1958 Odum and Sanford Pictorial Treasure Map of Florida

This is a c. 1958 Ralph Odum and Walter Sanford pictorial treasure map of Florida. The map captured the imagination of Floridians, spurring a short 'treasure-hunting' craze!

A Closer Look

The map is a result of Odum's years as a Florida treasure historian. While not a treasure hunter himself, Odum visited most of the sites illustrated where he interviewed locals as well as sifted through records and legends. His research resulted in this broadly informative panorama of treasure legends throughout Florida - apparently amounting to (per the title cartouche) 165,000,00 c. 1950 U.S. Dollars.

Red 'X's and explanatory text mark supposed treasures sites. Pictorial vignettes appear throughout illustrating pirates, Native Americans, and conquistadors. A dead pirate lies on the beach in another vignette, blood seeping from his chest, while another hangs from the gallows. Two particularly brutal pirates flank the title cartouche, rendered as a treasure chest with a parrot on the open lid. The names of famous pirates decorate the border, with sharks and dolphins occupying the corners.

The present example was printed 'Compliments of Rocky Point Beach Restaurant. Tampa, Florida, which operated between about 1957 and 1962. The verso features the restaurant menu - $1 cocktails… Oh my!

Publication History and Census

This map was illustrated by Warner Sanford and lithographed by Robinson's Lithography in Orlando. It was researched and first published by Ralph E. Odum in 1950. After proving popular, Odum ordered several printings and licensed the map to restaurants and other businesses, who purchased additional overprinting or verso content to promote themselves. This has led to multiple variants with various copyrights, although all copyrights maintain the same date, they are variously located in Tallahassee and Lakeland. We note an example at the Touchton Map Library with at Lakeland imprint, as well as two in the David Rumsey Collection, one with a Tallahassee imprint, another with a Lakeland Imprint. Some, like the Rumsey Tallahassee imprint, also bear the imprint of 'Treasure Maps Inc.', a company formed in 1973 to promote Odum's maps - underscoring its enduring longevity. Moreover, some examples spell his name as 'Odom'. This appears to be more than a misprint, as numerous news articles also use 'Odom.' Nonetheless, the name on his gravestone is Odum, so we'll assume this to be accurate.