The eagle map of the United States

Caption

Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.

Catalog notes

An eagle spreads across the United States, turning the outline of a country into a patriotic image. Created for a book of national knowledge, this hand-colored map is an unusually direct example of geography used as symbolism. Readers can compare the bird’s shape with the underlying states and ask what the design emphasizes or distorts. It earns a place for its visual wit and its revealing connection between education and national identity.

Original catalog record, source and attribution