Rare Old Map of Dauphin Island, Alabama by USGS, 1943: Mobile Bay, Mississippi Sound & Fort Gaines
Restored in our London workshop from the original 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 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.
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.
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“Cedar Point,” published by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1943, is a finely detailed topographical portrait of Alabama’s Gulf Coast at a...
Continue reading“Cedar Point,” published by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1943, is a finely detailed topographical portrait of Alabama’s Gulf Coast at a scale of 1:62,500. Centered on the low, intricate coastal country around Dauphin Island, Mobile Bay, and Mississippi Sound, the map captures a landscape defined by water, marsh, sand, and strategic shoreline. Its title evokes Cedar Point, the mainland threshold to Dauphin Island, but the sheet ranges across a broader maritime geography, including Fort Gaines, Fort Morgan, Bayou La Batre, Grand Bay, Dog River, and the barrier-island chain stretching toward Petit Bois and Horn Island. Created from wartime-era survey work, it preserves a moment when accurate coastal mapping was vital for navigation, defense, infrastructure, and environmental understanding.
The U.S. Geological Survey brought to this map the disciplined visual language that made its topographic sheets indispensable throughout the twentieth century. Color coding distinguishes land, water, vegetation, and built features with clarity, while contour lines trace even subtle elevation changes across an exceptionally low coastal terrain. In a region where a few feet of relief can shape drainage, settlement, road placement, and storm vulnerability, these contours are more than technical marks; they are the map’s quiet narrative of land meeting sea. Greens suggest vegetated areas and wetlands, blues define bays, sounds, rivers, and bayous, and the overall composition reveals the careful balance between scientific measurement and legible design characteristic of USGS cartography.
Dauphin Island forms the emotional and geographic heart of the sheet, lying between the open Gulf environment and the protected waters of Mobile Bay. Fort Gaines, guarding the island’s eastern end, appears within a historic military landscape linked to the defense of Mobile Bay, opposite Fort Morgan across the channel. This pairing evokes one of the Gulf Coast’s most storied entrances, where currents, shoals, and strategic headlands shaped both commerce and conflict. The map also situates Dauphin Island within a wider chain of barrier islands, including Petit Bois Island and Horn Island, emphasizing the dynamic coastal system that protects the mainland while constantly being reshaped by tides, storms, and sediment.
North and west of the island, the map opens into the intricate shorelines and waterways of coastal Alabama. Bayou La Batre, long associated with fishing, boatbuilding, and Gulf seafood culture, sits among tidal creeks, marshes, and low-lying routes that reveal how closely human settlement depended on navigable water. Grand Bay, Halls Mill, Dog River, Point aux Pines, Faulkner Island, and Islander Point appear as part of a dispersed coastal network tied to Mobile and its bay. The sheet’s topographic character makes visible the subtle hydrology of the region: bayous threading inland, wetlands grading into higher ground, and roads following the narrow opportunities offered by dry, stable terrain.
As a historical document, “Cedar Point” offers a compelling baseline for understanding decades of coastal change. Produced in 1943, it belongs to an era when the Gulf Coast was being mapped with increasing precision for military, transportation, and planning purposes; in later years, such surveys would become invaluable for postwar development, environmental study, and coastal management. Comparing its depiction of marshes, shorelines, islands, and settlements with the modern landscape reveals the long pressures of urban expansion, hurricane impact, erosion, dredging, and infrastructure growth. Its beauty lies not only in its restrained cartographic style, but in its ability to capture a fragile, shifting coast at a specific historical moment.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Dauphin Island
- Mobile
- Mobile Bay
- Mississippi Sound
- Petit Bois Island
- Horn Island
- Grand Bay
- Fort Gaines
- Fort Morgan
- Halls Mill
- Bayou La Batre
- Dog River
- Faulkner Island
- Point aux Pines
- Islander Point
- Cedar Point
Historical context & cartographic details
- Published by the US Geological Survey.
- Created in 1943 using survey data from the same year.
- Historical topographical map at a scale of 1:62,500.
- Shows the layout and features of Dauphin Island, Alabama, and the surrounding coastal area.
- Uses color coding and contour lines to show elevation changes, land use, and topographic detail.
- Highlights coastal features, wetlands, and subtle elevation changes important for understanding drainage and water flow.
- Reflects a period of post-war planning and provides insight into later geographical, infrastructural, urban, and coastal-management changes.
