Your first road atlas

[Alex]

1997 Greenville County, S.C. atlas from the Irmo-based Accurate Maps and Atlases, which is no longer in existence. It would have been the company's 30th anniversary this year.



The inside of one of the pages:

Both images are broken.

[DeaconG]

1966 Rand McNally Atlas.  I was seven and I had to have it!  I spent hours poring over it...

[brownpelican]

My dad's Rand McNally from 85 or 86.

[swbrotha100]

My parents had an old Rand McNally road atlas from the 1970s. I think the first Rand McNally atlas I got myself was in the early 1990s.

[cpzilliacus]

About 1975 or 1974 Alexandria Drafting Company atlases of Montgomery County, Maryland and Prince George's County, Maryland.

[mtantillo]

1986 Hagstrom of Nassau County. First US atlas was 1992 Rand McNally.

[US 41]

I went to the Indiana State University library today. I found RandMcnally road atlases from 2002 all the way back to 1959. There are several really interesting things I found. In the 60's they al showed Central America (some of the early 60 atlases showed a proposed road from Panama to Colombia. The 1962 showed the proposed routing of I-64 going through central Ilinois and across Indiana alongside US 50 / US 150. One of them showed a road map of Cuba and showed a car ferry from Key West to Havana (it must've been before the embargo).

[DeaconG]

About 1975 or 1974 Alexandria Drafting Company atlases of Montgomery County, Maryland and Prince George's County, Maryland.

Those things were invaluable when I lived in PG County in the early 80s.  I had several in my car just in case: Montgomery, PG, Anne Arundel, Howard and Baltimore County; plus Fairfax and Stafford counties as well as Arlington and Alexandria in Virginia.

[mjb2002]

1997 Greenville County, S.C. atlas from the Irmo-based Accurate Maps and Atlases, which is no longer in existence. It would have been the company's 30th anniversary this year.



The inside of one of the pages:

Both images are broken.

Ok. I decided to upload the images into Picasa.




Alert me if these images are broken and I'll try to fix them (yet) again.

[BamaZeus]

I still have my 1982 Rand McNally upon which I drew various updates, like the finishing of 95 in Florida.

I also have a few of those AAA tour books, since my grandmother was a travel agent.  They're not really atlases, but they had plenty of maps in them.  They looked like this   https://img0.etsystatic.com/036/0/6293017/il_340x270.638475502_c0v8.jpg

[CapeCodder]

1996 Rand McNally.

First street atlas: Wunnenburgs 1995 Saint Louis County Street Guide.

[jakeroot]

Never owned an atlas (always had a GPS).

[Roadrunner75]

Never owned an atlas (always had a GPS).

Seize him!

[jakeroot]

Never owned an atlas (always had a GPS).

Seize him!

I don't need one mate. I don't see the reason for it. Historic Aerials has all the atlas' that I'd ever need to look at.

[Roadrunner75]

Never owned an atlas (always had a GPS).

Seize him!

I don't need one mate. I don't see the reason for it. Historic Aerials has all the atlas' that I'd ever need to look at.

Unacceptable.  Please report to your local Walmart or Target and pick up a Rand McNally 2015.  All roadnuts are required to have an atlas or at least a road map of some type.  I can't imagine not having one in the magazine basket in the bathroom.

[Zeffy]

Ever since I got my atlases from a friend, I have balanced between my phone for checking the forums and looking at the atlases while I go the bathroom.

[bugo]

Never owned an atlas (always had a GPS).

Seize him!

I don't need one mate. I don't see the reason for it. Historic Aerials has all the atlas' that I'd ever need to look at.

Because online maps have shitty cartography?

[jakeroot]

Never owned an atlas (always had a GPS).

Seize him!

I don't need one mate. I don't see the reason for it. Historic Aerials has all the atlas' that I'd ever need to look at.

Because online maps have shitty cartography?

That's purely subjective.

[NE2]

Ahem, Bland McCrappy?

[Roadrunner75]

Ahem, Bland McCrappy?

It's cheap and easy to find, despite the errors and poor updating.  Good enough for bathroom reading and the car.

[jakeroot]

Ahem, Bland McCrappy?

It's cheap and easy to find, despite the errors and poor updating.  Good enough for bathroom reading and the car.

Is it any better than Google Maps?

[NE2]

Is it any better than Google Maps?

For small scale use, yes.

[jakeroot]

Is it any better than Google Maps?

For small scale use, yes.

Well, let's say I'm trying to find a Future Shop. I don't think Rand McNally is going to help me.

[Roadrunner75]

Is it any better than Google Maps?

For small scale use, yes.

Well, let's say I'm trying to find a Future Shop. I don't think Rand McNally is going to help me.

Actually if you press hard enough on the atlas, a search box will pop up on page 63.  The new versions are pretty high-tech.

I'm not suggesting an atlas or road map as a replacement for Google, etc., but a good roadnut should have all the tools in his or her arsenal, including good old hard copy maps. I think atlases provide the best quick overview of a state or portions thereof.  When it's time for detail, online you go.

[texaskdog]

I don't remember my first one but my last one was a 1953 I found at the antique mall for $10.  Was just shocked he only wanted $10.