This was the “Mail drop” Address on Maurice Gomberg’s Ad to Sell His Map.

Moritz (Maurice) Gomberg advertised his map for sale in print publications. He gave a mailing address for map orders of 1430 Elbridge Street in Philadelphia, Pa., with a zip of 191492739.  The ad below was scanned from the February 1944 issue of the magazine “Survey Graphic” (Canadian edition).

1430 Elbridge Street still exists. What is now a practically derelict home behind overgrown trees and rusty fencing must once have been a respectable lower-middle-class residence on that tiny street. However, Gomberg may or may not have lived there. It could have been a friend’s home used as a mail-drop.

Elbridge is hedged between Castor Avenue and Large Street (today) on the perpendicular, and Levick and Hellerman Streets (today) running parallel (see the google satellite map).

This is what it looks like now, some eighty years later, using google street view and google satellite maps to spy upon the junk, jars and brick-a-brack in the front yard of Mr. Gomberg’s former “business address”:

Approaching “Gomberg House” from one side

1430 Elbridge Street, Philadelphia, Pa., PA 191492739, view on google maps (consulted 16 April 2016). Moritz (Maurice) Gomberg may have lived here in 1942, while selling his Map.

1430 Elbridge Street, Philadelphia, Pa., PA 191492739, view on google maps (consulted 16 April 2016). Moritz (Maurice) Gomberg may have lived here in 1942, while selling his Map.

1430 Elbridge Street, Philadelphia, Pa., PA 191492739, view on google maps (consulted 11 April 2016). Moritz (Maurice) Gomberg may have lived here in 1942, while selling his Map.

1430 Elbridge Street, Philadelphia, Pa., PA 191492739, view on google maps (consulted 16 April 2016). Moritz (Maurice) Gomberg may have lived here in 1942, while selling his Map.

1430 Elbridge Street, Philadelphia, Pa., PA 191492739, view on google maps (consulted 16 April 2016). Moritz (Maurice) Gomberg may have lived here in 1942, while selling his Map.

1430 Elbridge Street, Philadelphia, Pa., PA 191492739, view on google maps (consulted 16 April 2016). Moritz (Maurice) Gomberg may have lived here in 1942, while selling his Map.