[Bird's-Eye View From Above the Prudential Tower, Boston]
- Title:
- [Bird's-Eye View From Above the Prudential Tower, Boston]
- Alternate Title:
- [Bird's-Eye View From Above the Prudential Tower, Boston]
- Collection:
- Persuasive Maps: PJ Mode Collection
- Creator:
- MacDonald, John "Ross"
- Date:
- 1965
- Posted Date:
- 2024-04-25
- ID Number:
- 2442.01
- File Name:
- PJM_2442_01.jpg
- Style/Period:
- 1960 - Present
- Subject:
- Advertising & Promotion
Pictorial
Unusual Projection - Measurement:
- 57 x 58 (centimeters, height x width)
- Notes:
- This large, untitled birds-eye view was likely part of a package of promotional literature for the opening of the Prudential Tower in Boston. The Tower was completed in 1964, and at that time it was the tallest building in the world outside of New York City. At the time of its formal opening, The New York Times, in a decidedly backhand compliment, called it "the showcase of the New Boston [representing] the agony and the ecstasy of a city striving to rise above the sordidness of its recent past." Fenton, John H., "Center in Boston To Be Dedicated," New York Times, April 18, 1965, p. R1.
By centering the view far above the top of the Tower and using a "fish-eye" lens effect, the mapmaker is able to emphasize the centrality of the Tower's location, while showing the far reaches of the metropolitan area, from Hull and Nantasket in the Southeast to Fresh Pond and Belmont in the Northwest. An index below the map permits easy identification of 36 specific "Points of Interest," including the area's major universities, historical sites, museums - and Fenway Park.
The view is signed "Ross MacDonald." This is probably the work of John "Ross" MacDonald (1922-2011), a commercial artist from Malden, Massachusetts. "He was known for his architectural renderings, and became famous for painting an aerial view of Cape Cod that he sold copies of for over 50 years." https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/77996807/john-macdonald, accessed June 28, 2020.
For a similar use of aerial perspective in promotional mapping, see ID #2122, "Birds-Eye View from Summit of Mt. Washington; White Mountains, New Hampshire" (1902).
Cornell University Library is pleased to present this digital collection of Persuasive Maps, the originals of which have been collected and described by the private collector PJ Mode. The descriptive information in the “Collector’s Notes” has been supplied by Mr. Mode and does not necessarily reflect the views of Cornell University. - Format:
- Image
- Rights:
- For important information about copyright and use, see http://persuasivemaps.library.cornell.edu/copyright.