Rare Old Map of Ely, Nevada by USGS, 1958: White Pine County & Steptoe Valley
Restored in our London workshop from the original 1961 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
Restored from the original 1961 map and printed to museum-grade archival standards. Full description
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Gift message & custom finish
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.
You can also contact us before you order, if you prefer!
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The US Geological Survey’s “Ely” presents eastern Nevada with the clarity and authority that made mid-century American topographic mapping indispensable. Surveyed in...
Continue readingThe US Geological Survey’s “Ely” presents eastern Nevada with the clarity and authority that made mid-century American topographic mapping indispensable. Surveyed in 1958 and published with a 1961 imprint, this 1:62,500 map captures Ely and its surrounding country at a moment when mining, ranching, road building, and public-land management were actively shaping White Pine County. Ely appears not as an isolated desert town, but as the practical hub of a much wider landscape: a place connected by highways, valleys, mountain passes, and working terrain. The map’s title is spare, yet evocative, anchoring a richly detailed portrait of the Great Basin where human settlement is carefully threaded through a demanding geography of ridges, basins, and dry expanses.
Ely’s historical identity is inseparable from mining, and this map quietly reflects that legacy through its roads, settlement patterns, and the broader topography that drew prospectors, engineers, and railroad interests into the region. White Pine County became known for copper, silver, gold, and other mineral resources, and Ely developed as a key service and transport center for nearby mining districts. The surrounding terrain—broken by Ward Mountain, Contact Peak, Elk Mountain, and other high features—suggests why extractive industries required both ambition and infrastructure. The map’s careful depiction of access routes, valleys, and elevations offers more than orientation; it reveals the physical framework within which mining communities rose, adapted, and sometimes vanished across Nevada’s rugged interior.
The cartographic language of the USGS is especially compelling here. Bright greens distinguish vegetated or forested areas, standing out against the paler tones of valley floors and desert basins, while crisp contour lines articulate every fold, slope, and summit. The result is a map of unusual visual immediacy: one can read the rise toward Ward Mountain, trace drainages into lower country, and understand how elevation governs movement, water, grazing, and settlement. The Steptoe Valley and Spring Valley appear as broad geographic corridors, contrasting with the steeper mountain country that encloses and interrupts them. This disciplined design gives the landscape a sculptural quality, transforming survey data into an elegant study of relief and landform.
The broader region shown is quintessential Great Basin country, where internal drainage, arid valleys, scattered springs, and mountain ranges create a landscape of striking contrasts. Snake Valley, Steptoe Valley, and the desert stretches associated with the Ely area speak to the basin-and-range pattern that defines much of Nevada: long north-south valleys separated by rugged uplifts. Around the highlands near present-day Cave Lake State Park, the map suggests cooler elevations, timbered slopes, and watercourses that differ sharply from the surrounding drylands. Multiple unnamed lakes and tributaries add quiet detail, reminding the viewer that even in an arid environment, water organizes both ecology and human use. The map captures this delicate balance with remarkable economy.
As a historical document, “Ely” preserves a mid-twentieth-century view of land use before later decades altered roads, recreation areas, mining operations, and patterns of development. Its value lies not only in the town it names, but in the surrounding web of natural and human geography: agricultural valleys, mining approaches, mountain trails, highways, and remote basins. Produced by the USGS, an institution central to the systematic mapping of America’s terrain and resources, it reflects the era’s faith in precise measurement and public knowledge. For collectors, it offers a refined and revealing portrait of Nevada’s eastern interior—an austere, mineral-rich, high-desert landscape rendered with scientific discipline and understated beauty.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Ely
- Steptoe Valley
- White Pine County
- Ruby Mountains
- Ward Mountain
- Contact Peak
- Spring Valley
- Cave Lake State Park
- Snake Valley
- Elk Mountain
- Multiple unnamed lakes and tributaries
- Roads and highways leading to Ely and surrounding areas
Historical context & cartographic details
- Historical 1:62,500 topographical map of Ely, Nevada and the surrounding area
- Dated 1958 with a 1961 imprint
- Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS)
- The USGS is known for detailed geographical surveys and mapping of United States topography and natural resources
- Ely is known for its mining history and its association with the Fourteenmile Desert
- Uses distinct color coding, with bright greens indicating vegetation or forested areas
- Well-defined contour lines show elevation changes effectively
- Illustrates varied terrain, including mountainous regions and valleys
- Provides a snapshot of geography and land use in 1958
- Reflects historical land use patterns, especially related to mining and agriculture
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.
