1980 Murphy Realty Map of Sanibel and Captiva

Sanibel-priscillamurphy-1980
$375.00
[Sanibel Island, Florida]. - Main View
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1980 Murphy Realty Map of Sanibel and Captiva

Sanibel-priscillamurphy-1980

Seashell Capital of the World.
$375.00

Title


[Sanibel Island, Florida].
  1980 (dated)     10.5 x 16.25 in (26.67 x 41.275 cm)     1 : 83000

Description


A charming 1980 realty map of Sanibel and Captiva Islands in Southwest Florida, distributed by Priscilla Murphy Realty.
A Closer Look
The islands of Sanibel and Captiva are displayed along with other small neighboring islands and portions of the Florida mainland. Roads, bridges, and local landmarks are labeled, including schools, post offices, churches, and offices of Priscilla Murphy Realty. The lighthouse, known as the Sanibel Island Light, at the eastern tip of Sanibel is an iron 100-foot skeleton tower constructed in 1884. In Pine Island Sound, illustrations of pirates refer to the apocryphal history of piracy on Sanibel and neighboring Captiva, based on the mythical figure José Gaspar (Gasparilla). Around the map are illustrations of shells found along the islands' beaches; due to the tides and the island's orientation in the Gulf of Mexico, an abundance of seashells are deposited on its beaches each night, earning it the nickname 'Seashell Capital of the World.' The verso contains a helpful tide chart for every day of 1980, a hallmark of Murphy's realty maps.
Publication History and Census
This map was produced by Priscilla Murphy Realty on Sanibel in 1980 (or perhaps late 1979). Murphy appears to have published several editions of a map with a tide chart on the verso. The closest to the present edition in institutional collections is a 1981 map and tide chart held by the University of Chicago and the Library of Congress.

Cartographer


Priscilla Murphy (fl. c. 1950 – 2000) was the first realtor to operate on Sanibel Island in Southwest Florida. Born and raised near Detroit, Michigan, Murphy relocated to Sanibel in the early 1950s after visiting it several times. After opening a ceramics shop, she entered the real estate business, becoming the first realtor based on the island. At that time, the only way to reach the island was by ferry, and its population was consequently fairly small. But in 1963, the Sanibel Causeway opened across San Carlos Bay, making the island much more accessible and attractive to tourists and potential residents. With a friendly and outgoing disposition, Murphy gained a reputation as 'the Queen of Sanibel' and was well-known by the island's residents, many of whom had purchased homes through her. Murphy's mark on the island was so strong that her office on Periwinkle Way has been listed on the Local Register of Historic Landmarks. From the mid-1960s, Murphy published maps and publications dealing with local history and lore, which now serve as valuable resources for researchers on the Postwar development of Sanibel and Captiva. More by this mapmaker...

Condition


Very good. Light wear along original folds. One instance of mild soiling. Text on verso.

References


OCLC 9645241 (1981 ed.).