Rare Old Map of New Smyrna Beach, Florida by USGS, 1937: Port Orange, Indian River & Ponce de Leon Inlet
Restored in our workshop from the original map and printed to museum-grade archival standards. Full description
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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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Titled “Port Orange,” this 1937 U.S. Geological Survey map presents New Smyrna Beach and its surrounding coastal landscape at a moment when...
Continue readingTitled “Port Orange,” this 1937 U.S. Geological Survey map presents New Smyrna Beach and its surrounding coastal landscape at a moment when Florida’s Atlantic shore was balancing quiet settlement, transport development, and enduring wilderness. Its “advance” designation suggests a map issued with especially current or enhanced geographic information, offering a valuable snapshot of the region’s topography and infrastructure before the postwar transformation of coastal Florida. Rendered in the restrained brown and cream palette characteristic of 1930s USGS cartography, the map combines scientific clarity with period elegance. The Atlantic Ocean, Ponce de Leon Inlet, Indian River, Spruce Creek, and the gridded presence of New Smyrna Beach appear within a landscape shaped by water, sand, vegetation, and roadways.
The U.S. Geological Survey, founded in 1879, became one of the most important cartographic institutions in American history, tasked with systematically recording the nation’s terrain, resources, and settlement patterns. By the 1930s, its topographic quadrangles were indispensable tools for engineers, planners, landowners, conservationists, and government agencies. This map reflects that tradition of practical precision: elevation, drainage, transportation routes, shorelines, and inhabited areas are organized into a disciplined visual language. Yet beyond its technical purpose, the sheet captures a subtle historical atmosphere. It shows a Florida coast not yet dominated by dense resort development, where towns, waterways, roads, railways, and natural lands coexisted in a comparatively open coastal environment.
New Smyrna Beach is the principal urban presence on the map, situated between the Atlantic shoreline and the sheltered inland waterways that helped shape the region’s economy and identity. The map records the relationship between the town and the Indian River, an elongated lagoon system central to travel, fishing, settlement, and ecology along this part of Florida’s east coast. Roads and railways trace the human framework of the area, revealing how communities were connected before the dominance of modern highways. Port Orange appears to the north, while the surrounding pattern of creeks, marshlands, coastal strands, and open tracts evokes the transitional character of Volusia County in the interwar years.
Ponce de Leon Inlet is one of the map’s most historically resonant features, marking the meeting of ocean and inland waterway in a setting long important for navigation, fishing, and coastal movement. The inlet’s shifting sands, nearby shorelines, and surrounding wetlands are the kinds of details for which USGS mapping is especially valuable, particularly in regions where storms, tides, and development can dramatically alter the landscape. Spruce Creek adds another layer of natural interest, threading through lowland terrain and indicating the ecological richness of the area. The map’s attention to water bodies, vegetation, relief, and coastline makes it a compelling record of coastal Florida’s physical geography in the late 1930s.
As a historical document, “Port Orange” is especially appealing because it captures both the measured authority of federal mapping and the fragile beauty of a changing coastal landscape. Its concise cartographic style allows the viewer to read the land as surveyors, planners, and residents once did: through contours, routes, shorelines, settlements, and natural forms. For collectors, historians, and admirers of Florida’s Atlantic coast, the map offers a refined view of New Smyrna Beach, Port Orange, the Indian River, Spruce Creek, and Ponce de Leon Inlet before later decades reshaped the region. It is a poised and informative portrait of place, rich with evidence of environment, infrastructure, and early twentieth-century coastal life.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- New Smyrna Beach
- Port Orange
- Indian River
- Spruce Creek
- Atlantic Ocean
- Ponce de Leon Inlet
- Various roads and railways in the vicinity
- Parks and natural reserves in the area
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the US Geological Survey.
- Created in 1937.
- The map is titled “Port Orange.”
- The main subject location is New Smyrna Beach, Florida, and the surrounding area.
- The map has an “advance” designation, indicating updated or enhanced geographic data.
- It features a traditional 1930s USGS layout with a brown and cream color scheme.
- The cartographic style is concise, with attention to both urban and natural features.
- Topographic details include elevation changes, coastlines, flora, and water bodies.
- The map is useful for studying historical urban development and environmental change in the New Smyrna Beach region.
- It likely includes visual accents typical of USGS maps from this period, adding historical value while preserving functional detail.
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.
