Rare Old Map of St. Louis, Missouri by USGS, 1935: Granite City, East St. Louis & Mississippi River
Restored in our London workshop from the original 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.
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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Published in 1935 under the succinct title “Granite City,” this US Geological Survey topographical map captures St. Louis and its Illinois counterpart...
Continue readingPublished in 1935 under the succinct title “Granite City,” this US Geological Survey topographical map captures St. Louis and its Illinois counterpart at a revealing moment in the region’s modern transformation. Drawn at the detailed 1:24,000 scale, it presents the city not as an isolated urban core, but as part of a larger riverine, industrial, and transportation landscape shaped by the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. St. Louis appears alongside Granite City, East St. Louis, Brooklyn, and surrounding settlements, their streets, rail lines, waterways, and open lands carefully organized within the USGS’s disciplined cartographic language. The result is a richly informative portrait of a metropolitan borderland where commerce, settlement, and geography converged.
The US Geological Survey, established in 1879, became the authoritative American institution for mapping the nation’s terrain, resources, and hydrology, and this map reflects the precision that made its work indispensable. By the 1930s, USGS quadrangles had become essential tools for engineers, planners, geologists, and government agencies, offering standardized, scientifically grounded depictions of both natural and built environments. Here, contour lines articulate the modest but meaningful elevation changes around the St. Louis region, tracing hills, valleys, riverbanks, and drainage patterns with clarity. Roads, railroads, industrial areas, neighborhoods, parks, and waterways are integrated into a single visual system, allowing the viewer to read the landscape as both a physical terrain and a human-made network.
The Mississippi River dominates the composition, its broad course serving as both a natural boundary and a powerful engine of development. Islands, channels, riverfront installations, and adjacent lowlands show the complexity of life along one of North America’s great waterways. To the north and west, the influence of the Missouri River adds another layer of geographical significance, reminding us that St. Louis owed much of its historic importance to its position near the confluence of major river systems. The map’s depiction of waterways, small lakes, ponds, and floodplain features evokes a region in constant negotiation with water—an environment of transportation corridors, fertile bottomlands, industrial opportunity, and periodic hazard.
On the Illinois side, Granite City, East St. Louis, and Brooklyn appear within a dense matrix of railroads, roads, industrial zones, and residential neighborhoods. Granite City’s very name speaks to manufacturing ambition, and by the early twentieth century the area had become closely associated with steel, rail, and heavy industry. The map records this industrial geography with quiet exactitude: sidings, transport routes, utility facilities, and developed districts reveal how the urban fabric extended eastward from St. Louis across the river. Agricultural lands and forested patches remain visible beyond the denser settlements, creating a striking contrast between metropolitan expansion and the rural landscapes that still bordered it in the 1930s.
As a historical document, “Granite City” offers a compelling view of St. Louis during an era of accelerated urbanization, infrastructure growth, and regional reorganization. Major roads and highways indicate the rising importance of automotive travel, while the extensive railroad network recalls an older industrial order still central to the city’s economy. Parks and recreational areas punctuate the more utilitarian landscape, suggesting civic investment amid factories, treatment facilities, working riverfronts, and residential districts. The map’s fine topographical detail allows modern viewers to compare past and present land use, tracing how neighborhoods, waterways, industrial corridors, and open spaces have changed. It is both a practical survey and an elegant historical snapshot of a pivotal American river city.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Granite City, Illinois
- Brooklyn, Illinois
- East St. Louis, Illinois
- Mississippi River
- Missouri River
- Various parks and recreational areas
- Industrial zones
- Residential neighborhoods
- Railroads
- Major roads and highways
- Water treatment facilities
- Agricultural lands
- Forested patches
- Small lakes and ponds
- Islands along the river
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the US Geological Survey, this historical 1:24,000 topographical map is dated 1935.
- Created by the US Geological Survey (USGS), a scientific agency of the U.S. federal government known for topographical maps and geological studies.
- The map uses colored physical features and distinct topographical contour lines to show elevation changes.
