- Title: ASHBURN'S SAN ANTONIO CITY MAP
- Author: J. Foster Ashburn
- Date: 1957
- Condition: Excellent
- Inches: 17 3/8 x 23 1/8 [Image]
- Centimeters: 44.13 x 58.73 [Image]
- Product ID: 308542
Mission Motor Lease Company Advertisement
This exceptionally detailed city map shows San Antonio as it appeared in 1957. Streets are densely packed and precisely labeled, with red lines indicating major highways and main routes radiating from the city center. Neighborhoods, city districts, and major landmarks such as military bases and large parks are shaded in distinctive colors for clarity. The map highlights significant features of the era, including transportation infrastructure and boundaries with surrounding areas of Bexar County. At the upper left, a vignette illustration depicts Mission San José, reinforcing San Antonio’s historical and cultural identity. Brand graphics for Mission National Car Rental System dominate the top, and a compass rose decorates the lower right corner, enhancing orientation. The map serves both as a practical navigational tool and a snapshot of the city’s postwar growth.
The verso is designed for reference and orientation. Most of the space is dedicated to an extensive street index, meticulously listing every street and corresponding grid coordinates for quick navigation. In the upper right, a Bexar County map is included with San Antonio’s city area shaded in red, providing geographic context within the county. Below and adjacent to the map, there are promotional sections for Mission Motor Lease Co. and Mission National Car Rental System, reflecting the growing importance of auto travel in the 1950s. A pink notice from the management of Mission Motor lease company was given to a client in hopes for a “more pleasant trip to San Antonio”. The design emphasizes utility, convenience for travelers, and commercial partnerships of the era.
Background on Creator
J. Foster Ashburn was a prolific mid-20th-century mapmaker and publisher known for his detailed city and regional maps across the United States. Active primarily in the 1940s and 1950s, Ashburn produced maps for cities such as Houston, Atlanta, Madison, and Knoxville, as well as for entire states like Texas. His work was recognized for its clarity, practical information, and colorful presentation, often serving both as navigational aids and promotional materials. Ashburn operated out of Fort Worth, Texas, and his maps were widely distributed, sometimes in collaboration with local businesses or as complimentary items for hotels and civic organizations. Today, J. Foster Ashburn’s maps are valued by collectors and historians for their detailed depiction of American urban and regional landscapes during a period of rapid growth and change.