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A rare and visually striking pictorial map of the island of Rhodes, issued in 1935 during the height of Italian colonial rule in the Dodecanese, illustrated and signed by Egon Huber. Saturated with Mediterranean color and anchored by an allegorical rebirth of the Colossus of Rhodes, the map presents the island as a harmonious fusion of ancient legacy, folkloric vitality, and modern touristic infrastructure.
The map is framed by an elaborate sea border rendered in white-line architectural fantasy, where ships arrive at the Mandraki harbor under the gaze of the reconstructed Colossus, and the island's major towns and roads teem with life. The map’s vibrant interior blends pastoral activities, archaeological sites, pageantry, and regional costume into a continuous narrative of cultural richness.
The verso, printed in green-tinted monochrome, includes English-language text with practical travel information, historical overviews, and a section on "Excursions" to smaller islands and the Anatolian coast. It also features moody halftone photographs of key sites, including the Gate of St. Catherine, local mosques and baths, and Mandraki’s iconic deer-topped columns. The imprint at left reads “ENIT (Italian State Tourist Department) 1935 – XIII,” marking the 13th year of Mussolini’s regime, with the printer noted as Pizzi & Pizio of Milan.
Egon Huber and the Graphic Identity of Colonial Rhodes
Huber, an Austrian artist who joined the famed ICARO ceramics studio after a canoe journey brought him to Rhodes in 1931, became a central visual interpreter of the Italian colonial project. His graphic work, especially this map, reflects a blend of Viennese Secessionist precision and Deco exuberance. As both a promotional image and a colonial statement, the map offers a stylized vision of Italian rule as a seamless extension of Hellenic grandeur, Crusader romance, and rural harmony.
Context and Scarcity
Under Italian administration from 1912 to 1943, Rhodes was transformed into a showpiece of Mediterranean modernity. Governor Mario Lago’s efforts included restoration of Byzantine and medieval sites, the imposition of rationalist architecture, and state-sponsored tourism campaigns like this. While the map was produced in multiple languages, the English edition is scarcer, and WorldCat locates only a handful of institutional examples (including Princeton and the National Library of Israel). It rarely appears on the market.
A Masterpiece of Interwar Travel Design
This map represents a rare convergence of myth, modernism, and colonial aesthetics. Both visually and ideologically layered, it is a key example of interwar pictorial cartography and a vivid artifact of Italian imperial ambition in the Aegean. It holds equal appeal for collectors of travel ephemera, propaganda design, and modern illustrated cartography.
