Servoss’ Sectional Automobile Road Map of North-Eastern New Jersey

“This section comprises the finest riding district in the vicinity of New York, a rare region of charming valleys, wooded heights, shaded ravines, picturesque lakes and mountains; a rich comingling of busy cities, handsome villa sites, country estates, and rural farm districts, presenting varied and novel attractions to the most exacting and epicurean scenic tastes.” [pg 4] This fascinating booklet was compiled by William Randolph Yard and published in New York in 1902 by the Isaac H. Blanchard Company. It provides a detailed overview of the recommended cycling routes around northeastern New Jersey and New York City. A key map identifies thirteen separate sections, each of which is covered by a double-page map showing good, fair, and ordinary roads, in addition to geographic features, place names, and distances from New York’s City Hall. Each route is outlined with fascinating descriptive text that provides a contemporary narrative of the scenery, road composition, and points of interest. The front cover indicates the booklet was marketed as an aid for automobile tourists, though the contents do not appear to mention any form of motorized transportation. This is an interesting reflection on the popular support for an improved network of paved roads, which was prompted with the rapidly increasing popularity of cycling during the late 19th century. The introduction of the automobile in the following decades saw maps produced during that period repurposed for motor tourism. Source: Tourist Maps and the Bike Craze