Published in 1898 by the U.S. Geological Survey, “Harlem” presents northern Manhattan and its neighboring waters and settlements at the revealing scale of 1:62,500. The map captures a pivotal moment in New York’s history, when the island above Midtown still retained visible traces of ridges, shorelines, creeks, and open ground soon to be transformed by rapid urban expansion. Manhattan’s Upper East Side and Upper West Side appear in relation to Harlem, the East River, the Hudson River, and the broader metropolitan edge. More than a city plan, this is a topographical portrait: contour lines, watercourses, and carefully differentiated terrain show the physical foundations beneath the future grid of apartment houses, avenues, bridges, parks, and civic infrastructure.

The U.S. Geological Survey brought to this map the scientific clarity for which its late nineteenth-century work became renowned. Established in 1879, the USGS undertook the systematic mapping of American landscapes with a precision that served engineers, planners, geologists, military users, and the public alike. In “Harlem,” that disciplined approach is evident in the crisp contouring of hills, the legible treatment of rivers and shorelines, and the balanced use of color to distinguish land, water, and elevation. Such maps were not decorative fantasies but instruments of knowledge, translating a complex urban-natural environment into a coherent visual language. Their appeal today lies partly in that union of authority and beauty: exacting measurement rendered with restrained cartographic elegance.

Harlem itself occupies a fascinating position on the map, poised between rural memory and metropolitan destiny. By 1898, elevated railways, street improvements, and annexation-era ambitions were drawing northern Manhattan ever more tightly into the life of New York City. The neighborhood would soon become one of the most culturally significant urban districts in America, especially during the Harlem Renaissance of the early twentieth century, yet this map records an earlier geography of heights, waterways, and transitional development. Nearby, the Upper West Side and Upper East Side were entering periods of dramatic change, their identities shaped by transport, real estate speculation, institutions, and proximity to Central Park. The map preserves the landscape just before these neighborhoods assumed their modern density and social character.

The surrounding waterways give the sheet much of its historical drama. The Hudson River forms Manhattan’s western edge, while the East River and Harlem River define the island’s eastern and northern boundaries, emphasizing New York’s identity as an archipelagic city. Spuyten Duyvil Creek and the Little Harlem River recall a more intricate tidal landscape, where channels, marshy margins, and strategic crossings mattered deeply to movement and settlement. Across the water appear Fort Lee, Yonkers, the Bronx, and Pelham Bay Park, situating Manhattan within a broader regional geography rather than as an isolated urban core. These names evoke ferries, rail lines, military memory, suburban growth, and the gradual knitting together of communities around the great harbor and its rivers.

The topographic detail is especially compelling in areas such as Inwood Hill and the northern heights, where the contours reveal a rugged Manhattan often obscured by later urbanization. Inwood Hill Park, the bluffs near the Hudson, and the broken ground around Harlem and the Bronx show that New York’s development unfolded over a varied and resistant terrain. Corlear’s Hook, far to the south and east, hints at the older waterfront city of shipping, industry, and immigrant neighborhoods. Read as a historical document, “Harlem” records more than streets and place names: it shows the natural stage upon which modern New York was built. Its hills, rivers, creeks, and shorelines make visible the city before twentieth-century ambition reshaped nearly every edge.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Manhattan
• Harlem
• Upper East Side
• Upper West Side
• East River
• Hudson River
• Inwood Hill Park
• Little Harlem River
• Harlem River
• Spuyten Duyvil Creek
• Fort Lee
• Yonkers
• Pelham Bay Park
• Bronx
• Corlear's Hook

Historical context & cartographic details

• Published in 1898 by the U.S. Geological Survey.
• Historical 1:62,500 topographical map of New York and the surrounding area.
• Shows Manhattan shortly before major urban development and demographic change in the 20th century.
• Features clear contour lines representing elevation changes, typical of USGS topographic mapping.
• Uses color to enhance the visual representation of terrain.
• Includes hills, waterways, elevation shading, and landform detail.
• Serves as an important historical record of the area’s late 19th-century geography and urban 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.