Rare Old Map of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi by USGS, 1956: St. Louis Bay & Mississippi Sound
Restored in our London workshop from the original 1968 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.
Restored from the original 1968 map and printed to museum-grade archival standards. Full description
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Gift message & custom finish
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.
Every order is custom made, so if you need the size adjusted slightly, or printed on an unusual material, just let us know. We've done thousands of custom orders over the years, so there's (almost) nothing we can't manage.
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Published in 1968 from 1956 mapping, “Bay St. Louis Quadrangle” presents the Mississippi Gulf Coast with the precision and quiet authority characteristic...
Continue readingPublished in 1968 from 1956 mapping, “Bay St. Louis Quadrangle” presents the Mississippi Gulf Coast with the precision and quiet authority characteristic of the United States Geological Survey. Centered on Bay St. Louis and the broad waters of St. Louis Bay, the map captures a coastal landscape poised between town, marsh, bayou, and open sound. Mississippi Sound stretches across the lower portion of the sheet in striking blue, while the inhabited margins of Bay St. Louis, Waveland, Clermont Harbor, and Henderson Point reveal the settled pattern of the mid-twentieth-century shoreline. As a 1:24,000 topographic quadrangle, it offers an intimate view of roads, waterways, elevations, and land use at a scale suited to both scientific study and historical discovery.
The map’s visual appeal lies in the clarity of USGS topographic design: crisp linework, carefully graded symbols, and a vivid blue treatment of water that gives the coastal geography immediate presence. St. Louis Bay, Mississippi Sound, Little Lake, Bayou La Croix, and surrounding tidal features are not merely named but woven into the structure of the landscape. Contour lines describe the subtle relief of a low coastal plain, where even modest changes in elevation matter profoundly. Color coding distinguishes developed places from grassland and natural terrain, allowing the eye to read settlement and environment together. This combination of technical restraint and visual richness makes the quadrangle both a practical geographic document and an evocative portrait of the Gulf Coast.
Bay St. Louis itself appears as the principal settlement, set along the curving edge of the bay from which it takes its name. Nearby Waveland and Clermont Harbor speak to the chain of coastal communities that developed along Mississippi’s waterfront, each shaped by access to the Sound, rail and road corridors, and the enduring attraction of the shore. Henderson Point occupies a strategic position at the mouth of St. Louis Bay, while Fort Moses and Lyman add inland and historical texture to the mapped region. Offshore, Square Handkerchief Shoal hints at the shallow, shifting marine geography of Mississippi Sound, a place of channels, shoals, fisheries, storms, and navigation.
As a record of 1956 conditions, the map is especially compelling for what it reveals about a coast before later decades of accelerated development, highway expansion, and repeated hurricane transformation. The distribution of built-up areas, open grasslands, bayous, and shore roads provides a valuable snapshot of land use in the postwar Gulf South. Bay St. Louis and its neighboring communities were already established coastal settlements, yet much of the surrounding terrain retained an open, transitional character. The quadrangle therefore invites comparison with the modern landscape, where changing shorelines, storm impacts, and urban growth have altered both geography and memory. It is a map of place, but also of time.
The United States Geological Survey brought to maps like this a national program of measurement, classification, and public knowledge. Founded in 1879, the USGS became one of America’s most important cartographic institutions, transforming landscapes into standardized quadrangles that served engineers, planners, scientists, military users, and local communities. “Bay St. Louis Quadrangle” belongs to that great project: precise enough for field use, yet full of the regional character that makes historic topographic maps so absorbing. Its combination of coastal hydrology, settlement detail, and understated design captures a distinctive corner of Mississippi at mid-century. For collectors of Gulf Coast history, maritime geography, or American cartography, it offers a beautifully disciplined view of a landscape shaped by water.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Bay St. Louis
- St. Louis Bay
- Mississippi Sound
- Henderson Point
- Gulfport
- Little Lake
- Fort Moses
- Clermont Harbor
- Lyman
- Waveland
- Bayou La Croix
- Square Handkerchief Shoal
- Grassland areas
- Coastal regions
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the United States Geological Survey, a U.S. government agency known for topographical mapping
- Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi and the surrounding area
- Created in 1956 and published with a 1968 imprint
- Features bright blue water bodies and color coding to distinguish developed areas from natural landscapes
- Includes contour lines and elevation detail, highlighting the coastal geography of the region
- Reflects geographical and infrastructural details from 1956
- Provides insight into coastal development and land use changes in Mississippi over time
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 1968 from 1956 mapping, “Bay St. Louis Quadrangle” presents the Mississippi Gulf Coast with the precision and quiet authority characteristic of the United States Geological Survey. Centered on Bay St. Louis and the broad waters of St. Louis Bay, the map captures a coastal landscape poised between town, marsh, bayou, and open sound. Mississippi Sound stretches across the lower portion of the sheet in striking blue, while the inhabited margins of Bay St. Louis, Waveland, Clermont Harbor, and Henderson Point reveal the settled pattern of the mid-twentieth-century shoreline. As a 1:24,000 topographic quadrangle, it offers an intimate view of roads, waterways, elevations, and land use at a scale suited to both scientific study and historical discovery.
