1895 'Denver Times' Chromolithograph Map of North America 'A Century Ahead'

Imagining a world 100 years in the future, this is a spectacular 1895 Western Litho. Co. and Denver Times chromolithograph broadside map of North America proposing futuristic transportation innovation and Denver as the U.S. capital. Issued in 1895, at the height of the Cripple Creek Gold Rush, and jokingly forward-dated December 31, 1995, the broadside proposes that in 100 years, Denver, Colorado, would become the center of a continent-spanning political, economic, and transportation empire.

A Closer Look

The chromolithograph abounds with wacky but prescient futuristic contraptions ranging from a horseless carriage (the automobile was invented in 1886 by Carl Benz) to a self-propelled wheelchair to a crazy motorized monowheel (invented 1869) to cruise-ship-sized airships. The broadside anticipates high-speed electric railroads capable of connecting Denver to Russia in 20 hours. Denver is proposed as a new national capital with the Capitol building, National Museum, National Academy of Arts and Science, and the Denver National Electric Railroad next to the hulking Denver Times building. A cherub and two personifications of liberty appear above the globe, one of which holds a tablet that reads, 'Colorado The Centre of Wealth and Prosperity'.

A map of North America dominated the image, with the United States, the Republic of Canada, and the Republic of Mexico occupying the continent. The geography is skewed to make Colorado significantly larger and more central, mostly at the expense of a diminished Texas. Denver is the map's focal point, from which railways radiate outwards to California, Russia, Oregon, Chicago, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Galveston, and Philadelphia.

Chromolithography

Chromolithography, sometimes called oleography, is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process involved using multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Oftentimes, the process would start with a black basecoat upon which subsequent colors were layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired product. Chromolithograph color could also be effectively blended for even more dramatic results. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when it emerged as the dominant method of color printing. The vivid color of chromolithography made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda imagery.

Publication History and Census

This broadside was created by the Western Litho. Co. and published by the Denver Times in 1895. This is the only known surviving example.