1979 Archar Pictorial Map of Jacksonville, Florida

This is a 1979 Archar Inc. 'City Character Print' pictorial map of Jacksonville, Florida, playfully promoting the city's history, identity, and businesses - particularly banking and healthcare. This is among the rarest Archar views, with no other cataloged examples known.

A Closer Look

The view looks west on Jacksonville from the beaches to the city's business center, with notable highrise buildings; the St. John's River runs laterally through the center of the map with Mill Cove on the right and Doctors Pond on the left. The foreground focuses on beach and resort life, while throughout the midground, between the St. John's River and the Atlantic, businesses are interspaced with palm trees and other vegetation. A plethora of local businesses are advertised, most of which likely paid for premium placement. The local radio station Y103 WIVY FM, is featured twice. In the background is the city's business center, where banking and hospitals are emphasized, underscoring Jacksonville's flourishing healthcare industry.

City Character Prints

City Character Prints were a series of comical city views issued between 1972 and 1983. The views combine cartographic perspective with exaggerated illustrations of important landmarks, historical sites, and 'typical' people engaged in 'typical' activities. The views were produced by different artists, with, as far as we can tell, every artist having produced only one. Some are unattributed. Cities covered include New Orleans, St. Louis, Birmingham, New York, Syracuse, Philadelphia, Dallas, Buffalo, Chicago, Austin, Washington D.C., Miami, and Phoenix, among others. Most bear the Canadian imprint of Archar Inc., Ontario. Many were later licensed as puzzles. We even note a map of Singapore, dating to 1990, that uses the term 'City Character Print', and while mimicking the style and produced by a Canadian artist, it may or may not be related. The style inspired a whole genre of copycat works of perseverant popularity. The University of Lethbridge, Alberta, maintains a list of 121 Archer City Character Prints, but neither Singapore nor this one of Jacksonville is on it.

Publication History and Census

This map was produced and published by Archar Inc. in 1979. It is not on the Lethbridge / Stevens list of Archar views, suggesting that this is one of the rarer City Character Prints. We see no examples in OCLC or anywhere else. A rare find.