Rare Old Map of Provo, Utah by USGS, 1948: Orem, Utah Lake & Brigham Young University
Restored in our London workshop from the original 1978 map and printed to museum-grade archival standards. Full description
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.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 1978 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.
You can also contact us before you order, if you prefer!
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Published in 1978 from a 1948 US Geological Survey base, “Provo” presents one of Utah Valley’s defining landscapes at the intimate 1:24,000...
Continue readingPublished in 1978 from a 1948 US Geological Survey base, “Provo” presents one of Utah Valley’s defining landscapes at the intimate 1:24,000 scale. Centered on Provo, Utah, the map captures the meeting of city, campus, farmland, river corridor, lake margin, and mountain front in a region shaped by both settlement and striking natural relief. The USGS’s topographic language—precise contour lines, carefully classified roads, water features, land-use coloring, and civic symbols—turns the sheet into a measured portrait of place. Here, Provo appears not merely as a city, but as a geographic hinge between Utah Lake to the west and the steep Wasatch terrain rising dramatically to the east.
The US Geological Survey brought to this map the disciplined clarity that made its quadrangles indispensable to engineers, planners, hikers, and historians. Founded in 1879, the USGS became the principal cartographic authority for the scientific mapping of the American landscape, and its 1:24,000 series remains one of the most influential mapping projects ever undertaken in the United States. On this Provo sheet, the agency’s practical elegance is evident: contour intervals describe slope and elevation with quiet precision, blue lines trace rivers and water bodies, and road networks establish the human framework laid across the valley floor. The result is a map that balances utility with a remarkable visual poise.
Provo’s setting gives the map much of its drama. Utah Lake occupies the low western basin, an expansive freshwater landmark central to the ecology, transportation, and settlement history of Utah Valley. The Provo River, descending from the mountains toward the lake, marks one of the area’s most important natural corridors, historically sustaining agriculture and later shaping recreation and urban development. Eastward, the terrain gathers force in contours that crowd toward Provo Peak, Mammi Peak, and the greater Wasatch Front. These lines reveal the steep transition from valley communities to alpine slopes, making the map especially compelling as a record of both habitation and topographic intensity.
The urban geography is equally absorbing. Provo is shown in relation to Orem, Springville, Pleasant Grove, American Fork, Mapleton, and other neighboring communities, illustrating the connected pattern of settlement that would become the modern Utah Valley metropolitan corridor. Brigham Young University appears as a major landmark within Provo, anchoring the city’s educational and cultural identity. Roads and highways, including US Route 89 and the later Interstate 15 corridor, emphasize the valley’s role as a north-south passage between Salt Lake City and central Utah. Schools, parks, civic sites, and recreational areas add further texture, revealing a landscape where municipal growth and outdoor access developed side by side.
As a historical document, “Provo” offers a valuable snapshot of a region in transition. The 1948 geographic foundation reflects a postwar Utah Valley still strongly tied to agriculture, local roads, river systems, and compact town centers, while the 1978 imprint places the sheet within an era of accelerating suburban expansion and transportation modernization. Its layered view of land use, elevation, infrastructure, and natural features allows comparison between older patterns of settlement and the rapidly growing communities visible today. For collectors drawn to the American West, university towns, or the cartography of mountain valleys, this map distills Provo’s distinctive identity: scholarly, industrious, and inseparable from lake, river, and range.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Provo
- Utah Lake
- Orem
- Springville
- Pleasant Grove
- American Fork
- Brigham Young University
- Provo River
- Provo Peak
- Mapleton
- Mammi Peak
- Interstate 15
- US Route 89
- Parks and recreational areas surrounding Provo
- Schools and historic sites within Provo
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS), known for detailed topographical mapping.
- Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Provo, Utah and the surrounding area.
- Dated 1948 and published with a 1978 imprint.
- Shows urban settings alongside natural features including lakes, rivers, valleys, hills, and mountains.
- Uses contour lines to represent elevation changes and topographic variation.
- Includes symbols indicating different land uses.
- Features a color palette distinguishing urban areas, water bodies, and agricultural land.
