1963 Dowie Pictorial Map of the United States and its Pioneer History

How was the 'West Won'?

This is a c. 1963 Fran Dowie pictorial map of the United States highlighting U.S. frontier history, or 'How the West was won'. The map was most likely created to cash in on the success of the Cinerama film by the same name. Captioned illustrations mark important historical events and provide context. Important battles during the Indian Wars, acts of frontier justice against outlaws such as Jesse James and Billy the Kid, and the shootout at the O.K. Corral are a few of the events noted. Pioneer trails, such as the Oregon Trail, the Santa Fe Trail, and the Pony Express Route, are illustrated as well. The Grand Canyon, the Rocky Mountains, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains evoke the majesty of the rugged terrain. The whole is surrounded by a pictorial border incorporating portraits of frontier personalities: Doc Holliday, Crazy Horse, Jim Bowie, Wyatt Earp, Davy Crockett, and Jesse James.

How the West Was Won

How the West Was Won, released in 1962, was an epic Western adventure filmed in true three-lens Cinerama - a trademarked filmographic technique employing three cameras and an enormous concave screen, thus yielding a panoramic wrap-around effect. How the West Was Won was the first fictional movie produced in Cinerama and is widely considered one of Hollywood's greatest epics. The film boasts a dizzying list of stars, including James Stewart, John Wayne, Debbie Reynolds, Gregory Peck, and Henry Fonda. The film gained critical acclaim and box office success.

Publication History and Census

This map was compiled and illustrated by Fran Dowie and published by the Old Western Trading Company c. 1962. An example is part of the collection at the Map and Atlas Museum of La Jolla. This piece is not cataloged in OCLC.

Cartographers

Francis 'Fran' Dowie (1921 - December 21, 2006) was a Canadian performer, actor, cartoonist, vaudevillian, and puppeteer. Born in Richmond, British Columbia, Dowie came from a family of performers, his grandfather, Frank W. Dowie, founded the first minstrel show to perform at London's Palladium in the early 1900s. Dowie began performing at the age of seven with his father Frank in their comedy duo, performing at Vancouver's Orpheum Theatre. From that point on he never stopped. He was a member of a vaudeville troupe during World War II, called 'The Blackouts' and performed for soldiers throughout Canada, Alaska, and all across Europe after the war ended. While performing with 'The Blackouts' Dowie married Candy Kane (1922 - XXXX), who later was forced to return to Canada after she became pregnant. After the war, Dowie directed productions at the Theatre Royal in Barkerville, British Columbia. At the age of sixty-five, instead of retiring, Dowie began performing as Santa Claus for children. He is best remembered for this role and is widely remembered at 'the Lower Mainland's most beloved Santa'. Dowie also became a puppeteer in his later years and was an active member of the Society for the Preservation of Vaudeville. Dowie is a member of the British Columbia Entertainment Hall of Fame and was one of the first selected for a star on the B.C. Hall of Fame's STARWALK.   Further Details...

Daniel Alvin Arnold (July 18, 1919 - May 2000) was a Canadian businessman and artist. Per records found online, Arnold was the director of Old Western Trading Post Limited from 1960 until his death.   Further Details...

Condition

Good. Backed on archival tissue for stability. Exhibits wear along original fold lines. Small areas of infill at two fold intersections.