Cartography Book Appraisal

Rand McNally Reliable World Atlas

This is a Rand McNally Reliable World Atlas. The cover features a colorful world map with prominent landmasses in red, yellow, and green, and oceans in blue. The title "Rand McNally Reliable WORLD ATLAS" is centered on the cover within a black and red rectangular box with a white border. A circular inset on the lower left corner exclaims "40 PAGES DOUBLE-PAGE MAPS Full Color!". The overall construction appears to be softcover, likely stapled or saddle-stitched based on the binding visible in the center. The cover shows significant signs of wear and age, including creasing, surface abrasions, and tears, particularly around the edges and corners. There is a noticeable puncture or torn-away section on the bottom right edge of the cover and a smaller tear at the bottom left corner. The paper is discolored and shows evidence of handling. The spine shows creasing, indicating it has been opened and used. The style and typography of the title suggest a manufacturing date likely between the 1930s and 1950s. The quality of the printing, while appearing faded in the image, seems adequate for the era, depicting geographical features with reasonable detail for the scale of the map on the cover. There are no visible manufacturer's marks other than the Rand McNally name and a possible catalog number "589" at the bottom left of the cover. Despite the condition issues, it represents a historical example of cartography from Rand McNally.