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Fascinating pictorial map of Iran, apparently published by (or for) the US Persian Gulf Command in Tehran.
The map provides a charming, vignette villed look at Iran, with historical, touristic and other features noted. The roads and rail lines are also noted in pictorial format. Some of the more interesting locations include several Rug Weaving vignettes (Tabriz, Kermanshah, Kashan, Hamadan, Ahwaz, Kerman and Meshed) the Old Capital Vineyards of Kazvin, Caviar harvesting in the Caspian Sea, and of course the Garden of Eden.
The map was apparently issued in Tehran at the end of WWII,
The map is accompanied by a small book, entitled Ministry of Roads Iran State Railways General Rules (Movements), a World War 2 Persian Gulf Command 3d Military Railway Service rule book.
Illustrated in the link below are several other bits of ephemera, most notably, an open letter to the 3d Military Railway Service from Brigadier General Frank S. Besson, dated July 17, 1945 (Tehran), offering a somewhat humorous goodbye and good luck, as he departs from Tehran on May 17, 1945 to assume a command in the Pacific ("to participate in that tough Pacific War"). One passage in particular is quite clever:
I've liked to think that my experience as a soldier has helped you railroaders in your military railroading. Recently I read a definition of the three keys to success in Army life:
1. If it moves, salute it.
2. If it doesn't move, pick it up.
3. If its too big to move, paint it.
If in the future the emphasis is more on soldiering than on railroading, remember those three keys.
Link to the remaining parts of the collection is here: /gallery/enlarge/48153a
Rarity
The map is apparently very rare, as we could not locate any other examples. The rule book is also apparently also quite rare, although we offer this as a collection simply to keep it together as a unit, as purchased.
