1897 Garcia Cubas and Vega Map of the Yucatán, Mexico

A rare 1897 color lithograph map of the Yucatán by Antonio García Cubas and Vega. The map was issued one year before the outbreak of the Spanish-American War (1898), at the height of Yucatán's significance as the global center of henequen production. Due to this industry, when this map was issued, the Yucatán was Mexico's wealthiest state and its capital, Merida, one of the world's richest cities.

A Closer Look

Coverage embraces Yucatán state in the late 19th century - which includes both Yucatán and modern-day Quintana Roo. Yucatán is subdivided into districts, with the road system illustrated in detail. A single rail line, between Mérida and the port of Progreso, is noted. Of interest are the countless haciendas and ranchos, most producing henequen agave, the source of Yucatan's enormous wealth. Henequen fibers were used to produce rope and other high-tensile textiles for maritime and industrial uses. The Yucatán prospered on henequen (sisal) production until the rise of synthetics in the mid-20th century.

Publication History and Census

This map was published in Mexico City in 1897 by Vega y Cie. It was printed by Lit. Montauriol Sucs., Mexico City. The map is based on the 1887 work of Antonio García Cubas. It was updated with additional border work for the 1897 issue of the Atlas Geográfico de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos. The atlas is represented in several instructional collections, but extremely scare on the market. The individual maps, likewise, are scarce to the market.