Standard Oil Company

Southern Cruising Guide - Savannah, Jacksonville, Miami, Key West, Tampa, and Gulf Coast to New Orleans. [Gulf Coast Navigation, Florida Waterways, Illustrated Nautical Chart, Corporate Travel Ephemera]

Cartography by General Drafting Co., New York. Single-sheet, double-sided folding nautical chart. The boating map that sold Florida before Disney

Large-format illustrated cruising chart produced by Standard Oil during the postwar leisure-boating boom, covering the Intracoastal Waterway and Gulf Coast routes from Savannah through Florida to New Orleans.

Designed as both a functional navigation aid and a promotional travel object, the chart blends precise coastal cartography with pictorial lighthouse vignettes and regional landmarks, making it equally appealing to navigators and collectors of mid-century American ephemera.

Physical description: Single large double-sided printed sheet, folded as issued, multiple-color offset lithography on thin stock, nautical soundings, route lines, compass roses, lighthouse and harbor illustrations, key map and legend panels, Standard Oil branding and General Drafting imprint present, approximate unfolded size large-format, exact measurements to be supplied.

Condition: Paper is clean and supple with light, even age toning, original folds intact, minor handling wear at fold intersections, no losses, no tape repairs, graphics remain sharp and legible throughout, folds remain sound, issued folding format restated.

Scarcity note: Surviving examples are increasingly scarce in clean, complete condition, particularly double-sided sheets retaining strong color and intact folds, most examples encountered show heavier fold wear or staining.

The Southern Cruising Guide reflects the moment when recreational boating became accessible to middle-class Americans, supported by improved waterways, standardized navigation aids, and the rise of automobile and petroleum-sponsored tourism. General Drafting’s crisp cartography is softened by charming illustrative elements that turn functional navigation into visual storytelling. The chart reads as both a working tool and a piece of Americana, merging maritime precision with aspirational travel culture.

Historical significance
Issued as part of Standard Oil’s broader travel and mobility outreach, the chart illustrates how petroleum companies positioned themselves as partners in leisure and exploration, not merely fuel suppliers. It documents the growth of Florida and Gulf Coast boating infrastructure just prior to the massive postwar development boom, making it a valuable artifact for maritime, regional, and advertising history.

Subjects: Intracoastal Waterway, Florida Gulf Coast, Recreational boating history, Maritime navigation, Petroleum advertising, Mid-century American design Maps and charts, Printed ephemera, Nautical material

Item #21420

Price: $55.00