Rare Old Map of Solvang, California by USGS, 1959 – Buellton, Santa Ynez & Los Olivos
Restored in our London workshop from the original 1977 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 1977 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.
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Titled “Solvang,” this US Geological Survey topographical map presents California’s Santa Ynez Valley as recorded from 1959 survey data and issued with...
Continue readingTitled “Solvang,” this US Geological Survey topographical map presents California’s Santa Ynez Valley as recorded from 1959 survey data and issued with a 1977 imprint. At a 1:24,000 scale, it captures the town of Solvang and its neighboring landscape with the precision characteristic of mid-century USGS mapping. The map fixes a moment in the region’s history before later waves of development, tourism infrastructure, and suburban expansion further reshaped the valley. Solvang appears amid a network of roads, waterways, agricultural lands, and rising hills, offering a detailed view of how the Danish-influenced town sat within the broader geography of Santa Barbara County. Its historical value lies not only in what it names, but in how it reveals the relationship between settlement, terrain, and transportation.
The US Geological Survey brought to this map the disciplined visual language that made its quadrangles indispensable to engineers, planners, hikers, geologists, and historians. Contour lines articulate the hilly ground around Solvang with quiet authority, translating ridgelines, slopes, ravines, and valley floors into an elegant system of measured elevation. Green shading marks vegetated areas, while yellow indicates more open or sparsely covered land, creating a readable portrait of both natural cover and human-modified terrain. Roads, trails, streams, and cultural features are layered into the design without overwhelming it. The result is a map that is both practical and visually refined, a study in cartographic restraint where every symbol serves a clear geographic purpose.
Solvang itself sits at the heart of a distinctive cultural and physical landscape. Founded in 1911 by Danish immigrants, the town became known for its Northern European architectural character, bakeries, inns, and civic identity, all set within a quintessentially Californian valley. Nearby Santa Ynez, Los Olivos, and Buellton form a chain of settlements linked by roads, ranchlands, and the Santa Ynez River system. The map shows this network before the region’s later prominence as a wine-country destination had fully matured. In its roads and place names, one can sense a working landscape of farms, ranches, mission history, and small-town commerce, still closely tied to the contours of the valley and the routes that connected it to the coast and interior.
The surrounding geography gives the map much of its drama. The Santa Ynez River and local drainages cut through the valley, while the surrounding hills rise in closely spaced contours that show the transition from inhabited lowlands to rugged uplands. Features such as Alisal Lake, the Arroyo Hondo River, Zaca Lake, and the approaches toward Los Padres National Forest evoke a region where water, oak woodland, chaparral, and steep terrain shape movement and settlement. To the south and west, routes toward Gaviota Pass and the coastal corridor hint at the valley’s strategic position between the Pacific shore and inland California. Highway 101, one of the state’s great transportation arteries, appears as a defining modern line through an older pastoral landscape.
As a historical document, this map is especially evocative for what it preserves about land use and access in the late twentieth century. Trails, minor roads, and named natural features reveal patterns of travel that served ranching, recreation, forestry, and local communities. The proximity of Refugio State Park, Camino Cielo, the San Rafael Wilderness Area, and Los Padres National Forest places Solvang within a wider setting of protected lands and mountainous backcountry. Since the original survey, the Santa Ynez Valley has become increasingly associated with tourism, vineyards, and residential growth, making this map a valuable benchmark for comparison. It records a landscape poised between rural continuity and modern transformation, rendered with the measured clarity of classic USGS topography.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Solvang
- Buellton
- Los Olivos
- Santa Ynez
- Lompoc
- Vandenberg Village
- Gaviota Pass
- Refugio State Park
- Los Padres National Forest
- Camino Cielo
- Alisal Lake
- Arroyo Hondo River
- Zaca Lake
- San Rafael Wilderness Area
- Highway 101
- Various roads and trails in the region
- Santa Ynez River
Historical context & cartographic details
- Historical 1:24,000 topographical map depicting Solvang, California, and surrounding areas.
- Based on survey data from 1959, with a 1977 imprint.
- Produced by the US Geological Survey, known for accurate and detailed mapping for geological studies and earth science data.
- Uses a clear color scheme, including shades of green for vegetation and yellow for areas without significant vegetation.
- Contour lines show elevation changes and illustrate the hilly terrain surrounding Solvang.
