Titled “Put-In-Bay,” this United States Geological Survey quadrangle was surveyed in 1959 and published with a 1961 imprint, capturing one of Lake Erie’s most storied island landscapes at mid-century. At a scale of 1:24,000, it presents Put-in-Bay and the surrounding Bass Islands with the clarity and authority for which the USGS became renowned. Blue expanses of Lake Erie frame the compact landforms of South Bass, Middle Bass, North Bass, and nearby Kelleys Island, while careful contouring reveals subtle shifts in elevation across terrain often imagined only as flat shoreline. The result is both a practical topographical document and an elegant portrait of a distinctive Ohio archipelago.

The USGS style gives this map its quiet sophistication: disciplined typography, crisp shoreline delineation, measured contour lines, and a purposeful color scheme that separates water, vegetation, and settled ground. Green areas indicate wooded or vegetated land, while white spaces show more developed or open areas, allowing the eye to read patterns of habitation and landscape at a glance. Roads, trails, harbor features, and island outlines are rendered with the precision expected of a federal survey, yet the composition retains a strong visual charm. The broad blue of Lake Erie lends the sheet an immediate sense of place, emphasizing how these communities are defined by water, navigation, and seasonal movement.

Put-in-Bay, on South Bass Island, sits at the heart of the map and of the region’s historical identity. Long associated with Lake Erie travel, fishing, recreation, and the memory of the War of 1812, the village developed into one of Ohio’s best-known island destinations. The map records its harbor, roads, and surrounding settlement pattern during a period when automobile tourism, boating, and vacation culture were reshaping the islands. Nearby shorelines, docks, and local routes suggest the infrastructure that supported summer visitors, year-round residents, and commercial activity. Seen today, these details offer a fascinating snapshot of Put-in-Bay before later decades of intensified resort development.

The surrounding islands enrich the map’s historical and geographic appeal. Middle Bass and North Bass appear as quieter, more rural counterparts to South Bass, their forms marked by roads, shoreline features, and land cover that hint at agriculture, vineyards, cottages, and small island communities. Kelleys Island, larger and geologically distinct, adds another layer to the Lake Erie story, known for limestone, glacial features, and a long history of quarrying and settlement. Across the quadrangle, the contour lines are modest but meaningful, tracing rises, headlands, and interior variations that affect drainage, access, and land use. This is a map of islands as lived landscapes, not simply destinations.

As a mid-twentieth-century record, “Put-In-Bay” is especially evocative for understanding change along Lake Erie’s western basin. Since its publication, residential growth, marina expansion, recreational facilities, and tourism infrastructure have altered many island settings, making the mapped roads, open spaces, and harbor arrangements valuable points of comparison. The USGS’s rigorous topographic method preserves a moment when the islands balanced local industry, seasonal leisure, and relatively undeveloped shorelines. For collectors, historians, and admirers of Great Lakes geography, the map offers more than orientation: it reveals the architecture of an island world, where small settlements, water routes, natural contours, and cultural memory converge in one beautifully ordered survey.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Put-in-Bay
• North Bass Island
• South Bass Island
• Middle Bass Island
• Kelleys Island
• Lake Erie
• Parks and recreational areas
• Roads and trails
• Harbor areas

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the United States Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Put-in-Bay, Ohio and the surrounding area.
• Dated 1959, with a 1961 imprint.
• Published by the USGS, known for detailed and reliable topographical mapping.
• Features a clear layout with well-defined contour lines showing elevation changes across the islands.
• Uses distinct color coding, with green indicating vegetation, white showing developed areas, and blue representing water bodies.
• Shows the topographic character of the islands, including areas of varying land features.
• Provides historical context for changes in residential development, roads, recreational spaces, tourism, and leisure activity around Lake Erie since publication.
• Its vibrant color scheme and clear water representation enhance usability for navigation and tourism planning.

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.