Titled “Jekyll Island,” this United States Geological Survey map was created in 1957 and published with a 1959 imprint, capturing one of Georgia’s most storied barrier islands at a pivotal mid-century moment. Drawn at the precise 1:24,000 scale characteristic of USGS quadrangles, it presents Jekyll Island not as a romantic resort fantasy, but as a rigorously observed coastal landscape of beaches, marshes, channels, roads, and low relief. The clear blues of the Atlantic Ocean, St. Simons Sound, Jekyll Sound, and surrounding waterways contrast with green land areas and finely drawn contour information, giving the map both scientific authority and visual grace. It is a portrait of a place shaped equally by tide, sand, development, and memory.

The USGS, founded in 1879, brought to maps like this a national mission: to measure, classify, and understand the American landscape. By the 1950s, its topographic sheets had become essential tools for engineers, planners, naturalists, military users, and local authorities, translating field survey and aerial observation into a standardized visual language. On “Jekyll Island,” that language is especially effective because the terrain is subtle. Rather than dramatic mountains or deep valleys, the sheet records gentle elevations, marsh boundaries, tidal creeks, road alignments, and navigable channels. The cartography invites close reading: every contour, shoreline, and symbol contributes to an understanding of a low, shifting coastal environment where small changes in elevation have outsized ecological and practical importance.

Jekyll Island itself is one of the celebrated Golden Isles of Georgia, a chain of barrier islands long associated with maritime landscapes, resort culture, and the meeting of river and sea. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Jekyll became famous as the exclusive retreat of some of America’s wealthiest families, whose winter cottages and private club life made the island synonymous with Gilded Age leisure. By the time this map was surveyed in 1957, that private era had given way to a new phase of public access, tourism, and state stewardship. The roads, paths, and structural features visible on the map evoke this transformation, showing an island being reimagined for modern visitors while still defined by its beaches, dunes, and salt marshes.

The surrounding waters are as important as the island itself. St. Simons Sound lies to the north, Jekyll Sound to the west and south, and the Atlantic Ocean opens along the island’s eastern edge, while nearby channels connect the landscape to the broader coastal system around Brunswick and the Brunswick River. These waterways were never merely scenic; they shaped settlement, navigation, trade, fishing, and ecological life along this part of the Georgia coast. The map’s careful delineation of channels and marsh areas reveals the complexity of a barrier-island environment, where land and water interlace in intricate patterns. For sailors, planners, and coastal observers, such details would have been indispensable, especially in a region where tides and shoals govern movement.

As a mid-twentieth-century topographic map, “Jekyll Island” also reflects the era’s balance between development and conservation. The 1950s brought expanding automobile tourism, improved recreational infrastructure, and growing public interest in coastal destinations, yet barrier islands such as Jekyll also demanded careful management of fragile marshes, beaches, and maritime habitats. The USGS style—crisp, vivid, and methodical—turns that tension into a readable landscape. Roads and tourist facilities appear within a larger matrix of tidal flats, channels, and low coastal terrain, reminding the viewer that human plans here must negotiate with wind, water, and sand. The result is a compelling historical document: a scientifically grounded map of a beloved island entering the modern age of public recreation and environmental awareness.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Jekyll Island
• Brunswick River
• St. Simons Sound
• Atlantic Ocean
• Jekyll Sound
• St. Andrew Sound
• Waterway channels and marsh areas surrounding the island
• Notable structural features, likely including paths, roads, and tourist facilities

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the United States Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map.
• Created in 1957 and published with a 1959 imprint.
• The USGS is a scientific agency of the U.S. government, known for geological surveys and mapping work used in natural resource management and public safety.
• Jekyll Island is one of Georgia’s Golden Isles and was historically known for its resorts and as a retreat for wealthy families in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
• The map uses a clear, vivid color scheme typical of USGS topographic maps from this era, including blue for water bodies and green for land areas.
• It features elevation contours and landform details, showing the island’s predominantly flat terrain, marshes, and waterways.
• The map reflects the geographical and infrastructural development of Jekyll Island during the mid-20th century, amid conservation efforts and tourism development.

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.

With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.