Finally chose between a 1950s road atlas and a 1960s one for my wall

I keep seeing those old maps at estate sales and never know which decade to grab. Picked up a 1957 Chevron road atlas for $8 last Saturday. The 1963 one had better highway detail but the 57 has that fun pre interstate mess of two lane roads everywhere. Hung it up in my garage and my neighbor spent 20 minutes pointing out towns that don't exist anymore. Anyone else get stuck deciding between similar year maps?

2 comments

2 Comments

wilson.emma19d ago

Why does it matter that much? It's a map on a wall, not a decision that changes your life. Both are just paper with old roads on them. The neighbor thing is funny but that's about all the entertainment you're getting out of it. You could flip a coin and still end up with something that looks fine in a garage. I bet nobody except you and that neighbor will even notice which decade it is. Seems like overthinking a pretty simple decoration choice.

skylerc8618d ago

Nah but you're missing the bigger picture here. Old maps like that are basically time capsules, they show you what people thought was important back then. A 1940s map might have towns that don't even exist anymore, or roads that got rerouted for a highway. It's not just about looking good on a wall, it's about having a conversation piece that actually means something. Your garage decoration could literally show how your whole area changed over 30 years.