1930 The Land of Make Believe
By: Jaro Hess
Date: 1930 (dated) Grand Rapids, Michigan
Dimensions: 25 x 37 (63.5 cm x 94 cm)
This is an authentic example of a most imaginative and wonderful original map by Jaro Hess. His work depicts a marvelous wonderland including castles from every culture, and from his very own imagination. We see such familiar figures as the cow jumping over the moon, Jack climbing the Bean Stalk, the Emerald City of Oz, the house that belongs to Grandfather Know-All, Hansel and Gretel and the Gingerbread House, to name just a few of the well-known marvels of this wondrous poster. We also see figures such as mermaids, peculiar fishes and the mysterious island. This is an example of the first edition, identifiable by “The Wandering Jew.” Later reprints of this map from the 1950s replace the caption with “The Wanderer.”
This map by the Czech-born artist Jaro Hess has been stimulating the imagination of youngsters of all ages since its original publication in 1930. Hess' painting, "Adventure in Storyland," which offered a daling Grand Unifying Theory of the world's fairy tales, was turned into a poster by The Child's Wonderland Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The poster provides not only a glimpse into the best-known fairy tales from different parts of the world, but also a glimpse into the inner world of Hess, who, due to the Great Depression, found it necessary to do whatever job came to hand, while at the same time indulging his passion for art.
Condition: This map was dry mounted like nearly all other examples sometime in the 1930s. The map has been framed with uv-protective acrylic glass. Some light scuffs are apparent, but the overall image is very pleasing.
Inventory #10889
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