Gerald Allen Eddy’s 1934 bird’s-eye map of Death Valley unfurls the desert as a living relief, its ridgelines and basins sculpted in richly modulated color. Spanning from Mount Whitney and Walker’s Pass in the west to Las Vegas and the then-new Boulder Dam in the east, the composition captures a region poised between raw geologic drama and the dawn of modern access. Roads and highways thread across the ochres and violets in clear red, while blue washes and pale tracings mark scarce watercourses and dry riverbeds. Eddy—renowned for his Lake Tahoe and Los Angeles maps—applies the same artistic intelligence here, using shadow, saturation, and precise labeling to translate forbidding terrain into a coherent, inviting narrative of place.

Historically, this map fixes Death Valley at a turning point. Declared a National Monument in 1933, the valley was rapidly opening to automobile travelers, and Eddy charts that early infrastructure with clarity and flair. His inset of Furnace Creek highlights local amenities at Furnace Creek Ranch, signaling the Pacific Coast Borax Company’s transformation of industrial outposts into hospitality gateways. Nearby, the Harmony Borax Works—synonymous with the legendary 20-Mule Team—anchors the region’s extractive past. To the north, Scotty’s Castle evokes the era’s mythology of wealth and desert eccentricity, while the inclusion of Las Vegas and Boulder Dam records a new power corridor reshaping the Southwest, funneling visitors, electricity, and ambition into once-isolated country.

Eddy’s sensitivity to geology shines in the naming and rendering of distinctive features. Ubehebe Crater appears as a dramatic volcanic maw, its blasted rims set against broad, wind-brushed Sand Dunes and the sinuous corridors of Golden Canyon and Artists Drive. The basaltic rough of the Devil’s Golf Course and the gleam of Badwater—the continent’s lowest point—stand as stark counterpoints to the ribboned alluvial fans that spill from the Panamint and Black Mountains. Hanupah Canyon and other gashes in the range are etched with surgical precision, while the interplay of color and shadow suggests elevation shifts without sacrificing legibility. Every contour draws the eye toward the valley’s paradox: an austere emptiness densely inscribed with stories.

Mining and water, the twin obsessions of the desert, surface everywhere in Eddy’s meticulous toponymy. Ashford Mine and Ashford Mill share the page with Confidence Mill, traces of speculative dreams that rose and fell with ore prices and grit. A constellation of lifelines—Shorty’s Well, Bennett Well, Gravel Well, Midway Well, and Triangle Spring—speaks to survival as cartographic fact, mapping routes of necessity long before they became itineraries of wonder. Stovepipe Wells sits where dunes, road, and history converge, its placement nodding to the earliest tourist camps and freighting trails. By preserving such names, Eddy rescues a frontier lexicon already fading in the 1930s, turning waypoints into cultural artifacts.

Finally, the map’s reach binds the desert to greater circuits of commerce and exploration. To the west, the Sierra Nevada’s sentinel, Mount Whitney, and the corridor of Walker’s Pass open onto the Owens Valley and the spine of the old highway network; to the east, the red-painted roads arrow toward Las Vegas and Boulder Dam, documenting how concrete, power, and pavement reoriented travel and settlement. Eddy’s composition is thus both landscape and ledger—an early 20th-century balance sheet tallying borax booms, mining camps, scenic drives, and nascent resort culture. It is a vivid, authoritative snapshot of Death Valley at the precise moment when remoteness met the modern road.

Places on this map

• Ubehebe Crater
• Scotty's Castle
• Midway Well
• Stovepipe Wells
• Triangle Spring
• Sand Dunes
• Harmony Borax Works
• Furnace Creek Ranch
• Golden Canyon
• Artists Drive
• Devil's Golf Course
• Badwater
• Hanupah Canyon
• Shorty's Well
• Bennett Well
• Gravel Well
• Ashford Mine
• Ashford Mill
• Confidence Mill
• Las Vegas

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Mountain ranges depicted in detailed topographical relief.
• Roads and highways are clearly marked in red.
• Inset view of Furnace Creek demonstrating local amenities.
• Water bodies and dry riverbeds are illustrated.
• Significant geological features, including craters and canyons.
• Labeling of numerous historical landmarks and settlements.

Historical and design context

• Mapmaker: Gerald Allen Eddy.
• Date created: 1934.
• Description: Historically informative physical map with a topographical bird’s-eye view.
• Geographical scope: From Mount Whitney and Walker’s Pass (west) to Las Vegas and Boulder Dam (east).
• Cartographic style: Rich color palette with detailed topographical relief showing elevations and features.
• Historical context: Eddy is known for artistic maps of Lake Tahoe and Los Angeles; this work highlights early infrastructure and natural features of the early 20th century.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 70in (180cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 36x20in (90x50cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

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.

