1930 Town Crier Pictorial Map of Cape Cod, Massachusetts

This is a 1930 Town Crier Shop pictorial map of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in its rare full-color large format edition. It is considered one of the best pictorial maps of Cape Cod from the early 20th century.

A Closer Look

Locations throughout are labeled, including towns, tourist sites, and other points of interest: Provincetown, Brewster, Dennis, Chatham, Barnstable, Bourne, and Falmouth among them. Vignettes of mills, clam shanties, lighthouses, and ships are illustrated. Both the art museum and the Town Crier Shop in Provincetown are labeled, along with the Pilgrim Monument, which was completed in 1910. The Cape Cod Railroad, incorporated in 1846, is represented by a train featuring a locomotive, coal tender, and two passenger cars. Several shipwrecks are noted, with one notable exception: the safe arrival of the Mayflower in 1620. Duck hunting, once a popular pastime on the Cape, appears prominently, with vignettes of both hunter and hunted. A decorative border surrounds the whole, with views of typical Cape Cod scenes interspersed with illustrations of fish, anchors, and other nautical instruments.

Publication History and Census

This map was published by Town Crier Shop in 1930. There were multiple editions and formats including small format (about 12 x 14 in), medium format (about 20 x 22 in), and as here, large format (24.75 x 27.5 in). There are also color variations, including a black-and-white edition. Of this large-format color edition, there are two states. One bears publication information below the bottom border. The publication information is absent on this, the second state. The map is scarce, especially in the large format edition, as here.