Rare Old Map of Bristol, Rhode Island, 1943 by USGS: Warren, Barrington & Narragansett Bay
Restored in our London workshop from the original map and printed to museum-grade archival standards. Full description
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.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.
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Dated 1943 and titled “Bristol, Rhode Island,” this US Geological Survey topographic map presents the East Bay with the precision and clarity...
Continue readingDated 1943 and titled “Bristol, Rhode Island,” this US Geological Survey topographic map presents the East Bay with the precision and clarity that made USGS mapping indispensable in the twentieth century. Drawn at 1:31,680, it captures Bristol and its neighboring communities at a moment when the region still retained a distinctly semi-rural character, even as wartime industry, coastal transport, and suburban growth were reshaping Rhode Island’s shoreline. Bristol appears poised between land and water: a compact historic town framed by Bristol Harbor, Narragansett Bay, Mt. Hope Bay, and the Sakonnet River system. The map’s careful contouring, color coding, and hydrographic detail make it both a practical geographic document and an evocative portrait of coastal New England in the 1940s.
The US Geological Survey, founded in 1879, brought a scientific rigor to American mapmaking that is evident throughout this sheet. Its cartographers combined field survey, triangulation, elevation measurement, and standardized symbology to produce maps useful to engineers, planners, military authorities, and the public. Here, green areas mark woodland and vegetation, blue defines the intricate coastline and waterways, and contour lines translate the modest but meaningful relief of the Bristol area into a legible visual language. The result is a map of understated elegance: functional, disciplined, and richly informative. Hills, low valleys, shorelines, roads, settlements, and marshy margins are all rendered with the quiet authority characteristic of mid-century USGS topography.
Bristol itself is the heart of the map, with its harbor, town common, and road connections suggesting a community shaped by maritime trade, boatbuilding, and colonial-era settlement patterns. The surrounding towns of Warren and Barrington appear to the north, linked by the coastal corridors that would continue to guide later development. Routes 114 and 136 trace important lines of movement through the East Bay, connecting town centers, waterfronts, and rural stretches. Features such as Rockwell Park, Bullocks Point, the Narrows, Collins Beach, and the approaches to Bristol Harbor give the map a fine-grained local character. It is easy to read the region’s geography as a sequence of peninsulas, coves, beaches, roads, and village centers.
The wider coastal setting is equally compelling. Narragansett Bay dominates the composition, its islands and channels shaping every aspect of regional life. Prudence Island, Hog Island, Aquidneck Island, Mt. Hope Bay, and the Sakonnet River create a complex maritime landscape of sheltered passages, tidal waters, and strategic crossings. To the east and northeast, Fall River, North Tiverton, and Westport connect Rhode Island’s bayside world with the industrial and agricultural landscapes of southeastern Massachusetts. Rhode Island Sound lies beyond this network of bays and rivers, reminding the viewer that Bristol’s local waterfront belongs to a much larger Atlantic geography. In 1943, these waters also held heightened strategic significance, with Narragansett Bay serving as one of New England’s key naval and coastal defense regions.
Viewed today, the map is especially fascinating for the contrast it offers with the modern East Bay. Areas now associated with parks, waterfront recreation, residential neighborhoods, and regional trails appear in an earlier stage of development, before later transformations such as the expansion of suburban housing, the creation of Colt State Park, and the emergence of the East Bay Bike Path as a defining recreational corridor. The Herreshoff maritime legacy, Bristol’s historic harbor culture, and the town’s enduring civic center around the common all resonate against the map’s 1943 landscape. More than a technical survey, “Bristol, Rhode Island” preserves a coastal community at a pivotal historical moment, where old settlement patterns, working waterways, and modern infrastructure were beginning to converge.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Bristol, Rhode Island
- Warren, Rhode Island
- Barrington, Rhode Island
- Narragansett Bay
- Mt. Hope Bay
- Sakonnet River
- Colt State Park
- Portsmouth, Rhode Island
- Prudence Island
- Rhode Island Sound
- Hog Island
- Aquidneck Island
- Collins Beach
- Westport, Massachusetts
- North Tiverton
- Fall River, Massachusetts
- East Bay Bike Path
- Routes 114 and 136
- Rockwell Park
- Bullocks Point
- Narrows
- Bristol Harbor
- Herreshoff Marine Museum
- Bristol Town Common
Historical context & cartographic details
- Titled “Bristol, Rhode Island”, this map was produced by the US Geological Survey.
- Created in 1943, it is a historical topographical representation of Bristol and the surrounding area.
- The map is drawn at a scale of 1:31,680.
- The US Geological Survey (USGS), established in 1879, is known for producing detailed topographical maps based on survey data.
- The map prominently features Bristol, Rhode Island, along with neighboring towns and significant waterways.
- Distinct color coding is used to show different land types, with green indicating vegetated areas and blue representing water bodies.
- Clearly marked contour lines show elevation changes across the landscape.
- The map illustrates varied terrain, including hills and valleys around Bristol.
- Water features and land elevation are emphasized through contour lines and shading.
