1936 Colortext Pictorial Story Map of the West Indies

This is a 1936 Colortext pictorial story map of the West Indies. The map depicts the region from Florida and the Gulf of Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula to the Leeward Islands and Georgetown, Guyana and from New York and Chicago to northern South America. Each island is labeled, along with multiple locations including cities and towns, such as Havana, Port-au-Prince, and San Juan. Flags are used in the Leeward Islands to identify which European country claimed suzerainty. The British Union Jack, for example, appears next to Bermuda and the Bahamas. Numerous vignettes populate the map, including native birds, animals, and fish, pirates and pirate ships, and locals dressed in indigenous costumes. Historical events are also chronicled, such as Ponce de Leon's first settlement on Puerto Rico and the naval battle of Santiago. Cities in the United States are also noted, including New York City (illustrated by its famous skyline), Washington, D.C. (marked by the U.S. Capitol), Detroit, Chicago, and Miami. The whole is surrounded by a decorative border motif derived from indigenous tropical fruits and West Indian handicraft.

Publication History and Census

This map was published by Colortext Publications, Inc. in 1936. It is part of five different institutional collections and is rare on the market.