Rare Old Map of Aurora, New York by USGS, 1943: Cayuga Lake, Union Springs & Romulus
Restored in our London workshop from the original 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 Australia
My maps are rare, museum-grade, restored old maps sourced from libraries, auction houses and private collections across the globe. Full description
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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 “Union Springs Quadrangle,” this 1943 United States Geological Survey map presents a precise and quietly beautiful portrait of central New York’s...
Continue readingTitled “Union Springs Quadrangle,” this 1943 United States Geological Survey map presents a precise and quietly beautiful portrait of central New York’s Finger Lakes landscape at a scale of 1:31,680. Centered on Union Springs and Aurora, it captures the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake and the rolling country that rises away from the water into farms, villages, roads, and wooded parcels. Its disciplined topographic language—brown contour lines, carefully graded relief, and green indications of vegetation—transforms a rural region into an elegant scientific image. Published during the Second World War, the map also belongs to an era when accurate domestic mapping was essential for planning, infrastructure, land management, and resource assessment.
The US Geological Survey, established in 1879, became one of America’s great scientific institutions through exactly this kind of work: systematic, standardized, and remarkably detailed mapping of the nation’s terrain. USGS quadrangles were designed to serve engineers, surveyors, planners, geologists, farmers, and government agencies, yet they also possess a restrained visual sophistication that has made them enduring historical documents. On the “Union Springs Quadrangle,” the Survey’s cartographic method is especially evident in the balance between natural form and human settlement. Roads, trails, shorelines, boundaries, drainage, and elevation are rendered with clarity, allowing the viewer to understand not merely where places are, but how the land itself shaped habitation and movement.
Cayuga Lake is the great geographic presence on the map, its long Finger Lakes shoreline defining the western side of the quadrangle and shaping the character of Aurora, Union Springs, Long Point, and nearby lakeside communities. The land rises in gentle but perceptible stages from the water, with contour lines revealing valleys, ridges, and the softly undulating terrain typical of glaciated central New York. This is a landscape formed by ice and water, where fertile soils, lake-moderated climate, and natural corridors encouraged agriculture, settlement, and transport. The map’s topography makes visible the relationship between village sites, shore access, upland farms, and the broader Cayuga basin.
The named places on the map evoke a layered local history: Aurora, with its lakeside setting and long association with education and commerce; Union Springs, positioned along the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake; Romulus and Ovid to the west and southwest in the wider Finger Lakes sphere; and smaller localities such as Sicard, Lakewood, Frontenac Manor, and Holland Land. Roads and trails stitch these communities into a rural network, showing how movement followed the grain of the terrain. The map also records the patterns of 1943 land use—open country, wooded areas, settlement clusters, and infrastructure—offering a valuable snapshot of a region before later suburban and ecological change.
As a historical topographic map, the “Union Springs Quadrangle” is compelling because it captures both permanence and transition. The contours describe ancient landforms that remain largely unchanged, while the roads, settlements, parks, open spaces, and cultivated areas reveal a human geography specific to the mid-twentieth century. Its visual economy rewards close study: a shoreline bend, a subtle rise in elevation, a road threading between farms, or a village aligned with water and slope. For collectors of American maps, Finger Lakes history, or scientific cartography, this sheet offers more than geographic information. It is a refined documentary image of place, where natural beauty and federal precision meet.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Aurora
- Union Springs
- Romulus
- Cayuga Lake
- Hollanders / Holland Land
- Frontenac Manor
- Sicard
- Lakewood
- Ovid
- Long Point
- Various roads and trails
- Nearby parks and open spaces
- Neighboring infrastructure visible in the topography
Historical context & cartographic details
- Historical 1:31,680 topographical map dated 1943
- Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS)
- Shows Aurora, Union Springs, and the surrounding Finger Lakes region of New York
- USGS topographical maps were important for land management, planning, and natural resource assessment
- Displays contour lines representing elevation changes and terrain features
- Uses green to indicate vegetation or flatter land and brown to delineate elevation
- Depicts rolling hills, valleys, and the area’s proximity to Cayuga Lake
- Provides insight into land use, settlements, and geographic features as they appeared in 1943
- Helps show changes in development and ecology 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 “Union Springs Quadrangle,” this 1943 United States Geological Survey map presents a precise and quietly beautiful portrait of central New York’s Finger Lakes landscape at a scale of 1:31,680. Centered on Union Springs and Aurora, it captures the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake and the rolling country that rises away from the water into farms, villages, roads, and wooded parcels. Its disciplined topographic language—brown contour lines, carefully graded relief, and green indications of vegetation—transforms a rural region into an elegant scientific image. Published during the Second World War, the map also belongs to an era when accurate domestic mapping was essential for planning, infrastructure, land management, and resource assessment.
