The Adventures of Mark Twain

By Laura Kane McElfresh

Featured Item: The Adventures of Mark Twain

What is the item?

Pictorial map of the life and works of Mark Twain, a.k.a. Samuel Langhorne Clemens. This map was issued by Warner Brothers Pictures to promote their biographical movie, The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944). The map's border features images from the biopic, starring Fredric March and Alexis Smith as Samuel Langhorne and Olivia Langdon Clemens. 

What BTAA Library submitted the item?

University of Michigan

Interesting tidbits:

• The map illustrates Clemens' extensive travels across and beyond the United States

• Shows his connections to some unexpected places -- such as Bear Creek, near San Antonio, TX

• Cities that figure prominently in Clemens' life and career are marked with stars on the map

• Both appearances of Halley's Comet during Clemens' lifetime are commemorated

Caption:

The map is illustrated with events in Samuel Clemens' life and characters from his writings.

Where can I find out more?

• Visit Mark Twain's Mississippi online at the Northern Illinois University Digital Library for video, primary sources, and more about the author, the river, and their history.

• The IMDB entry on The Adventures of Mark Twain has more information about the film. You can also check nearby libraries on WorldCat.

• Free ebook versions of Mark Twain's work are available via Project Gutenberg.

• The Clark Library Scanned Maps collection from the University of Michigan has more scans of vintage maps like this.

Laura Kane McElfresh is the Cartographic Metadata Librarian at the University of Minnesota.