Rare Old Map of Gig Harbor, Washington by USGS, 1959: Tacoma, Point Defiance & Fox Island
Restaurata nel nostro laboratorio di Londra dalla mappa originale del 1960 e stampata in qualità museale. Descrizione completa
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Abbina liberamente mappe standard idonee e stampe d’arte fine art. Non è richiesto alcun codice; l’offerta viene applicata automaticamente al checkout.
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Scegli due opere idonee e ricevi il 20% di sconto su entrambe. Scegline tre e quella al prezzo più basso è in omaggio, con un risparmio massimo del 33%.
Abbina liberamente mappe standard idonee e stampe d’arte fine art. Non è richiesto alcun codice; l’offerta viene applicata automaticamente al checkout.
Sono incluse le configurazioni standard su ordinazione. Sono esclusi formati su misura, design personalizzati e lavori su commissione.
Hai bisogno di consegne a indirizzi diversi? Contattaci prima di effettuare l’ordine.
Restaurato a Londra • Stampato e incorniciato in the USA
Restaurata dalla mappa originale del 1960 e stampata in qualità museale. Descrizione completa
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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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Titled “Gig Harbor,” this U.S. Geological Survey topographical map captures the southern Puget Sound landscape in 1959, with a 1960 imprint marking...
Continua a leggereTitled “Gig Harbor,” this U.S. Geological Survey topographical map captures the southern Puget Sound landscape in 1959, with a 1960 imprint marking its publication. At the precise 1:24,000 scale favored by the USGS, it presents Gig Harbor and its surrounding peninsulas, islands, inlets, roads, and settlements with scientific clarity and understated elegance. The map records a moment when this once-quiet maritime community was poised between rural waterfront life and the suburban growth that would later reshape the region. Gig Harbor Bay, Fox Island, Point Defiance, Raft Island, North Bay, and the approaches toward Tacoma are all rendered within a finely structured cartographic framework, making the sheet both a practical geographic document and a richly evocative historical portrait.
The U.S. Geological Survey brought to this map its distinctive visual language: crisp contour lines, carefully classified roads, hydrographic detail, and measured use of color to distinguish forested land from open terrain. Green areas indicate woodland and vegetation, while white spaces suggest cleared or developed land, allowing the viewer to read the landscape as both topography and land use. The contouring reveals the rolling character of the Gig Harbor peninsula, where ridges, shorelines, coves, and small valleys shape patterns of settlement and travel. Elevation markers and landform shading make visible the subtle but consequential terrain of the Puget Sound margins, where maritime geography, glacial history, and human habitation meet in compact and intricate form.
Gig Harbor itself appears as the focal point of the sheet, set around its sheltered bay, long valued as a natural harbor for fishing vessels, small craft, and waterfront commerce. Nearby Spring Street and surrounding roads suggest the structure of the community before later expansion and heavier regional traffic transformed the area. U.S. Route 16, already a defining transportation corridor, links the harbor district to broader movements between the Kitsap Peninsula and Tacoma. The map’s road network, local access routes, and scattered neighborhoods reveal a landscape in transition: still spacious, wooded, and water-oriented, yet increasingly connected to the metropolitan orbit of Tacoma and the wider South Sound.
The water features are among the map’s most compelling elements. Gig Harbor Bay, North Bay, the channels around Fox Island, and the shoreline near Point Defiance create a maritime geography of sheltered anchorages, narrow passages, and promontories. Huelsdonk Point, Point Evangeline, Raft Island, and Cushman Dam add further texture to the coastal and inland setting, each name anchoring a different facet of the region’s human and natural history. Across the southeastern quadrant, Tacoma’s presence hints at the industrial and urban power of the mainland city, while Point Defiance evokes one of the most celebrated natural and civic landmarks of the Puget Sound, known for forest, shoreline, and commanding views.
As a historical document, this 1959 map is especially valuable for the changes it allows one to trace. Comparing its roads, wooded tracts, shorelines, and settlement patterns with the modern landscape reveals the pace of postwar development around Gig Harbor and the South Sound. Areas that appear lightly settled or forested would, in later decades, see new neighborhoods, expanded highways, commercial growth, and altered patterns of waterfront use. Yet the enduring structure of the region remains legible: the harbor, islands, peninsulas, hills, and bays continue to define the place. In this way, the map is both a technical achievement of mid-century American cartography and a quietly beautiful record of a Washington community at a pivotal moment.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Gig Harbor
- Tacoma
- Point Defiance
- Fox Island
- Cushman Dam
- Huelsdonk Point
- Spring Street
- Point Evangeline
- North Bay
- Raft Island
- Towns and neighborhoods around Gig Harbor
- U.S. Route 16 and local access roads
- Gig Harbor Bay and smaller surrounding inlets
- Parks and natural reserves in the vicinity
Historical context & cartographic details
- Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Gig Harbor, Washington and the surrounding area
- Created by the U.S. Geological Survey
- Dated 1959 with a 1960 imprint
- Uses color coding and contour lines to show elevation and landforms
- Green indicates forested areas, while white indicates open land
- Shows varied terrain including hills, waterways, and urban areas
- Elevation changes are depicted with contour lines
- Serves as a snapshot of the region in 1959, useful for comparing changes in development, land use, and natural features over time
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 “Gig Harbor,” this U.S. Geological Survey topographical map captures the southern Puget Sound landscape in 1959, with a 1960 imprint marking its publication. At the precise 1:24,000 scale favored by the USGS, it presents Gig Harbor and its surrounding peninsulas, islands, inlets, roads, and settlements with scientific clarity and understated elegance. The map records a moment when this once-quiet maritime community was poised between rural waterfront life and the suburban growth that would later reshape the region. Gig Harbor Bay, Fox Island, Point Defiance, Raft Island, North Bay, and the approaches toward Tacoma are all rendered within a finely structured cartographic framework, making the sheet both a practical geographic document and a richly evocative historical portrait.
