1950 Manuscript Pictorial Map of Tenaya Lake, Yosemite National Park
Disaster Lake (Teneya).
The great outdoors.
$950.00
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The great outdoors.
A whimsical and apparently unique c. 1950 manuscript pictorial map and game centered on Tenaya Lake in Yosemite National Park. Hand-drawn by an unknown artist, the map transforms the celebrated alpine landscape surrounding Tenaya Lake into a playful outdoor obstacle course, where campers navigate a maze of hazards, mishaps, and natural wonders on their way to the finish. Familiar Yosemite landmarks are humorously reinvented: Tenaya Lake becomes 'Disaster Lake,' Tioga Road is recast as 'Runaway Road,' and a nearby campground becomes 'Camp Olde Smokey.' Part pictorial map, part board game, and part affectionate satire of mid-20th-century camping culture, this manuscript captures both the romance and misery of outdoor adventure in Yosemite.A Closer Look
The map depicts the dramatic high-country landscape around Tenaya Lake while poking fun at some of the less idyllic realities of camping and hiking. Tenaya (here spelled 'Teneya') Lake and its surroundings are imaginatively renamed, while the illustrated route confronts travelers with mud, water crossings, isolation from the outside world, gastrointestinal distress, and other familiar wilderness inconveniences. Campers and hikers follow a winding course from the starting point through this comic gauntlet before finally reaching the finish at bottom right. A decorative border, compass rose, and numerous hand-drawn illustrations complete this charming and highly personal interpretation of Yosemite's wilderness.Publication History and Census
This manuscript pictorial map was drawn by an unidentified creator sometime around the middle of the 20th century, likely c. 1950. Its precise circumstances of creation are unknown, although its humor and game-like format suggest a personal souvenir or recreational project inspired by time spent camping or hiking around Tenaya Lake. As an original manuscript, it may well be unique. We are unaware of any other examples in institutional collections or having appeared on the market.Condition
Very good. Small pinholes in corners. Original fold lines partially visible.