- The US Geological Survey is known for producing detailed topographical maps used in environmental studies, urban planning, and outdoor recreation.
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.
“Cedar Point,” published by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1943, is a finely detailed topographical portrait of Alabama’s Gulf Coast at a scale of 1:62,500. Centered on the low, intricate coastal country around Dauphin Island, Mobile Bay, and Mississippi Sound, the map captures a landscape defined by water, marsh, sand, and strategic shoreline. Its title evokes Cedar Point, the mainland threshold to Dauphin Island, but the sheet ranges across a broader maritime geography, including Fort Gaines, Fort Morgan, Bayou La Batre, Grand Bay, Dog River, and the barrier-island chain stretching toward Petit Bois and Horn Island. Created from wartime-era survey work, it preserves a moment when accurate coastal mapping was vital for navigation, defense, infrastructure, and environmental understanding.
The U.S. Geological Survey brought to this map the disciplined visual language that made its topographic sheets indispensable throughout the twentieth century. Color coding distinguishes land, water, vegetation, and built features with clarity, while contour lines trace even subtle elevation changes across an exceptionally low coastal terrain. In a region where a few feet of relief can shape drainage, settlement, road placement, and storm vulnerability, these contours are more than technical marks; they are the map’s quiet narrative of land meeting sea. Greens suggest vegetated areas and wetlands, blues define bays, sounds, rivers, and bayous, and the overall composition reveals the careful balance between scientific measurement and legible design characteristic of USGS cartography.
Dauphin Island forms the emotional and geographic heart of the sheet, lying between the open Gulf environment and the protected waters of Mobile Bay. Fort Gaines, guarding the island’s eastern end, appears within a historic military landscape linked to the defense of Mobile Bay, opposite Fort Morgan across the channel. This pairing evokes one of the Gulf Coast’s most storied entrances, where currents, shoals, and strategic headlands shaped both commerce and conflict. The map also situates Dauphin Island within a wider chain of barrier islands, including Petit Bois Island and Horn Island, emphasizing the dynamic coastal system that protects the mainland while constantly being reshaped by tides, storms, and sediment.
North and west of the island, the map opens into the intricate shorelines and waterways of coastal Alabama. Bayou La Batre, long associated with fishing, boatbuilding, and Gulf seafood culture, sits among tidal creeks, marshes, and low-lying routes that reveal how closely human settlement depended on navigable water. Grand Bay, Halls Mill, Dog River, Point aux Pines, Faulkner Island, and Islander Point appear as part of a dispersed coastal network tied to Mobile and its bay. The sheet’s topographic character makes visible the subtle hydrology of the region: bayous threading inland, wetlands grading into higher ground, and roads following the narrow opportunities offered by dry, stable terrain.
As a historical document, “Cedar Point” offers a compelling baseline for understanding decades of coastal change. Produced in 1943, it belongs to an era when the Gulf Coast was being mapped with increasing precision for military, transportation, and planning purposes; in later years, such surveys would become invaluable for postwar development, environmental study, and coastal management. Comparing its depiction of marshes, shorelines, islands, and settlements with the modern landscape reveals the long pressures of urban expansion, hurricane impact, erosion, dredging, and infrastructure growth. Its beauty lies not only in its restrained cartographic style, but in its ability to capture a fragile, shifting coast at a specific historical moment.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Dauphin Island
- Mobile
- Mobile Bay
- Mississippi Sound
- Petit Bois Island
- Horn Island
- Grand Bay
- Fort Gaines
- Fort Morgan
- Halls Mill
- Bayou La Batre
- Dog River
- Faulkner Island
- Point aux Pines
- Islander Point
- Cedar Point
Historical context & cartographic details
- Published by the US Geological Survey.
- Created in 1943 using survey data from the same year.
- Historical topographical map at a scale of 1:62,500.
- Shows the layout and features of Dauphin Island, Alabama, and the surrounding coastal area.
- Uses color coding and contour lines to show elevation changes, land use, and topographic detail.
- Highlights coastal features, wetlands, and subtle elevation changes important for understanding drainage and water flow.
- Reflects a period of post-war planning and provides insight into later geographical, infrastructural, urban, and coastal-management changes.
- The US Geological Survey is known for producing detailed topographical maps used in environmental studies, urban planning, and outdoor recreation.
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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