DESCRIPTION: A very fine pictorial advertising map of Nevada from the Virginia City Bank of Virginia City, Nevada. With a complete calendar for 1926 at bottom. Includes unused metal hanger at top. A rare survivor in excellent condition. Map size 9.5" x 12.5". Overall, about 12" x 23".
 1926 Virginia City Bank Advertising Map
Virginia City, Nevada, was a historic mining town that experienced a significant boom in the mid-19th century due to the discovery of the Comstock Lode, a large deposit of silver ore. By 1926, however, the city had long passed its heyday and was in a state of decline. In 1926, the population was estimated to be around 1,500 people, a far cry from the 25,000 residents during the height of the mining boom.
In the early 20th century Virginia City began to shift its focus towards tourism. Efforts were made to embrace, preserve and promote the town's rich mining history and Wild West character to attract visitors. This map reflects that sentiment.
The illustration and quotation on this trade card were not unique to John Cosgrove but rather part of a stock design widely used by 19th-century printers who specialized in producing humorous or sentimental advertising cards. Lithographers commonly kept catalogs of ready-made comic scenes—like this seaside mother-and-child vignette with the line “It’s a wise child that knows its own mother at the sea side”—which merchants could customize by adding their own business imprint below. In this case, the printer simply inserted Cosgrove’s name, trade description, and Poydras Market address into the blank advertising panel at the bottom, allowing a small New Orleans fish dealer to benefit from professionally printed imagery at a fraction of the cost of commissioning original artwork.
PUBLICATION DATE: 1926
GEOGRAPHIC AREA: United States
BODY OF WATER: N/A
CONDITION: Excellent.
Like new. Unused.
COLORING: Lithographed.
ENGRAVER:
SIZE: 12
" x
23 "
ITEM PHYSICAL LOCATION: 89
PRICE: $350
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