Published in 1946 from contemporary survey work, the United States Geological Survey’s “New Albany” presents Louisville, Kentucky, and the Indiana shore opposite it at a pivotal postwar moment. At a 1:24,000 scale, the map captures the dense urban fabric of Louisville, the organized street grids of New Albany, and the broad, commanding course of the Ohio River between them. Red road networks and rail corridors thread through the scene, while contour lines and subtle color gradients reveal the land’s underlying shape. The result is both a technical document and a portrait of a river city region in transition, balancing established commercial power, expanding neighborhoods, and the infrastructure that would define mid-century metropolitan growth.

The USGS brought to this map the disciplined precision for which it became one of America’s most important scientific institutions. Founded in the late nineteenth century to classify public lands and study the nation’s geology, the Survey evolved into a central authority on topographic mapping, water resources, mineral knowledge, and landscape data. By 1946, its quadrangle maps had become indispensable to engineers, planners, military authorities, and civic leaders. In “New Albany,” that institutional rigor is visible in every contour, symbol, and alignment. Streets, railroads, waterways, and elevation changes are rendered with clarity, creating a layered geographic record of a region where commerce, settlement, and terrain were inseparably connected.

The Ohio River dominates the composition, not merely as a boundary between Kentucky and Indiana, but as the historical engine of the area’s development. Louisville owed much of its prominence to its position at the Falls of the Ohio, the only major natural obstruction along the river’s long navigable route. These rapids shaped transportation, trade, engineering, and settlement from the earliest colonial and frontier periods onward. On the map, the river’s bends, islands, banks, and crossings convey the strategic importance of this corridor. New Albany, directly across the water, appears as part of the same economic landscape, tied to Louisville by ferries, bridges, rail connections, and a shared riverine history.

The topography gives the map much of its character. Contour lines mark the gradual rise from the river bottoms into surrounding hills and valleys, showing how elevation influenced roads, neighborhoods, industrial sites, and open land. Louisville’s flatter urban core contrasts with more varied terrain toward the outskirts, while the Indiana side reveals its own patterns of settlement shaped by slope and drainage. The careful depiction of Camp Taylor and surrounding districts offers a glimpse of military and suburban geographies that had taken on new meaning after World War II. Rail lines and arterial roads cut across the landscape, testifying to Louisville’s role as a transportation hub linking river, rail, and highway systems.

As a historical document, “New Albany” is especially evocative for the moment it preserves: the first year after the war, when American cities were beginning to expand rapidly beyond older industrial and commercial cores. Louisville’s street network, rail yards, riverfront zones, and nearby communities appear before many later highways and suburban transformations reshaped the metropolitan area. The smaller neighborhoods within New Albany, the mapped roadways, and the clearly drawn rail infrastructure all speak to an interconnected urban region poised for growth. This is a map of practical beauty—scientific in method, elegant in design, and rich in historical implication—showing a celebrated Ohio River landscape at the threshold of modern change.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Louisville, Kentucky
• New Albany, Indiana
• The Ohio River
• Falls of the Ohio
• Camp Taylor
• Various small neighborhoods within New Albany
• Roadways and railroads across the region

Historical context & cartographic details

• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map titled New Albany
• Reflects survey data from 1946
• Produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS)
• Shows Louisville, Kentucky, and parts of Indiana across the Ohio River
• Uses color gradients to represent elevation and terrain
• Features clearly delineated grid and street layouts in red
• Contour lines indicate hills, valleys, and varied elevations
• Provides insight into post-World War II urban and rural development
• Highlights Louisville’s historical importance in transportation and commerce

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.