Robinson’s map of Sydney, Australia (1922)

(Entirely free) full-resolution file download available on the Big Map Blog: [6,499px × 9,126px]
www.bigmapblog.com/2011/robinsons-aeroplane-map-of-sydney-1922/

Fun-looking and quite expertly-rendered overhead map of Australia's most populous city: Sydney, NSW [gmap] in 1922.

Now I've noticed a pattern here in the U.S. that may or may not hold true in all cases: City-wide maps depicting a bustling, ebullient maritime or rail trade (such as this one) are often commissioned by towns in their early "salad days", right on the cusp of a real or imagined population or industry boom.

I imagine it goes something like this (if you'll excuse my ad hoc psychoanalytics) -- you've got a city, and it's on the cusp of greatness... everything seems like it's just about to pop off. Seems like it just needs some more population and it'll snowball from there. Makes sense that that's when you spring for the map/public works project/exposition that shows the world your can-do spirit.

(Entirely free) full-resolution file download available on the Big Map Blog: [6,499px × 9,126px]
www.bigmapblog.com/2011/robinsons-aeroplane-map-of-sydney-1922/