Titled “Gloucester, Massachusetts,” this 1984 United States Geological Survey topographical map presents Cape Ann’s storied Atlantic edge with the precision and clarity characteristic of late twentieth-century federal cartography. Drawn at 1:25,000 scale, it captures Gloucester and its surrounding coastline in remarkable geographic detail, using contour lines, color-coded landforms, and carefully marked waterways to reveal the relationship between settlement, elevation, and sea. Gloucester Harbor, Salem Sound, the Annisquam River, and the Blynman Canal anchor the composition, while red-marked roads, rail lines, reservoirs, parks, and forested areas convey the region’s built and natural infrastructure. The result is both a scientific document and an evocative portrait of one of America’s most enduring maritime landscapes.

The mapmaker, the United States Geological Survey, has long been one of the world’s most respected cartographic institutions, charged with transforming field measurement, aerial observation, and geographic science into authoritative maps of the American landscape. By 1984, USGS topographic mapping had reached a refined visual language: clean lettering, standardized symbols, subtle color, and dense but legible contouring. On this sheet, that system gives Cape Ann a striking intelligibility. Hills rise in concentric contour rings; beaches and coves meet the pale blue of tidal water; roads and railroads thread through the terrain. Rather than romanticizing the coast, the USGS reveals its structure, making visible the topographic logic beneath Gloucester’s working waterfront, residential neighborhoods, and rocky headlands.

Gloucester itself occupies the heart of the map, a city whose identity has been shaped for centuries by the fisheries of the North Atlantic. Its harbor appears not merely as a sheltered basin, but as the organizing force of the entire settlement, surrounded by wharves, coves, neighborhoods, and routes leading inland and along the coast. Rocky Neck, Eastern Point, Smith’s Cove, and Stage Fort Park evoke the layered history of defense, trade, art, and maritime labor that made Gloucester famous. The configuration of Gloucester Harbor and the nearby islands illustrates why this place became such a vital fishing port: protected water, immediate ocean access, and a rugged coastline ideally suited to a seafaring community.

Beyond the city, the map beautifully expresses the distinctive geography of Cape Ann. Good Harbor Beach, the Annisquam River, Salem Sound, and the indented Atlantic shoreline form a landscape of tidal passages, sandy margins, granite edges, and sheltered inlets. The contour lines show that this is not a flat coastal plain, but a varied terrain of low hills and rocky elevations descending toward coves, marshes, beaches, and harbors. Forested areas and reservoirs point to the inland resources that supported urban growth, while parks preserve notable natural and historical sites. The Blynman Canal, cutting between the Annisquam River and Gloucester Harbor, is especially significant, emphasizing the practical modifications made to improve maritime movement around Cape Ann.

As a historical document from 1984, this map offers a valuable snapshot of Gloucester at a particular moment in its modern development. Roads, railroads, parks, reservoirs, populated areas, and coastal infrastructure record the shape of the city before subsequent decades of shoreline management, residential change, tourism growth, and environmental planning altered parts of the region. For collectors, historians, and admirers of New England’s maritime towns, it preserves the intersection of landscape and livelihood: the old fishing port, the beaches and headlands, the inland hills, and the waterways that have governed movement and settlement for generations. It is a finely measured tribute to Cape Ann’s geography, where natural drama and human history remain inseparable.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Gloucester
• Gloucester Harbor
• Cape Ann
• Good Harbor Beach
• Annisquam River
• Stage Fort Park
• Rocky Neck
• Eastern Point
• Smith's Cove
• Blynman Canal
• Salem Sound
• Roads, including notable routes marked in red
• Railroads
• Harbors
• Reservoirs
• Parks
• Forested areas
• Coastlines
• Islands near the coastline
• Significant elevation peaks indicated with contour lines

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a leading scientific agency known for authoritative Earth science and mapping.
• Historical 1:25,000 topographical map of Gloucester, Massachusetts and the surrounding area.
• Dated 1984 and carrying a 1984 imprint.
• Highlights Gloucester as a historically significant fishing port with a strong maritime heritage.
• Emphasizes the area’s geographic features, populated places, and Atlantic coastal setting.
• Uses color to distinguish elevation changes, landforms, and water bodies.
• Includes contour lines to show elevation and terrain variation.
• Shows varied topography, including coastal areas, waterways, and hilly elevations.
• Provides a snapshot of land use, infrastructure, and population patterns in the Gloucester area during the early 1980s.

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 36x24in (90x60cm) 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.