Rare Old Map of Poipu, Hawaii by USGS, 1963: Koloa, Port Allen & Kauai Island
Restored in our London workshop from the original 1971 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 1971 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.
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Published in 1971 from 1963 survey data, the US Geological Survey’s “Koloa” presents a richly detailed topographic portrait of Kauai’s south shore...
Continue readingPublished in 1971 from 1963 survey data, the US Geological Survey’s “Koloa” presents a richly detailed topographic portrait of Kauai’s south shore at a pivotal moment in its modern history. At 1:24,000 scale, the map centers on Koloa and Poipu, tracing a landscape where plantation-era settlement, coastal roads, beaches, valleys, and volcanic uplands meet the Pacific Ocean. Its date is especially evocative: the geography recorded here predates much of Poipu’s later transformation into one of Hawaii’s best-known resort districts. In this sense, the map is both a precise geographic document and a quietly revealing historical artifact, preserving the spatial character of a community still closely tied to agriculture, local roads, coastal access, and the contours of the land itself.
The map bears the unmistakable discipline of the US Geological Survey, whose topographic sheets are admired for their clarity, accuracy, and restrained graphic elegance. Contour lines ripple across the terrain, translating Kauai’s hills, valleys, and coastal slopes into a legible language of elevation and form. Roads and trails knit together settlements such as Koloa and Poipu, while named places and elevation markers help the viewer understand how human movement followed the island’s natural structure. The classic USGS design—precise typography, measured linework, and systematic symbolization—gives the map an appealing combination of scientific authority and visual refinement. It is cartography intended for practical use, yet it now reads as a beautifully composed record of place.
Poipu is one of the great focal points of the sheet, shown before the full force of late twentieth-century tourism reshaped the south shore. Today the name evokes beaches, resorts, and leisure, but the 1963 landscape captured here suggests a quieter coastal district, with roads, open lands, and shoreline features still occupying a more spacious relationship. Nearby Koloa, historically significant as the site of Hawaii’s first successful commercial sugar plantation, anchors the inland portion of the map with deep ties to the island’s plantation economy. The map therefore invites comparison between two eras: the older agricultural and local community network of south Kauai, and the later resort-oriented identity that would become internationally familiar.
The surrounding geography is equally compelling. The Pacific coastline, with beaches and coastal points near Poipu and Mahaulepu, is balanced by inland rises, drainage patterns, and the sculpted relief characteristic of Kauai’s volcanic origins. Contours around features such as Koloa Mountain reveal the subtle but important elevation changes that shape weather, access, vegetation, and settlement. Rivers and streams, including the broader regional presence of the Hanapepe River to the west, remind the viewer that Kauai’s dramatic landscapes are formed as much by water and erosion as by volcanic fire. Roads and trails crossing the terrain show how communities, farms, and coastal places were connected before the area’s rapid expansion as a visitor destination.
Seen within the wider geography of Kauai, “Koloa” belongs to a constellation of places that define the island’s extraordinary diversity: Port Allen, Kalaheo, Hanapepe, Makaweli, Waimea, Kokee State Park, Nualolo Kai, Aliomanu Beach, and other coastal and upland landmarks. Even where the map’s focus rests on the Koloa-Poipu district, it evokes the broader island setting—a landscape of resort beaches, plantation towns, steep valleys, state parks, ocean cliffs, and deeply incised river systems. Its historical significance lies not merely in what it names, but in what it freezes in time: land use, access routes, settlement patterns, and terrain before decades of development altered the relationship between village, shore, and open land.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Poipu
- Koloa
- Port Allen
- Kalaheo
- Hanapepe
- Makaweli
- Waimea
- Hikina
- Koloa Mountain
- Mahaulepu Beach
- Makena Beach
- Pacific Ocean
- Kokee State Park
- Aliomanu Beach
- Nualolo Kai
- Hanapepe River
- Kauai Island
- Various contour lines and elevation markers
- Roads and trails marked throughout the landscape
Historical context & cartographic details
- Historical 1:24,000 topographical map titled Koloa
- Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS)
- Based on original data from 1963 and published with a 1971 imprint
- Uses classic USGS cartographic styling, including contour lines to show elevation changes
- Illustrates varied Hawaiian terrain, including coastal areas, hills, and valleys
- Captures the Poipu area before major development and tourism expansion
- Provides insight into historical land use and environmental conditions 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 1971 from 1963 survey data, the US Geological Survey’s “Koloa” presents a richly detailed topographic portrait of Kauai’s south shore at a pivotal moment in its modern history. At 1:24,000 scale, the map centers on Koloa and Poipu, tracing a landscape where plantation-era settlement, coastal roads, beaches, valleys, and volcanic uplands meet the Pacific Ocean. Its date is especially evocative: the geography recorded here predates much of Poipu’s later transformation into one of Hawaii’s best-known resort districts. In this sense, the map is both a precise geographic document and a quietly revealing historical artifact, preserving the spatial character of a community still closely tied to agriculture, local roads, coastal access, and the contours of the land itself.
