Published in 1941, the US Geological Survey’s “Pocasset” presents Bourne, Massachusetts, and the surrounding Cape Cod approaches at the detailed scale of 1:31,680. It captures the region at a charged historical moment, on the eve of America’s entry into World War II, when coastal geography, transport routes, and military installations carried heightened strategic importance. The map’s title evokes the village of Pocasset, but its scope extends across a wider landscape of bays, waterways, roads, railways, wooded tracts, and settled neighborhoods. Rendered in the disciplined USGS style, it combines practical precision with understated beauty: green land tones, blue water bodies, and a navigational grid give the sheet both clarity and period character.

Bourne occupies a privileged position on this map, poised between mainland Massachusetts and Cape Cod, with the Cape Cod Canal serving as its defining engineered landmark. Opened in the early twentieth century and later improved as a major maritime shortcut, the canal transformed the geography of coastal navigation by allowing vessels to avoid the hazardous outer Cape route. On the map, its linear presence cuts with striking purpose through the landscape, linking Buzzards Bay with the waters beyond and organizing the surrounding roads, rail connections, and settlements. The nearby shoreline, inlets, and low-lying coastal terrain speak to the long relationship between this region and the sea, from local fishing and ferry traffic to national defense and commercial shipping.

The US Geological Survey, established in 1879, brought a scientific rigor to American cartography that is immediately evident here. Its maps were not merely pictorial records, but instruments of measurement, planning, and public knowledge, grounded in field surveys and standardized symbology. In “Pocasset,” elevation is described through fine contour work and related topographic markings, revealing the modest but important variations in the Cape’s glacially shaped terrain. Roads, railways, trails, ponds, streams, forests, and residential clusters are set into a coherent visual system, allowing the viewer to read both natural landform and human occupation. The result is a map that feels at once administrative, geographic, and quietly poetic.

The inclusion of Camp Hingham gives the map particular wartime resonance. In the early 1940s, Massachusetts’ coastal and inland military sites formed part of a broader network of training, logistics, and defense infrastructure, and their appearance on contemporary maps offers a revealing glimpse into how the region was organized before the immense changes of the postwar decades. Military grounds, roads, and open spaces appear alongside villages, rail lines, waterways, and wooded areas, suggesting a landscape in transition. Compared with today’s more developed Cape Cod corridor, the map preserves a view of Bourne and its environs when strategic readiness, rural settlement, and coastal ecology still existed in close proximity.

As a historical document, “Pocasset” is especially compelling because it records the Cape Cod landscape before modern expansion reshaped many of its roads, neighborhoods, and recreational spaces. Buzzards Bay, the canal corridor, scattered lakes, unnamed rivers, forests, and residential enclaves appear as parts of a balanced regional portrait, one in which infrastructure and nature remain visibly intertwined. The cartographic palette is restrained yet evocative, its blue waters and green land areas lending immediate legibility while preserving the elegance of mid-century government mapping. For collectors drawn to coastal New England, military history, or the evolution of American topographic surveying, this map offers a richly layered view of Bourne at a pivotal moment in time.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Bourne
• Camp Hingham
• Cape Cod Canal
• Buzzards Bay
• Lakes (various unnamed)
• Rivers (various unnamed)
• Forested areas
• Roads (including railways)
• Residential areas
• Neighbourhoods (various unnamed)
• Trails
• Points of interest around Bourne

Historical context & cartographic details

• Name of the map: Pocasset
• Produced by the US Geological Survey, this historical 1:31,680 topographical map shows Bourne, Massachusetts and the surrounding area.
• Date of creation: 1941
• Mapmaker/Publisher: US Geological Survey (USGS), an agency known for mapping and geological data collection.
• The map uses a clear period color scheme, with green hues for land and blue for water bodies.
• A grid overlay is included for navigation and reference.
• The map highlights the varied terrain of Bourne and its surroundings, using hachures and lines to show elevation changes and natural features.
• The map reflects the period just before World War II, offering insight into the structure of military training areas during the early 1940s.

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.