The US Geological Survey, established in 1879, became one of America’s great scientific institutions through exactly this kind of work: systematic, standardized, and remarkably detailed mapping of the nation’s terrain. USGS quadrangles were designed to serve engineers, surveyors, planners, geologists, farmers, and government agencies, yet they also possess a restrained visual sophistication that has made them enduring historical documents. On the “Union Springs Quadrangle,” the Survey’s cartographic method is especially evident in the balance between natural form and human settlement. Roads, trails, shorelines, boundaries, drainage, and elevation are rendered with clarity, allowing the viewer to understand not merely where places are, but how the land itself shaped habitation and movement.
Cayuga Lake is the great geographic presence on the map, its long Finger Lakes shoreline defining the western side of the quadrangle and shaping the character of Aurora, Union Springs, Long Point, and nearby lakeside communities. The land rises in gentle but perceptible stages from the water, with contour lines revealing valleys, ridges, and the softly undulating terrain typical of glaciated central New York. This is a landscape formed by ice and water, where fertile soils, lake-moderated climate, and natural corridors encouraged agriculture, settlement, and transport. The map’s topography makes visible the relationship between village sites, shore access, upland farms, and the broader Cayuga basin.
The named places on the map evoke a layered local history: Aurora, with its lakeside setting and long association with education and commerce; Union Springs, positioned along the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake; Romulus and Ovid to the west and southwest in the wider Finger Lakes sphere; and smaller localities such as Sicard, Lakewood, Frontenac Manor, and Holland Land. Roads and trails stitch these communities into a rural network, showing how movement followed the grain of the terrain. The map also records the patterns of 1943 land use—open country, wooded areas, settlement clusters, and infrastructure—offering a valuable snapshot of a region before later suburban and ecological change.
As a historical topographic map, the “Union Springs Quadrangle” is compelling because it captures both permanence and transition. The contours describe ancient landforms that remain largely unchanged, while the roads, settlements, parks, open spaces, and cultivated areas reveal a human geography specific to the mid-twentieth century. Its visual economy rewards close study: a shoreline bend, a subtle rise in elevation, a road threading between farms, or a village aligned with water and slope. For collectors of American maps, Finger Lakes history, or scientific cartography, this sheet offers more than geographic information. It is a refined documentary image of place, where natural beauty and federal precision meet.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Aurora
- Union Springs
- Romulus
- Cayuga Lake
- Hollanders / Holland Land
- Frontenac Manor
- Sicard
- Lakewood
- Ovid
- Long Point
- Various roads and trails
- Nearby parks and open spaces
- Neighboring infrastructure visible in the topography
Historical context & cartographic details
- Historical 1:31,680 topographical map dated 1943
- Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS)
- Shows Aurora, Union Springs, and the surrounding Finger Lakes region of New York
- USGS topographical maps were important for land management, planning, and natural resource assessment
- Displays contour lines representing elevation changes and terrain features
- Uses green to indicate vegetation or flatter land and brown to delineate elevation
- Depicts rolling hills, valleys, and the area’s proximity to Cayuga Lake
- Provides insight into land use, settlements, and geographic features as they appeared in 1943
- Helps show changes in development and ecology 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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