The US Geological Survey’s “Ely” presents eastern Nevada with the clarity and authority that made mid-century American topographic mapping indispensable. Surveyed in 1958 and published with a 1961 imprint, this 1:62,500 map captures Ely and its surrounding country at a moment when mining, ranching, road building, and public-land management were actively shaping White Pine County. Ely appears not as an isolated desert town, but as the practical hub of a much wider landscape: a place connected by highways, valleys, mountain passes, and working terrain. The map’s title is spare, yet evocative, anchoring a richly detailed portrait of the Great Basin where human settlement is carefully threaded through a demanding geography of ridges, basins, and dry expanses.
Ely’s historical identity is inseparable from mining, and this map quietly reflects that legacy through its roads, settlement patterns, and the broader topography that drew prospectors, engineers, and railroad interests into the region. White Pine County became known for copper, silver, gold, and other mineral resources, and Ely developed as a key service and transport center for nearby mining districts. The surrounding terrain—broken by Ward Mountain, Contact Peak, Elk Mountain, and other high features—suggests why extractive industries required both ambition and infrastructure. The map’s careful depiction of access routes, valleys, and elevations offers more than orientation; it reveals the physical framework within which mining communities rose, adapted, and sometimes vanished across Nevada’s rugged interior.
The cartographic language of the USGS is especially compelling here. Bright greens distinguish vegetated or forested areas, standing out against the paler tones of valley floors and desert basins, while crisp contour lines articulate every fold, slope, and summit. The result is a map of unusual visual immediacy: one can read the rise toward Ward Mountain, trace drainages into lower country, and understand how elevation governs movement, water, grazing, and settlement. The Steptoe Valley and Spring Valley appear as broad geographic corridors, contrasting with the steeper mountain country that encloses and interrupts them. This disciplined design gives the landscape a sculptural quality, transforming survey data into an elegant study of relief and landform.
The broader region shown is quintessential Great Basin country, where internal drainage, arid valleys, scattered springs, and mountain ranges create a landscape of striking contrasts. Snake Valley, Steptoe Valley, and the desert stretches associated with the Ely area speak to the basin-and-range pattern that defines much of Nevada: long north-south valleys separated by rugged uplifts. Around the highlands near present-day Cave Lake State Park, the map suggests cooler elevations, timbered slopes, and watercourses that differ sharply from the surrounding drylands. Multiple unnamed lakes and tributaries add quiet detail, reminding the viewer that even in an arid environment, water organizes both ecology and human use. The map captures this delicate balance with remarkable economy.
As a historical document, “Ely” preserves a mid-twentieth-century view of land use before later decades altered roads, recreation areas, mining operations, and patterns of development. Its value lies not only in the town it names, but in the surrounding web of natural and human geography: agricultural valleys, mining approaches, mountain trails, highways, and remote basins. Produced by the USGS, an institution central to the systematic mapping of America’s terrain and resources, it reflects the era’s faith in precise measurement and public knowledge. For collectors, it offers a refined and revealing portrait of Nevada’s eastern interior—an austere, mineral-rich, high-desert landscape rendered with scientific discipline and understated beauty.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Ely
- Steptoe Valley
- White Pine County
- Ruby Mountains
- Ward Mountain
- Contact Peak
- Spring Valley
- Cave Lake State Park
- Snake Valley
- Elk Mountain
- Multiple unnamed lakes and tributaries
- Roads and highways leading to Ely and surrounding areas
Historical context & cartographic details
- Historical 1:62,500 topographical map of Ely, Nevada and the surrounding area
- Dated 1958 with a 1961 imprint
- Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS)
- The USGS is known for detailed geographical surveys and mapping of United States topography and natural resources
- Ely is known for its mining history and its association with the Fourteenmile Desert
- Uses distinct color coding, with bright greens indicating vegetation or forested areas
- Well-defined contour lines show elevation changes effectively
- Illustrates varied terrain, including mountainous regions and valleys
- Provides a snapshot of geography and land use in 1958
- Reflects historical land use patterns, especially related to mining and agriculture
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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