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Description

A Complete Picture of the Earth . . . on a Flat Surface . . . Free of Distortions

Fascinating pictorial map of the World on a newly created Octovue Projection, published by Harold B. Ward and Lloyd E. Pinter.  The present example includes advertising graphics promoting the products of Monarch Ranges and Super-Heaters.

The map provides a unique world map projection, surrounded by hundreds of decorative vignettes showing scenes from different parts of the world.  The text on the verso includes a lengthy history on man's attempt to project the earth on a flat surface.

The verso image includes a deconstruction of the Globe, with an explanation of the work of Ward and Pitner.  A separate text section titled Geografacts includes section on Time, Distance, Base Lines, The Earth.

When folded down, the cover title is "New Illustrated World."

The map is based upon the work of Lloyd Pitner (or L.K. Pitner, as listed Snyder & Steward's Bibliography of Map Projections, (USGPO, 1988), entry # 1835, which references a 19-page text which explains the map:

Pitner, L.K., ca. 1943, A correct understanding of the world . For the first time in history . . . a map which projects the round world onto a flat piece of paper without distorting shapes, sizes, and distances....: Milwaukee, L.K. Pitner, 16 p. [World in eight spherical octants, similar to oblique Lambert Azimuthal Equal- Area projections symmetrical for each octant.)

We find very little about either Ward or Pitner.  Lloyd Pitner seems to have applied for 3 patents relating to crop dusting, crop spraying, and bookbinding in 1937.  Harold Ward served at various times in the Geography Department at Northwestern University as,  Assistant in the Department of Geography. Training for Engineer's Corps, Washington, D.C., a teacher of Geography at Peabody College of Teachers in Nashville, and a member of the Illinois State Academy of Science.

Rarity

The map is extremely rare and the present example is seemingly a unique survival.

There seem to be several surviving variants, one held by the University of California Berkley, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (US Geographical Society Collection), Laval Université (Quebec), and the University of Washington.

American Geographical Society Library copy: https://collections.lib.uwm.edu/digital/collection/agdm/id/2653

There is also a reduced size advertising variant published by Wilcox & Follett, describing the "New-Age Octovue Map of the World," published in 1944.

 

Reference
Minor loss at folds.