The map bears the unmistakable discipline of the US Geological Survey, whose topographic sheets are admired for their clarity, accuracy, and restrained graphic elegance. Contour lines ripple across the terrain, translating Kauai’s hills, valleys, and coastal slopes into a legible language of elevation and form. Roads and trails knit together settlements such as Koloa and Poipu, while named places and elevation markers help the viewer understand how human movement followed the island’s natural structure. The classic USGS design—precise typography, measured linework, and systematic symbolization—gives the map an appealing combination of scientific authority and visual refinement. It is cartography intended for practical use, yet it now reads as a beautifully composed record of place.
Poipu is one of the great focal points of the sheet, shown before the full force of late twentieth-century tourism reshaped the south shore. Today the name evokes beaches, resorts, and leisure, but the 1963 landscape captured here suggests a quieter coastal district, with roads, open lands, and shoreline features still occupying a more spacious relationship. Nearby Koloa, historically significant as the site of Hawaii’s first successful commercial sugar plantation, anchors the inland portion of the map with deep ties to the island’s plantation economy. The map therefore invites comparison between two eras: the older agricultural and local community network of south Kauai, and the later resort-oriented identity that would become internationally familiar.
The surrounding geography is equally compelling. The Pacific coastline, with beaches and coastal points near Poipu and Mahaulepu, is balanced by inland rises, drainage patterns, and the sculpted relief characteristic of Kauai’s volcanic origins. Contours around features such as Koloa Mountain reveal the subtle but important elevation changes that shape weather, access, vegetation, and settlement. Rivers and streams, including the broader regional presence of the Hanapepe River to the west, remind the viewer that Kauai’s dramatic landscapes are formed as much by water and erosion as by volcanic fire. Roads and trails crossing the terrain show how communities, farms, and coastal places were connected before the area’s rapid expansion as a visitor destination.
Seen within the wider geography of Kauai, “Koloa” belongs to a constellation of places that define the island’s extraordinary diversity: Port Allen, Kalaheo, Hanapepe, Makaweli, Waimea, Kokee State Park, Nualolo Kai, Aliomanu Beach, and other coastal and upland landmarks. Even where the map’s focus rests on the Koloa-Poipu district, it evokes the broader island setting—a landscape of resort beaches, plantation towns, steep valleys, state parks, ocean cliffs, and deeply incised river systems. Its historical significance lies not merely in what it names, but in what it freezes in time: land use, access routes, settlement patterns, and terrain before decades of development altered the relationship between village, shore, and open land.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Poipu
- Koloa
- Port Allen
- Kalaheo
- Hanapepe
- Makaweli
- Waimea
- Hikina
- Koloa Mountain
- Mahaulepu Beach
- Makena Beach
- Pacific Ocean
- Kokee State Park
- Aliomanu Beach
- Nualolo Kai
- Hanapepe River
- Kauai Island
- Various contour lines and elevation markers
- Roads and trails marked throughout the landscape
Historical context & cartographic details
- Historical 1:24,000 topographical map titled Koloa
- Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS)
- Based on original data from 1963 and published with a 1971 imprint
- Uses classic USGS cartographic styling, including contour lines to show elevation changes
- Illustrates varied Hawaiian terrain, including coastal areas, hills, and valleys
- Captures the Poipu area before major development and tourism expansion
- Provides insight into historical land use and environmental conditions 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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