Great Circle Airways by Richard Edes Harrison. Geostrategic persuasive map 1943

CAPTION PRINTED BELOW PICTURE: 'Great Circle Airways - A Fortune Map'

The explanation of the map opens with a fundamental truth: "The beginning of wisdom in cartography is the realization that all maps without exception are distorted." Richard Edes Harrison’s purpose for his May 1943 north-polar gnomonic map, Great Circle Airways, was to challenge the American public’s sense of security, shaped—indeed distorted—by the traditional and commonly seen Mercator projection, and to deliver an urgent message about potential vulnerability during wartime. The Mercator projection world map depicts North America as isolated and shielded by the vast Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, reinforcing an illusion of distance and safety from European and Asian conflicts. A "great circle" is the shortest distance between two points on a globe. On Harrison's gnomonic projection, all great-circle routes appear as straight lines, displaying the most direct paths. Centered on the North Pole, Harrison’s projection reveals that the shortest routes between North America and Eurasia—the flight paths of aircraft in the age of aviation—span the Arctic, underscoring the true proximity of these continents. This visualization highlighted the U.S.'s potential vulnerability to northern air attacks, a critical message in 1943 as air power began to reshape global warfare. Harrison’s map reshaped American perceptions of global proximity, demonstrating that modern warfare could bypass the perceived security of oceans, making the Arctic central to both defense and strategic planning. Within a few years, Harrison’s insights became increasingly evident with the onset of the Cold War, the nuclear bomb, the long-range bomber, and, later, the ballistic missile.

DATE PRINTED: May 1943    

IMAGE SIZE: Approx 49.5 x 61.0cm, 19.5 x 24 inches (Large); Please note that this is a folding map.

TYPE: Vintage colour persuasive map

CONDITION: Good; suitable for framing. Please check the scan for any blemishes prior to making your purchase. Virtually all antiquarian maps and prints are subject to some normal aging due to use and time which is not obtrusive unless otherwise stated. We offer a no questions asked return policy.

AUTHENTICITY: This is an authentic historic print, published at the date stated above. It is not a modern copy.

VERSO: There is nothing printed on the reverse side, which is plain

FOLDING: This is a folding print.

ARTIST/CARTOGRAPHER/ENGRAVER: Richard Edes Harrison

PROVENANCE: Fortune Magazine May 1943 Volume XXVII. Number 5