By: Joy Ndamukunda
This is a map of the Tenth Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California, in 1932. The map’s purpose was to direct tourists and locals during the 1932 Summer Olympics, a momentous occasion in the city’s history.
The Union Oil Company developed this map, which provides a thorough overview of the city and its environs with an emphasis on Olympic Games-related locations and routes. Rich with detailed pictures and copious annotations, the map offers a plethora of information on the city and the Olympic Games. Smaller maps showing other inland and coastal routes are also included. Examples of these include the Coast Route from Los Angeles to Ensenada, the route from Los Angeles to Indio, and the route from Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo.
On the other side of the map, there is an activity schedule, brief essays, and a map of the Olympic City that runs from City Hall to the Coliseum and USC’s Riviera Country Club. The map gives specific information about where the opening and closing ceremonies, equestrian events, football, field hockey, gymnastics, lacrosse, marathon, track events, diving, swimming, fencing, boxing, weightlifting, wrestling, cycling, and rowing will all take place. It also shows where visiting men’s athletes stayed in Olympic Village and visiting women’s athletes at the University of Southern California.
This map enhances the geographical and historical understanding of Los Angeles in the early 20th century, highlighting industrial influence and the incorporation of smaller cities into the larger metropolis.
Sources:
https://www.geographicus.com/P/AntiqueMap/losangeles-atwood-1932