1953 Archivi - Idea Rare Maps

Madagascar

Ruggiero Fontanella — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 14:03:48 +0000

Designed in 1953 by artist D.J. Allonsius, this pictorial map of Madagascar is a perfect example of how post-war graphic design was intertwined with tourism and colonial promotion. Published by Éditions Maritimes et Coloniales in Paris and printed at the Dufrenoy studio, the map was created with the aim of promoting the exotic and fascinating image of the Malagasy island to the European public, presenting it as a land of natural, cultural, and marine wonders.
The refined vignettes scattered throughout the territory make it a lively and narrative composition of local peculiarities.
In the northern region, near Diego Suarez and Cap d’Ambre, ships and tropical fish appear, evoking maritime routes and the richness of the seas. Around Majunga and Antsiranana, dancing figures and traditional villages can be seen, testifying to the cultural vitality of the north of the island.
In Tananarive, now Antananarivo, elegant colonial architecture and figures in traditional dress mark the political and cultural center of the country. In the Morondava region, a lemur stands out among stylized trees, symbolizing the endemic fauna that has made the island famous.
At Fort Dauphin and Cap Sainte Marie, scenes of daily life and coastal landscapes with canoes and fishermen recall the richness of local traditions. The surrounding sea teems with maritime elements—fish, turtles, sailing ships, and airplanes—suggesting the connection between Madagascar and the world, evoking the idea of travel and discovery.
The entire composition is enriched, in the lower right corner, by a compass rose, emblem of adventure and navigation, and, just above Allonsius’ signature, by a scene of a tourist being carried by natives.
Founded in Paris in the early decades of the 20th century, the publishing house Éditions Maritimes et Coloniales specialized in the publication of atlases, guides, and illustrated works dedicated to the overseas territories of the French empire. In the 1950s, it promoted a series of pictorial maps and posters with both educational and promotional aims, designed to highlight the economic and tourist potential of the colonies. The use of bright colors, ornamental designs, and scenes of local life was designed to attract the attention of the European public, in line with the tourist and cultural propaganda of the period.

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French Lines – West Indies, Colombia, Venezuela, Jamaica, to England and France

Ruggiero Fontanella — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 09:33:35 +0000

This colorful poster was designed for The French Line of cruise ships in 1953 by the French artist Jean Mercier to promote the route that connects France and England to the Caribbean and Central American nations of Colombia and Venezuela.

The Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, typically known overseas as the French Line, was a shipping company established in 1861 as an attempt to revive the French merchant marine, the poor state of which was self-evident during the Crimean War of 1856. The company’s first vessel, the SS Washington, had its maiden voyage on 15 June 1864. Other than operating ocean liners, the company also had a significant fleet of freighters. The company survived both World Wars, but the development of jet travel doomed its mainstay passenger liner business. In 1977, the company merged with the Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes to form the Compagnie Générale Maritime. Then, in 1996, the company Compagnie Générale Maritime merged to form the CMA CGM.

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[Game Board – Mappa Pittorica Jugoslavia]

Ruggiero Fontanella — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 14:10:42 +0000

Divertente e interessante manifesto disegnato dall’artista Janes Trpin che mostra la Repubblica Socialista Federale di Jugoslavia (a forma istituzionale assunta dalla Jugoslavia dal 1945 al 1992, anno della sua dissoluzione a seguito delle guerre jugoslave) come base per il celebre come “gioco dell’oca”. La carta è priva di riferimenti topografici ma è arricchita da vignette che sottolineano avvenimenti storici importanti o peculiarità del territorio. In basso, al centro, le istruzioni per il gioco e l’elenco, con descrizione, delle situazioni favorevoli o sfavorevoli, alle quali i giocatori potevano incorrere lanciando il dado. Si vince arrivando con un numero preciso alla casella numero 100 dove Babbo Natale aspetta con i doni.

Janez Trpin (1908-1973) è stato grafico e illustratore nato a Ljubljana. Riceve la prima istruzione artistica dal padre poi dal 1929 al 1933 frequenta l’Accademia Nazionale di Arti Grafiche di Lipsia sotto la guida del Prof. Hermann Buhe. Terminati gli studi si trasferisce a Berlino dove collabora con l’artista grafico Jupp Wiertz.
Negli anni Trenta e nei primi anni del secondo dopoguerra, Trpin si affermò disegnando manifesti (turistici e sportivi) e, dopo il 1945, creando manifesti di impegno sociale. Con la sua grande cultura grafica, il disegno sofisticato e i colori allegri, ha contribuito a elevare il livello della grafica applicata slovena. Fu uno dei primi a introdurre la fotografia nella grafica.

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Nouvelle Caledonie

Ruggiero Fontanella — Tue, 23 Aug 2022 07:24:04 +0000

A colorful 1953 pictorial map designed by Monique Cras for the French government to promote New Caledonia in the South West Pacific as a travel destination.

