A Brief History of Road Maps

The advent of affordable automobiles spawned a new trend in American culture: the road trip. Motorists anxious to tour the country quickly tired of stopping every few miles to ask directions; out of their troubles came the first road maps, given away by gasoline companies hoping to increase business and customer loyalty. State and provincial governments soon began turning out maps of their own for tourists, using them to promote the scenic and cultural wonders of the state, and perhaps enticing the visitor to remain a few more days. Travelers soon came to expect free maps whenever they stopped for gas or tourist information, and companies such as Rand McNally, H. M. Gousha, and General Drafting turned out millions to meet demand.

Over time, maps became costlier and competition among oil companies became more fierce. The oil woes that gripped the world in the 1970s stripped free maps from gas station shelves as oil companies cut their expenses to the bare minimum. Motorists either turned to official tourism offices for free maps, paid to join automobile clubs for their trip routing services, or broke down and purchased maps from the same gasoline retailers who used to give them away.

Collecting Today

Drawn in by the fanciful covers or the intricate hand-drawn cartography of early maps, or tracing the tremendous changes in the landscape brought about by the construction of the Interstate highway system, collectors find maps to be an inexpensive aid in armchair travel. Old maps are still widely available at antique stores, garage sales, and swap meets, and new ones are usually just a toll-free call away at the many tourism departments.

Some collectors have joined together to promote the hobby and network with trading partners in the Road Map Collectors Association. Begun just a few years ago, this group now boasts over 300 members, and holds its annual map swap meet near Chicago to give collectors a chance to visit with each other and learn more about the hobby.