1929 American Geographical Society Wall Map of Antarctica

A rare 1929 American Geographical Society wall map of Antarctica issued to celebrate the 1928-29 Wilkins-Hearst Expedition (1928 - 29), wherein George Hubert Wilkins (1888 - 1958) accomplished the first Antarctic flight, revealing some 1000 miles of uncharted territory.

A Monumental Achievement.

The map was described in a pamphlet published at the same time by the Society:

This generation is the last that will have the opportunity of witnessing the exploration of a continent. We are again in the midst of a period of intensive exploring in the Antarctic. True to the spirit of the time this work is being done by the high-powered airplane; the results are being made known to the whole civilized world almost immediately by radio... It is to supply a means of following these expeditions in what they have already done and what they are going to do that the accompanying map has been prepared by the American Geographical Society of New York.

A Closer Look

The wall map is presented in three parts. The primary map is centered on Antarctica and places the Antarctic in relation to the southern continents, thus incorporating the southern limits of South Africa, South America, Australia, and New Zealand. The coastline includes both confirmed land as well as conjectural shores. For example, 'Wilkes Land' is illustrated BOTH under the assumption that Charles Wilkes' 1838 discoveries indicated the presence of a large continent; and also in the more restricted form proposed by Sir Douglas Mawson, who questioned many of Wilkes's reported landfalls. The map is richly detailed and benefits from modern navigation, hydrography, and land surveys. Depth soundings are derived from state-of-the-art sonic measurements considered superior to the contemporaneous soundings then used for most nautical charts. Variations in the icy terrain are specified. Specific features are noted with the years of their discovery.

Wilkins' Flight

A detail map focuses on the Antarctic region of Graham Land. It details the track (red) and discoveries of Wilkins' 1928-1929 aerial expedition, the first airplane flight over Antarctica. It also presents in glaring detail the efforts that Wilkins was willing to make in order to acknowledge and flatter his patrons. Chief among these is the decision to dub the mainland at the base of the Antarctic Archipelago 'Hearst Land,' after Wilkins' primary patron and financier William Randolph Hearst. Many of other the placenames honor fellows of the American Geographical Society, which also supported the expedition. Standouts include 'Lockheed Mountains' (named after the manufacturer of Wilkins' Lockheed Vega aircraft) and 'Mobiloil Bay' (whose fuel and lubricants that aircraft no doubt depended on). A note on the map indicates that the positions of the coastline and other features were based not on astronomical observation but were sketched in-flight and checked by dead reckoning. Wilkins acknowledged that this could result in latitudinal errors of 5-10 miles and that longitudinal errors could be even greater.

The Photographs

Much of Wilkins' fame, going back to his exploits in World War I (1914 - 1918), was tied to photography. His exploration also produced a significant photographic record. The third part of the map is dedicated to ten of Wilkins' aerial photographs of the Antarctic. These include views of the expedition's base on Deception Island, and dramatic views of islands and mountains spotted on the journey (highlighting, for instance, the 'Detroit Aviation Society Plateau,' another one of the adventurer's patron societies).

Publication History and Census

This map was published in 1929 by the American Geographical Society in a single edition. We see approximately 30 examples listed in OCLC. Scarce to the market.