1933 Whistler Pictorial Map of the London Stock Exchange

This is a 1933 Rex Whistler pictorial map of the London Stock Exchange. Whistler employs allegory to highlight investment opportunities, barriers to entry, and the high-risk nature of investment. It reflects the economic craziness of the early 1930s, a period wracked with global economic downturn of the Great Depression, increased globalization and diversification, the abandonment of the Gold Standard, and the introduction of heightened government oversight, tariffs, and regulation.

A Closer Look

The map is loosely inspired by the decorative elements of Dutch Golden Age cartography. The action takes place within the 'castle walls'. Comical vignettes illustrate the diverse investment opportunities of 1933 London, all protected by high walls representing regulation and tariffs. These include banks, insurance, foreign bonds, 'Yankees' (seems to be an extremely broad area), foreign rails, and electric light and power. Some of the vignettes are amusing, including a gentleman in a suit and top hat tapping alcohol out of a gigantic barrel (10: Breweries and Distilleries) and three investors riding a kangaroo, elephant, and tiger, respectively (18: Australian, Indian, and Malayan Mines). The god Mercury appears in the upper left (not far from 'Shorter's Court') and delivers the latest news, while the goddess Demeter empties her cornucopia upon the assembled revelers. In the bottom left, the title cartouche and index are flanked by King Midas distributing gold and Dame Fortune, symbolizing the role of luck in investing. A second title cartouche, in the lower right, is flanked by a sellers' and buyers' market, a bull and a bear, both wearing full morning dress.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn by Rex Whistler and published by the Financial News on November 13, 1933. We note a single cataloged example in OCLC: Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. Scarce on the market.