Rare Old Map of Baltimore, Maryland by USGS, 1944: Fort McHenry, Patapsco River & North Point
Restored in our London workshop from the original map and printed to museum-grade archival standards. Full description
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Choose two eligible works and receive 20% off both. Choose three and the lowest-priced one is complimentary, a maximum saving of 33%.
Mix and match eligible standard maps and fine-art prints. No code is required; the offer is applied automatically at checkout.
Standard made-to-order configurations are included. Bespoke sizes, personalised designs and commissioned work are excluded.
Need delivery to different addresses? Contact us before ordering.The Collector’s Offer
Choose two eligible works and receive 20% off both. Choose three and the lowest-priced one is complimentary, a maximum saving of 33%.
Mix and match eligible standard maps and fine-art prints. No code is required; the offer is applied automatically at checkout.
Standard made-to-order configurations are included. Bespoke sizes, personalised designs and commissioned work are excluded.
Need delivery to different addresses? Contact us before ordering.
My maps are rare, museum-grade, restored old maps sourced from libraries, auction houses and private collections across the globe. Full description
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If you want to add a gift message, or a finish (jigsaw, aluminium board, etc.) that is not available here, please request it in the "order note" when you check out.
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Published in 1944 by the U.S. Geological Survey, “Baltimore East” presents the city and its eastern approaches at the detailed scale of...
Continue readingPublished in 1944 by the U.S. Geological Survey, “Baltimore East” presents the city and its eastern approaches at the detailed scale of 1:31,680, preserving a precise wartime-era portrait of Maryland’s great harbor metropolis. The map belongs to the USGS topographic tradition, combining scientific measurement with a refined graphic language of contour lines, blue waterways, road networks, rail corridors, and carefully differentiated land patterns. Its date is especially evocative: Baltimore stood on the threshold of postwar transformation, before the later expansion of suburbs, highways, and airport infrastructure reshaped the region. Here, the city appears as a layered landscape of dense urban fabric, tidal rivers, industrial waterfronts, military sites, and still-open country beyond the settled neighborhoods.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s mapping style gives this sheet both authority and visual richness. Elevation is rendered through closely observed contour lines, allowing the eye to follow the subtle rise and fall of terrain around Baltimore, from built-up districts to the rolling ground of Fullerton, Overlea, and Perry Hall. Water is crisply shown in blue, emphasizing the ponds, streams, tidal inlets, and broad estuarine forms that define the region’s geography. Roads and railroads thread through the map with mid-century precision, revealing the infrastructure that connected residential neighborhoods, harbor industries, and surrounding towns. The result is not merely a city plan, but a topographical portrait in which human settlement and natural form are inseparably entwined.
Baltimore Harbor is one of the map’s great focal points, its channels, waterfronts, and adjoining industrial districts illustrating why the city became one of America’s essential Atlantic ports. The Patapsco River forms the great natural axis of the sheet, widening toward the harbor and shaping the placement of rail lines, roads, docks, and defenses. Back River and the waters around North Point give the eastern side of the map a strongly maritime character, where tidal geography meets settlement and strategic history. Fort McHenry, forever associated with the War of 1812 and the writing of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” anchors the inner harbor, while Fort Carroll stands offshore as a reminder of nineteenth-century coastal defense.
The map also captures Baltimore as a city in transition. Residential neighborhoods press outward from the older urban core, while places such as Fullerton, Overlea, and Perry Hall retain the spatial character of communities not yet fully absorbed into later suburban development. Parks and recreational areas punctuate the grid and soften the industrial and residential density, while roadways and railroads show the practical framework of daily life and commerce. The area’s later association with major regional transportation, including the corridors serving what would become Baltimore-Washington International Airport, makes this 1944 view particularly compelling. It records a landscape before the most dramatic waves of automobile-centered growth altered the metropolitan pattern.
