Presenting the Wondermap

Yesterday's Chicago Gangleand map was in the style of a "Wonder Map". Antiquarian bookseller Elizabeth Burdon writes that the iconic Wonderground Map of the London Underground, created by MacDonald Gill in 1913, influenced map-makers in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s. Burdon calls this type of map a “Wonder Map”: a pictorial production, suffused with whimsy and color, that brings together text and image with a liberal dose of humor. These cartoon “wonder maps” were quick to sell. They weren’t meant to be used for navigation so much as for souvenirs, to be brought home, displayed, and enjoyed.

Clicking on the image below won't make it bigger to see details, but you can explore it extensively at the BBC article about it.