- Different hues indicate various landforms and help distinguish landscape features.
- Provides a historical reference to the topography and layout of Solvang before significant modern development.
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 “Solvang,” this US Geological Survey topographical map presents California’s Santa Ynez Valley as recorded from 1959 survey data and issued with a 1977 imprint. At a 1:24,000 scale, it captures the town of Solvang and its neighboring landscape with the precision characteristic of mid-century USGS mapping. The map fixes a moment in the region’s history before later waves of development, tourism infrastructure, and suburban expansion further reshaped the valley. Solvang appears amid a network of roads, waterways, agricultural lands, and rising hills, offering a detailed view of how the Danish-influenced town sat within the broader geography of Santa Barbara County. Its historical value lies not only in what it names, but in how it reveals the relationship between settlement, terrain, and transportation.
The US Geological Survey brought to this map the disciplined visual language that made its quadrangles indispensable to engineers, planners, hikers, geologists, and historians. Contour lines articulate the hilly ground around Solvang with quiet authority, translating ridgelines, slopes, ravines, and valley floors into an elegant system of measured elevation. Green shading marks vegetated areas, while yellow indicates more open or sparsely covered land, creating a readable portrait of both natural cover and human-modified terrain. Roads, trails, streams, and cultural features are layered into the design without overwhelming it. The result is a map that is both practical and visually refined, a study in cartographic restraint where every symbol serves a clear geographic purpose.
Solvang itself sits at the heart of a distinctive cultural and physical landscape. Founded in 1911 by Danish immigrants, the town became known for its Northern European architectural character, bakeries, inns, and civic identity, all set within a quintessentially Californian valley. Nearby Santa Ynez, Los Olivos, and Buellton form a chain of settlements linked by roads, ranchlands, and the Santa Ynez River system. The map shows this network before the region’s later prominence as a wine-country destination had fully matured. In its roads and place names, one can sense a working landscape of farms, ranches, mission history, and small-town commerce, still closely tied to the contours of the valley and the routes that connected it to the coast and interior.
The surrounding geography gives the map much of its drama. The Santa Ynez River and local drainages cut through the valley, while the surrounding hills rise in closely spaced contours that show the transition from inhabited lowlands to rugged uplands. Features such as Alisal Lake, the Arroyo Hondo River, Zaca Lake, and the approaches toward Los Padres National Forest evoke a region where water, oak woodland, chaparral, and steep terrain shape movement and settlement. To the south and west, routes toward Gaviota Pass and the coastal corridor hint at the valley’s strategic position between the Pacific shore and inland California. Highway 101, one of the state’s great transportation arteries, appears as a defining modern line through an older pastoral landscape.
As a historical document, this map is especially evocative for what it preserves about land use and access in the late twentieth century. Trails, minor roads, and named natural features reveal patterns of travel that served ranching, recreation, forestry, and local communities. The proximity of Refugio State Park, Camino Cielo, the San Rafael Wilderness Area, and Los Padres National Forest places Solvang within a wider setting of protected lands and mountainous backcountry. Since the original survey, the Santa Ynez Valley has become increasingly associated with tourism, vineyards, and residential growth, making this map a valuable benchmark for comparison. It records a landscape poised between rural continuity and modern transformation, rendered with the measured clarity of classic USGS topography.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Solvang
- Buellton
- Los Olivos
- Santa Ynez
- Lompoc
- Vandenberg Village
- Gaviota Pass
- Refugio State Park
- Los Padres National Forest
- Camino Cielo
- Alisal Lake
- Arroyo Hondo River
- Zaca Lake
- San Rafael Wilderness Area
- Highway 101
- Various roads and trails in the region
- Santa Ynez River
Historical context & cartographic details
- Historical 1:24,000 topographical map depicting Solvang, California, and surrounding areas.
- Based on survey data from 1959, with a 1977 imprint.
- Produced by the US Geological Survey, known for accurate and detailed mapping for geological studies and earth science data.
- Uses a clear color scheme, including shades of green for vegetation and yellow for areas without significant vegetation.
- Contour lines show elevation changes and illustrate the hilly terrain surrounding Solvang.
- Different hues indicate various landforms and help distinguish landscape features.
- Provides a historical reference to the topography and layout of Solvang before significant modern development.
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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