1954 Automobile Club Map of California 'Outdoor Play Places'

A distinctive work of mid-century Californiana and Americana, this large-format map was issued in 1954 by the Automobile Club of Southern California in its publication Westways. Displaying the entire Golden State, it locates federal and state park lands, along with designated areas for fishing, hunting, skiing, and boating.

A Closer Look

The state of California is depicted in brilliant color, with national parks, forests, monuments, and recreation areas colored light green, dark green, or orange, highlighting their large share of California's total land. These sites, in addition to state parks, recreation areas, and areas set aside for skiing, hunting, boating, and fishing, more than 300 sites in all, are also labelled with numbers corresponding to an index surrounding the map. A legend explains additional symbols employed. Cities and highways are also noted, clarifying the ease with which these sites could be reached from major metropolitan areas. Illustrations at top and below the title cartouche are sure to include women, and children, in the idealized outdoor activities, reflecting the values (and marketing strategy) of the Automobile Club.

Publication History and Census

This map appeared with the December 1954 issue of Westways magazine, published by the Automobile Club of Southern California. It was designed by Lowell Butler, with descriptive notes by William Webb and Phil Townsend Hanna, drawings by Ken Sawyer, and coloring by Harry O. Diamond. As noted on the verso, the map took nearly a year to prepare, including extensive research on sites and their regulations. It is noted among the holdings of 19 institutions in the OCLC, and additionally is held by the Huntington Library and the David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.