Maps., Circa 1924-1944., bulk: 1927 - 1931
Scope and Contents
With a single exception, this series consists of draft maps prepared by the Aeronautics Branch of the U.S. Department of Commerce for publication in its List of airports and landing fields, Aeronautics bulletin, no. 5 (Washington, DC: Government Printing office, 1928-1931) and Descriptions of airports and landing fields in the United States, Airway bulletin, no. 2 (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1931ff). The maps comprise two series: those prepared prior to 1927 are drawn on 11 x 7 inch heavy paper stock, those prepared after 1927 on heavy card stock of the same size. Each sheet contains two images, the upper a map of the region around the airport, the lower a map of the airport or air field itself. The sheets are marked in pencil with instructions to the printer on resizing the images (those prepared before 1927 were to be 4 1/2 inches high, those after 1927 3 inches wide). Maps prepared after 1927 have one or more Department of Commerce stamps on the back, containing a requisition number and a date, presumably when the map was retrieved from a central file for review or revision; many of these maps are also annotated in pencil, "approval of engraver's proof waived". The maps were found arranged alphabetically by state; this order has been retained. States represented by the largest number of maps are, in descending order: California (70 items), Ohio (37 items), Georgia (22 items), Arizona and Michigan (20 items each), New York and Texas (19 items each), and New Mexico (16 items).
The single map in the series that does not originate with the Bureau of Aviation is a Locher-Hall map of airline routes and great circle distances around the world, based on Los Angeles area, dated 1944.
Dates
- Creation: Circa 1924-1944.
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1927 - 1931
Creator
- From the Collection: Hoxsey, Arch (Archibald) (Creator, Person)
- From the Collection: Carruthers, John Franklin Bruce (Collector, Person)
Access
The collection is open to researchers when Special Collections is open, and at other times by appointment. There are no access restrictions.
Extent
From the Collection: 16.25 Linear Feet ( (13 archive boxes, 6 archive half-boxes, 8 clam-shell boxes, 3 shoe boxes, 15 oversize print boxes))
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by state and name of airport or airfield.
Custodial History
The maps were discovered in the basement of Mabel Shaw Bridges Auditorium in May 1962, and may not have been collected by Dr. Carruthers.
Preservation note:
Many maps prepared by the Aeronautics Branch were updated by gluing revisions onto the earlier rendition, creating a "composite" map. As the glue has become unstable, all composite maps have been replaced for normal research use by preservation copies, and the originals removed to boxes 25 and 26.
Container Summary
71 folders (5 boxes).
Repository Details
Part of the 01 - Special Collections & Archives, The Claremont Colleges Library Repository
800 North Dartmouth Ave
Claremont CA 91711 United States
Email: specialcollections@claremont.edu