1954 Moss Pictorial Map of Manhattan, New York City

This is a first edition 1954 Ira Moss pictorial map of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Eye-catching and entertaining, 197 different locations throughout Manhattan are illustrated as vignettes and numerically identified. These numbers correspond to an index along the bottom and right listing the sites by category, including hotels, restaurants, night clubs, churches, bridges, stores, 'points of educational interest' (museums, libraries, universities, etc.), and other points of interest.

The Best of Manhattan

Sites such as the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Washington Square Arch, and the Brooklyn Bridge, along with numerous hotels (including the Waldorf-Astoria) are illustrated in profile. Other sites are marked by representative illustrations. The American Museum of Natural History, for example, is highlighted by a tourist being chased by a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and the Central Park Zoo is noted by an elephant being fed by a small child. At the same time, the Lincoln Tunnel, Queens Midtown Tunnel, and Holland Tunnel are all illustrated.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn by Ira Moss and published by Moss Art Publishers in 1954. We note two examples cataloged in OCLC which are part of the collections at the Brooklyn Historical Society and the New York Public Library.