Aguascalientes is the proud title of this 1922 sheet prepared by the Mexico Dirección de Estudios Geográficos y Climatológicos under the Secretaría de Agricultura y Fomento, issued within the celebrated second edition of the Atlas Geográfico de la República Mexicana conceived between 1919 and 1921. It presents the state with a scientist’s restraint and an artist’s sensitivity: political limits are crisply drawn against the neighboring entities of Zacatecas and Jalisco, while a precise border of geographic coordinates encloses the scene. Relief shading animates the central plateau, allowing elevations to emerge as living forms rather than mere numbers. Cities, towns, rivers, roads, and landmarks are rendered with a disciplined symbol set and lucid typography, creating a legible and authoritative portrait of this strategic heartland of Mexico.

The physical geography unfolds in measured gradations of light and shade, revealing a landscape of uplifted highlands, intermontane basins, and watercourses that articulate the state’s natural rhythms. Rivers and seasonal streams are traced with thoughtful precision, their sinuous paths gathering tributaries and delineating arable valleys. Roads naturally follow these corridors, threading along gentler slopes and passes before fanning into the broader plains. Relief shading is not decorative; it is analytical, clarifying how elevation steers settlement and movement. Lakes and water bodies punctuate the terrain, and the cartographers’ careful placement of toponyms keeps the reader oriented among ridgelines, gullies, and flats—an elegantly encoded lesson in the intimate dialogue between landform and life.

Human geography is no less vivid. Aguascalientes, the state capital, commands the central node, its prominence underscored by typographic hierarchy and the convergence of regional roads. Around it, the constellation of towns—Calvillo to the west, Asientos to the northeast, Cosío along the northern approaches, and San José de Gracia in the uplands—illustrates a coherent network of habitation and exchange. Each settlement is set in clear relation to nearby waterways and elevations, revealing a pattern of communities sited for access, protection, and productivity. The map’s labeling treats even modest localities with care, charting an administrative and social landscape that balances urban gravity with rural dispersal. In these connections—roads bridging valleys, names anchoring place—the atlas silently narrates the everyday journeys that stitch the state together.

Behind this clarity stands a rigorous technical program. The atlas was conceived with a complete set of geologic maps designed to be overlaid with corresponding relief sheets, an innovation that transformed topography into three-dimensional understanding. Such pairing lets the reader perceive how structure underlies form: strata align with ridges, faults steer drainages, and resources follow the grain of the land. Ing. Sotero Prieto, head of cartography, imposed a disciplined language of symbols and scale, while Ing. Ricardo Toscano, as head of calculations, ensured positional fidelity through careful geodetic control. Together they melded mathematics and design, yielding a state portrait equally suited to scientific inquiry, agricultural planning, and the prudent tracing of transportation corridors across challenging ground.

The atlas that cradles this sheet is as culturally eloquent as it is scientific. Its cover stages a vibrant view of the Southwestern Coast of North America alongside traditional Mayan motifs, asserting a modern nation confident enough to wed ancestral artistry with contemporary geographic science. Within that broader vision, Aguascalientes serves as a microcosm: a page where refined lettering, disciplined symbols, and luminous relief shading translate territory into knowledge. It captures Mexico at a pivotal early twentieth-century moment—consolidating boundaries, mapping resources, and connecting settlements—while honoring the textures of landscape and memory. To contemplate this map is to see the choreography of land, water, and road set to the measured cadence of a new cartographic era.

Cities and towns on this map

• Aguascalientes (capital city, significant population)
• Calvillo
• Asientos
• Cosío
• San José de Gracia

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Relief shading indicating varied elevations and geographical features.
• Major towns and cities, represented with labels to indicate their names.
• Roads connecting different locations throughout the region.
• Rivers and water bodies marked on the landscape.
• Geographic coordinates noted along the edges of the map.
• Important landmarks indicated symbolically or through labels.

Historical and design context

• Map Title: Aguascalientes
• Creation Date: 1922
• Mapmaker/Publisher: Mexico Dirección de Estudios Geográficos y Climatológicos, under the Secretaría de Agricultura y Fomento.
• Publication Background: Part of the second edition of the Atlas Geográfico de la República Mexicana published from 1919-1921.
• Content Overview: Depicts geographic features such as cities, towns, rivers, roads, and offers relief shading to illustrate elevation.
• Technical Aspects: Includes a complete set of geologic maps designed to be overlaid with the corresponding relief maps, enhancing the map's detail.
• Artistic Elements: The cover features a vibrant color illustration of the Southwestern Coast of North America alongside traditional Mayan art, emphasizing cultural relevance.
• Contributors: Noted individuals include Ing. Sotero Prieto (head of cartography) and Ing. Ricardo Toscano (head of calculations).
• Historical Significance: Serves as a resource documenting the geographical and cultural landscape of Mexico in the early 20th century.
• Themes Depicted: Political boundaries, physical geography (mountains, rivers), settlement patterns, and transportation networks.

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 70in (180cm). 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.