Map of the United States of America

Map of the United States of America is the title given to two murals on the north walls of Hearing Rooms A and B, where the Interstate Commerce Commission once convened. Each map traces a network of trade lines across the continental United States that follow the railway system. The Interstate Commerce Commission helped manage this transportation network and ensure fair rates from the railroad industry. The A. B. Heinsbergen Decorating Company was hired to paint the interior of the Interstate Commerce Commission and Labor Department Building—now known as the Environmental Protection Agency East Building—which was completed in 1934. In the more public and prestigious chambers, Heinsbergen’s painters added further ornamentation. While A. B. Heinsbergen is credited with the design of these maps, the painting was likely completed by Erwin Neumann, who was hired by Heinsbergen’s company.

On each map, Neumann outlined the railway lines in red and state borders in green. Small black squares mark large cities along the routes, and state capitals are emblazoned with four-pointed stars gilded in Dutch leaf. This imitation gold leaf made of copper and zinc alloy adds small shimmering details across the surface of the painting. Each map includes a cartouche, or decorative emblem, that reads “Interstate Commerce Commission.” The placement of each cartouche is one of the few details distinguishing the maps from one another. Other differences include a compass star on one map, while the other shows Cuba and the Caribbean. Neumann, similar to Heinsbergen, led a successful career through the 1920s and 1930s painting movie theater interiors with fantastical designs. This inclination toward ornamentation is evident in the designs of both maps. For several decades, the maps served as backdrops to the proceedings of the Interstate Commerce Commission in ornate rooms filled with oak paneling. In 1996, the Interstate Commerce Commission dissolved, and the Surface Transportation Board absorbed its responsibilities. Shortly thereafter, the Environmental Protection Agency moved into the building.