Immerse yourself in the intense civilian mobilization, bold cartography, and high-stakes graphic messaging of World War World II with this historic pictorial battle map. Originally illustrated and published in 1942 by the prominent American cartographer Ernest Dudley Chase, this compelling propaganda poster is titled Japan, The Target: A Pictorial Jap-map<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Showcasing an extraordinary tactical composition, the map depicts the Japanese archipelago, the Korean peninsula, and coastal Manchuria completely encircled by a formidable swarm of Allied military aircraft converging from all directions. Drawn just months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Chase brilliantly transforms the Imperial Japanese Rising Sun flag into a literal, striking bullseye target in the lower right corner, visualizing the ultimate strategic objective of the American war effort. Rendered in an authentic, high-contrast historical palette of vibrant turquoise blue seas, rich jade greens, soft mustard yellows, and fiery crimson accents, this meticulously restored print infuses modern spaces with a captivating, narrative-driven graphic power.<\/p>\n
Published in Winchester, Massachusetts in 1942, this classic map stands as a fascinating artifact of American home-front patriotism and psychological warfare during World War II. Its creator, Ernest Dudley Chase (1878\u20131966), was one of America’s most prolific and celebrated designers of decorative pictorial maps, usually famous for whimsical travel guides and grand world panoramas. However, following the entry of the United States into global conflict, Chase redirected his immense talent toward producing aggressive, highly motivating “target” war maps under his own imprint. At the time of its publication, Japan\u2019s territorial expansion in the Pacific was at its peak, making this map an expression of American resolve and strategic ambition rather than the immediate military reality of the era. Featuring a detailed text legend that lists fourteen distinct models of American fighter planes and bombers\u2014alongside annotations detailing key naval bases, city populations, and global transport distances\u2014this map served to educate, reassure, and mobilize the public mind during a period of grave national uncertainty.<\/p>\n
A masterclass in 1940s pictorial cartography and propaganda design, this vibrant composition artfully balances dense geographical data with high-impact wartime symbolism. The sea is filled with fine directional wind lines and distance arcs connecting major global hubs, while dozens of meticulously sketched silhouettes of bombers and fighters sweep across the airspace toward the central target. The corners are dramatically framed by stylized rays of the rising sun motif matching the giant target insignia at the base, giving the poster a rigorous, symmetry-driven structure. Complete with an ornate scroll cartouche for the legend and a classic scale of miles ruler, this print seamlessly transforms a serious piece of military ephemera into a highly decorative, texturally rich, and eye-catching display piece.<\/p>\n
History buffs, cartography collectors, military veteran families, aviation enthusiasts<\/b>, and anyone fascinated by rare World War II home-front ephemera, vintage political propaganda, and classic 1940s illustration.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Home libraries, executive offices, study rooms<\/b>, texturally rich living rooms, dens, creative studios, or as a character-filled historical anchor within a large gallery wall.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Industrial modern, retro Americana, maximalist eclectic, mid-century modern<\/b>, or dark academia interior design styles that value narrative artwork, bold graphic layouts, and deep historical conversations.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Artist:<\/b> Ernest Dudley Chase<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Title:<\/b> Japan, The Target: A Pictorial Jap-map<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Subject:<\/b> Vintage World War II Propaganda, Allied Aviation, and Historical Battle Cartography<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Original Year:<\/b> 1942<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Style:<\/b> 1940s Pictorial Map \/ Americana Military Art \/ Vintage Propaganda Illustration<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Our vintage posters are made to order using premium Gicl\u00e9e printing techniques. Every piece is printed on thick, heavyweight fine art paper (200gsm) with a smooth, completely matte finish.<\/p>\n We specifically source an acid-free, natural-toned paper that perfectly recreates the warmth and authentic character of original mid-century lithographs. Unlike standard glossy posters, our premium matte finish ensures there is zero glare when your artwork is framed behind glass, resulting in a rich, museum-quality display. Combined with long-lasting, UV-resistant pigment inks, your print is designed to remain vibrant for generations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Immerse yourself in the intense civilian mobilization, bold cartography, and high-stakes graphic messaging of World War World II with this historic pictorial battle map. Originally illustrated and published in 1942 by the prominent American cartographer Ernest Dudley Chase, this compelling propaganda poster is titled Japan, The Target: A Pictorial Jap-map<\/i>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1970,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[87,93,17,124],"product_tag":[],"class_list":["post-1963","product","type-product","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","product_cat-all-posters","product_cat-maps","product_cat-travel","product_cat-vertical-posters","first","instock","taxable","shipping-taxable","purchasable","product-type-variable"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bevanprintworks.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/product\/1963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bevanprintworks.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bevanprintworks.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bevanprintworks.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1963"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bevanprintworks.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1970"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bevanprintworks.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bevanprintworks.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fproduct_brand&post=1963"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bevanprintworks.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fproduct_cat&post=1963"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bevanprintworks.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fproduct_tag&post=1963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Product Details<\/h3>\n
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Museum-Quality Vintage Prints<\/h3>\n