Ontario 49, issued in 1892 by D. Appleton & Co., presents the province at the height of the late Victorian boom, with county boundaries crisply engraved and washed in distinct colors. Set to the Greenwich prime meridian—then the signature of an increasingly standardized world—the sheet organizes towns, roads, railways, and principal steam routes into a lucid, navigable portrait of Canada’s most populous province. Distances between key points are carefully noted, aiding itinerary planning and commercial logistics. Appleton’s plate balances beauty and utility: elegant type, neat linework, and color contrasts guide the eye from the shores of Lake Ontario to the wide sweep of Lake Huron. More than a regional view, Ontario 49 captures the rhythms of movement and exchange that defined the province in the last decade of the nineteenth century.

Behind this clarity stands D. Appleton & Co., the eminent New York house whose uncommon atlas combined 60 double-page and 43 single-page maps with decorative flourishes that rewarded both study and display. The firm’s cartographic program prized exactitude: railways appear as finely ruled conduits of industry, roads as lighter threads stitching hinterland to market, steamship routes as measured arcs across inland seas. Typography distinguishes county seats from minor settlements, while color reinforces administrative logic without overwhelming detail. Appleton’s “Patent Thumb Index” made consultation swift, and a sumptuous double-page array of national flags underscored the atlas’s worldly ambitions. Within this milieu, Ontario 49 exemplifies the publisher’s goal of marrying rigorous geographic information to refined, collector-worthy design.

The map’s geographic narrative unfolds county by county, anchoring major towns—Toronto, Hamilton, London, Ottawa—within a lattice of rails, roads, and waterways. Lake Ontario and Lake Huron are named sentinels framing the province’s southern and western horizons, their shores dotted with ports linked by principal steam routes. Inland, the rail network fans toward agricultural districts and resource frontiers, its measured distances signaling travel times and trade reach. Roads radiate from county seats to smaller townships, mapping the quotidian movement of goods and people that powered the era. Clear labeling renders settlements legible without crowding, and the calibrated coloring allows the eye to trace jurisdictional lines while following the infrastructure that crossed them—an elegant synthesis of political geography and practical transportation intelligence.

As a historical document, Ontario 49 distills a transformative moment: post-Confederation Ontario consolidating institutions while harnessing rail and steam to knit far-flung communities into a common market. The adoption of Greenwich timekeeping conventions, echoed by the meridian here, speaks to synchronization across borders and schedules. Commerce and governance alike depended on the precise distance notations that stud the routes between towns. An inset plan of Toronto sharpens the lens further, laying out the city’s emergent urban order—its harbour approaches, arterial thoroughfares, rail termini, and civic precincts—at a scale suitable for orientation and analysis. Tellingly, Ottawa appears with due dignity yet less dominance than Toronto, mirroring the economic gravity of the lakeside metropolis in the 1890s.

Collectors and historians will admire how Ontario 49 harmonizes aesthetic poise with analytical depth. The engraving is crisp yet restrained, the palette lively but disciplined, so that every symbol—rail line, roadway, steam route—reads instantly. County coloration turns administrative space into a legible mosaic, inviting comparisons across jurisdictions and along the Great Lakes rim. The broader Appleton program, with its Patent Thumb Index and cosmopolitan flag plates, frames this sheet as part of a grand, didactic enterprise, but the map stands on its own as a superbly edited guide to place and movement. It rewards close reading: follow a line of track from Toronto to London, trace a steam link along Lake Huron, or measure the interval between townships to reconstruct journeys of the 1890s.

Cities and towns on this map

• Toronto (modern-day population: approx. 3 million)
• Ottawa (approximately 1 million; less prominent on this map)
• Hamilton (modern-day population: approx. 600,000)
• London (modern-day population: approx. 400,000)
• Mississauga (modern-day population: approx. 800,000)
• Brampton (modern-day population: approx. 600,000)
• Various smaller towns depicted but not as prominently labeled.

Notable Features & Landmarks

• County boundaries distinctly marked and color-coded.
• Major towns and settlements labeled.
• Railways depicted with clear lines.
• Roads illustrated, demonstrating infrastructural development.
• Principal steam routes identified.
• Bodies of water labeled, such as Lake Ontario and Lake Huron.
• Distances indicated between various locations.
• An inset map depicting a detailed plan of Toronto.

Historical and design context

• Created: 1892
• Mapmaker/Publisher: D. Appleton & Co.
• Notably published an uncommon atlas with 60 double-page and 43 single-page maps, emphasizing detailed geographic information and decorative illustrations.
• Colorful and engraved, indicative of the high-quality craftsmanship of the late 19th century.
• Features a "Patent Thumb Index" for easy navigation.
• Includes a double-page display of flags of various nations, adding to the visual appeal.
• Prime meridian set at Greenwich.
• Provides a valuable resource for understanding the geographic and cultural landscape of Ontario in the late 19th century.

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 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 24x36in (60x90cm) 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.

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 5-year guarantee.

Read our 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.