1939 Ernest Dudley Chase Pictorial Map of the World - Signed by Chase!

Signed. Natural and Manufactured wonders.

This is a 1939 Ernest Dudley Chase pictorial map of the world celebrating natural and manufactured wonders worldwide. Signed by Chase in pencil below the border in the lower left. Pictorial vignettes highlight structures on every continent, including bridges, skyscrapers, cathedrals, and monuments. Among these are the Empire State Building, the Colosseum, Angkor Wat, the Dome of the Rock, and Petra. Other vignettes capture Earth's natural wonders, including waterfalls, mountains, caves, and canyons. Smaller illustrations populate the continents, many of which illustrate Earth's diverse wildlife. Others emphasize human achievements, technological advances, or landmark moments in exploration.

Publication History and Census

This map was created and published by Ernest Dudley Chase in 1939. Two editions were published, the present sepia-tone edition and a larger full-color edition, which some sources cite as a later publication.

Cartographer

Ernest Dudley Chase (July 26, 1878 - August 25, 1966) was an American illustrator of greeting cards and pictorial maps active in the first half of the 20th century. From his studio in Winchester, Massachusetts, Chase became famous for his elaborately illustrated pictorial maps. He was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, and attended the Lowell Textile School and the Vesper George Art School. He took work with Butterfield Printing Company in 1900. In 1906, he moved to the W. T. Sheehan Printing Firm. He began producing postcards and greeting cards on his own account in 1908. This initial imprint was Des Arts Publishers, but later, he changed it to Ernest Dudley Chase Publishers. Chase is best known today for his distinctive pictorial maps, most of which he published privately, characterized by dense vignette images of important locations. The biographical pamphlet A Meticulous Maker of Maps describes Chase's attention to detail wherein, pursuing a 'passion for perfection' by stippling his images 'dot-by-dot, with tiny pens' under a magnifying glass. His impressive corpus includes nearly 50 maps focusing on various parts of the United States and Europe, as well as other international locations and novelty pieces. Most are thematic, focusing on topics such as wonders of the world, stamps, aviation, and war. Others, such as his map of The United States as viewed by California and Loveland are satirical. All, in their original editions, are coveted by a dedicated following of modern collectors.   Further Details...

Condition

Very good. Light creasing. Even overall toning.

References

Rumsey 6794.000.