.