Rotary road map of Poland by Galkar Karpaty [ca. 1939].

Map diameter 19 cm, paper envelope format 20x20 cm. Very good condition (minor rips and soiling of the envelope).

Galkar Karpaty rotating road map - a practical tool for calculating distances between cities in the Second Republic and neighboring countries. Operating on the principle of a rotating dial, once the starting city is set, kilometers to other towns appear in the boxes. The map was issued as an advertising gadget for the Galkar Karpaty company, a manufacturer of automobile oils and lubricants, which operated in Glinik Mariampolski (now part of Gorlice), among other places. It also includes localities where the company had outlets. It is not only an example of pre-war utilitarian design, but also a testimony to the automobile industry of the time - in 1939 there were only about 30,000 cars driving around Poland, and only 5% of the roads had a hard surface. Today the map is a valuable collector's and historical item.