Rare and radiant, Weld Wilkie’s VIII Winter Olympic Games California 1960 is a celebratory pictorial map of Squaw Valley at the instant it became the world’s winter-sport capital. In bright, confident color, Wilkie renders the valley and surrounding Sierra crest as a lively amphitheater, with Squaw Peak and the Men’s Downhill start commanding the top left. The main ice rink and outdoor speed-skating venue anchor the valley floor, while ski jumping, slalom, and downhill courses sweep toward well-marked viewing areas. National flags punctuate the margins, proclaiming global presence, and a thematic cartouche frames the ideals of the Games. More than an orientation, this map captures the choreography of venues, roads, lifts, and lodges that transformed Lake Tahoe’s high country into an Olympic stage.

Historically, Squaw Valley’s 1960 Games were revolutionary, and Wilkie’s map explains why. It memorializes a uniquely compact Olympic plan: the Olympic Village, press facilities, medals area, rinks, and courses clustered within easy reach, a radical contrast to the dispersed Alpine models of earlier years. Here unfolded several firsts—the debut of women’s speed skating, the addition of biathlon, and computerized results that modernized timing—set against an era when bobsleigh was notably omitted for lack of a track. The pageantry, famously overseen by Walt Disney, brought a cinematic polish to ceremonies, echoed in the map’s festive flags and clear signage. Read as a time capsule, it distills Cold War conviviality and American mid-century confidence into a legible plan of sport.

At the heart of the composition, the ice rink and speed-skating oval anchor clusters of spectator stands, refreshment areas, and media quarters, while access roads thread in from Lake Tahoe to deposit visitors at lodges and the Olympic Village. Elevation markers and slope identifiers articulate the drama of the pistes: the Men’s Downhill plunging from Squaw Peak, the Women’s Downhill and slalom routes scribed along “The Face” and neighboring courses, and the ski-jumping approach poised with surgical clarity. Lift stations and the gondola lines bead the ridgelines, mapping movement as precisely as terrain. Viewing areas are thoughtfully placed along routes, emphasizing the Games’ design brief—spectator proximity without sacrificing the purity of alpine challenge.

Weld Wilkie, celebrated for thematic, pictorial cartography, deploys his full repertory here. The landscape is rendered with painterly shading and crisp linework; athletes in motion populate the slopes and ice, giving the map narrative energy without obscuring legibility. Informative captions cue the eye from venue to venue, while a handsome cartouche presents a concise historical overview of the Olympic Winter Games, nodding to landmarks from Chamonix and St. Moritz to Cortina d’Ampezzo. A procession of national flags enlivens the borders, transforming geography into a pageant of nations. The result is both art and information—a cheerful, authoritative guide that doubles as an emblem of Olympic ideals translated into Californian topography.

Beyond its aesthetic allure, this map crystallizes a defining American moment: a remote Sierra valley reimagined as a global arena in a single winter. From the medals area to the press compound and athletes’ accommodations, Wilkie records the infrastructure that made victory and spectacle possible, while Lake Tahoe shimmers just beyond, a reminder of the setting’s grandeur. The downhill routes, including the storied drop off The Face, recall feats that entered sporting lore, while the shared village plan fostered unprecedented camaraderie. For collectors of Olympic history, winter sport, or Californiana, it is a rare synthesis—an evocative keepsake that unites geography, design, and the living memory of the VIII Winter Games.

Places on this map

• Squaw Valley
• Lake Tahoe
• Squaw Peak
• Ice Rink
• Speed Skating Venue
• Ski Jumping Venue
• Olympic Village
• Men's Downhill
• Women's Downhill
• Various ski trails (e.g., "The Face," "Gondola")
• Access Roads
• Viewing areas for spectators
• Olympic Medals area
• Press facilities
• Snowboarding areas
• Ski-lift stations
• Refreshment areas
• National representation areas (flags)
• Various lodges and accommodations
• Slope names and identifiers (specific to Olympic events)

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Main access roads
• Flags of competing nations
• Historical overview of the Olympic Winter Games
• Thematic cartouche detailing the significance of the Olympics
• Illustrations of attendees' accommodations
• Routes marked for various skiing events
• Elevation markers for slopes
• Facilities supporting the Olympic events
• Landmarks associated with prior Winter Games

Historical and design context

• Date of creation: 1960
• Mapmaker: Weld Wilkie — known for creating historically informative thematic and pictorial maps, enriching public knowledge of specific events and locations through artistic and informative representation.
• Richly colored pictorial view with detailed illustrations of the landscape and facilities.
• Important representation of the 1960 Winter Olympics, highlighting its unique compact venue and the cultural significance of winter sports.
• Focus on skiing and Olympic events, emphasizing the geographical layout of Squaw Valley.
• Rare Squaw Valley Winter Olympics poster illustrating the main ski venue for the 8th Winter Olympics in Lake Tahoe, California.
• Illustrates ski jumping, downhill skiing, ice rink, speed skating venue, Olympic Village, and ancillary facilities.
• Top of the resort (Squaw Peak/Men's Downhill) displayed at the top left.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 70in (180cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

Please note: the labels on this map are hard to read if you order a map that is 16in (40cm) or smaller. The map is still very attractive, but if you would like to read the map easily, please buy a larger size.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

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.

