- Title: ASHBURN'S HOUSTON CITY MAP
- Author: J. Foster Ashburn
- Date: 1956
- Condition: Very good, several splits at folds and a couple of small stains in margin.
- Inches: 27 x 20 [Image]
- Centimeters: 68.58 x 50.80 [Image]
- Product ID: 308388
This exceptionally detailed street map of Houston, extending outward to encompass neighboring communities such as Jacinto City, Pasadena, South Houston, and Bellaire. The map visually distinguishes “Proposed City Limits” with bold red overprinting, which extends well beyond the current boundaries of most adjacent municipalities. Concentric circles, radiating from the downtown core, provide a clear sense of distance and urban expansion. The map is elegantly decorated with a title cartouche at the top right, featuring an illustrated city skyline. On the reverse, a comprehensive street index is included, along with advertisements highlighting the services of Westheimer Transfer and Storage Company.
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.