Map of a porciform United States, with individual pigs representing U.S. States. By Forbes in 1876.
| This Porcineograph | |
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| Date: | 1876 |
| Author: | Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company |
| Dwnld: | Full Size (17.3mb) |
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| See our Prints Page for more details | |
This map isn't part of any series, but we have other maps tagged 'beautiful' that you might want to check out.
Not at all sure what to make of this. The pig has had long-standing use as caricature in lampooning any number of human shortcomings: greed, gluttony, sloth, cunning. So first-blush look at this and you're like ”whoa, they're sticking it to somebody”.
But then you look... and look, and look. And then, well, who're they sticking it to? It's just a well-illustrated, silly... thing.
Strange, and a bit sloppy: Check out the reversed-type in the pigs at top, right-of-center... that went to print? "Ah, hell... nobody'll notice".
If you know different, let me hear about it. I've lost sleep trying to find some meaning.
Edit: head over to Frank Jacobs' always-edifying Strange Maps for an in-depth analysis of this map.
Found this…
The Porcineograph is an oddity, a lithograph published in 1876 for William Emerson Baker of Needham, MA. Despite the intriguing name, the lithograph has nothing to do with pork-barrel politics or swinish pornography. A successful manufacturer of sewing machines, Baker was an exponent of hygienic living and aspired to establish a community called “Hygeria,” which would include, among other things, hygienic facilities for raising pigs, which Baker considered to be clean and healthful animals. Baker gave parties to popularize his ideas and at one of those gave away copies of the Porcineograph, which displayed a map of the United States in the form of a pig.
Here’s the link…
http://www.backcountrynotes.com/frontpage-blog/2009/3/16/the-porcineograph.html