1933 Karl Smith Pictorial Map of Kentucky

This is Karl Smith's 1933 Depression Era pictorial map of Kentucky. Issued at the height the Great Depression, the map offers a much needed boost to state and national morale.

A Closer Look

The map highlights important locations across Kentucky and promotes state heritage through pictorial vignettes. Historic birthplaces, gravesites, and monuments appear alongside illustrations of Kentucky's universities, cathedrals, and Churchill Downs. Mammoth Cave merits special attention, as does Corn Island, the first settlement of what became Louisville. Banners label towns. A vignette of Daniel Boone and his companions appears along the left border.

Historical Context

When this map was issued, Kentucky, like much of the United States, was deeply entrenched in the throes of the Great Depression, a period marked by economic hardship, widespread unemployment, and social unrest. The state's economy, heavily reliant on agriculture and coal mining, suffered as crop prices plummeted and industrial demand waned, leading to significant job losses and poverty among its populace. The hardships faced by Kentuckians during this era were compounded by environmental challenges, including devastating floods that damaged property and agricultural lands, further straining the struggling communities. It was a time of significant adversity, prompting both state and federal government intervention aimed at providing relief and support through various New Deal programs, which sought to alleviate the economic distress and rebuild the state's infrastructure, laying the groundwork for recovery and future growth.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn and published by Karl Smith in 1933. We note three examples cataloged in OCLC: Ball State University, the University of Kentucky, and the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana. A later edition published in 1939 features an illustration of racehorses below the bottom border.