1960 Bloodgood Pictorial Map of the 1960 Olympic Games at Squaw Valley, CA

This is a 1960 Don Bloodgood pictorial map of the 1960 Winter Olympic Games at Squaw Valley, California. With the Squaw Valley Olympics Area just to the left of center, the map depicts the region from Auburn, California to Virginia City, Nevada and the 'Famous Comstock Mine' and from Reno, Nevada to El Dorado, California. Cities and towns are labeled throughout, as are state and national highways. Lakes, rivers, creeks, and mountains are highlighted by yellow signs. The University of Nevada is labeled in Reno.

1960 Squaw Valley Olympic Games

In the Olympics Area, areas for certain events, such as the men's and ladies' downhill, the men's and ladies' slalom, the ski jumps, and the speed skating rink are highlighted, as well as the Olympic Ice Arena. The Olympic Village is illustrated in detail, and the lodges, spectator center, and administration buildings are also identified. Cities and towns are labeled throughout, as are state and national highways. Lakes, rivers, creeks, and mountains are highlighted by yellow signs. The University of Nevada is labeled in Reno.

The Map's Comic Elements

Outside the Olympics Area, apart from the few other ski areas in the region, Bloodgood chose to depict the region as it would be in spring or summer. Everything is green, and, as is customary in Bloodgood's work, it is peopled by comical characters. Campers are seen throughout. A tourist toting a rather large camera is runner away from a family of bears in the lower left corner, while a prospector leads a donkey that is porting, among other things, a small television. Cowboys ride bucking broncos in Nevada, while vacationers enjoy the many watersports and other activities offered by Lake Tahoe.

Mining and this Map

Mining is a very important part of life in this part of the world, or at least it was, particularly since James Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848 and launched the California Gold Rush. Both Sutter's Mill and the Mother Lode Country are marked by yellow signs, as is the Comstock Mine near the right border. Miners (in various states of dress and doing sometimes comical things) and mines dot the landscape alongside hunters and vacationers.

Publication History and Census

This map was created by Don Bloodgood for Shell Oil and published in 1960. The OCLC records an example in the institutional collection at the University of California Berkeley. We are also aware of an example in the David Rumsey Map Collection.