As a historical document, “Baltimore East” offers a remarkably legible view of mid-twentieth-century geography at a moment of national urgency and local change. Military sites, harbor facilities, rail connections, and waterfront approaches reflect Baltimore’s strategic importance during the World War II era, while the carefully plotted contours reveal the physical setting beneath the city’s economic life. The interplay of Patapsco River, Back River, North Point, Fort McHenry, Fort Carroll, and the expanding neighborhoods to the northeast gives the map exceptional narrative depth. It is a disciplined government survey, yet it reads like a chapter in Baltimore’s urban biography: a city of water, industry, memory, and movement, captured just before the modern metropolis took fuller shape.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Baltimore
- Patapsco River
- Fullerton
- Overlea
- Perry Hall
- North Point
- Back River
- Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI)
- Fort McHenry
- Fort Carroll
- Baltimore Harbor
- Various roadways and railroads
- Water bodies depicted in blue, including ponds and lakes
- Parks and recreational areas
- Residential neighborhoods
- Military sites
Historical context & cartographic details
- Published by the US Geological Survey (USGS)
- Created in 1944
- Historical 1:31,680 topographical map of Baltimore, Maryland, and the surrounding area
- Features contour lines representing elevation changes
- Shows water bodies and infrastructure
- Uses distinct color shading for different elevations and land use
- Highlights the topographic character of Baltimore and its surrounding landscape
- Depicts significant waterways and varied terrain contours
- Reflects Baltimore’s mid-20th-century geography before major later urban and infrastructural changes
- Provides insight into the region’s layout prior to significant modern 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.
Published in 1944 by the U.S. Geological Survey, “Baltimore East” presents the city and its eastern approaches at the detailed scale of 1:31,680, preserving a precise wartime-era portrait of Maryland’s great harbor metropolis. The map belongs to the USGS topographic tradition, combining scientific measurement with a refined graphic language of contour lines, blue waterways, road networks, rail corridors, and carefully differentiated land patterns. Its date is especially evocative: Baltimore stood on the threshold of postwar transformation, before the later expansion of suburbs, highways, and airport infrastructure reshaped the region. Here, the city appears as a layered landscape of dense urban fabric, tidal rivers, industrial waterfronts, military sites, and still-open country beyond the settled neighborhoods.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s mapping style gives this sheet both authority and visual richness. Elevation is rendered through closely observed contour lines, allowing the eye to follow the subtle rise and fall of terrain around Baltimore, from built-up districts to the rolling ground of Fullerton, Overlea, and Perry Hall. Water is crisply shown in blue, emphasizing the ponds, streams, tidal inlets, and broad estuarine forms that define the region’s geography. Roads and railroads thread through the map with mid-century precision, revealing the infrastructure that connected residential neighborhoods, harbor industries, and surrounding towns. The result is not merely a city plan, but a topographical portrait in which human settlement and natural form are inseparably entwined.
Baltimore Harbor is one of the map’s great focal points, its channels, waterfronts, and adjoining industrial districts illustrating why the city became one of America’s essential Atlantic ports. The Patapsco River forms the great natural axis of the sheet, widening toward the harbor and shaping the placement of rail lines, roads, docks, and defenses. Back River and the waters around North Point give the eastern side of the map a strongly maritime character, where tidal geography meets settlement and strategic history. Fort McHenry, forever associated with the War of 1812 and the writing of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” anchors the inner harbor, while Fort Carroll stands offshore as a reminder of nineteenth-century coastal defense.
The map also captures Baltimore as a city in transition. Residential neighborhoods press outward from the older urban core, while places such as Fullerton, Overlea, and Perry Hall retain the spatial character of communities not yet fully absorbed into later suburban development. Parks and recreational areas punctuate the grid and soften the industrial and residential density, while roadways and railroads show the practical framework of daily life and commerce. The area’s later association with major regional transportation, including the corridors serving what would become Baltimore-Washington International Airport, makes this 1944 view particularly compelling. It records a landscape before the most dramatic waves of automobile-centered growth altered the metropolitan pattern.
As a historical document, “Baltimore East” offers a remarkably legible view of mid-twentieth-century geography at a moment of national urgency and local change. Military sites, harbor facilities, rail connections, and waterfront approaches reflect Baltimore’s strategic importance during the World War II era, while the carefully plotted contours reveal the physical setting beneath the city’s economic life. The interplay of Patapsco River, Back River, North Point, Fort McHenry, Fort Carroll, and the expanding neighborhoods to the northeast gives the map exceptional narrative depth. It is a disciplined government survey, yet it reads like a chapter in Baltimore’s urban biography: a city of water, industry, memory, and movement, captured just before the modern metropolis took fuller shape.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Baltimore
- Patapsco River
- Fullerton
- Overlea
- Perry Hall
- North Point
- Back River
- Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI)
- Fort McHenry
- Fort Carroll
- Baltimore Harbor
- Various roadways and railroads
- Water bodies depicted in blue, including ponds and lakes
- Parks and recreational areas
- Residential neighborhoods
- Military sites
Historical context & cartographic details
- Published by the US Geological Survey (USGS)
- Created in 1944
- Historical 1:31,680 topographical map of Baltimore, Maryland, and the surrounding area
- Features contour lines representing elevation changes
- Shows water bodies and infrastructure
- Uses distinct color shading for different elevations and land use
- Highlights the topographic character of Baltimore and its surrounding landscape
- Depicts significant waterways and varied terrain contours
- Reflects Baltimore’s mid-20th-century geography before major later urban and infrastructural changes
- Provides insight into the region’s layout prior to significant modern 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.