Titled “Port Orange,” this 1937 U.S. Geological Survey map presents New Smyrna Beach and its surrounding coastal landscape at a moment when Florida’s Atlantic shore was balancing quiet settlement, transport development, and enduring wilderness. Its “advance” designation suggests a map issued with especially current or enhanced geographic information, offering a valuable snapshot of the region’s topography and infrastructure before the postwar transformation of coastal Florida. Rendered in the restrained brown and cream palette characteristic of 1930s USGS cartography, the map combines scientific clarity with period elegance. The Atlantic Ocean, Ponce de Leon Inlet, Indian River, Spruce Creek, and the gridded presence of New Smyrna Beach appear within a landscape shaped by water, sand, vegetation, and roadways.
The U.S. Geological Survey, founded in 1879, became one of the most important cartographic institutions in American history, tasked with systematically recording the nation’s terrain, resources, and settlement patterns. By the 1930s, its topographic quadrangles were indispensable tools for engineers, planners, landowners, conservationists, and government agencies. This map reflects that tradition of practical precision: elevation, drainage, transportation routes, shorelines, and inhabited areas are organized into a disciplined visual language. Yet beyond its technical purpose, the sheet captures a subtle historical atmosphere. It shows a Florida coast not yet dominated by dense resort development, where towns, waterways, roads, railways, and natural lands coexisted in a comparatively open coastal environment.
New Smyrna Beach is the principal urban presence on the map, situated between the Atlantic shoreline and the sheltered inland waterways that helped shape the region’s economy and identity. The map records the relationship between the town and the Indian River, an elongated lagoon system central to travel, fishing, settlement, and ecology along this part of Florida’s east coast. Roads and railways trace the human framework of the area, revealing how communities were connected before the dominance of modern highways. Port Orange appears to the north, while the surrounding pattern of creeks, marshlands, coastal strands, and open tracts evokes the transitional character of Volusia County in the interwar years.
Ponce de Leon Inlet is one of the map’s most historically resonant features, marking the meeting of ocean and inland waterway in a setting long important for navigation, fishing, and coastal movement. The inlet’s shifting sands, nearby shorelines, and surrounding wetlands are the kinds of details for which USGS mapping is especially valuable, particularly in regions where storms, tides, and development can dramatically alter the landscape. Spruce Creek adds another layer of natural interest, threading through lowland terrain and indicating the ecological richness of the area. The map’s attention to water bodies, vegetation, relief, and coastline makes it a compelling record of coastal Florida’s physical geography in the late 1930s.
As a historical document, “Port Orange” is especially appealing because it captures both the measured authority of federal mapping and the fragile beauty of a changing coastal landscape. Its concise cartographic style allows the viewer to read the land as surveyors, planners, and residents once did: through contours, routes, shorelines, settlements, and natural forms. For collectors, historians, and admirers of Florida’s Atlantic coast, the map offers a refined view of New Smyrna Beach, Port Orange, the Indian River, Spruce Creek, and Ponce de Leon Inlet before later decades reshaped the region. It is a poised and informative portrait of place, rich with evidence of environment, infrastructure, and early twentieth-century coastal life.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- New Smyrna Beach
- Port Orange
- Indian River
- Spruce Creek
- Atlantic Ocean
- Ponce de Leon Inlet
- Various roads and railways in the vicinity
- Parks and natural reserves in the area
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the US Geological Survey.
- Created in 1937.
- The map is titled “Port Orange.”
- The main subject location is New Smyrna Beach, Florida, and the surrounding area.
- The map has an “advance” designation, indicating updated or enhanced geographic data.
- It features a traditional 1930s USGS layout with a brown and cream color scheme.
- The cartographic style is concise, with attention to both urban and natural features.
- Topographic details include elevation changes, coastlines, flora, and water bodies.
- The map is useful for studying historical urban development and environmental change in the New Smyrna Beach region.
- It likely includes visual accents typical of USGS maps from this period, adding historical value while preserving functional detail.
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 24 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 24 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.
We work with interior designers, hospitality businesses, property professionals, offices and corporate buyers on individual pieces and larger coordinated projects.
This map can be adapted for a particular wall, room or project, and our workshop can help coordinate the dimensions, material and framing before production.
- Exact, oversized and made-to-measure dimensions
- Custom framing, mounting and alternative materials
- Coordinated pieces for several rooms or locations
- Map personalisation, to mark important locations or add extra details
- Map and framing guidance from our workshop
- Local production for projects around the world
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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