For most orders, delivery time is about 3 working days. Personalised and customised products take longer, as I have to do the personalisation and send it to you for approval, which usually takes 1 or 2 days.

Please note that very large framed orders usually take longer to make and deliver. 

If you need your order to arrive by a certain date, please contact me before you order so that we can find the best way of making sure you get your order in time.

I print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world. This means your order will be made locally, which cuts down on delivery time and ensures that it won't be damaged during delivery. You'll never pay customs or import duty, and we'll put less CO2 into the air.

All of my maps and art prints are well packaged and sent in a rugged tube if unframed, or surrounded by foam if framed.

I try to send out all orders within 1 or 2 days of receiving your order, though some products (like face masks, mugs and tote bags) can take longer to make.

If you select Express Delivery at checkout your order we will prioritise your order and send it out by 1-day courier (Fedex, DHL, UPS, Parcelforce).

Next Day delivery is also available in some countries (US, UK, Singapore, UAE) but please try to order early in the day so that we can get it sent out on time.

Read my full delivery and local production guide

My standard frame is a gallery style black ash hardwood frame. It is simple and quite modern looking. My standard frame is around 20mm (0.8in) wide.

I use super-clear acrylic (perspex/acrylite) for the frame glass. It's lighter and safer than glass - and it looks better, as the reflectivity is lower.

Six standard frame colours are available for free (black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white and antique gold). Custom framing and mounting/matting is available if you're looking for something else.

Most maps, art and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte (not shiny) cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced box wood frame, and then 'float' the piece within a wood frame. The end result is quite beautiful, and there's no glazing to get in the way.

All frames are provided "ready to hang", with either a string or brackets on the back. Very large frames will have heavy duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

See some examples of my framed maps and framed canvas maps.

Alternatively, I can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag and other materials.

If you want to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read my size guide first.

My maps are extremely high quality reproductions of original maps.

I source original, rare maps from libraries, auction houses and private collections around the world, restore them at my London workshop, and then use specialist giclée inks and printers to create beautiful maps that look even better than the original.

My maps are printed on acid-free archival matte (not glossy) paper that feels very high quality and almost like card. In technical terms the paper weight/thickness is 10mil/200gsm. It's perfect for framing.

I print with Epson ultrachrome giclée UV fade resistant pigment inks - some of the best inks you can find.

I can also make maps on canvas, cotton rag and other exotic materials.

Learn more about The Unique Maps Co.

Map personalisation

If you're looking for the perfect anniversary or housewarming gift, I can personalise your map to make it truly unique. For example, I can add a short message, or highlight an important location, or add your family's coat of arms.

The options are almost infinite. Please see my map personalisation page for some wonderful examples of what's possible.

To order a personalised map, select "personalise your map" before adding it to your basket.

Get in touch if you're looking for more complex customisations and personalisations.

Map ageing

I have been asked hundreds of times over the years by customers if they could buy a map that looks even older.

Well, now you can, by selecting Aged before you add a map to your basket.

All the product photos you see on this page show the map in its Original form. This is what the map looks like today.

If you select Aged, I will age your map by hand, using a special and unique process developed through years of studying old maps, talking to researchers to understand the chemistry of aging paper, and of course... lots of practice!

If you're unsure, stick to the Original colour of the map. If you want something a bit darker and older looking, go for Aged.

See some amazing examples of Aged maps.

If you are not happy with your order for any reason, contact me and I'll get it fixed ASAP, free of charge. Please see my returns and refund policy for more information.

I am very confident you will like your restored map or art print. I have been doing this since 1984. I'm a 5-star Etsy seller. I have sold tens of thousands of maps and art prints and have over 5,000 real 5-star reviews. My work has been featured in interior design magazines, on the BBC, and on the walls of dozens of 5-star hotels.

I use a unique process to restore maps and artwork that is massively time consuming and labour intensive. Hunting down the original maps and illustrations can take months. I use state of the art and eye-wateringly expensive technology to scan and restore them. As a result, I guarantee my maps and art prints are a cut above the rest. I stand by my products and will always make sure you're 100% happy with what you receive.

Almost all of my maps and art prints look amazing at large sizes (200cm, 6.5ft+) and I can frame and deliver them to you as well, via special oversized courier. Contact me to discuss your specific needs.