Mexico Map from 1911 vs 1914 vs 1916

[Helena Zar]

Hello,

I have recently bought some map supplements and the seller added one map stating "Mexico from 20s".

After checking the 20s, all I found was a map supplement from 1911, 1914 and 1916.

Is there a way to find out what year did I get?

Thank you.

Helena

[George Thomas Wilson]

Helena,

I had the same question several years back.  The 1911 and 1914 maps are virtually the same railroad maps, but the 1911 map is only of existing rail lines and the 1914 is of existing and planned rail lines.  The 1916 map is completely different and has the copyright year on it somewhere.  Hope this helps.

Tom Wilson

[George Thomas Wilson]

And here are three low-res images of those maps courtesy of the late Philip Riviere.

May 1911

May 1914

July 1916

[Helena Zar]

Tom,

Thank you. Incredible help!

I looked at my map, trying to find the railroads/ planned rail line you mentioned, scratching my head.

If I can trust the coloring, my map is the lighter version, one would assume its the 1914.

Is there a link to Mr. Riviere's original download of this map, I would like to compare couple places and pinpoint the true year of my map.

Helena

[George Thomas Wilson]

Helena,

If you look at the title in the lower left corner of the 1911/1914 map you will see a title and credits, below that there is a mileage scale, and under that is either a sample showing railroads (1911) or two samples showing existing and planned railroads (1914).

Hope this helps.

Tom

[Helena Zar]

Tom,

My map shows at the lower left corner " Railroads..Open____ In Progres ......

So correct me, if I am wrong, but my map would be 1911?

Thank you for holding my hand in this discovery,

Helena

[George Thomas Wilson]

Sorry, I didn't have my maps handy so I wasn't sure of the correct verbiage.

The one you have is the 1914 map.  The one from 1911 would have just said "Railroads: ___".

[George Thomas Wilson]

To help with questions like these (and to find out about things of which you may be unaware,) I would recommend a "Collector's Guide" like Roger E. Nathan's "Collectibles of the National Geographic Society" (1982).  Here's an example of what's in it:

This book and the series of books by Edwin C. Buxbaum culminating in his "Collector's Guide to the National Geographic Magazine" (1971) are like the Old and the New Testaments of collecting.  I should also mention Don Smith's "National Geographic Magazine: For Collectors 1888-1996" (1996), a shoestring budget production that has some interesting bits of knowledge.

Your in Collecting,

Tom Wilson

[Helena Zar]

Tom,

It looks like a dive into a serious art of collecting :)

Will check the availability of the above mentioned books, err, I meant to say Bibles.

Best,

Helena