The map’s visual appeal lies in the clarity of USGS topographic design: crisp linework, carefully graded symbols, and a vivid blue treatment of water that gives the coastal geography immediate presence. St. Louis Bay, Mississippi Sound, Little Lake, Bayou La Croix, and surrounding tidal features are not merely named but woven into the structure of the landscape. Contour lines describe the subtle relief of a low coastal plain, where even modest changes in elevation matter profoundly. Color coding distinguishes developed places from grassland and natural terrain, allowing the eye to read settlement and environment together. This combination of technical restraint and visual richness makes the quadrangle both a practical geographic document and an evocative portrait of the Gulf Coast.
Bay St. Louis itself appears as the principal settlement, set along the curving edge of the bay from which it takes its name. Nearby Waveland and Clermont Harbor speak to the chain of coastal communities that developed along Mississippi’s waterfront, each shaped by access to the Sound, rail and road corridors, and the enduring attraction of the shore. Henderson Point occupies a strategic position at the mouth of St. Louis Bay, while Fort Moses and Lyman add inland and historical texture to the mapped region. Offshore, Square Handkerchief Shoal hints at the shallow, shifting marine geography of Mississippi Sound, a place of channels, shoals, fisheries, storms, and navigation.
As a record of 1956 conditions, the map is especially compelling for what it reveals about a coast before later decades of accelerated development, highway expansion, and repeated hurricane transformation. The distribution of built-up areas, open grasslands, bayous, and shore roads provides a valuable snapshot of land use in the postwar Gulf South. Bay St. Louis and its neighboring communities were already established coastal settlements, yet much of the surrounding terrain retained an open, transitional character. The quadrangle therefore invites comparison with the modern landscape, where changing shorelines, storm impacts, and urban growth have altered both geography and memory. It is a map of place, but also of time.
The United States Geological Survey brought to maps like this a national program of measurement, classification, and public knowledge. Founded in 1879, the USGS became one of America’s most important cartographic institutions, transforming landscapes into standardized quadrangles that served engineers, planners, scientists, military users, and local communities. “Bay St. Louis Quadrangle” belongs to that great project: precise enough for field use, yet full of the regional character that makes historic topographic maps so absorbing. Its combination of coastal hydrology, settlement detail, and understated design captures a distinctive corner of Mississippi at mid-century. For collectors of Gulf Coast history, maritime geography, or American cartography, it offers a beautifully disciplined view of a landscape shaped by water.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Bay St. Louis
- St. Louis Bay
- Mississippi Sound
- Henderson Point
- Gulfport
- Little Lake
- Fort Moses
- Clermont Harbor
- Lyman
- Waveland
- Bayou La Croix
- Square Handkerchief Shoal
- Grassland areas
- Coastal regions
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the United States Geological Survey, a U.S. government agency known for topographical mapping
- Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi and the surrounding area
- Created in 1956 and published with a 1968 imprint
- Features bright blue water bodies and color coding to distinguish developed areas from natural landscapes
- Includes contour lines and elevation detail, highlighting the coastal geography of the region
- Reflects geographical and infrastructural details from 1956
- Provides insight into coastal development and land use changes in Mississippi over time
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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