"Map of Los Angeles and Vicinity Compliments of the Bank of Italy", Clason Map Company

A detailed street map of the city extending from Griffith Park south to Manchester Avenue and from Hollywood east to beyond the Los Angeles River. A large red arrow draws the reader's attention to four branch locations of the Bank of Italy, and the map is surrounded by a detailed street index. The verso has maps of southern California and the entire state, each showing locations of the bank’s branches. Text on verso notes that the bank, founded in 1904, was “California’s Largest Bank.” Text goes on to explain that the bank pioneered branch banking: “Although differing materially from any existing financial system in the United States, this was the accepted method in Europe as well as Canada, and it proved to be especially well adapted to American requirements.” Interestingly, the bank advertised a “Woman’s Banking Dept.” This map was issued shortly after A.P. Giannini, founder of the bank, bought a minority interest in the Bank of America, Los Angeles. Subsequently the two banks merged and in 1930 Giananni changed the name to Bank of America. It went on to become the world’s largest commercial bank by 1945. The original Bank of Italy headquarters building in San Francisco, now a National Historic Landmark, is illustrated on the cover. There are no past sales records or institutional examples located on OCLC. Self-folding (3.8 x 7.0").

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Condition: B+

Issued folding on a clean sheet with several tiny splits at the fold junctions.