Rare Old Map of Paso Robles, California by USGS, 1948 – Templeton, Atascadero & Salinas River
Restored in our London workshop from the original 1952 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 1952 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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Titled “Paso Robles,” this United States Geological Survey topographical map presents a finely measured portrait of California’s inland Central Coast as it...
Continue readingTitled “Paso Robles,” this United States Geological Survey topographical map presents a finely measured portrait of California’s inland Central Coast as it stood in 1948, later issued with a 1952 imprint. Centered on the town of Paso Robles, the sheet situates the community within a wider geography of rivers, roads, rail lines, agricultural parcels, hills, and valleys. Its 1:24,000 scale gives the landscape an unusually intimate clarity, revealing both the ordered urban grid and the rural lands that sustained it. The subdued USGS palette, strengthened by red markings for prominent cultural features, creates a map that is practical, elegant, and quietly atmospheric—a precise mid-century record of a region poised between ranching tradition and later transformation.
The United States Geological Survey brought to maps like this a distinctive authority, combining scientific rigor with a disciplined visual language. Founded to study the nation’s geology, water, minerals, and terrain, the USGS became indispensable to land managers, engineers, planners, hikers, and historians. In this Paso Robles sheet, its craft is visible in every contour, road symbol, hydrographic line, and section boundary. There is no unnecessary ornament; instead, the beauty lies in exact observation. The map’s grid system allows the terrain to be read systematically, while contour lines translate elevation into graceful, rhythmic curves. It is both a working document and a compelling cartographic composition, where government precision becomes an art of landscape description.
Paso Robles appears here as a compact settlement set amid a broader agricultural world. Long known for its mineral hot springs, ranching, orchards, grain fields, and later vineyards, the town occupied an important position along regional travel and trade routes. Rail lines running near Paso Robles underscore the significance of transportation in connecting inland San Luis Obispo County to markets beyond the valley. Nearby roads extend toward Templeton and Atascadero, linking the map to a string of Central Coast communities shaped by agriculture, settlement, and movement. The many parcels of land surrounding the town suggest cultivated use and rural planning, preserving a view of Paso Robles before the area became internationally associated with wine tourism.
Water gives the map much of its historical and geographical meaning. The Salinas River, one of California’s major coastal river systems, anchors the region’s drainage and helped shape patterns of settlement and cultivation. Santa Rosa Creek, the Nacimiento River, and other waterways add further structure, tracing natural corridors through the hills and valleys. In a landscape defined by dry summers and variable rainfall, such features were not mere cartographic details but essential elements of life, agriculture, and development. The map’s hydrography, in concert with contour lines, reveals how water moved through the terrain and how human activity gathered around viable routes, fertile ground, and accessible crossings.
The topographic character of the Paso Robles region is rendered with particular sensitivity. Contour lines show the surrounding hills rising from valleys and agricultural lowlands, describing a terrain neither flat nor mountainous but richly undulating. These elevation changes explain the placement of roads, parcels, rail lines, and settlements, making the map a key to understanding how geography guided human decisions. As a historical snapshot from nearly three-quarters of a century ago, it invites comparison with the modern landscape: expanded urban edges, altered infrastructure, and the dramatic growth of vineyards across the region. This map preserves the earlier pattern beneath those changes, offering a graceful and data-rich view of Paso Robles before its contemporary identity fully emerged.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Paso Robles
- Salinas River
- Santa Rosa Creek
- Templeton
- Atascadero
- Nacimiento River
- Various major and minor roads
- Rail lines
- Numerous parcels of land indicating agricultural uses
- Nearby hills and valleys
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the United States Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Paso Robles, California, and the surrounding area
- Dated 1948 and issued with a 1952 imprint
- The USGS is known for detailed topographical maps used for recreation, geology, and land management
- Uses subdued colors typical of USGS map design
- Employs contour lines to show elevation changes and physical geography
- Uses red for major features to improve visibility and readability
- Shows hilly terrain and valleys characteristic of the Paso Robles area
- Reflects the landscape as it appeared nearly 75 years ago
- Provides insight into historical land use and urban development changes over time
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 “Paso Robles,” this United States Geological Survey topographical map presents a finely measured portrait of California’s inland Central Coast as it stood in 1948, later issued with a 1952 imprint. Centered on the town of Paso Robles, the sheet situates the community within a wider geography of rivers, roads, rail lines, agricultural parcels, hills, and valleys. Its 1:24,000 scale gives the landscape an unusually intimate clarity, revealing both the ordered urban grid and the rural lands that sustained it. The subdued USGS palette, strengthened by red markings for prominent cultural features, creates a map that is practical, elegant, and quietly atmospheric—a precise mid-century record of a region poised between ranching tradition and later transformation.
