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Copyright © 2024 Geographicus Rare Antique Maps
1962 Philips / Vastenhoud Map of the World, for Short Wave Radio Enthusiasts
World-vastenhoud-1962$1,000.00
Title
Planisphère pour la réception des ondes courtes.
1962 (undated) 31 x 43 in (78.74 x 109.22 cm)
1962 (undated) 31 x 43 in (78.74 x 109.22 cm)
Description
This is a rare 1962 pictorial map of the world, published by the electronics company Philips to promote and accompany their shortwave radio products. The author, not named, was probably J. (Jim) Vastenhoud, an engineer who produced a guide on behalf of Philips to instruct in the use of such maps for shortwave radio reception.
The oval projection and its array of tables assist in making the appropriate choices of wavelengths, transmitters, and other elements allowing the reception of shortwave transmissions from all over the world.
In addition to the elegant projection and its functional data, the map is surrounded with engaging and stylish line drawings of transmitter towers in various global locations exotic to the map's European audience. One tower shares a scene with Egypt's pyramids; another embraces American themes includes skyscrapers, a Totem pole, flannel-wearing log rollers, and a southwestern town with a cactus. A vignette conflating a wide area of southeast Asia and Australia shows a pagoda, a working elephant, the Taj Mahal, and several kangaroos.
The oval projection and its array of tables assist in making the appropriate choices of wavelengths, transmitters, and other elements allowing the reception of shortwave transmissions from all over the world.
In addition to the elegant projection and its functional data, the map is surrounded with engaging and stylish line drawings of transmitter towers in various global locations exotic to the map's European audience. One tower shares a scene with Egypt's pyramids; another embraces American themes includes skyscrapers, a Totem pole, flannel-wearing log rollers, and a southwestern town with a cactus. A vignette conflating a wide area of southeast Asia and Australia shows a pagoda, a working elephant, the Taj Mahal, and several kangaroos.
Publication History and Census
Philips published the map to accompany a guide in the use of shortwave radio by a G. Slot, and a set of tables for the use of maps in conjunction with short wave radio by Jacob Vastenhoud. Slot's guide was published in at least two languages (Dutch and English) by the Philips Technical Library. We see only one example of a map with this title in institutional collections, held by the Bibliothèque National de France; it is not digitized and we cannot confirm that it is the same edition. We see no other examples of this on the market.Cartographer
J. Vastenhoud (fl. 1960-1983) was a Dutch engineer, technical writer, and short wave radio enthusiast. Little is known of his background except for his output: many guides and articles on the subject of short wave radio. He appears to have been employed by Philips gloeilampenfabrieken in the early sixties, for whom he produced literature instructing in the use of maps to assist in making the calculations needed to successfully receive short wave transmissions worldwide. In the seventies he was Deputy Director of Engineering for Radio Nederland, a shortwave broadcaster. His guides were well known, and he became a celebrity in the clannish world of short wave listeners: in the sixties and seventies, a category of fanatic roughly equivalent to the earliest adopters of the Internet in the mid 1990s. 'Mr. Vastenhoud is the resident technical genius who provides the answers to a multitude of questions sent in by listeners, as well as being the author of the various DX COURSES presented on DX JUKE BOX.' More by this mapmaker...
Condition
Very good. Some creasing and marginal mends with no loss; area of toning.
References
OCLC 494807732.