Rare Old Map of Flathead Lake, Montana by USGS, 1964: Polson, Mission Mountains & Wild Horse Island
Restored in our London workshop from the original 1966 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
Restored from the original 1966 map and printed to museum-grade archival standards. 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 1966 using survey data from 1964, the US Geological Survey’s “Rollins” captures a richly contoured portion of northwestern Montana centered...
Continue readingPublished in 1966 using survey data from 1964, the US Geological Survey’s “Rollins” captures a richly contoured portion of northwestern Montana centered on Flathead Lake and its surrounding uplands. Drawn at the highly detailed 1:24,000 scale, the map belongs to the USGS’s celebrated series of 7.5-minute topographic quadrangles, designed to translate the American landscape into precise, navigable form. Here, the great blue expanse of Flathead Lake anchors the composition, while carefully spaced contour lines reveal the ridges, valleys, benches, and shoreline relief that shape the country around Rollins, Elmo, and nearby communities. It is a mid-twentieth-century portrait of a region where water, mountain, forest, and settlement meet in dramatic balance.
Flathead Lake, one of the largest natural freshwater lakes in the western United States, gives this map much of its visual and geographical power. Its long shoreline, bays, inlets, and adjacent slopes are rendered with the clarity characteristic of USGS mapping, making the lake not merely a body of water but the organizing feature of the entire landscape. The map evokes a place prized for boating, fishing, orchards, wildlife, and expansive mountain views, while also documenting the patterns of roads, creeks, and landforms as they stood in the 1960s. Features such as Wildhorse Island, Finley Point State Park, and the broader lake environment speak to Flathead Lake’s enduring importance as both an ecological haven and a recreational landmark.
The topographic language of the map is especially compelling. Fine contour lines trace the elevation changes from the lake’s edge into the surrounding hills and ridges, allowing the viewer to read the terrain almost three-dimensionally. Valleys and draws emerge through subtle bends in the contours, while steeper slopes gather in tighter intervals, creating a precise visual rhythm across the sheet. Blue water features, including Flathead Lake, the Flathead River, Spring Creek, and smaller drainage patterns, contrast with the mapped landforms and reinforce the region’s hydrological structure. Green shading identifies forested areas, helping distinguish the cultivated, settled, and wooded portions of the landscape with understated mid-century cartographic elegance.
The US Geological Survey, founded in 1879, became the principal federal authority for mapping the physical geography of the United States, and maps such as “Rollins” exemplify its disciplined approach. By the 1960s, USGS topographic quadrangles were essential tools for geologists, engineers, land managers, hikers, hunters, and local planners. Their combination of field survey, aerial photographic interpretation, and standardized symbology produced maps that were both scientifically rigorous and widely accessible. In Montana, where mountain ranges, broad valleys, rivers, tribal lands, forests, and rapidly developing recreational areas intersect, this level of topographic mapping was particularly valuable. The “Rollins” sheet reflects that institutional mission: to make the landscape measurable, legible, and enduringly useful.
As a historical document, this map preserves a revealing snapshot of the Flathead Lake region in the mid-twentieth century, before many later changes in shoreline development, transportation, tourism, and land use. Polson, Elmo, Lake Mary Ronan, the Mission Mountains, and nearby state parks and forested areas appear within a wider regional context defined by water and relief. The map invites comparison with the present, showing how roads, settlements, conservation priorities, and recreational landscapes have evolved over time. At the same time, its depiction of mountains, ridgelines, creeks, and lake contours underscores the permanence of the natural setting. “Rollins” is both a practical survey and a finely ordered portrait of one of Montana’s most distinctive lake landscapes.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Flathead Lake
- Polson
- Lake Mary Ronan
- Mission Mountains
- Flathead River
- Elmo
- Spring Creek
- Finley Point State Park
- Wildhorse Island
- Nearby valleys and ridges
- State parks and forested areas in the vicinity
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the US Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Flathead Lake, Montana, and the surrounding area
- Survey data dates from 1964, with the map published in 1966
- The USGS is a key United States agency known for detailed geological surveys and topographical maps used in scientific research, planning, navigation, and recreation
- The map uses contour lines to show elevation changes and land relief around Flathead Lake
- Water features and land areas are clearly differentiated, with blue used for water and green used for land or vegetated areas
- The map highlights the ridges, valleys, and varied terrain surrounding Flathead Lake
- Flathead Lake is notable for recreation and biodiversity, making it a significant Montana landmark
- The map reflects mid-20th-century geographic understanding of the region and can be compared with modern maps to study changes in land use and ecosystem dynamics
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 1966 using survey data from 1964, the US Geological Survey’s “Rollins” captures a richly contoured portion of northwestern Montana centered on Flathead Lake and its surrounding uplands. Drawn at the highly detailed 1:24,000 scale, the map belongs to the USGS’s celebrated series of 7.5-minute topographic quadrangles, designed to translate the American landscape into precise, navigable form. Here, the great blue expanse of Flathead Lake anchors the composition, while carefully spaced contour lines reveal the ridges, valleys, benches, and shoreline relief that shape the country around Rollins, Elmo, and nearby communities. It is a mid-twentieth-century portrait of a region where water, mountain, forest, and settlement meet in dramatic balance.
