1943
Maker: Rand McNally & Company / WTIC
Antique World War II folding map published by WTIC and Rand McNally & Co. c. 1943. This double-sided map features maps of the world, south west Pacific, northern Polar map, and the Russo-German war front on one side, and on the other side is a map of the Mediterranean, Northern Africa, and the Near East War Zone, along with US Army, Navy, and Marine Corps insignia, events, and the alignments of countries of the world. This is an example of war time advertising- this map was produced and any company could have its name printed on it, to give away or sell. The public was hungry for war related news and media, and by sponsoring a map such as this, your company garnered favor and displayed its patriotic spirit. WTIC is known for its historic time tone, which is a broadcast of the Morse code letter "V" every hour on the hour, which has been in place since 1943. This makes it one of the oldest continuously broadcasting radio time tones in the world. WTIC employs a GPS master clock system that fires the custom-built time-tone generator shortly before the top of the hour, timed such that the final tone of the sequence occurs precisely on the hour (even though everything else heard on the station is on a 10-second delay), and listeners have been setting their watches to WTIC for many years. The notes of the sequence were pitched to mimic the famous opening sequence of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, whose "short-short-short-long" rhythm matches that of the Morse code letter "V". The Morse code letter "V" for Victory was selected during the height of World War II. This map is in very good antique condition with minor wear along the folds and bright original color. Measures approx. 24 x 27 inches to the paper edges.
Item Number: MIL037