Rare Old Map of Crisfield, Maryland by USGS, 1943: Pocomoke Sound & Assateague Island
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.
Restored in London • Printed and framed in the EU
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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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 1943, the United States Geological Survey’s “Crisfield Quadrangle” presents the low, intricate coast of southern Maryland with the precision and...
Continue readingPublished in 1943, the United States Geological Survey’s “Crisfield Quadrangle” presents the low, intricate coast of southern Maryland with the precision and restraint that made USGS topographic mapping indispensable to planners, engineers, naturalists, and navigators. At a scale of 1:31,680, the map gives a close reading of Crisfield and its surroundings, balancing settlement detail with the subtle geography of tidewater country. Here, elevation is measured not in dramatic peaks but in slight rises, marsh margins, drainage lines, and the delicate boundary between land and water. Roads, railways, shorelines, and place names are rendered with disciplined clarity, creating a historical portrait of a Chesapeake community during the World War II era.
Crisfield, long associated with oysters, crabs, and Chesapeake Bay commerce, anchors the map as both a town and a working waterfront. Its position near Tangier Sound and Pocomoke Sound made it a natural point of connection between mainland Maryland and the island communities of the bay. The map captures the road and rail approaches that tied Crisfield to the wider Delmarva Peninsula, while also showing the watery geography that shaped its economy and culture. Lawson’s appears nearby, one of the local settlements that formed part of the region’s rural and maritime network. In this landscape, transportation routes, creeks, coves, and shoreline settlements reveal a place defined as much by waterborne movement as by roads.
The topographic character of the Crisfield Quadrangle is especially compelling because the terrain is so subtle. Rather than bold mountain contours, the map’s fine elevation lines and notations expose the minute variations of a coastal plain environment: low ridges, marshy flats, drainage patterns, and tidal edges. Water bodies are differentiated through shading and linework, allowing Pocomoke Sound, Chesapeake Bay waters, and Atlantic coastal features to stand out against the mainland. This careful depiction of modest relief is historically valuable, for even small changes in elevation could affect habitation, agriculture, roads, and flooding. The result is a refined cartographic study of a vulnerable and dynamic shoreline.
Beyond Crisfield itself, the map situates the viewer within a broader coastal world that includes Long Point, Long Island, Assateague Island, and the Atlantic Ocean. These names evoke the meeting of protected bay waters, barrier-island environments, tidal marshes, and exposed oceanfront. Assateague, now widely known for its windswept beaches and wild ponies, appears here within a larger geographic system of inlets, shoals, and shifting coastal margins. The quadrangle’s treatment of land and water underscores the instability and richness of the Delmarva coast, where storms, tides, erosion, and sediment constantly reshape the map’s subject. It is a landscape of thin boundaries and enduring maritime significance.
As a 1943 USGS production, this map also offers a valuable historical benchmark for understanding environmental and urban change. Comparing it with contemporary mapping reveals shifts in shoreline, infrastructure, settlement, wetlands, and land use across a region especially sensitive to sea-level rise and coastal transformation. The USGS, founded in the late nineteenth century, brought scientific rigor to the systematic mapping of the United States, and this quadrangle reflects that mission in its precise symbols, measured contours, and practical clarity. For collectors, historians, and admirers of Chesapeake geography, the Crisfield Quadrangle is more than a technical document: it is a finely observed record of a distinctive American coastal landscape at a particular moment in time.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Crisfield
- Lawson's
- Assateague Island
- Pocomoke Sound
- Atlantic Ocean
- Chesapeake Bay
- Long Point
- Long Island
- Various roads and railways in the surrounding area
- Water bodies identified through shading and contouring
Historical context & cartographic details
- Map name: Crisfield Quadrangle
- Produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS)
- Historical topographical map dated 1943
- Scale: 1:31,680
- Shows Crisfield, Maryland and the surrounding coastal area
- Features topographic lines indicating elevation changes
- Uses shading, contouring, and terrain coloring to distinguish features such as forests and water
- Provides insight into the landforms and geographic character of the Crisfield area
- Offers a historical snapshot useful for comparing changes in land use, urban development, 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 1943, the United States Geological Survey’s “Crisfield Quadrangle” presents the low, intricate coast of southern Maryland with the precision and restraint that made USGS topographic mapping indispensable to planners, engineers, naturalists, and navigators. At a scale of 1:31,680, the map gives a close reading of Crisfield and its surroundings, balancing settlement detail with the subtle geography of tidewater country. Here, elevation is measured not in dramatic peaks but in slight rises, marsh margins, drainage lines, and the delicate boundary between land and water. Roads, railways, shorelines, and place names are rendered with disciplined clarity, creating a historical portrait of a Chesapeake community during the World War II era.
