"Southern Route Book - Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee"

Subject: Southern United States

Period: 1913 (dated)

Publication:

Color: Black & White

Size:

5 x 9.3 inches
12.7 x 23.6 cm

This is the earliest Goodrich Southeastern route guide. It lists 46 different driving tours covering the region from Nashville and Raleigh south to New Orleans and Florida. There is a double-page index map and 18 city maps interspersed within the driving directions. In 1910 Goodrich began to install road signs throughout the U.S.; by 1917 Goodyear had installed its easily seen 10-foot signs along 110,000 miles of road. Following Michelin’s lead in Europe, Goodrich also began to issue route books for tourists, highlighting the Goodrich signs and providing specific directions. Goodrich stopped installing signs in 1920 and apparently stopped issuing its route books and maps at about the same time map publishers and oil companies entered the market. 64 pages. Pictorial paper wrappers (5.1 x 9.1") with a Goodrich guide post on the front wrapper. OCLC shows a single location (Duke University) of this guide and no record of any subsequent editions.

References: Harp (A World History of Rubber) p. 66.

Condition: B

Contents are good to very good with occasional small stains and dog-eared corners. Pages 42-43 are heavily soiled with archival repairs to several edge tears. There is an additional small archival repair on page 46, and a few pages are loose including the index map. Covers have light toning, minor soiling, and a previous owner's stamp on the front cover.