Rare Old Map of Darien, Georgia by USGS, 1979: Altamaha River, Sapelo Sound & Doboy Sound
Restored in our workshop from the original 1979 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
Restored from the original 1979 map and printed to museum-grade archival standards. Full description
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Gift message & custom finish
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 simply “Darien,” this 1979 US Geological Survey map presents the low-country landscape of coastal Georgia with the precision and quiet beauty...
Continue readingTitled simply “Darien,” this 1979 US Geological Survey map presents the low-country landscape of coastal Georgia with the precision and quiet beauty characteristic of late twentieth-century federal cartography. At a scale of 1:24,000, it offers an intimate view of Darien and its surrounding marshes, waterways, roads, and settlements, enhanced by orthophoto elements that lend the map an unusually immediate, almost aerial quality. The result is both practical and atmospheric: a topographical document in which shaded relief, tonal variation, and carefully differentiated land classifications reveal the subtle forms of a coastal terrain shaped less by altitude than by water, sediment, forest, and tide.
The US Geological Survey brought to this map nearly a century of institutional expertise in measuring and representing the American landscape. Founded in 1879, the USGS became synonymous with reliable topographic mapping, especially through its celebrated 7.5-minute quadrangles, which documented the nation at a scale useful for engineers, planners, scientists, and travelers alike. In “Darien,” that tradition is visible in the disciplined treatment of roads, waterways, wetland boundaries, elevation cues, and cultural features. The map’s orthophoto character adds another layer of authority, integrating photographic ground information with cartographic interpretation to create a richly legible portrait of place.
Darien itself lies amid one of the most distinctive environments on the Atlantic coast: the tidal world of the Altamaha River delta and the sounds that open toward the sea. The map includes the Altamaha River, Sapelo Sound, Doboy Sound, Broughton Island, Lumber Landing, and a lacework of unnamed creeks and marsh channels. Here, the landscape is not organized by dramatic mountain forms but by drainage, salinity, mudflats, and vegetation. The colored distinctions between forest, wetland, open water, and developed ground make the map especially rewarding, revealing how human settlement occupies higher, drier margins while broad tidal wetlands dominate the surrounding geography.
Historically, Darien is one of Georgia’s most evocative coastal towns, associated with colonial settlement, rice cultivation, timber, shipping, and the complex history of the lower Altamaha region. By 1979, the town and its environs had entered a different era, one marked by highway travel, small-scale aviation, and changing relationships between commerce, conservation, and coastal development. The map records this moment with understated clarity. Georgia Highway 17 threads through the area, connecting Darien to the wider coastal corridor, while Darien Crooked River Airport marks the presence of modern infrastructure within a landscape still powerfully defined by rivers, creeks, and marshlands.
As a historical document, this map captures the Darien region at a particular point in its transformation. Roads, land uses, waterways, and populated places appear in a configuration that may differ from the present coast, where development, environmental management, and natural processes continue to reshape the terrain. Notable locations such as Satellite Beach, Lumber Landing, and Broughton Island sit within a broader mosaic of wetlands and water bodies, emphasizing the close interdependence of settlement and ecology. Elegant in its restraint and dense with geographic information, “Darien” is a compelling record of coastal Georgia’s terrain, infrastructure, and tidal character as surveyed and represented in 1979.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Darien, Georgia
- Altamaha River
- Sapelo Sound
- Doboy Sound
- Lumber Landing
- Broughton Island
- Georgia Highway 17
- Satellite Beach
- Darien Crooked River Airport
- Various water bodies and wetlands
- Additional unnamed rivers and streams in the area
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS).
- Dated and published in 1979.
- 1:24,000 topographical map featuring orthophoto aspects.
- Centers on the populated place of Darien, Georgia, and includes surrounding areas.
- Reflects the USGS tradition of reliable topographical mapping based on precise survey data.
- Features shaded relief to help show elevation changes across the region.
- Illustrates varying elevations, waterways, land uses, geographic features, and landforms.
- Captures the historical landscape of Darien and its surroundings in 1979, including infrastructure and natural features that may have changed over time.
- Uses distinct coloring to indicate forests, wetlands, and urban areas.
- Includes delineated roads to support navigation of the region.