- Highlights Provo’s mountainous surroundings and proximity to bodies of water.
- Reflects development and geographical change in the area since 1948.
- Offers insight into urban growth, land use, and environmental features significant to Provo and its surroundings.
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 1978 from a 1948 US Geological Survey base, “Provo” presents one of Utah Valley’s defining landscapes at the intimate 1:24,000 scale. Centered on Provo, Utah, the map captures the meeting of city, campus, farmland, river corridor, lake margin, and mountain front in a region shaped by both settlement and striking natural relief. The USGS’s topographic language—precise contour lines, carefully classified roads, water features, land-use coloring, and civic symbols—turns the sheet into a measured portrait of place. Here, Provo appears not merely as a city, but as a geographic hinge between Utah Lake to the west and the steep Wasatch terrain rising dramatically to the east.
The US Geological Survey brought to this map the disciplined clarity that made its quadrangles indispensable to engineers, planners, hikers, and historians. Founded in 1879, the USGS became the principal cartographic authority for the scientific mapping of the American landscape, and its 1:24,000 series remains one of the most influential mapping projects ever undertaken in the United States. On this Provo sheet, the agency’s practical elegance is evident: contour intervals describe slope and elevation with quiet precision, blue lines trace rivers and water bodies, and road networks establish the human framework laid across the valley floor. The result is a map that balances utility with a remarkable visual poise.
Provo’s setting gives the map much of its drama. Utah Lake occupies the low western basin, an expansive freshwater landmark central to the ecology, transportation, and settlement history of Utah Valley. The Provo River, descending from the mountains toward the lake, marks one of the area’s most important natural corridors, historically sustaining agriculture and later shaping recreation and urban development. Eastward, the terrain gathers force in contours that crowd toward Provo Peak, Mammi Peak, and the greater Wasatch Front. These lines reveal the steep transition from valley communities to alpine slopes, making the map especially compelling as a record of both habitation and topographic intensity.
The urban geography is equally absorbing. Provo is shown in relation to Orem, Springville, Pleasant Grove, American Fork, Mapleton, and other neighboring communities, illustrating the connected pattern of settlement that would become the modern Utah Valley metropolitan corridor. Brigham Young University appears as a major landmark within Provo, anchoring the city’s educational and cultural identity. Roads and highways, including US Route 89 and the later Interstate 15 corridor, emphasize the valley’s role as a north-south passage between Salt Lake City and central Utah. Schools, parks, civic sites, and recreational areas add further texture, revealing a landscape where municipal growth and outdoor access developed side by side.
As a historical document, “Provo” offers a valuable snapshot of a region in transition. The 1948 geographic foundation reflects a postwar Utah Valley still strongly tied to agriculture, local roads, river systems, and compact town centers, while the 1978 imprint places the sheet within an era of accelerating suburban expansion and transportation modernization. Its layered view of land use, elevation, infrastructure, and natural features allows comparison between older patterns of settlement and the rapidly growing communities visible today. For collectors drawn to the American West, university towns, or the cartography of mountain valleys, this map distills Provo’s distinctive identity: scholarly, industrious, and inseparable from lake, river, and range.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Provo
- Utah Lake
- Orem
- Springville
- Pleasant Grove
- American Fork
- Brigham Young University
- Provo River
- Provo Peak
- Mapleton
- Mammi Peak
- Interstate 15
- US Route 89
- Parks and recreational areas surrounding Provo
- Schools and historic sites within Provo
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS), known for detailed topographical mapping.
- Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Provo, Utah and the surrounding area.
- Dated 1948 and published with a 1978 imprint.
- Shows urban settings alongside natural features including lakes, rivers, valleys, hills, and mountains.
- Uses contour lines to represent elevation changes and topographic variation.
- Includes symbols indicating different land uses.
- Features a color palette distinguishing urban areas, water bodies, and agricultural land.
- Highlights Provo’s mountainous surroundings and proximity to bodies of water.
- Reflects development and geographical change in the area since 1948.
- Offers insight into urban growth, land use, and environmental features significant to Provo and its surroundings.
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.
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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