The Hickensian

12.05.08 Esso Maps

13 comments
Tagged with: flickr, maps, retro

These Esso maps from the 1960’s were a great ebay bargain find. I particularly wanted the London map, as the cover illustration was just stunning.

Collecting motoring maps from the 30’s onwards has become a bit of a hobby of late, and I’ve started uploading photos of some of them to Flickr.

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No.1

∞ Matt Robin said 638 days ago:

Nice finds! :)

I’m curious though, (yes, cos I’m someone who works with maps all the time), is it the external (cover) art-work that you are mostly interested in, or the mapping itself?

No.2

∞ Strategy Node said 638 days ago:

Like the simple design and the aesthetic of the maps. What prompted you to buy them?

No.3

∞ Cameron Adams said 637 days ago:

I hope you managed to get them down below sixpence for the pair.

No.4

∞ Smokey Ardisson said 637 days ago:

Those are really quite fabulous, Jon; thanks for sharing!

(Maybe this will cause me to get around to putting up some of my collection of old maps, though they’re nowhere near as fun.)

No.5

∞ Jon Hicks said 637 days ago:

@Matt – Usually its both, but in the case of these ones, it was the cover illustrations that I wanted them for

No.6

∞ Alvaro said 637 days ago:

Very nice maps and interesting hobby, I can see some inspiration coming out of this illustrations, it is me or the rissington podcast artwork has such feeling :)

No.7

∞ J-P Stacey said 637 days ago:

Lovely. This is the sort of thing that the Oxfam shop on St Giles could never find a buyer for when I was there years ago, and would frequently have to send off for pulping.

You might want to make your predilections known to the staff there, and they could put such things aside. The Saturday shift is probably your best bet.

No.8

∞ Jon Hicks said 637 days ago:

Excellent, thanks for the tip-off JP!

No.9

∞ Mark Walmsley said 637 days ago:

In which case Jon, you’d love the work on and in the early editions of the Jennings schoolboy novels. Good old 1930s English stuff. Ebay here you come. Mark

http://tinyurl.com/4ngf68

No.10

∞ Rob Mason said 636 days ago:

Same era, just as cool: Star Trek Comics (http://curtdanhauser.com/Comics.html#1)

No.11

∞ Stephen Hill said 630 days ago:

I’m impressed the the signs in the last photo have managed to withstand the test of time :)

No.12

∞ Alex Cabrera said 629 days ago:

I have a really old Esso map hanging in my living room from pre-revolutionary Cuba. My grandfather, I believe, found it in a suitcase some years after he got to the States after escaping the island.