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 simply “Darien,” this 1979 US Geological Survey map presents the low-country landscape of coastal Georgia with the precision and quiet beauty characteristic of late twentieth-century federal cartography. At a scale of 1:24,000, it offers an intimate view of Darien and its surrounding marshes, waterways, roads, and settlements, enhanced by orthophoto elements that lend the map an unusually immediate, almost aerial quality. The result is both practical and atmospheric: a topographical document in which shaded relief, tonal variation, and carefully differentiated land classifications reveal the subtle forms of a coastal terrain shaped less by altitude than by water, sediment, forest, and tide.
The US Geological Survey brought to this map nearly a century of institutional expertise in measuring and representing the American landscape. Founded in 1879, the USGS became synonymous with reliable topographic mapping, especially through its celebrated 7.5-minute quadrangles, which documented the nation at a scale useful for engineers, planners, scientists, and travelers alike. In “Darien,” that tradition is visible in the disciplined treatment of roads, waterways, wetland boundaries, elevation cues, and cultural features. The map’s orthophoto character adds another layer of authority, integrating photographic ground information with cartographic interpretation to create a richly legible portrait of place.
Darien itself lies amid one of the most distinctive environments on the Atlantic coast: the tidal world of the Altamaha River delta and the sounds that open toward the sea. The map includes the Altamaha River, Sapelo Sound, Doboy Sound, Broughton Island, Lumber Landing, and a lacework of unnamed creeks and marsh channels. Here, the landscape is not organized by dramatic mountain forms but by drainage, salinity, mudflats, and vegetation. The colored distinctions between forest, wetland, open water, and developed ground make the map especially rewarding, revealing how human settlement occupies higher, drier margins while broad tidal wetlands dominate the surrounding geography.
Historically, Darien is one of Georgia’s most evocative coastal towns, associated with colonial settlement, rice cultivation, timber, shipping, and the complex history of the lower Altamaha region. By 1979, the town and its environs had entered a different era, one marked by highway travel, small-scale aviation, and changing relationships between commerce, conservation, and coastal development. The map records this moment with understated clarity. Georgia Highway 17 threads through the area, connecting Darien to the wider coastal corridor, while Darien Crooked River Airport marks the presence of modern infrastructure within a landscape still powerfully defined by rivers, creeks, and marshlands.
As a historical document, this map captures the Darien region at a particular point in its transformation. Roads, land uses, waterways, and populated places appear in a configuration that may differ from the present coast, where development, environmental management, and natural processes continue to reshape the terrain. Notable locations such as Satellite Beach, Lumber Landing, and Broughton Island sit within a broader mosaic of wetlands and water bodies, emphasizing the close interdependence of settlement and ecology. Elegant in its restraint and dense with geographic information, “Darien” is a compelling record of coastal Georgia’s terrain, infrastructure, and tidal character as surveyed and represented in 1979.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Darien, Georgia
- Altamaha River
- Sapelo Sound
- Doboy Sound
- Lumber Landing
- Broughton Island
- Georgia Highway 17
- Satellite Beach
- Darien Crooked River Airport
- Various water bodies and wetlands
- Additional unnamed rivers and streams in the area
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS).
- Dated and published in 1979.
- 1:24,000 topographical map featuring orthophoto aspects.
- Centers on the populated place of Darien, Georgia, and includes surrounding areas.
- Reflects the USGS tradition of reliable topographical mapping based on precise survey data.
- Features shaded relief to help show elevation changes across the region.
- Illustrates varying elevations, waterways, land uses, geographic features, and landforms.
- Captures the historical landscape of Darien and its surroundings in 1979, including infrastructure and natural features that may have changed over time.
- Uses distinct coloring to indicate forests, wetlands, and urban areas.
- Includes delineated roads to support navigation of the region.
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 24 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 24 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.
We work with interior designers, hospitality businesses, property professionals, offices and corporate buyers on individual pieces and larger coordinated projects.
This map can be adapted for a particular wall, room or project, and our workshop can help coordinate the dimensions, material and framing before production.
- Exact, oversized and made-to-measure dimensions
- Custom framing, mounting and alternative materials
- Coordinated pieces for several rooms or locations
- Map personalisation, to mark important locations or add extra details
- Map and framing guidance from our workshop
- Local production for projects around the world
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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