The U.S. Geological Survey brought to this map its distinctive visual language: crisp contour lines, carefully classified roads, hydrographic detail, and measured use of color to distinguish forested land from open terrain. Green areas indicate woodland and vegetation, while white spaces suggest cleared or developed land, allowing the viewer to read the landscape as both topography and land use. The contouring reveals the rolling character of the Gig Harbor peninsula, where ridges, shorelines, coves, and small valleys shape patterns of settlement and travel. Elevation markers and landform shading make visible the subtle but consequential terrain of the Puget Sound margins, where maritime geography, glacial history, and human habitation meet in compact and intricate form.
Gig Harbor itself appears as the focal point of the sheet, set around its sheltered bay, long valued as a natural harbor for fishing vessels, small craft, and waterfront commerce. Nearby Spring Street and surrounding roads suggest the structure of the community before later expansion and heavier regional traffic transformed the area. U.S. Route 16, already a defining transportation corridor, links the harbor district to broader movements between the Kitsap Peninsula and Tacoma. The map’s road network, local access routes, and scattered neighborhoods reveal a landscape in transition: still spacious, wooded, and water-oriented, yet increasingly connected to the metropolitan orbit of Tacoma and the wider South Sound.
The water features are among the map’s most compelling elements. Gig Harbor Bay, North Bay, the channels around Fox Island, and the shoreline near Point Defiance create a maritime geography of sheltered anchorages, narrow passages, and promontories. Huelsdonk Point, Point Evangeline, Raft Island, and Cushman Dam add further texture to the coastal and inland setting, each name anchoring a different facet of the region’s human and natural history. Across the southeastern quadrant, Tacoma’s presence hints at the industrial and urban power of the mainland city, while Point Defiance evokes one of the most celebrated natural and civic landmarks of the Puget Sound, known for forest, shoreline, and commanding views.
As a historical document, this 1959 map is especially valuable for the changes it allows one to trace. Comparing its roads, wooded tracts, shorelines, and settlement patterns with the modern landscape reveals the pace of postwar development around Gig Harbor and the South Sound. Areas that appear lightly settled or forested would, in later decades, see new neighborhoods, expanded highways, commercial growth, and altered patterns of waterfront use. Yet the enduring structure of the region remains legible: the harbor, islands, peninsulas, hills, and bays continue to define the place. In this way, the map is both a technical achievement of mid-century American cartography and a quietly beautiful record of a Washington community at a pivotal moment.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Gig Harbor
- Tacoma
- Point Defiance
- Fox Island
- Cushman Dam
- Huelsdonk Point
- Spring Street
- Point Evangeline
- North Bay
- Raft Island
- Towns and neighborhoods around Gig Harbor
- U.S. Route 16 and local access roads
- Gig Harbor Bay and smaller surrounding inlets
- Parks and natural reserves in the vicinity
Historical context & cartographic details
- Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Gig Harbor, Washington and the surrounding area
- Created by the U.S. Geological Survey
- Dated 1959 with a 1960 imprint
- Uses color coding and contour lines to show elevation and landforms
- Green indicates forested areas, while white indicates open land
- Shows varied terrain including hills, waterways, and urban areas
- Elevation changes are depicted with contour lines
- Serves as a snapshot of the region in 1959, useful for comparing changes in development, land use, and natural features over time
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.
Molte delle nostre mappe e stampe d’arte vengono scelte come regali premurosi per case, uffici, studi e luoghi significativi.
Scegli un’opzione incorniciata per il regalo più semplice, pronto da appendere, oppure scegli una stampa non incorniciata se il destinatario preferisce selezionare la propria cornice.
Realizziamo gli ordini localmente in 23 paesi in tutto il mondo, così i regali possono spesso essere prodotti vicino al destinatario. Questo li aiuta ad arrivare più rapidamente, a viaggiare in maggiore sicurezza e a evitare sorprese legate a dazi doganali o di importazione.
- Possiamo consegnare direttamente al destinatario
- I pezzi incorniciati arrivano pronti da appendere
- Le stampe non incorniciate sono accuratamente imballate in un robusto tubo protettivo
- Quasi ogni ordine viene realizzato localmente, per regali più rapidi e sicuri
- Il reso entro 90 giorni dà al destinatario il tempo di decidere
Se non sei sicuro di cosa scegliere, ti invitiamo a contattarci. Possiamo aiutarti a scegliere la mappa, il formato, la finitura o l’opzione di consegna più adatti.
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.
Restauriamo e produciamo mappe e stampe d’arte dal 1984, e garantiamo personalmente ogni pezzo.
Ogni ordine è coperto dalla nostra garanzia di 10 anni e dalla garanzia di consegna senza danni. Se il vostro pezzo arriva danneggiato, lo sostituiremo o lo rifaremo gratuitamente. Se qualsiasi altro aspetto non fosse conforme, contattate il nostro team di laboratorio e provvederemo tempestivamente a risolvere il problema.
Per tutti i dettagli, consultate la nostra politica su resi e rimborsi.
Oppure cerca qualcosa nel negozio.