For most orders, delivery time is about 3 working days. Personalised and customised products take longer, as I have to do the personalisation and send it to you for approval, which usually takes 1 or 2 days.

Please note that very large framed orders usually take longer to make and deliver. 

If you need your order to arrive by a certain date, please contact me before you order so that we can find the best way of making sure you get your order in time.

I print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world. This means your order will be made locally, which cuts down on delivery time and ensures that it won't be damaged during delivery. You'll never pay customs or import duty, and we'll put less CO2 into the air.

All of my maps and art prints are well packaged and sent in a rugged tube if unframed, or surrounded by foam if framed.

I try to send out all orders within 1 or 2 days of receiving your order, though some products (like face masks, mugs and tote bags) can take longer to make.

If you select Express Delivery at checkout your order we will prioritise your order and send it out by 1-day courier (Fedex, DHL, UPS, Parcelforce).

Next Day delivery is also available in some countries (US, UK, Singapore, UAE) but please try to order early in the day so that we can get it sent out on time.

Read my full delivery and local production guide

My standard frame is a gallery style black ash hardwood frame. It is simple and quite modern looking. My standard frame is around 20mm (0.8in) wide.

I use super-clear acrylic (perspex/acrylite) for the frame glass. It's lighter and safer than glass - and it looks better, as the reflectivity is lower.

Six standard frame colours are available for free (black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white and antique gold). Custom framing and mounting/matting is available if you're looking for something else.

Most maps, art and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte (not shiny) cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced box wood frame, and then 'float' the piece within a wood frame. The end result is quite beautiful, and there's no glazing to get in the way.

All frames are provided "ready to hang", with either a string or brackets on the back. Very large frames will have heavy duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

See some examples of my framed maps and framed canvas maps.

Alternatively, I can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag and other materials.

If you want to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read my size guide first.

My maps are extremely high quality reproductions of original maps.

I source original, rare maps from libraries, auction houses and private collections around the world, restore them at my London workshop, and then use specialist giclée inks and printers to create beautiful maps that look even better than the original.

My maps are printed on acid-free archival matte (not glossy) paper that feels very high quality and almost like card. In technical terms the paper weight/thickness is 10mil/200gsm. It's perfect for framing.

I print with Epson ultrachrome giclée UV fade resistant pigment inks - some of the best inks you can find.

I can also make maps on canvas, cotton rag and other exotic materials.

Learn more about The Unique Maps Co.

Map personalisation

If you're looking for the perfect anniversary or housewarming gift, I can personalise your map to make it truly unique. For example, I can add a short message, or highlight an important location, or add your family's coat of arms.

The options are almost infinite. Please see my map personalisation page for some wonderful examples of what's possible.

To order a personalised map, select "personalise your map" before adding it to your basket.

Get in touch if you're looking for more complex customisations and personalisations.

Map ageing

I have been asked hundreds of times over the years by customers if they could buy a map that looks even older.

Well, now you can, by selecting Aged before you add a map to your basket.

All the product photos you see on this page show the map in its Original form. This is what the map looks like today.

If you select Aged, I will age your map by hand, using a special and unique process developed through years of studying old maps, talking to researchers to understand the chemistry of aging paper, and of course... lots of practice!

If you're unsure, stick to the Original colour of the map. If you want something a bit darker and older looking, go for Aged.

See some amazing examples of Aged maps.

If you are not happy with your order for any reason, contact me and I'll get it fixed ASAP, free of charge. Please see my returns and refund policy for more information.

I am very confident you will like your restored map or art print. I have been doing this since 1984. I'm a 5-star Etsy seller. I have sold tens of thousands of maps and art prints and have over 5,000 real 5-star reviews. My work has been featured in interior design magazines, on the BBC, and on the walls of dozens of 5-star hotels.

I use a unique process to restore maps and artwork that is massively time consuming and labour intensive. Hunting down the original maps and illustrations can take months. I use state of the art and eye-wateringly expensive technology to scan and restore them. As a result, I guarantee my maps and art prints are a cut above the rest. I stand by my products and will always make sure you're 100% happy with what you receive.

Almost all of my maps and art prints look amazing at large sizes (200cm, 6.5ft+) and I can frame and deliver them to you as well, via special oversized courier. Contact me to discuss your specific needs.