Rare Old Map of Ocracoke, North Carolina by USGS, 1948: Outer Banks, Pamlico Sound & Hatteras Inlet
Restored in our London workshop from the original 1984 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 1984 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.
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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Titled simply “Ocracoke,” this United States Geological Survey topographic map presents one of North Carolina’s most evocative coastal landscapes: the slender barrier...
Continue readingTitled simply “Ocracoke,” this United States Geological Survey topographic map presents one of North Carolina’s most evocative coastal landscapes: the slender barrier island between Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. Published in 1984 from a map dated 1948, it captures Ocracoke at a pivotal moment, before later decades of tourism, infrastructure change, and coastal management reshaped the island’s built environment. At 1:24,000 scale, the map offers an intimate view of Ocracoke Village, Silver Lake, the surrounding shoals and waterways, and the long, low sweep of sand and marsh that defines the island. Its careful topographic language reveals a place where elevation is subtle, water is dominant, and geography has always dictated the rhythms of settlement, travel, and survival.
The US Geological Survey, responsible for this map, brought to Ocracoke the rigorous standards of one of America’s most important scientific mapping institutions. Founded in the late nineteenth century, the USGS became central to the systematic measurement of the nation’s terrain, waters, minerals, and hazards, producing maps that served engineers, conservationists, planners, soldiers, and travelers alike. Here, its disciplined cartographic style is especially well suited to the Outer Banks, where small changes in shoreline, marsh, inlet, or road could carry outsized importance. The use of contour lines, hydrographic detail, and color-coded landforms turns an apparently simple coastal scene into a finely observed environmental record, documenting the fragile meeting place of land, sound, inlet, and ocean.
Ocracoke Island occupies a storied position in the geography of the Outer Banks, isolated yet historically significant as a maritime gateway. The map situates Ocracoke Village beside Silver Lake, the sheltered harbor that long shaped local life, anchorage, fishing, and transport. Nearby, the Ocracoke Lighthouse stands as one of the island’s defining landmarks, a beacon linked to the hazards and commerce of the Carolina coast. The surrounding waters—Pamlico Sound to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east—emphasize the island’s dual character: protected soundside settlement and exposed oceanside frontier. Place names such as The Plains, Caney Creek, Goldboro, and Hatteras Inlet evoke a coastal vocabulary of shifting sands, local memory, and navigational necessity.
The topographic character of the map is unusually compelling precisely because the terrain is so low and delicate. Rather than dramatic mountains or steep valleys, Ocracoke’s geography is expressed through beaches, marshes, tidal creeks, dunes, flats, and the faintest rises in elevation. The contour lines, spare yet meaningful, help reveal how little separates village, road, and wetland from the encircling waters. Sandy beaches trace the Atlantic edge, while marshland and soundside shallows show the island’s ecological richness and vulnerability. Hatteras Inlet, to the north, reminds the viewer that this is a landscape in motion, where storms, currents, and sediment continually alter the borders between land and sea.
As a historical document, this map records Ocracoke before its modern identity as a beloved Outer Banks destination fully matured. It hints at a community still closely tied to fishing, ferries, local roads, and maritime access, while foreshadowing the pressures that would come with increased visitation and coastal development. The presence of the Atlantic Ocean, Pamlico Sound, and the offshore influence of the Gulf Stream places the island within a larger environmental system of weather, migration, navigation, and storm risk. For collectors, “Ocracoke” is more than a coastal quadrangle: it is a precise and atmospheric portrait of a barrier island whose beauty lies in its exposure, remoteness, and enduring relationship with the sea.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Ocracoke
- Ocracoke Village
- Pamlico Sound
- Atlantic Ocean
- The Plains
- Hatteras Inlet
- Goldboro
- Caney Creek
- Silver Lake
- Ocracoke Lighthouse
- The Gulf Stream
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the US Geological Survey
- Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Ocracoke, North Carolina and the surrounding area
- Dated 1948 with a 1984 imprint
- The US Geological Survey played a crucial role in surveying and mapping the United States
- Shows Ocracoke Island, Ocracoke Village, Pamlico Sound, and the Atlantic Ocean
- Ocracoke is known for its historic lighthouse, beaches, and role as a gateway to the Outer Banks
- Features clear delineation of landforms and color-coded terrain
- Uses standard topographic contour lines to represent elevation
- Portrays low-lying coastal terrain, including sandy beaches and marshlands
- Captures a period when Ocracoke was developing as a destination
- Highlights historical infrastructure that has changed over time due to tourism and environmental factors
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.
