|Richard Edes Harrison (1901-1994)
“The World According to Standard (N.J.)
Fortune 21, no. 5 (May 1940)
This obviously distorted world map was prepared by freelance cartographer Richard Harrison to illustrate a magazine article discussing Standard Oil Company’s international operations at the beginning of World War II. Recognized for his innovative solutions in cartographic design, Harrison invented an “oil drop” world projection, which emphasized Texas and Venezuela, Standard Oil’s major areas of crude oil production.
Combined with creative symbols, he illustrated the complexity of the company’s operations. Pictorial symbols (oil derricks and refineries), drawn in various sizes, identified areas of oil production. Proportional flow lines traced the movement of crude and refined oil by pipeline or tanker.