Coloratissima carta geo-pittorica della Nuova Caledonia disegnata da Monique Cras e pubblicata a Parigi nel 1953 dal Ministero francese d’oltremare per promuovere il turismo nell’area. La carta, ricchissima di particolari, annotazioni e avvenimenti storici, è completata dalla rappresentazione, dentro a una conchiglia, dell’emisfero meridionale del globo terrestre centrato sull’Oceania e dalle vignette degli abitanti autoctoni melanesiani e dallo sbarco di Cook nel suo viaggio del 1774.

Monique Amélie Cras (1910-2007), è stata una celebre pittrice e designer di poster turistici francese. Figlia del compositore Jean Cras e allieva di Jean-Paul Laurens e Louis Roger alla Scuola Nazionale di Belle Art dopo aver vinto una borsa di studio si reca in Nord Africa visitando Marocco, Algeria e Tunisia. Dopo un soggiorno presso La Casa de Velázquez (un istituto di ricerca francese impiantato a Madrid che accoglie ricercatori e artisti francesi e stranieri per soggiorni di lunga (“membri”) o breve (“borsisti”) durata) torna in Africa cominciando quindi ad essere considerata come un’artista “africanista”. Nella sua carriera ha vinto numerosi premi in Francia e all’estero e allo stesso tempo, Monique Cras dedica parte del suo lavoro alla memoria del padre, in particolare rendendo pubblica la sua colta corrispondenza. Celebri sono le sue commesse per lo stato francese disegnando poster di promozione per la città di Parigi, le colonie d’oltre mare e specialmente per la nuova Caledonia dove riprende il suo stile tribale di reminiscenza africana.

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BEA International Air Routes

Ruggiero Fontanella — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 08:59:06 +0000

Decorative large pictorial system map of Europe and Northern Africa signed Hawes, showing BEA and affiliate routes (Aer Lingus, Alitalia, Cyprus Airways, Gibraltar Airways, and The Malta Airlines). Illustrated with figures representing regional dress; animals and fish; landmarks; mountain ranges; roads; railways; and major cities. The map is embellished by BEA airliner depicted over the Mediterranean Sea and compass rose with the Coat of Arms. Published in London, 1953 by George Philip & Son, Ltd.

British European Airways (BEA), was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974 when the merger with BOAC to form British Airways took effect.
BEA operated to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East from airports around the United Kingdom.The airline was also the largest UK domestic operator, serving major British cities, including London, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Belfast, as well as areas of the British Isles such as the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. BEA also operated a network of internal German routes between West Berlin and West Germany as part of the Cold War agreements regulating air travel within Germany. The company slogan was Number One in Europe.

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[Sicily] Etna, Sicilia. Fuoco Neve Mare Sole

Ruggiero Fontanella — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 08:18:01 +0000

Superb pictorial bird’s-eye view of Mount Etna drawn by the legendary illustrator Heinrich Caesar Berann and published in 1953 by the Catania Tourist Board. This charming tourist map is illustrated in baroque style with decorative borders and an antique-looking map of Catania in the left side-panel. On the verso are photographs of Etna and its environs, accompanied by information about climbing the volcano.

Heinrich Caesar Berann (1915 – 1999) was an Austrian painter and cartographer. He achieved world fame with his panoramic maps that combined modern cartography with classical painting. He is best known for his Alpine maps and Winter Olympics posters.

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[Sweden] Stockholm unders sju sekler

Ruggiero Fontanella — Sat, 05 Jun 2021 12:24:45 +0000

Large pictorial map of Stockholm designed in 1953 by Curt Blixt showing also lovely views of the most important places of the city and historical vignettes.

Curt Blixt began his career as a chaser at jeweller W.A. Bolin. In order to develop his artistic talent, Curt took evening classes at the Technical School (now known as Konstfack). After completing his studies, he was employed as an illustrator and designer at Esselte Reklam at Vasagatan in Stockholm. He shared an office with his friend Gunnar Bergenholtz on the top floor and they had an amazing view of Stockholm.

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Philips Radio

Ruggiero Fontanella — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 10:17:13 +0000

Amazing pictorial map of the world’s international short wave radio stations, with each continent crammed with imagery. The map was drawn by Walter Eckhard (1903-1982) and published in Eindhoven, 1953 by the radio division of Philips. Superimposed on the map are red circles indicating the locations of dozens of shortwave radio stations. Small drawings throughout represent genre scenes depicting the people, plants and animals. Includes detailed index to the stations on the lower margin and compass rose shown on the lower left.

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L’Allemagne Gastronomique

Ruggiero Fontanella — Wed, 27 Sep 2017 08:21:28 +0000

A beautiful guide in 48 pages to the gastronomic delights of Germany richly illustrated by Herman Schneider. Published in Berlin in 1953. In the end, folded, a fine pictorial map of Germany.

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