The Piece

1939 city map of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Published in Collier’s Cities and Towns of the World series.
Offset lithograph on paper, presented in an antique wood frame.
Printed credit: “© By The Map Store, Phila.”

Primary Description

This piece presents a detailed street and district map of central Philadelphia, depicting dense urban blocks, numbered wards, and major thoroughfares extending outward from the city core. The Delaware River edge and surrounding neighborhoods are rendered with fine, compact linework, emphasizing the city’s scale and complexity.

The map is surrounded by a wide mat and housed in a substantial antique wood frame with a stepped profile. The framing expands the visual field of the print, giving the tightly packed cartography space to read while lending the object architectural presence.

Historical Context

In the late 1930s, American publications frequently issued city maps to illustrate urban development, transportation networks, and civic organization. Philadelphia, as one of the nation’s oldest and most densely built cities, was often presented as a model of industrial and commercial permanence along the Atlantic seaboard.

Maps such as this were produced for reference rather than decoration. Their later framing reflects a mid-20th-century shift in how printed ephemera came to be valued as historical documentation of urban form and growth.

Product Details / Materials & Presentation

→ Medium: Offset lithograph on paper
→ Series: Cities and Towns of the World
→ Date: 1939
→ Publisher credit: The Map Store, Philadelphia
→ Subject: Central Philadelphia street and ward layout
→ Frame: Antique wood frame with stepped molding; likely earlier or reused
→ Mat: Neutral mat, later addition

Condition + Updates

Overall condition is stable.
The paper shows light age toning consistent with late-1930s publication. No major losses to the printed image were observed. The antique frame exhibits wear, small edge separations, and surface patina consistent with age. No restoration or reframing has been performed.

Why It Belongs in Your Home

This piece works well in studies, libraries, or offices where historical density and graphic structure are welcome. Compared to the Portland map, this example reads tighter and more intricate, reflecting Philadelphia’s older, layered urban fabric.

The antique frame gives the map visual authority, allowing it to function as both a reference object and a strong wall anchor without relying on color or illustration.

From Viridian Eclection

Viridian Eclection presents printed ephemera with attention to both original purpose and later life. Each piece is offered with clear attribution and restraint, without overstating rarity or inventing narrative.