Titled Washington small state map and published in 1946, Jacques Liozu’s pictorial celebration of the Evergreen State condenses a vast landscape into a lively, intelligible tableau. In a simplified outline of Washington, Liozu arranges bright, mid-century illustrations that read like scenes from a charming travel chronicle: towns and rivers, forests and farms, all rendered with deft economy and wit. The artist’s signature approach—whimsical vignettes that carry real information—lets viewers learn at a glance what gives each place its character. Local industries, seasonal harvests, and beloved pastimes share the stage with geographic anchors, while an ornate compass rose in the lower right supplies a flourish of classical navigation. The result is a map as engaging to study as it is beautiful to behold.

Geography provides the scaffold for Liozu’s narrative. Mount Rainier rises as the state’s monumental sentinel, the Columbia River sweeps like a purposeful ribbon across the south, and the Cascades divide maritime forests from the rolling interior. Puget Sound’s scalloped waterways are suggested with clean, confident lines, cueing the viewer to Seattle and its coastal neighbors, while the Yakima and Columbia basins open into orchard country and wheat land. The vignettes make each region’s lifeways legible: logging scenes tuck into evergreen stands, salmon and fishing boats animate the coastal strip, and fruit-laden ladders climb through stylized orchards. Even wildlife—an impish squirrel here, a cascade of fish there—adds a playful counterpoint to the state’s grand forms.

Liozu’s towns are not pinned down by population statistics so much as elevated by significance. Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane appear as bustling nodes of commerce and connection—seaport, industrial gateway, and inland hub—while Olympia quietly asserts its civic stature. Bellingham and Everett nod to maritime and mill traditions along the Sound; Yakima and Walla Walla evoke orchards, wheat fields, and storied agricultural know-how. East of the Cascades, Pullman anchors the Palouse as a university town amid undulating grain country, with Colfax and Centralia marking waypoints in a network of trade and travel. Pasco and Richland, set along the Columbia, signal the river’s role as lifeline and corridor. The very appearance of “Columbia” on the sheet orients the eye to the waterway shaping so much of Washington’s economy and identity.

As a mapmaker, Jacques Liozu excelled at using clear visual cues to distill regional identities into memorable emblems. In this work, he choreographs scale, color, and humor to create a hierarchy that guides the viewer: major rivers and mountains anchor the frame; industries and pastimes cluster where they naturally belong; and towns gain voice through distinctive, simplified icons. The bright palette and cartoon-like draftsmanship—so emblematic of mid-century graphic design—never obscure the cartographic logic beneath. Instead, they serve it, transforming the state into a legible story whose chapters unfold from coast to plateau. It is precisely this fusion of charm and clarity that has made Liozu’s maps enduring favorites with collectors.

Created at a moment when Americans were rediscovering place after war and rationing, the 1946 Washington small state map channels a spirit of optimism grounded in work, landscape, and leisure. Farming, fishing, and forestry—pillars of the state’s mid-century economy—share space with scenes of recreation, suggesting a cultural rhythm in which livelihoods and pleasures intermingle. The map’s design rewards both swift readings and prolonged study, yielding fresh connections between town and terrain with each pass. More than a guide, it is a portrait: Washington as people knew and loved it in the mid-twentieth century, drawn with wit, generosity, and an eye for what endures.

Cities and towns on this map

• Seattle
• Spokane
• Tacoma
• Olympia
• Bellingham
• Everett
• Yakima
• Pasco
• Walla Walla
• Centralia
• Pullman
• Richland
• Colfax
• Columbia

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Pictorial representations of notable towns such as Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane.
• Illustrations of local industries, like farming, fishing, and forestry.
• Geographic landmarks like Mount Rainier and the Columbia River.
• Fun vignettes depicting recreational activities like fishing and fruit harvesting.
• An ornate compass rose in the bottom right corner.
• Stylized representations of wildlife, including a squirrel and various fish.

Historical and design context

• Name: Washington small state map (1946)
• Creator: Jacques Liozu
• Map type: County or State thematic and pictorial
• Style: Whimsical vignettes and playful illustrations within a simplified outline of Washington State
• Themes: Local industries, agricultural products, recreational pastimes, and notable landmarks highlighting mid-20th-century identity and economy
• Regions covered: Entire state, emphasizing significant towns and geographic features beyond county boundaries
• Historical context: Produced amid heightened interest in regional identity and educational, visually rich maps
• Mapmaker note: Liozu used clear visual cues to express regional identities; his work is popular with collectors
• Visual aspects: Bright mid-century color palette and cartoon-like illustrations that are both charming and informative

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

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.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

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.