As you may know from various posts on this blog, Abe Books advertises many great book collecting ideas – from first editions to signed copies to vintage dust jackets (see above).
But they also promote other kinds of collecting, such as old travel maps and brochures. In fact, they have a whole section devoted to it and recently called attention to it in an email (dated June 22, 2016).
Since this is the season of travel (summer) here in the Western Hemisphere, we highlight this kind of collecting in today’s post. Below is Abe Books’ introduction to the section, and below that is a link to that section of their website. If the vintage covers don’t grab your attention, perhaps the prices some of these travel items fetch will. Start looking in the glove box and in your vacation picture for some old maps and guides! 🙂
Vintage road and tourism maps are one of the fastest growing areas of collectibles. Discover a wonderful snapshot of trip-planning from A to B.
Those unwieldy folded maps found in the glove box of cars became popular in the 1950s and were used as a means of advertising for car companies, tourist agencies, oil producers and more. Well known map maker Rand McNally produced their first auto map of the New York area in 1904. Vintage travel brochures and pamphlets are affordable and provide a historic look at a geographic region. These folded pieces of ephemera, which were never meant to last, have bold, colorful covers, advertisments, informative text and maps and were most often produced by tourism agencies.
Today, maps published between 1920 and 1960 are in high demand as collectors scramble for pieces of travel history. From Oregon’s Playground via the Beach Route to Touring in Mexico to the Guide to Beppu Japan and Its Vicinity, discover a wonderful snapshot of trip-planning from yesteryear.
Source: Vintage Maps Pamphlets & Travel Guides – AbeBooks.com
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