Titled simply “Ocracoke,” this United States Geological Survey topographic map presents one of North Carolina’s most evocative coastal landscapes: the slender barrier island between Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. Published in 1984 from a map dated 1948, it captures Ocracoke at a pivotal moment, before later decades of tourism, infrastructure change, and coastal management reshaped the island’s built environment. At 1:24,000 scale, the map offers an intimate view of Ocracoke Village, Silver Lake, the surrounding shoals and waterways, and the long, low sweep of sand and marsh that defines the island. Its careful topographic language reveals a place where elevation is subtle, water is dominant, and geography has always dictated the rhythms of settlement, travel, and survival.
The US Geological Survey, responsible for this map, brought to Ocracoke the rigorous standards of one of America’s most important scientific mapping institutions. Founded in the late nineteenth century, the USGS became central to the systematic measurement of the nation’s terrain, waters, minerals, and hazards, producing maps that served engineers, conservationists, planners, soldiers, and travelers alike. Here, its disciplined cartographic style is especially well suited to the Outer Banks, where small changes in shoreline, marsh, inlet, or road could carry outsized importance. The use of contour lines, hydrographic detail, and color-coded landforms turns an apparently simple coastal scene into a finely observed environmental record, documenting the fragile meeting place of land, sound, inlet, and ocean.
Ocracoke Island occupies a storied position in the geography of the Outer Banks, isolated yet historically significant as a maritime gateway. The map situates Ocracoke Village beside Silver Lake, the sheltered harbor that long shaped local life, anchorage, fishing, and transport. Nearby, the Ocracoke Lighthouse stands as one of the island’s defining landmarks, a beacon linked to the hazards and commerce of the Carolina coast. The surrounding waters—Pamlico Sound to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east—emphasize the island’s dual character: protected soundside settlement and exposed oceanside frontier. Place names such as The Plains, Caney Creek, Goldboro, and Hatteras Inlet evoke a coastal vocabulary of shifting sands, local memory, and navigational necessity.
The topographic character of the map is unusually compelling precisely because the terrain is so low and delicate. Rather than dramatic mountains or steep valleys, Ocracoke’s geography is expressed through beaches, marshes, tidal creeks, dunes, flats, and the faintest rises in elevation. The contour lines, spare yet meaningful, help reveal how little separates village, road, and wetland from the encircling waters. Sandy beaches trace the Atlantic edge, while marshland and soundside shallows show the island’s ecological richness and vulnerability. Hatteras Inlet, to the north, reminds the viewer that this is a landscape in motion, where storms, currents, and sediment continually alter the borders between land and sea.
As a historical document, this map records Ocracoke before its modern identity as a beloved Outer Banks destination fully matured. It hints at a community still closely tied to fishing, ferries, local roads, and maritime access, while foreshadowing the pressures that would come with increased visitation and coastal development. The presence of the Atlantic Ocean, Pamlico Sound, and the offshore influence of the Gulf Stream places the island within a larger environmental system of weather, migration, navigation, and storm risk. For collectors, “Ocracoke” is more than a coastal quadrangle: it is a precise and atmospheric portrait of a barrier island whose beauty lies in its exposure, remoteness, and enduring relationship with the sea.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Ocracoke
- Ocracoke Village
- Pamlico Sound
- Atlantic Ocean
- The Plains
- Hatteras Inlet
- Goldboro
- Caney Creek
- Silver Lake
- Ocracoke Lighthouse
- The Gulf Stream
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the US Geological Survey
- Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Ocracoke, North Carolina and the surrounding area
- Dated 1948 with a 1984 imprint
- The US Geological Survey played a crucial role in surveying and mapping the United States
- Shows Ocracoke Island, Ocracoke Village, Pamlico Sound, and the Atlantic Ocean
- Ocracoke is known for its historic lighthouse, beaches, and role as a gateway to the Outer Banks
- Features clear delineation of landforms and color-coded terrain
- Uses standard topographic contour lines to represent elevation
- Portrays low-lying coastal terrain, including sandy beaches and marshlands
- Captures a period when Ocracoke was developing as a destination
- Highlights historical infrastructure that has changed over time due to tourism and environmental factors
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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