A Hysterical Map of Zion National Park distills the drama of Utah’s sandstone cathedrals into a jubilant pictorial panorama, conceived in 1939 by Jolly Lindgren of the Lindgren Brothers. With exuberant color, animated typography, and a cartouche proclaiming “HERE’S MOTHER NATURE IN HER SUNDAY BEST!,” the map channels the exuberance of interwar tourism and the vernacular humor of the American West. Lindgren’s speech bubbles and irreverent captions nudge sightseers through the canyons, letting laughter serve as a guide to awe. While its tone is playful, its content is grounded; the landscape’s defining formations are carefully placed, the roads and trails intelligible, and the rhythm of rivers and ridgelines faithfully suggested—pictorial wit married to practical orientation.

Historically, the map captures a pivotal moment when national parks surged into the popular imagination alongside the rapid expansion of automobile travel. As new highways and the Zion–Mt. Carmel Tunnel opened the region to motorists, Lindgren’s “Hysterical” series—spanning Yellowstone, Glacier, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon—helped shape how Americans saw and navigated these landscapes. More than a souvenir, it functioned as a democratic field guide: legible at a glance, irresistible to families, and adept at turning complex topography into a memorable narrative. In doing so, it contributed to the iconography of the National Park Service era, translating grandeur into approachable, distinctly modern imagery.

Across the sheet, Zion’s storied features parade in characterful vignettes. The steep spine of Angels Landing, the sentinel form of The Watchman, and the gleaming face of the Great White Throne stand in cheerful conversation with the Temple of Sinawava and the West Temple. The Virgin River—joined here by the Mukuntuweap River—winds through the terrain toward Parunuweap Canyon, its sinuous course made instantly legible by playful, winding strokes. Peaks like Eagle Crag and Sentinel Peak, the sweep of the Horse Pasture Plateau, and the threefold silhouette of the Three Marys Peaks are each called out with a wink. Even the color key is a performance, offering “carbuncle red” and “oodles of green” to mirror the canyon’s saturated palette.

Human stories are interleaved with geology. Springdale appears as the welcoming gateway community, while Grafton nods to the region’s pioneer past and the ghost towns that dotted the Virgin River corridor. Nomenclature steeped in settler faith—Altar of Sacrifice, Great White Throne, and the Watchman—rubs shoulders with the ebullient Goddess of Liberty and the deliberately goofy “Mt. Moron,” telegraphing Lindgren’s blend of reverence and satire. Trails, roads, and tunnels are rendered with practical clarity, reflecting an era when scenic drives were part of the national mythos. References to “cliff dwellings” signal a period fascination with ancient lifeways, a reminder of deeper human timelines that predate the automobile age.

Design flourishes complete the performance. A compass rose billed as “A Four Bell Picture” turns navigation into a vaudeville act, while the legend’s tongue-in-cheek definitions of peaks, bluffs, trails, roads, trees, and water transform cartographic convention into comedy. Lively captions and conversational asides offer wayfinding as banter, making the landscape instantly approachable without diluting its majesty. As a piece of comic pictorial cartography by a master of the genre, this 1939 map stands at the crossroads of art, travel, and cultural history—an artifact that documents how America learned to see its parks from behind the wheel, and to remember them with a smile.

Places on this map

• Angels Landing
• The Watchman
• Temple of Sinawava
• Great White Throne
• Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel
• Mukuntuweap River
• Parunuweap Canyon
• Mt. Moron
• Springdale
• Virgin River
• Eagle Crag Peak
• Sentinel Peak
• Horse Pasture Plateau
• Grafton
• West Temple
• Alter of Sacrifice
• Goddess of Liberty
• Cliff Dwellings
• Spring Meadow
• Three Marys Peaks

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Color Scheme: Special panel detailing colors with humorous labels like “carbuncle red” and “oodles of green.”
• Compass: Labeled as “A Four Bell Picture,” adding a whimsical element to navigation.
• Legend: Provides humorous definitions for features such as “peaks, bluffs, trails, roads, trees, water.”
• Landmarks: Includes significant peaks, trails, and rivers displayed with playful illustrations.
• Cartouche: Features humorous text declaring, “HERE’S MOTHER NATURE IN HER SUNDAY BEST!”

Historical and design context

• 1939 map by Jolly Lindgren for the Lindgren Brothers, a significant figure/publisher in comic pictorial cartography.
• Designed to entertain and guide motorists during the interwar years as highway access to Zion improved.
• Part of the “Hysterical” series (Yellowstone, Glacier, Yosemite, Grand Canyon).
• Mixes humor with factual wayfinding; speech bubbles and lively captions reflect western tourism’s vernacular voice.
• Bright, colorful, cartoon-like style with engaging typography and a comedic aesthetic.
• Reflects the growth of national parks alongside the rise of automobile travel and helped shape park tourism identity.
• Focuses on pictorial representation of natural and human-made landmarks in Zion National Park, Utah (United States).

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 90in (230cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) 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.

Se non sei soddisfatto del tuo ordine per qualsiasi motivo, contattami per un rimborso senza problemi. Si prega di consultare la nostra politica di reso e rimborso per ulteriori informazioni.

Sono molto sicuro che ti piacerà la tua mappa restaurata o la stampa d'arte. Lo faccio dal 1984. Sono un venditore Etsy a 5 stelle. Ho venduto decine di migliaia di mappe e stampe d'arte e ho oltre 5.000 recensioni reali a 5 stelle.

Utilizzo un processo unico per restaurare mappe e opere d'arte che richiede molto tempo e lavoro. Trovare le mappe e le illustrazioni originali può richiedere mesi. Utilizzo tecnologia all'avanguardia e incredibilmente costosa per scannerizzare e restaurarle. Di conseguenza, garantisco che le mie mappe e stampe d'arte siano superiori alle altre - ecco perché posso offrire un rimborso senza problemi.

Quasi tutte le mie mappe e stampe d'arte sembrano fantastiche a grandi dimensioni (200 cm, 6,5 piedi+) e posso anche incorniciarle e consegnarle a te, tramite un corriere speciale per oggetti di grandi dimensioni. Contattami per discutere delle tue esigenze specifiche.