Using History To Illustrate Maps

Alex lives in Concord, near San Francisco, California. Did you know Dave Brubeck, jazz piano legend, was born and raised in Concord? Italians migrated to Concord and planted grapes to make wine. Concord was on the brink of becoming part of Northern California’s wine country. Sadly Prohibition put a stop to wine making and the vines were destroyed.

Sometimes Alex explores cities and towns online. When he researched the map for Tulsa, Oklahoma, he was surprised to learn it has the second highest concentration of Art Deco architecture behind New York City in the United States. A local university in Tulsa has its own style of architecture called God Mod. Fascinating!

When he feels restless, he jumps into his car to visit a nearby city or go online to see cities and towns he’d like to see. He loves to reveal a place through maps.

Work with Alex on your next illustrated map project — alex@alexsavakis.com.

Colorful illustrated map of Concord, California, highlighting landmarks, streets, parks, and points of interest, including Pacheco Adobe, historic houses, parks, and the Concord Pavilion.

Alex created this map after moving to the city of Concord, entitled “My Concord.”

Concord Artist Association Utility Box Map