Published in 1948 by the United States Geological Survey, “Long Beach” presents a finely observed topographical portrait of Long Beach Island and the adjacent New Jersey mainland at a pivotal moment in the coast’s modern history. Drawn at a 1:62,500 scale, the map balances scientific precision with coastal elegance, tracing the narrow barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and the sheltered waters of Barnegat Bay. Its title is simple and evocative, yet the geography it contains is richly layered: beaches, inlets, marshes, mainland roads, and the emerging resort communities that would come to define this celebrated stretch of the Jersey Shore.

The US Geological Survey brought to this map the disciplined clarity for which its cartography is renowned. Established as a scientific agency of the federal government, the USGS became indispensable for documenting the physical character of the American landscape, especially through its topographic quadrangles. Here, contour lines, shoreline boundaries, waterways, and settlement patterns are rendered with an engineer’s accuracy and a geographer’s sensitivity. The clear color scheme distinguishes land from water with immediate legibility, while the blue tones of bays, channels, and the Atlantic lend the map a quiet coastal rhythm. It is both a practical survey and a historical record of place.

Long Beach Island itself appears as a delicate, elongated barrier between ocean and bay, its communities strung along the coast like beads: Beach Haven, Ship Bottom, Surf City, Barnegat Light, Holgate, and the broader jurisdiction of Long Beach Township. The map captures the island before later waves of intensive development, when the relationship between settlement and natural landscape remained especially visible. Roads and towns occupy narrow bands of habitable ground, while dunes, beaches, and low-lying margins reveal the environmental fragility of the shoreline. The Atlantic front is direct and exposed; the bay side is intricate, sheltered, and defined by channels and marshy edges.

Across Barnegat Bay, the mainland New Jersey landscape provides a contrasting geography of waterways, wetlands, and growing communities such as Manahawkin and Little Egg Harbor. The map’s treatment of entrances to various waterways is especially compelling, showing how movement through this coastal world depended upon channels, inlets, and protected passages. Marshlands and tidal flats speak to the ecological richness of the region, long shaped by salt water, sediment, wind, and seasonal change. These features are more than background detail: they are central to understanding the area’s natural history, its fisheries, its navigation, and the gradual transformation of quiet shore settlements into popular destinations.

As a 1948 coastal map, “Long Beach” records a landscape on the cusp of profound change. In the postwar years, improved roads, rising automobile travel, and a growing middle-class appetite for seaside recreation accelerated development along the New Jersey coast. Long Beach Island, already beloved for its beaches and family resorts, would increasingly become a seasonal haven of cottages, shops, marinas, and vacation communities. Yet this map preserves the older structure beneath that growth: the barrier island, the dunes, the bay, the marshes, and the tenuous boundaries between land and water. It is a beautiful document of coastal geography, leisure history, and environmental transition.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Long Beach Island
• Beach Haven
• Ship Bottom
• Surf City
• Barnegat Light
• Holgate
• Long Beach Township
• Manahawkin
• Little Egg Harbor
• Atlantic Ocean
• Barnegat Bay
• Entrances to various waterways
• Coastlines
• Beaches
• Dunes and marshlands

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS) in 1948.
• Historical 1:62,500 topographical map of the New Jersey coastal region.
• USGS is a scientific agency of the U.S. government known for detailed topographical mapping of American landscapes.
• Uses a clear color scheme to distinguish land from water.
• Includes detailed topographic contour lines indicating elevation and ecological features.
• Shows clear land and water boundaries, with varying shades of blue for water bodies.
• Captures a period of increasing development along the New Jersey coastline.
• Reflects changing land use and the emergence of beach communities in the mid-20th century.

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.