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A fine and rare pictorial map of Mexico City and the Valley of Mexico, created by Miguel Gómez Medina and printed in Mexico by F. Sánchez Hnos. y Cía. for Athenaeum Fischgrund Publishing Co.

The map offers a vibrant bird’s-eye view centered on Lake Xochimilco and the Federal District, densely populated with colonial churches, modern civic buildings, lakes, canals, floating gardens, villages, and the volcanic peaks of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl. The Centro Histórico and Zócalo are clearly illustrated just north of the lake.

Ten border vignettes with bilingual Spanish and English captions depict cultural scenes and regional highlights, including a street view of Cuernavaca, a village market, the Nevado de Toluca, the Convento de Tepotzotlan, and a night scene in the Zócalo during Mexican Independence Day, La Noche de 'El Grito', all set against a richly saturated and densely illustrated landscape. Modern highways and railroads, along with steam trains and automobiles, are subtly yet deliberately woven into the imagery, signaling a country firmly rooted in historical tradition while actively embracing post-revolutionary modernization and technological progress. A decorative bilingual cartouche extols the region’s beauty, heritage, and climate, headed by heraldic shields and portrait medallions of national heroes, reinforcing the map’s dual role as both a patriotic tribute and a tourist souvenir.

Gómez Medina’s design captures the dynamic spirit of Mexico, skillfully blending folklore, history, and geography into a single exuberant composition that celebrates national identity through richly detailed visual storytelling.