Measuring about 19-1/2" x 27-1/2",  this bright and colorful poster, titled "A Map of Narnia and Surrounding Countries", is based on the original artwork by Pauline Baynes for the C. S. Lewis series of seven books known as "The Chronicles of Narnia." Although Pauline Baynes' signature, dated 1971, appears at the lower left corner of the map, there are indications that this version of the poster was published many years later, and that might make it even more scarce than the earlier versions which contained copyright credits to Penguin Books and/or the Macmillan Company. 

You see, instead of containing a copyright notice (as would be appropriate for a poster intended for retail sale), the bottom margin of this map contains an advertising slogan (as would be appropriate for a promotional poster intended for temporary display in a bookstore). Which would mean that this version of the poster would have been printed in smaller quantities, with most of them ending up in the dumpster after the promotional period was over. When I look online, I can't find any others like this one - the posters I find are all either new reproductions and/or versions that contain a 1972 copyright date.

So, what is the advertising slogan, and what does it tell us? Here's the full text: "Read about C. S. Lewis's Enchanted World in the Seven Chronicles of Narnia published by Collins." Meaning? Well, Collins is the clue to dating this version of the map. In the UK, the first editions of the Chronicles of Narnia were published by Geoffrey Bles and later by the Bodley Head, and in the United States the first publisher was Macmillan. As far as I can tell, the Harper Collins group didn't assume the American rights to publish the Narnia series until 1994, which is therefore my educated guess as to the publication date of this poster. If anyone has a counter-argument, please share, I try to be as accurate as possible.

It is in used and worn condition, with some light surface creasing or wrinkling, some nicks and tears around the edges (three of which have been repaired with scotch tape on the back), a strip of light dampstaining along the bottom edge, and a couple of punch holes - one at the lower right corner, the other near the top, just above the "G" of "Great Eastern Ocean."


 

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