Many of our maps and art prints are chosen as thoughtful gifts for homes, offices, studies and meaningful places.
Choose a framed option for the easiest ready-to-hang gift, or choose an unframed print if the recipient may prefer to select their own frame.
We make orders locally in 23 countries around the world, so gifts can often be produced close to the recipient. This helps them arrive faster, travel more safely, and avoid customs or import duty surprises.
- We can deliver directly to the recipient
- Framed pieces arrive ready to hang
- Unframed prints are carefully packed in a strong protective tube
- Almost every order is made locally, for faster, safer gifting
- 90-day returns give the recipient time to decide
If you are not sure what to choose, please contact us. We can help you pick the right map, size, finish or delivery option.
Most orders are made locally and delivered in around 2–3 working days, depending on the product, size and destination.
We print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world, so your order is usually made close to you or your recipient. That means faster delivery, less time in transit, and no customs or import duty surprises.
Personalised and customised pieces usually take an extra 1–2 working days, because we prepare your design and send it to you for approval before printing.
Very large framed orders can take a little longer, as they need extra care in production and delivery.
Every order is carefully packaged: unframed prints are sent in a strong protective tube, while framed pieces are securely packed with protective materials around the frame.
If you need your order by a particular date, please contact us before ordering. We’ll check the best production route and delivery option for your location.
Express delivery is available at checkout for most countries. Next-day delivery is available in the UK, US, Singapore and the UAE.
Your order is covered by our 90-day returns policy and 10-year guarantee.
Our standard frame is a gallery-style black ash hardwood frame, with a simple, modern look. It is approximately 20mm (0.8in) wide. You can also view some lovely customer photos of framed maps and art.
We use super-clear acrylic glazing, also known as Perspex or Acrylite, instead of traditional glass. It is lighter, safer, and has lower reflectivity, giving the artwork a clearer, cleaner appearance.
Six standard frame colours are available at no extra cost: black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white, and antique gold. Custom framing and mounting/matting is also available for customers looking for something more specific.
Most maps, art prints, and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced wooden box frame, and then float the piece within a wooden outer frame. The finished result is beautifully presented, with no glazing between you and the artwork.
All frames are supplied ready to hang, with either string or brackets fitted to the back. Very large frames will include heavy-duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.
We can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag, and other materials.
If you would prefer to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read our size guide before ordering.
Every Unique Maps piece begins with an authentic cartographic source or an original design from our London studio.
For our historic maps, we source rare originals from libraries, archives, auction houses and private collections around the world. We carefully restore each map for print—repairing age-related damage, balancing colour and improving clarity while preserving its original detail, texture and character.
Once restored, the map is prepared for your chosen size and finish. Your piece is then printed and, where selected, framed close to its delivery destination.
Our map prints use acid-free 200gsm archival matte paper and fade-resistant pigment inks, creating a rich, non-glossy finish designed to last. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.
Canvas, cotton-rag and other specialist presentations are also available. Learn more about our materials and finishes.
Personalising your map
You can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. For personalised designs, we send a proof before printing and you can request changes before approval.
For more complex bespoke commissions, contact our design team.
Original or Aged
Choose Original for true-to-source colour, or Aged for a warmer, richer antique character created with our specialist ageing process. See examples of our Aged maps.
We’ve been restoring and producing maps and art prints since 1984, and we stand behind every piece.
Every order is covered by our 10-year guarantee and damage-free delivery guarantee. If your piece arrives damaged, we’ll replace or remake it free of charge. If anything else isn’t right, contact our workshop team and we’ll put it right promptly.
See our returns and refund policy for full details.
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