This lot includes the following early automobile road atlases. The rapid popularity of the automobile at the beginning of the twentieth century brought about a major change in the types of maps produced for public consumption. The old format bicycle and railroad maps were replaced with practical guides containing maps showing the principal routes that were suitable for travel in an automobile. This popular format was pioneered by the Blue Book series of the American Automobile Association (AAA), which began in 1906. Soon commercial map companies, insurance and oil companies were publishing automobile maps and atlases.

1) Clason's Touring Atlas of the United States and Canada, Denver, 1930. 4to, pictorial wrappers, 48 pp, including 40 double-page maps colored in red and blue that open to approximately 15 x 11". This early automobile road atlas is subtitled "An Accurate Guide to the best roads of every state." Pictorial cover with fantastic full-page deco-style ad for Power-lube Motor Oil that features a touring car and a Bengal tiger by the Powerline Co., Denver. A very fine, early highway atlas.

2) Seeing America with Aetna, Aetna Casualty & Surety Co., Hartford, 1931. 4to, pictorial wrappers, 48 pp, with 22 full-page maps of tours with accompanying text about each tour on the facing page. Maps generally measure 7.5 x 10.3" and are printed in red and black. Some of the tours listed are: Great Smokies, Blue Grass, Yellowstone, Canyon, Pueblo & Mesa, and Blue and Gray tours. The last is the National Park Tour with a fine map of the western U.S. Four pages of great deco-style advertisements.

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Condition: B

Covers on both with usual wear and soiling. The Aetna atlas has a tape repair at upper corner of cover on verso.