- It displays elevations and landforms around the region, including hills, valleys, and major waterways.
- Created during a period of urban growth, the map reflects changes in land use and development that have occurred since the 1930s.
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 1935 under the succinct title “Granite City,” this US Geological Survey topographical map captures St. Louis and its Illinois counterpart at a revealing moment in the region’s modern transformation. Drawn at the detailed 1:24,000 scale, it presents the city not as an isolated urban core, but as part of a larger riverine, industrial, and transportation landscape shaped by the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. St. Louis appears alongside Granite City, East St. Louis, Brooklyn, and surrounding settlements, their streets, rail lines, waterways, and open lands carefully organized within the USGS’s disciplined cartographic language. The result is a richly informative portrait of a metropolitan borderland where commerce, settlement, and geography converged.
The US Geological Survey, established in 1879, became the authoritative American institution for mapping the nation’s terrain, resources, and hydrology, and this map reflects the precision that made its work indispensable. By the 1930s, USGS quadrangles had become essential tools for engineers, planners, geologists, and government agencies, offering standardized, scientifically grounded depictions of both natural and built environments. Here, contour lines articulate the modest but meaningful elevation changes around the St. Louis region, tracing hills, valleys, riverbanks, and drainage patterns with clarity. Roads, railroads, industrial areas, neighborhoods, parks, and waterways are integrated into a single visual system, allowing the viewer to read the landscape as both a physical terrain and a human-made network.
The Mississippi River dominates the composition, its broad course serving as both a natural boundary and a powerful engine of development. Islands, channels, riverfront installations, and adjacent lowlands show the complexity of life along one of North America’s great waterways. To the north and west, the influence of the Missouri River adds another layer of geographical significance, reminding us that St. Louis owed much of its historic importance to its position near the confluence of major river systems. The map’s depiction of waterways, small lakes, ponds, and floodplain features evokes a region in constant negotiation with water—an environment of transportation corridors, fertile bottomlands, industrial opportunity, and periodic hazard.
On the Illinois side, Granite City, East St. Louis, and Brooklyn appear within a dense matrix of railroads, roads, industrial zones, and residential neighborhoods. Granite City’s very name speaks to manufacturing ambition, and by the early twentieth century the area had become closely associated with steel, rail, and heavy industry. The map records this industrial geography with quiet exactitude: sidings, transport routes, utility facilities, and developed districts reveal how the urban fabric extended eastward from St. Louis across the river. Agricultural lands and forested patches remain visible beyond the denser settlements, creating a striking contrast between metropolitan expansion and the rural landscapes that still bordered it in the 1930s.
As a historical document, “Granite City” offers a compelling view of St. Louis during an era of accelerated urbanization, infrastructure growth, and regional reorganization. Major roads and highways indicate the rising importance of automotive travel, while the extensive railroad network recalls an older industrial order still central to the city’s economy. Parks and recreational areas punctuate the more utilitarian landscape, suggesting civic investment amid factories, treatment facilities, working riverfronts, and residential districts. The map’s fine topographical detail allows modern viewers to compare past and present land use, tracing how neighborhoods, waterways, industrial corridors, and open spaces have changed. It is both a practical survey and an elegant historical snapshot of a pivotal American river city.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Granite City, Illinois
- Brooklyn, Illinois
- East St. Louis, Illinois
- Mississippi River
- Missouri River
- Various parks and recreational areas
- Industrial zones
- Residential neighborhoods
- Railroads
- Major roads and highways
- Water treatment facilities
- Agricultural lands
- Forested patches
- Small lakes and ponds
- Islands along the river
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the US Geological Survey, this historical 1:24,000 topographical map is dated 1935.
- Created by the US Geological Survey (USGS), a scientific agency of the U.S. federal government known for topographical maps and geological studies.
- The map uses colored physical features and distinct topographical contour lines to show elevation changes.
- It displays elevations and landforms around the region, including hills, valleys, and major waterways.
- Created during a period of urban growth, the map reflects changes in land use and development that have occurred since the 1930s.
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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