The United States Geological Survey brought to maps like this a distinctive authority, combining scientific rigor with a disciplined visual language. Founded to study the nation’s geology, water, minerals, and terrain, the USGS became indispensable to land managers, engineers, planners, hikers, and historians. In this Paso Robles sheet, its craft is visible in every contour, road symbol, hydrographic line, and section boundary. There is no unnecessary ornament; instead, the beauty lies in exact observation. The map’s grid system allows the terrain to be read systematically, while contour lines translate elevation into graceful, rhythmic curves. It is both a working document and a compelling cartographic composition, where government precision becomes an art of landscape description.
Paso Robles appears here as a compact settlement set amid a broader agricultural world. Long known for its mineral hot springs, ranching, orchards, grain fields, and later vineyards, the town occupied an important position along regional travel and trade routes. Rail lines running near Paso Robles underscore the significance of transportation in connecting inland San Luis Obispo County to markets beyond the valley. Nearby roads extend toward Templeton and Atascadero, linking the map to a string of Central Coast communities shaped by agriculture, settlement, and movement. The many parcels of land surrounding the town suggest cultivated use and rural planning, preserving a view of Paso Robles before the area became internationally associated with wine tourism.
Water gives the map much of its historical and geographical meaning. The Salinas River, one of California’s major coastal river systems, anchors the region’s drainage and helped shape patterns of settlement and cultivation. Santa Rosa Creek, the Nacimiento River, and other waterways add further structure, tracing natural corridors through the hills and valleys. In a landscape defined by dry summers and variable rainfall, such features were not mere cartographic details but essential elements of life, agriculture, and development. The map’s hydrography, in concert with contour lines, reveals how water moved through the terrain and how human activity gathered around viable routes, fertile ground, and accessible crossings.
The topographic character of the Paso Robles region is rendered with particular sensitivity. Contour lines show the surrounding hills rising from valleys and agricultural lowlands, describing a terrain neither flat nor mountainous but richly undulating. These elevation changes explain the placement of roads, parcels, rail lines, and settlements, making the map a key to understanding how geography guided human decisions. As a historical snapshot from nearly three-quarters of a century ago, it invites comparison with the modern landscape: expanded urban edges, altered infrastructure, and the dramatic growth of vineyards across the region. This map preserves the earlier pattern beneath those changes, offering a graceful and data-rich view of Paso Robles before its contemporary identity fully emerged.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Paso Robles
- Salinas River
- Santa Rosa Creek
- Templeton
- Atascadero
- Nacimiento River
- Various major and minor roads
- Rail lines
- Numerous parcels of land indicating agricultural uses
- Nearby hills and valleys
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the United States Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Paso Robles, California, and the surrounding area
- Dated 1948 and issued with a 1952 imprint
- The USGS is known for detailed topographical maps used for recreation, geology, and land management
- Uses subdued colors typical of USGS map design
- Employs contour lines to show elevation changes and physical geography
- Uses red for major features to improve visibility and readability
- Shows hilly terrain and valleys characteristic of the Paso Robles area
- Reflects the landscape as it appeared nearly 75 years ago
- Provides insight into historical land use and urban development changes over time
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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