- Since 1943, Bristol has experienced urban development and changes in land use, including the establishment of parks and residential areas.
- The map reflects a more rural character than much of the modern Bristol area.
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.
Dated 1943 and titled “Bristol, Rhode Island,” this US Geological Survey topographic map presents the East Bay with the precision and clarity that made USGS mapping indispensable in the twentieth century. Drawn at 1:31,680, it captures Bristol and its neighboring communities at a moment when the region still retained a distinctly semi-rural character, even as wartime industry, coastal transport, and suburban growth were reshaping Rhode Island’s shoreline. Bristol appears poised between land and water: a compact historic town framed by Bristol Harbor, Narragansett Bay, Mt. Hope Bay, and the Sakonnet River system. The map’s careful contouring, color coding, and hydrographic detail make it both a practical geographic document and an evocative portrait of coastal New England in the 1940s.
The US Geological Survey, founded in 1879, brought a scientific rigor to American mapmaking that is evident throughout this sheet. Its cartographers combined field survey, triangulation, elevation measurement, and standardized symbology to produce maps useful to engineers, planners, military authorities, and the public. Here, green areas mark woodland and vegetation, blue defines the intricate coastline and waterways, and contour lines translate the modest but meaningful relief of the Bristol area into a legible visual language. The result is a map of understated elegance: functional, disciplined, and richly informative. Hills, low valleys, shorelines, roads, settlements, and marshy margins are all rendered with the quiet authority characteristic of mid-century USGS topography.
Bristol itself is the heart of the map, with its harbor, town common, and road connections suggesting a community shaped by maritime trade, boatbuilding, and colonial-era settlement patterns. The surrounding towns of Warren and Barrington appear to the north, linked by the coastal corridors that would continue to guide later development. Routes 114 and 136 trace important lines of movement through the East Bay, connecting town centers, waterfronts, and rural stretches. Features such as Rockwell Park, Bullocks Point, the Narrows, Collins Beach, and the approaches to Bristol Harbor give the map a fine-grained local character. It is easy to read the region’s geography as a sequence of peninsulas, coves, beaches, roads, and village centers.
The wider coastal setting is equally compelling. Narragansett Bay dominates the composition, its islands and channels shaping every aspect of regional life. Prudence Island, Hog Island, Aquidneck Island, Mt. Hope Bay, and the Sakonnet River create a complex maritime landscape of sheltered passages, tidal waters, and strategic crossings. To the east and northeast, Fall River, North Tiverton, and Westport connect Rhode Island’s bayside world with the industrial and agricultural landscapes of southeastern Massachusetts. Rhode Island Sound lies beyond this network of bays and rivers, reminding the viewer that Bristol’s local waterfront belongs to a much larger Atlantic geography. In 1943, these waters also held heightened strategic significance, with Narragansett Bay serving as one of New England’s key naval and coastal defense regions.
Viewed today, the map is especially fascinating for the contrast it offers with the modern East Bay. Areas now associated with parks, waterfront recreation, residential neighborhoods, and regional trails appear in an earlier stage of development, before later transformations such as the expansion of suburban housing, the creation of Colt State Park, and the emergence of the East Bay Bike Path as a defining recreational corridor. The Herreshoff maritime legacy, Bristol’s historic harbor culture, and the town’s enduring civic center around the common all resonate against the map’s 1943 landscape. More than a technical survey, “Bristol, Rhode Island” preserves a coastal community at a pivotal historical moment, where old settlement patterns, working waterways, and modern infrastructure were beginning to converge.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Bristol, Rhode Island
- Warren, Rhode Island
- Barrington, Rhode Island
- Narragansett Bay
- Mt. Hope Bay
- Sakonnet River
- Colt State Park
- Portsmouth, Rhode Island
- Prudence Island
- Rhode Island Sound
- Hog Island
- Aquidneck Island
- Collins Beach
- Westport, Massachusetts
- North Tiverton
- Fall River, Massachusetts
- East Bay Bike Path
- Routes 114 and 136
- Rockwell Park
- Bullocks Point
- Narrows
- Bristol Harbor
- Herreshoff Marine Museum
- Bristol Town Common
Historical context & cartographic details
- Titled “Bristol, Rhode Island”, this map was produced by the US Geological Survey.
- Created in 1943, it is a historical topographical representation of Bristol and the surrounding area.
- The map is drawn at a scale of 1:31,680.
- The US Geological Survey (USGS), established in 1879, is known for producing detailed topographical maps based on survey data.
- The map prominently features Bristol, Rhode Island, along with neighboring towns and significant waterways.
- Distinct color coding is used to show different land types, with green indicating vegetated areas and blue representing water bodies.
- Clearly marked contour lines show elevation changes across the landscape.
- The map illustrates varied terrain, including hills and valleys around Bristol.
- Water features and land elevation are emphasized through contour lines and shading.
- Since 1943, Bristol has experienced urban development and changes in land use, including the establishment of parks and residential areas.
- The map reflects a more rural character than much of the modern Bristol area.
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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