Rare and Antique Map Blog

 

Lindgren's earliest maps issued in 1932-33 were printed in multiple colors via photographic multi-layered silkscreen stencils, a laborious process that, while they did not invent, they did pioneer. (Lindgren was likely introduced to the technique while serving in Europe during World War I). According to business partner Ted Turner Jr., they used Swiss sieve silk acquired from a local flower mill supply company. The paint was regular house paint, doctored to achieve the right consistency with a proprietary blend of starch, vinegar, and kerosene. The paint blend was applied in layers, with colors applied first, then black ink, each color pressed through the open stencil mesh using a squeegee blade. The result was replicable (in small numbers) prints in striking, vibrant colors.

Lindgren's earliest maps used this method and were printed on unusual, long-fiber, brownish paper. These include the first of Spokane County (1932), four subsequent 1933 maps issued in partnership with local advertising agent Lee R. Double (Eastern Washington County, Puget Sound County, Mount Rainier, and Olympic Peninsula and Puget Sounds Country), Yellowstone (1934, where the distinctive blue border was introduced), and Jackson Hole (1935).

The use of silkscreen printing on Lindgren's initial map productions introduced elements that became synonymous with Lindgren's style - bold colors, simple print blocks, and thick lines.

The Lindgren brothers, based in Spokane, Washington, were known for producing lighthearted, cartoon-style pictorial maps of state and national parks. Their enterprise began as a sign painting business in 1928, with Hjalmer' 'Jolly' Lindgren serving as the illustrator and Oscar (O.S.) Lindgren managing operations and production.

Their first map, titled Hysterical Map of the Spokane Country Slightly Cockeyed, was screen printed in 1932. As the name suggests, it was designed to entertain rather than inform, aiming more for humor than historical accuracy. The map's popularity led to additional titles in 1933, all in partnership with local advertising man Lee R. Double: Eastern Washington County, Puget Sound County, Mount Rainier, and Olympic Peninsula and Puget Sound Country. Then, in 1934, they issued their groundbreaking Yellowstone National Park, the first to feature their trademark blue border.

Although the Great Depression strained many industries, national park tourism flourished. The Lindgren Brothers successfully tapped into this market by offering humorous, souvenir-style maps to eager visitors. Starting with the 1934 Yellowstone release, Jolly introduced a consistent visual template that became his hallmark: a bold blue (or red) border featuring the title, yellow to represent land (a nod to Yellow-stone), red for roads, black for labels, and touches of green and blue to accent the illustrations.

In 1930, the Lindgrens brought on Theodore 'Ted' Turner, Jr. (1902 - 1989) as sales director - it was Turner's clever idea to change the name of their 'slightly cockeyed' maps from 'Historical' to 'Hysterical'. Over the years, his involvement deepened, and by 1949, he became a full partner, and the company was renamed Lindgren-Turner.

Following World War II, as interest in humorous maps declined, the team pivoted to producing souvenir decals, which proved extremely popular. After Jolly Lindgren's death in 1952, Oscar and Turner continued to expand the company's offerings, introducing oversized map-themed postcards branded as 'King Size Mapcards.'

The following references have been instrumental in informing this ongoing work:

• Spokane brothers dominated the market for national park maps – The Spokesman-Review
• The Hysterical Maps of the Lindgren Brothers – Barron Maps
• That’s Just Hysterical! The Lindgren Brothers’ Tourist Maps – Library of Congress Blog
• David Rumsey Map Collection
• Clinton, Craig, 'Hysterical Maps - The cock-eyed maps of the Lindgren Brothers', IMCOS Journal, #125 [Summer 2011], pp. 27–39.

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