Map of Cincinnati, engraved by George F. Cram in 1911, captures the Queen City at a moment when civic ambition and transportation powerfully shaped its streets and skyline. This detailed city plan delineates the Ohio River’s commanding sweep, a web of train lines, and the full hierarchy of streets and public places with Cram’s hallmark clarity. A decorative cartouche and nuanced color coding organize neighborhoods and municipal features at a glance, while fine annotations guide the eye through the city’s dense core and expanding periphery. As a city map, it is especially notable for revealing how Cincinnati’s riverfront commerce, industrial corridors, and civic institutions knit together—an urban portrait poised between 19th‑century industry and 20th‑century modernization.

The downtown grid unfolds with crisp precision: 5th, 6th, and 7th Streets step inland from the riverfront, intersected by Main, Vine, Walnut, Elm, and Central Avenue to form a legible commercial matrix. Liberty Street marks the transition to bustling uptown districts, an urban hinge between business, markets, and closely stacked residences. Public buildings and civic squares are distinctly noted, testifying to a confident municipal presence. The riverfront’s alignment with the business district is evident in the adjacency of wharves, warehouses, and transport depots—a spatial logic that defined Cincinnati’s prosperity. The map’s attention to street names and block structure makes it an invaluable guide to the early‑20th‑century city’s administrative order and economic heart.

Transportation threads through the plan with commanding influence. Rail lines lace the riverfront and the Mill Creek corridor, converging near Western and Central Avenues, while arterial roads radiate to the hills: Reading Road, Madison and Montgomery Roads to the east; Clifton Avenue toward the university heights; Harrison and Glenway Avenues spanning the western terraces; Winton Road and North Bend Road reaching the northwestern neighborhoods; Blue Rock Road marking the approach to river-valley communities. College Hill Avenue and Clifton Avenue signal the incorporation of formerly outlying suburbs, and clear city boundaries document Cincinnati’s expanding jurisdiction. In its aggregate, the map shows how steel rails and macadamized roads anchored neighborhoods to the urban core, binding commerce, labor, and daily life.

Public spaces punctuate the city fabric, balancing density with respite. Hilltop parks and river‑view greens appear as deliberate counterpoints to industrial corridors, while smaller neighborhood squares stitch local identities into the wider plan. Color coding cleanly distinguishes parks, civic sites, railways, and districts, allowing readers to parse circulation, recreation, and governance in a single glance. The terrain’s drama—basin, bluffs, and benches—is implied by the sinuous course of roads like Hillside Avenue and by the careful articulation of winding approaches to higher ground. Beyond its beauty, the composition conveys the priorities of early 20th‑century urban design: access to nature, efficient movement, and the symbolic placement of public institutions.

George F. Cram was among America’s foremost mapmakers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, celebrated for meticulous production and refined visual logic. This 1911 city plan exemplifies his mature style: authoritative detail tempered by a decorative cartouche and disciplined palettes that guide without distracting. For historians and collectors alike, it offers an incisive lens on population growth, civic planning, and the evolution of transportation before the age of expressways. It preserves the street names that anchor family histories, the rail lines that powered industry, and the municipal boundaries that tell the story of annexation and aspiration. Cram’s Cincinnati is both precise reference and cultural artifact—an urbane, enduring statement of a city in full stride.

Streets and roads on this map

• 5th Street
• 6th Street
• 7th Street
• Main Street
• Madison Road
• Montgomery Road
• Elm Street
• Liberty Street
• Vine Street
• Walnut Street
• Central Avenue
• Clifton Avenue
• College Hill Avenue
• Harrison Avenue
• Stanton Avenue
• Reading Road
• Western Avenue
• East Avenue
• West Fork Road
• Glenway Avenue
• Blue Rock Road
• Florence Avenue
• Beechmont Avenue
• Montgomery Avenue
• Winton Road
• Reading Street
• North Bend Road
• South Avenue
• Hillside Avenue

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Public parks
• Rivers (e.g., Ohio River)
• Train lines
• Neighborhoods
• Public buildings
• City boundaries

Historical and design context

• The map features a decorative cartouche, characteristic of Cram's later works, and employs color coding to distinguish between different areas and features.
• Cram was a prominent American mapmaker during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known for producing high-quality maps.
• Maps from this era provide insight into urban development and transportation changes during the early 20th century in American cities, reflecting both population growth and infrastructure development.

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 90in (230cm). 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 18x24in (45x60cm) 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.