Richard Horwitz, the past president of the Road Map Collectors Association, is a retired picture editor and lives in New Jersey with his wife and more than 12,000 road maps.
ephemera: When did your passion for road map collecting begin?
Horwitz: I was nine-years-old in 1951 when my father, a dentist in Chicago, asked me to pick up a bunch of maps he requested from the Sinclair Travel Bureau for our family drive to Florida. I remember being fascinated by the maps, and I loved following them as we drove the routes. I still have one of them--the map of Miami.
In college in the 1960s, I made 14 cross-country trips, collecting maps from unfamiliar brands of gasoline along the way. I continued to save maps; they were free from gas stations...but I made the mistake of throwing out the old ones as I got new issues. I always wanted the most up-to-date map; now I appreciate the old ones, and I'm buying back the ones I threw away.
Then, in 1996, I was surfing the Internet and came across the Road Map Collectors Association, and discovered I wasn't alone in my passion. I found lots of collectors out there. I quickly joined--renewing my interest. I started buying on eBay, browsing at antique stores, and trading with my new club friends. My collection exploded. I now have more than 12,000 road maps.
I collect oil company maps, old and new, foreign and domestic. Usually, I want one of each cover design from each brand. I have nearly 500 brands. Other members collect state official maps or atlases. Some limit their collections to certain states, countries, or years. Many of us like to see the progression of the country's road system over time.
ephemera: What challenges or obstacles do you encounter in collecting? How do you overcome these challenges?
Horwitz: Map collecting used to be an inexpensive hobby. Until the gas crunch of the 1970s, they were free at gas stations. Common maps went for $3 or so at antique stores. Better graphics and age might have raised it as high as $30. Now, with online auctions, you can still find some common maps for under $10, but the rare, better ones can go for more than $100.
eBay has been a great place to look, especially for its world-wide scope. I still go to paper shows and the occasional antiques mall. By far, the best place is the annual Map Expo run by the Road Map club--thousands of maps are bought, sold and traded.
My biggest gripe is the sellers who over-package. I once sliced into a Mobil map of Hong Kong trying to cut through the packaging tape. Maps were often made cheaply, wrongly folded, generally mistreated, and bouncing around in a glove compartment for years. Yet they survive.
My oldest U.S., a Gulf, dates from 1916. I have a Duckham's Oil of England from 1910.
I guess the biggest collecting challenge is to put a date on some maps. The club has information to break the codes of some cartographers; others don't even have codes. Then, we guess, using clues like city populations, or when certain roads or bridges were built. If I see a state map without U.S. highway numbers, I know it is before 1926.
ephemera: That’s a great way to determine age. I’m always looking for dating tricks like that one. What are your favorite items in your collection, and how do they inspire you?
Horwitz: My favorites are the old road maps from the 1920s and 1930s. They have the best cover graphics. I like the pictures of old cars and old gas stations. Of course, they were modern cars and modern gas stations when printed. I like maps from special events such as World's Fairs and Olympics. I like small towns, such as a Marathon Oil map of Elwood, Ind., hometown of Wendell Wilke, and marking ceremonies for his Republican presidential nomination in 1940.
ephemera: What’s your advice to achieving success as a road map collector?
Horowitz: It may be best to keep your collection focused by limiting your collecting to a certain brand, state, or era.
If you miss a map you want, another will come along. Be patient. Realize that there are always more maps out there. Nice surprises await.
ephemera: What resources and tools do you recommend for collectors of road maps?
Horwitz: It is encouraging to find others who share your interest. There are about 300 active members of the RMCA. Check out: www.roadmaps.org, the newsletter The Legend, and the email discussion list. If you collect oil maps, find a copy of Guide to Gasoline Logos
Decide how to store your maps. My best maps are in plastic sleeves
ephemera: Those are great tips, Richard. Thanks for sharing your experience and expertise on the subject of maps. I know a lot ephemera collectors will enjoy learning more about them.
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