BOOTLEGGER'S MAP OF THE UNITED STATES.
Edward McCandlish
Artist's BiographyBootlegger's Map of the United States.
Stone engraving 1926
Image size 21 3/8 x 33 7/8" (54 X 86.2 cm)
Good condition save for a couple of minor splits along sheet edges. LOCATION: New York City
Inventory Number: 100309
Price: SOLD Publisher : Published by the Griswold Press, Detroit. An early example of the Bootlegger's map of the United States, one of the most interesting of the whimsical / pictorial maps published in the early 20th Century.
This unique wall map spoofing prohibition was first published in the Washington Post in 1926. McCandlish was a prominent illustrator for the children's page in many newspapers in the 1920's and 1930's, making this parody a radical departure. The Bootleggers' Map was a hit early on, and the Griswold Press (Detroit) issued a second version in the late 1926 (the present example). The map continued a successful run after Prohibition ended and was syndicated to several other publishers.
The map itself is filled with illustrations and puns, as nothing is sacred in this hilarious look at alcohol and prohibition. Many place names are plays on words, like Chi-keg-o, Albu-Corky, Fill-More, Booze (Boise), Sin-Sin-Natty, and many more. The Great Lakes are titled at 99 44/100 pure. Eventually Why Not Now?. The pints of the compass are Norse, Wets, Yeast, and Souse.
A wonderful piece of Americana that beautifully captures the humor and mood of the time.
Maps