The Land of Make Believe is Jaro Hess’s enchanting 1930 tour de force, a color-lithographed, thematic pictorial map that gathers classic children’s stories into one continuous realm of imagination. Rather than charting borders or latitudes, Hess maps wonder itself, weaving Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Peter Rabbit, and many others into a single landscape where tales abut, overlap, and beckon. Every vista brims with narrative cues: cottages crouch at forest edges, castles crown distant hills, and winding lanes curve toward scenes the viewer recognizes before reading a label. Its vibrant palette and nested vignettes lend a storybook cadence to the geography, making the sheet both a dazzling artwork and a cunning guide to childhood’s shared mythology.

Hess conceived the work as a playful atlas of ideas, where stories, not states, determine the terrain. Debuting just before the map’s celebrated showing at Chicago’s 1933 Century of Progress, it drew acclaim for fusing illustration, pedagogy, and cartography into a single, legible whole. The enduring appeal of this vision is underscored by later appearances in 1958 and 1982, each return renewing its authority as a touchstone in the pictorial-map tradition. It helped redefine what a map could do—charting culture, memory, and narrative—while shaping how generations encountered beloved tales in a unified, navigable form.

Stylistically, Hess privileges the pictorial over the planar, trading conventional projections for a panoramic, bird’s-eye orchestrations of space. The design is a choreography of vignettes—each a stage set—stitched together by footpaths, bridges, and streams that behave like plot lines. Carefully lettered banners and cartouches label districts and landmarks, transforming signage into storytelling. A saturated yet harmonized palette animates fields, forests, and rooftops, while scale shifts deliberately to elevate characters over topography. The result is a lucid, playful geography: richly detailed without becoming cluttered, and precise enough to “guide” the eye from episode to episode with the ease of turning pages.

Notable features appear as destinations in their own right. A shadowed woodland frames Little Red Riding Hood’s fateful crossing; a glittering palace and pumpkin coach anchor Cinderella’s courtly precincts; Peter Rabbit’s warren and vegetable beds unfold in a mischievous corner of the map. Around them cluster windmills, cottages, bridges, and castle towns—each scene punctuated by labels that read like chapter headings. Tiny figures animate fields and lanes, while architectural flourishes hint at the tales’ moods. The vignettes are not mere decorations; they are waypoints. Follow a path, and it becomes a story arc. Read a banner, and it becomes a portal.

Historically significant and remarkably influential, The Land of Make Believe stands at the confluence of children’s literature and twentieth-century pictorial cartography. Its original edition is exceptionally rare, yet its imagery became an iconic visual grammar for storytelling—imitated, celebrated, and fondly remembered. Displayed at the 1933 Chicago exposition, it exemplified the modern ideal that learning could be beautiful, intuitive, and richly intertextual. Today it endures as both a cultural artifact and a living map: a work that rewards lingering attention, sparks conversation across generations, and invites the viewer to wander—discovering, with each revisit, another story waiting just beyond the next bend in the path.

Countries and regions on this map

• There are no specific countries or regions depicted on the map, as it is entirely fantastical and based on children's literature rather than real geography.

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Imaginary Locations: Each story is represented by a distinct location or scene.
• Vignettes: Illustrative elements surrounding various children's stories, including characters and settings.
• Artistic Elements: Prominent use of color, whimsical depictions, and intricate illustrations of landscapes, buildings, and characters.
• Labeling: Specific names given to areas related to the stories, enhancing navigation through the map.

Historical and design context

• Originally published in 1930; re-issued in 1958 and 1982.
• Offset color-lithographed thematic and pictorial representation featuring whimsical scenes from classic children's literature.
• Known for its vibrant illustrations and imaginative layout; became an iconic graphic in children's storytelling.
• Exhibited at the 1933 Century of Progress World Exhibition in Chicago, garnering widespread acclaim.
• The map features colorful illustrations with a playful cartographic design, incorporating numerous vignettes that add a storybook quality to the geographical representation.
• The original edition is extremely rare, shaping children's literature and cartography as both an artistic and educational tool throughout the 20th 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 70in (180cm). 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 10-year guarantee.

Read our full delivery and local production guide

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.

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.

Se non sei soddisfatto del tuo ordine per qualsiasi motivo, contattami per un rimborso senza problemi. Si prega di consultare la nostra politica di reso e rimborso per ulteriori informazioni.

Sono molto sicuro che ti piacerà la tua mappa restaurata o la stampa d'arte. Lo faccio dal 1984. Sono un venditore Etsy a 5 stelle. Ho venduto decine di migliaia di mappe e stampe d'arte e ho oltre 5.000 recensioni reali a 5 stelle.

Utilizzo un processo unico per restaurare mappe e opere d'arte che richiede molto tempo e lavoro. Trovare le mappe e le illustrazioni originali può richiedere mesi. Utilizzo tecnologia all'avanguardia e incredibilmente costosa per scannerizzare e restaurarle. Di conseguenza, garantisco che le mie mappe e stampe d'arte siano superiori alle altre - ecco perché posso offrire un rimborso senza problemi.

Quasi tutte le mie mappe e stampe d'arte sembrano fantastiche a grandi dimensioni (200 cm, 6,5 piedi+) e posso anche incorniciarle e consegnarle a te, tramite un corriere speciale per oggetti di grandi dimensioni. Contattami per discutere delle tue esigenze specifiche.