Crisfield, long associated with oysters, crabs, and Chesapeake Bay commerce, anchors the map as both a town and a working waterfront. Its position near Tangier Sound and Pocomoke Sound made it a natural point of connection between mainland Maryland and the island communities of the bay. The map captures the road and rail approaches that tied Crisfield to the wider Delmarva Peninsula, while also showing the watery geography that shaped its economy and culture. Lawson’s appears nearby, one of the local settlements that formed part of the region’s rural and maritime network. In this landscape, transportation routes, creeks, coves, and shoreline settlements reveal a place defined as much by waterborne movement as by roads.
The topographic character of the Crisfield Quadrangle is especially compelling because the terrain is so subtle. Rather than bold mountain contours, the map’s fine elevation lines and notations expose the minute variations of a coastal plain environment: low ridges, marshy flats, drainage patterns, and tidal edges. Water bodies are differentiated through shading and linework, allowing Pocomoke Sound, Chesapeake Bay waters, and Atlantic coastal features to stand out against the mainland. This careful depiction of modest relief is historically valuable, for even small changes in elevation could affect habitation, agriculture, roads, and flooding. The result is a refined cartographic study of a vulnerable and dynamic shoreline.
Beyond Crisfield itself, the map situates the viewer within a broader coastal world that includes Long Point, Long Island, Assateague Island, and the Atlantic Ocean. These names evoke the meeting of protected bay waters, barrier-island environments, tidal marshes, and exposed oceanfront. Assateague, now widely known for its windswept beaches and wild ponies, appears here within a larger geographic system of inlets, shoals, and shifting coastal margins. The quadrangle’s treatment of land and water underscores the instability and richness of the Delmarva coast, where storms, tides, erosion, and sediment constantly reshape the map’s subject. It is a landscape of thin boundaries and enduring maritime significance.
As a 1943 USGS production, this map also offers a valuable historical benchmark for understanding environmental and urban change. Comparing it with contemporary mapping reveals shifts in shoreline, infrastructure, settlement, wetlands, and land use across a region especially sensitive to sea-level rise and coastal transformation. The USGS, founded in the late nineteenth century, brought scientific rigor to the systematic mapping of the United States, and this quadrangle reflects that mission in its precise symbols, measured contours, and practical clarity. For collectors, historians, and admirers of Chesapeake geography, the Crisfield Quadrangle is more than a technical document: it is a finely observed record of a distinctive American coastal landscape at a particular moment in time.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Crisfield
- Lawson's
- Assateague Island
- Pocomoke Sound
- Atlantic Ocean
- Chesapeake Bay
- Long Point
- Long Island
- Various roads and railways in the surrounding area
- Water bodies identified through shading and contouring
Historical context & cartographic details
- Map name: Crisfield Quadrangle
- Produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS)
- Historical topographical map dated 1943
- Scale: 1:31,680
- Shows Crisfield, Maryland and the surrounding coastal area
- Features topographic lines indicating elevation changes
- Uses shading, contouring, and terrain coloring to distinguish features such as forests and water
- Provides insight into the landforms and geographic character of the Crisfield area
- Offers a historical snapshot useful for comparing changes in land use, urban development, 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.
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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