1972 Millsap Pictorial Map of San Diego, California

Triumph of Fillmore Style!

This is a 1972 Darrel Millsap pictorial calendar map of San Diego, California. It is one in a series of Millsap maps in the Fillmore style commissioned by Home Federal Bank. Fillmore design was pioneered by promoters of The Fillmore, a legendary 1960s-70s San Francisco music venue.

A Closer Look

Coverage embraces from San Diego Bay to Del Mar, including La Jolla, Escondido, Encinitas, Balboa Park, Sea World, and the San Diego Zoo, among other locations. Miramar Naval Air Station, situated just above center, is overshadowed by the giant block letters proclaiming, 'Home Federal Country.' Both the University of California San Diego and the University of San Diego are labeled as well. The Sports Arena seen here is now called the Pechanga Arena whild Lindbegh Field is San Diego International Airport. The busiest single-runway commercial airport in the U.S., it was long considered to be a temporary site until a larger airport could be built near San Diego, but for various reasons an alternative site could not be found and Lindbergh / SDIA has continued ot function as San Diego's main airport, having recently been upgraded to accomodate greater traffic.

Fillmore Style

Published in 1972, Millsap's map of San Diego borrows elements from the iconic concert posters created for The Fillmore, the legendary San Francisco music venue. The posters' psychedelic styling and innovative typography have become iconic in popular culture and modern art.

Publication History and Census

This map was created by Darrel Millsap in 1972 and published by the Home Federal Savings and Loan Association. The map appears on the market from time to time but is scarce in institutional collections, with just two holdings identified.

Cartographer

Darrel Wayne 'Bunky' Millsap (May 9, 1931 - April 11, 2012) was an American artist. Born in Ontario, California, Millsap began showing artistic talent early, drawing portraits and pictures of animals on paper and brown bags he found in his childhood home. He served in the U.S. Navy and was honorably discharged in 1953. After being discharged, he enrolled at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California and graduated in 1956 with a degree in Commercial Illustration. After graduating, Millsap began his career at Fred Kopp Studios in Los Angeles working for Hector Huerta. Only a few years later, Millsap moved to San Diego and found work with Frye and Smith. He soon opted to start his own firm with Robert Kinyon called Millsap/Kinyon Illustration. Millsap and Kinyon worked together until Kinyon died of cancer. After Kinyon's death, Millsap worked alone under the name Darrel Millsap Illustration until he retired in 1999. Millsap suffered a stroke a few years before his death and died in 2012 of complications arising from the stroke as well as diabetes and Parkinson's disease. Over the course of his career as an artist, Millsap created maps as advertisements for banks, including several of California, one of Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin, and one of Oahu. Millsap married his wife Janice in 1959 and had three children.   Further Details...

Condition

Excellent.

References

Rumsey 8964.000. OCLC 24424774.