Historic Roads to Romance California's Southern Empire Tourist Paradise by Claude G. Putnam

Historic Roads to Romance California's Southern Empire Tourist Paradise by Claude G. Putnam Historic Roads to Romance: California's Southern Empire Tourist Paradise is a pictorial promotional map created by Claude G. Putnam during the early twentieth century. Designed to encourage tourism and automobile travel, the map highlights Southern California’s scenic highways, historic missions, resorts, beaches, and cultural landmarks. Richly illustrated with decorative artwork and regional imagery, it reflects the growing popularity of road travel and the development of California as a premier tourist destination. The map blends geography with storytelling, presenting the region as a landscape of history, adventure, and leisure.

Claude G. Putnam was an American illustrator, cartographer, and designer known for creating pictorial maps that combined artistic charm with practical information. His work captured the spirit of travel and regional identity during an era when tourism was rapidly expanding. Through detailed illustrations and engaging compositions, Putnam helped popularize pictorial cartography, producing maps that remain valued for their historical insight, graphic appeal, and celebration of local culture.