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1927 Jo Mora Map of Monterey Peninsula - Seventeen Mile Drive!
SeventeenMileDrive-jomora-1927$625.00
Title
The Seventeen Mile Drive.
1927 (undated) 32 x 23.25 in (81.28 x 59.055 cm) 1 : 14500
1927 (undated) 32 x 23.25 in (81.28 x 59.055 cm) 1 : 14500
Description
The rare first edition of Jo Mora's 1927 pictorial map of Monterey Peninsula's Seventeen Mile Drive. This is the second of Mora's iconic pictorial maps, which he called his 'cartes.' The map covers Monterey peninsula in full, detailing the seventeen-mile drive around the peninsula and the various points of interest along the way.
Both this, and his first map were commissioned by his friend Samuel Finley Brown Morse, of the Hotel Del Monte. The Hotel Del Monte and the Del Monte Lodge were among the most luxurious resorts in the world – frequented by golden age Hollywood starts and other international celebrities. The main hotel burnt to the ground in 1924 and, after several years of reconstruction, reopened in April of 1926. This map, and Mora's California's Playground (1926), were commissioned by Del Monte Properties to promote the grand reopening. Both the Hotel Del Monte and the Del Monte Lodge are highlighted by large inset views at the top right, and bottom center. The map contains several additional insets illustrating historical buildings. Among them in a group portrait of some very well dressed wildlife identified as the 'Prominent Native Sons of Del Monte Forest.'
This map was issued in two editions, of which this is the first, identifiable by the inscription 'This Map by Jo Mora' in the lower left corner. A second edition was issued in 1928-1928 and is identifiable by the addition of a 'Del Monte Properties Co.' copyright in the lower right corner.
Both this, and his first map were commissioned by his friend Samuel Finley Brown Morse, of the Hotel Del Monte. The Hotel Del Monte and the Del Monte Lodge were among the most luxurious resorts in the world – frequented by golden age Hollywood starts and other international celebrities. The main hotel burnt to the ground in 1924 and, after several years of reconstruction, reopened in April of 1926. This map, and Mora's California's Playground (1926), were commissioned by Del Monte Properties to promote the grand reopening. Both the Hotel Del Monte and the Del Monte Lodge are highlighted by large inset views at the top right, and bottom center. The map contains several additional insets illustrating historical buildings. Among them in a group portrait of some very well dressed wildlife identified as the 'Prominent Native Sons of Del Monte Forest.'
This map was issued in two editions, of which this is the first, identifiable by the inscription 'This Map by Jo Mora' in the lower left corner. A second edition was issued in 1928-1928 and is identifiable by the addition of a 'Del Monte Properties Co.' copyright in the lower right corner.
Cartographer
Joseph 'Jo' Jancito Mora (October 22, 1876 – October 10, 1947) was an Uruguayan born artist active in California during the first half of the 20th century. Mora immigrated to California as a young man. He studied art in Boston and, after graduating, worked there briefly before relocating to California. In cartographic circles Mora is known for pioneering the 20th century pictorial map. In a series he referred to as his 'cartes,' published between in 1926 and 1942, Mora developed a pictorial style that combined cartography with colorful cartoonish image of local figures, folklore, history, and natural wonders. His earliest maps were commissioned by the Hotel Del Monte and included California's Playground and The Seventeen Mile Drive. As he matured as a cartographer, his work became increasingly dense, often packed with tiny figures, each expressive of some aspect of regional life. Mora, often called the 'Renaissance man of the West' also worked as an illustrator, muralist, sculptor, photographer, and writer. His masterpiece is considered to be the Father Serra Cenotaph, a bronze and marble sculpture at the Memorial Chapel in El Carmelo Mission, Carmel, California. His map work included Monterey Penninsula (1927), and Seventeen Mile Drive (1927), California (1927), Grand Canyon (1931), Yosemite (1931), Yellowstone (1936), Carmel-By-The-Sea (1942), California (1945) (large and small versions), Map of Los Angeles (1942), among others. More by this mapmaker...
Condition
Very good. Mounted on linen in the fashion of posters.
References
Rumsey 8559.000. OCLC 953572709. Hornsby, S. J., Picturing America: The Golden Age of Pictorial Maps, page 30.