{"product_id":"old-pictorial-map-of-switzerland-by-chase-1936-zurich-geneva-bern-basel-swiss-alps","title":"Old Pictorial Map of Switzerland by Chase, 1936: Zurich, Geneva, Bern, Basel, Swiss Alps","description":"\u003cp\u003eA Pictorial Map of Switzerland, created in 1936, distills the nation’s alpine drama and civic pride into a single, lavish tableau. Ernest Dudley Chase frames the composition with an ornamental cartouche carrying the title and the bold Swiss coat of arms, while a decorative border blossoms with vignettes that pay tribute to beloved landmarks. At the lower right a finely drawn compass rose orients the viewer, a subtle nod to traditional cartographic craft amid Chase’s exuberant pictorial language. The result is a portrait of Switzerland at once geographic and cultural: a country of crystalline lakes, serrated ridgelines, and storied towns, rendered with the lyrical exactitude that made Chase’s interwar works so prized by travelers and connoisseurs alike.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eErnest Dudley Chase, the consummate American master of the pictorial map, brought an illustrator’s eye and a cartographer’s discipline to his subjects. Working in the interwar years, he popularized a style that fused topography with narrative—each vignette a thumbnail chapter, each caption a breadcrumb of history. His maps reward both scanning and study: the overall composition seduces at a glance, then yields carefully placed emblems of heritage, industry, and folklore. Switzerland, with its compact terrain and outsized identity, was an ideal canvas for Chase’s method, allowing him to choreograph alpine summits, lakeshores, and cityscapes into a harmonious pattern that feels as legible as it is luxuriant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAcross the whole Confederation the eye moves from the Rhine-girdled north to the sun-warmed Ticino, with major cities anchoring the view. Zurich asserts itself as the modern mercantile hub; Geneva, gatekeeper of the Rhône and cosmopolitan to its core, faces west; Bern’s orderly plan recalls its steadiness as federal city; Basel straddles frontiers along the Rhine; Lausanne climbs the slopes above Lake Geneva. Lucerne, cradled by mountains and water, reads like a postcard come to life; St. Gallen gestures east toward the Appenzell hills; Lugano brings Italianate lilt; while Neuchâtel and bilingual Biel\/Bienne hint at the country’s linguistic mosaic. Lakes—Léman, Zurichsee, Vierwaldstättersee, Neuchâtel, and Lugano—sparkle amid serried Jura and Alpine ranges.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChase’s border of vignettes works as both ornament and index, assembling Switzerland’s hallmarks into a curated promenade. Castles guard lakeshores and passes; abbey precincts and cathedral spires testify to centuries of erudition and faith; timbered bridges and quays speak to civic order; while the great ramparts of the Alps rise behind it all, their valleys funneled by rivers that power mills, cities, and imagination alike. The map luxuriates in emblematic contrasts—watchmaking towns and high pastures, market squares and glacier-lit cirques—so that even a casual perusal suggests a grand tour. Everything coheres through Chase’s clean labeling and lively penwork, which make density feel inviting rather than daunting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDated 1936, the map captures Switzerland at a poised interwar moment—neutral yet central, traditional yet modern. Geneva had become a diplomatic lodestar, and the nation’s precision industries, rail engineering, and tourism culture radiated quiet confidence. Chase translates that equilibrium into heraldic form: the cartouche honors lineage, the coat of arms signals unity, and the compass rose promises safe orientation through complex terrain. More than an itinerary, the composition is a cultural self-portrait, revealing a federation whose topography shapes identity and whose cities project influence far beyond their size. In this pictorial synthesis, Switzerland’s mountains and municipalities, languages and lifeways, resolve into a single, memorable emblem.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCities and towns on this map\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eZurich\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGeneva\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLucerne\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBern\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBasel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLausanne\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSt. Gallen\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLugano\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNeuchâtel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBiel\/Bienne\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNotable Features \u0026amp; Landmarks\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVignettes of significant Swiss landmarks (castles, buildings, natural sights).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn ornamental cartouche with the title.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCoat of arms of Switzerland.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCompass rose indicating cardinal directions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDecorative border framing the map.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIllustrative depictions of notable lakes, mountains, and valleys.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorical and design context\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArtist: Ernest Dudley Chase.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYear of creation: 1936 (interwar period).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePictorial map with an ornate, artistic presentation typical of Chase’s style.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHighly detailed illustrations of landmarks enhance visual interest and informational value.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePictorial representation featuring landmarks, cultural references, and geographical elements.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEntire country of Switzerland is covered, showcasing notable locations across regions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChase’s maps are known for their artistic quality and geographic representation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eScarce example showcasing various sites and landmarks throughout Switzerland.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlease double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 100in (250cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/fr\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the \u003ca href=\"\/fr\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003ebest old maps\u003c\/a\u003e to see if something else catches your eye.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlease \u003ca href=\"\/fr\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003econtact me\u003c\/a\u003e to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex\/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58720534987136,"sku":null,"price":54.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58720535019904,"sku":null,"price":146.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58720535052672,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58720535085440,"sku":null,"price":54.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58720535118208,"sku":null,"price":146.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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