Flathead Lake, one of the largest natural freshwater lakes in the western United States, gives this map much of its visual and geographical power. Its long shoreline, bays, inlets, and adjacent slopes are rendered with the clarity characteristic of USGS mapping, making the lake not merely a body of water but the organizing feature of the entire landscape. The map evokes a place prized for boating, fishing, orchards, wildlife, and expansive mountain views, while also documenting the patterns of roads, creeks, and landforms as they stood in the 1960s. Features such as Wildhorse Island, Finley Point State Park, and the broader lake environment speak to Flathead Lake’s enduring importance as both an ecological haven and a recreational landmark.
The topographic language of the map is especially compelling. Fine contour lines trace the elevation changes from the lake’s edge into the surrounding hills and ridges, allowing the viewer to read the terrain almost three-dimensionally. Valleys and draws emerge through subtle bends in the contours, while steeper slopes gather in tighter intervals, creating a precise visual rhythm across the sheet. Blue water features, including Flathead Lake, the Flathead River, Spring Creek, and smaller drainage patterns, contrast with the mapped landforms and reinforce the region’s hydrological structure. Green shading identifies forested areas, helping distinguish the cultivated, settled, and wooded portions of the landscape with understated mid-century cartographic elegance.
The US Geological Survey, founded in 1879, became the principal federal authority for mapping the physical geography of the United States, and maps such as “Rollins” exemplify its disciplined approach. By the 1960s, USGS topographic quadrangles were essential tools for geologists, engineers, land managers, hikers, hunters, and local planners. Their combination of field survey, aerial photographic interpretation, and standardized symbology produced maps that were both scientifically rigorous and widely accessible. In Montana, where mountain ranges, broad valleys, rivers, tribal lands, forests, and rapidly developing recreational areas intersect, this level of topographic mapping was particularly valuable. The “Rollins” sheet reflects that institutional mission: to make the landscape measurable, legible, and enduringly useful.
As a historical document, this map preserves a revealing snapshot of the Flathead Lake region in the mid-twentieth century, before many later changes in shoreline development, transportation, tourism, and land use. Polson, Elmo, Lake Mary Ronan, the Mission Mountains, and nearby state parks and forested areas appear within a wider regional context defined by water and relief. The map invites comparison with the present, showing how roads, settlements, conservation priorities, and recreational landscapes have evolved over time. At the same time, its depiction of mountains, ridgelines, creeks, and lake contours underscores the permanence of the natural setting. “Rollins” is both a practical survey and a finely ordered portrait of one of Montana’s most distinctive lake landscapes.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Flathead Lake
- Polson
- Lake Mary Ronan
- Mission Mountains
- Flathead River
- Elmo
- Spring Creek
- Finley Point State Park
- Wildhorse Island
- Nearby valleys and ridges
- State parks and forested areas in the vicinity
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the US Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Flathead Lake, Montana, and the surrounding area
- Survey data dates from 1964, with the map published in 1966
- The USGS is a key United States agency known for detailed geological surveys and topographical maps used in scientific research, planning, navigation, and recreation
- The map uses contour lines to show elevation changes and land relief around Flathead Lake
- Water features and land areas are clearly differentiated, with blue used for water and green used for land or vegetated areas
- The map highlights the ridges, valleys, and varied terrain surrounding Flathead Lake
- Flathead Lake is notable for recreation and biodiversity, making it a significant Montana landmark
- The map reflects mid-20th-century geographic understanding of the region and can be compared with modern maps to study changes in land use and ecosystem dynamics
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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