- Title: U.S. Department of Commerce | Bureau of Air Commerce | Airway Map of the United States
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Author: U.S. Department of Commerce, Aeronautics Branch
- Date: June 1, 1935
- Condition: Excellent - issued folds
- Inches: 22 1/2 x 17 [Image]
- Centimeters: 57.15 x 43.18 [Image]
- Product ID: 308415
This is quite an early piece of history regarding aviation in the United States. It was issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Air Commerce, as indicated at the top of the sheet and in the lower right legend box. The map provides a comprehensive and authoritative overview of the nation’s scheduled commercial air routes as they existed during the formative years of American aviation. The map’s subtle design is both functional and visually clear, prioritizing the depiction of airways over topographical or political detail.
The continental United States is shown in outline, with state boundaries and major cities labeled. The primary feature of the map is the extensive network of solid and dashed lines crisscrossing the country, representing the principal scheduled airways as of June 1, 1935. These airways are further differentiated in the legend: solid lines indicate routes equipped with both lighted beacons and radio ranges, while dashed and dotted lines denote routes with varying levels of navigational aids, reflecting the technological infrastructure of the era. The web of airways converges most densely in the Midwest and Northeast, highlighting the early dominance of these regions in commercial air travel, while long, sweeping routes extend westward and southward, connecting major population centers from New York and Chicago to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami.
In the lower left corner, a detailed table lists the "Scheduled Airway Operators," including the names of the airlines, their principal routes, and key operational statistics. This provides valuable historical context, capturing the landscape of American commercial aviation at a time when many legendary carriers—such as United Air Lines, American Airways, and Transcontinental & Western Air—were establishing the foundations of the modern airline industry.
Background on Creator
The U.S. Department of Commerce was a key federal agency dedicated to promoting industry and commerce and ensuring the protection of life in the United States. Headquartered in the Herbert C. Hoover Building in Washington, D.C., which had been completed just a few years earlier in 1932, the department was led by Secretary of Commerce Daniel C. Roper. The organization included several important bureaus and offices, such as the Bureau of Air Commerce (directed by Eugene L. Vidal), the Bureau of the Census, the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, the National Bureau of Standards, the Coast and Geodetic Survey, the Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection, and others.
The department’s functions in 1935 encompassed a broad range of activities, from overseeing commercial aviation and maritime affairs to managing patents, fisheries, and the collection of economic and population data. Its Bureau of Air Commerce, for example, played a crucial role in developing the nation's civil aviation infrastructure, including the regulation of airways and navigational aids—reflected in the production of official airway maps during this era. The Department of Commerce was instrumental in supporting the growth of American industry and trade, serving as a central hub for economic data, standards, and regulatory oversight at a time of significant technological and commercial transformation in the United States.