Rare Old Map of Cooperstown, New York by USGS, 1945: Otsego Lake, Susquehanna River & Fly Creek
Restored in our London workshop from the original map and printed to museum-grade archival standards. Full description
The Collector’s Offer
Choose two eligible works and receive 20% off both. Choose three and the lowest-priced one is complimentary, a maximum saving of 33%.
Mix and match eligible standard maps and fine-art prints. No code is required; the offer is applied automatically at checkout.
Standard made-to-order configurations are included. Bespoke sizes, personalised designs and commissioned work are excluded.
Need delivery to different addresses? Contact us before ordering.The Collector’s Offer
Choose two eligible works and receive 20% off both. Choose three and the lowest-priced one is complimentary, a maximum saving of 33%.
Mix and match eligible standard maps and fine-art prints. No code is required; the offer is applied automatically at checkout.
Standard made-to-order configurations are included. Bespoke sizes, personalised designs and commissioned work are excluded.
Need delivery to different addresses? Contact us before ordering.
Restored in London • Printed and framed in the USA
My maps are rare, museum-grade, restored old maps sourced from libraries, auction houses and private collections across the globe. Full description
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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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“Cooperstown,” dated 1945, is a finely detailed topographical portrait of one of central New York’s most storied landscapes, produced by the U.S....
Continue reading“Cooperstown,” dated 1945, is a finely detailed topographical portrait of one of central New York’s most storied landscapes, produced by the U.S. Geological Survey in collaboration with the War Department, Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army. At a scale of 1:31,680, the map captures Cooperstown and its surrounding countryside with the precision demanded by mid-twentieth-century civil and military mapping. Its brown contour lines, green land-cover indications, and carefully notated roads, waterways, and settlements reveal a region shaped by glacial terrain, rural settlement, and expanding modern infrastructure. Created at the close of the Second World War, it belongs to an era when accurate domestic mapping was both a scientific endeavor and a strategic national priority.
At the heart of the map lies Cooperstown, elegantly arranged near the southern end of Otsego Lake, the famed “Glimmerglass” of James Fenimore Cooper’s literary imagination. Main Street, Lakeside Drive, Route 28, and connecting county roads trace the anatomy of a village already defined by tourism, local commerce, and its lakeside setting. The surrounding map records nearby communities and landmarks such as Hartwick Seminary, Fly Creek, Burroughs Park, Crystal Lake, Ridge Road, and Mount Vision. Together, these names evoke a landscape where hamlets, farms, wooded ridges, and watercourses were interwoven long before postwar development altered the region’s patterns of residence, recreation, and travel.
The cartographic beauty of this sheet lies in its topographic language. Contour lines rise and fall across the page, marking elevations from roughly 1,500 feet to more than 2,000 feet and giving sculptural form to the hills and valleys around Cooperstown. The viewer can read the land almost as if walking it: slopes gather tightly where hillsides steepen, loosen where valleys broaden, and curve around basins, ridges, and upland shoulders. Green areas suggest vegetation and land character, while blue waterways anchor the composition. Otsego Lake dominates the scene, and the Susquehanna River’s emergence from this lake underscores Cooperstown’s important position at the headwaters of one of America’s great river systems.
Historically, the Cooperstown region is a meeting place of natural drama and cultural memory. Otsego Lake, framed by wooded heights and rural roads, helped shape the identity of the village, from Indigenous travel corridors and early Euro-American settlement to literary fame and modern leisure. Glimmerglass State Park, shown at the lake’s northern reach, preserves part of this celebrated environment, while the mapped roads and farms speak to the area’s agricultural heritage. Since 1945, tourism, heritage institutions, recreation, and residential growth have transformed land use around Cooperstown, making this map a compelling snapshot of the region before many later pressures reshaped its rural character.
The involvement of the U.S. Geological Survey and the Corps of Engineers lends the map both technical authority and historical resonance. USGS topographic sheets were designed to be practical instruments—useful for engineers, planners, scientists, travelers, and public agencies—yet they also possess an austere graphic elegance. Here, the disciplined layering of contour, color, symbol, and label turns the Cooperstown landscape into a readable terrain of ridges, roads, lakes, parks, and settlements. For admirers of New York history, American topography, or the geography of beloved cultural places, this 1945 map offers more than orientation: it preserves a moment when Cooperstown stood poised between its pastoral past and its increasingly prominent role as a destination.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Cooperstown
- Otsego Lake
- Glimmerglass State Park
- Susquehanna River
- Lakeside Drive
- Main Street
- Route 28
- County Road 16
- Ridge Road
- Hartwick Seminary
- Fly Creek
- Burroughs Park
- Crystal Lake
- Mount Vision
- Hudson River near Cooperstown
- Several unnamed hills and valleys
- Various public and private roads throughout the area
Historical context & cartographic details
- Map name: Cooperstown
- Produced by the US Geological Survey, in collaboration with the War Department, Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army.
- Historical 1:31,680 topographical map showing Cooperstown, New York, and the surrounding area.
- Dated 1945.
- The map prominently features the populated area of Cooperstown, along with surrounding landscapes and waterways.
- Displays contour lines in varying shades of brown to highlight topography, with green areas indicating vegetation or lower elevation regions.
- Includes a detailed legend and notation to show elevation changes and important features.
- Elevation is represented through contour lines ranging from 1,500 to over 2,000 feet.
- Depicts hills, valleys, and water bodies across the region.
- The area has undergone significant land-use and development changes since the mid-20th century, influenced by tourism, agriculture, and urban growth.
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 18x24in (45x60cm) 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.
“Cooperstown,” dated 1945, is a finely detailed topographical portrait of one of central New York’s most storied landscapes, produced by the U.S. Geological Survey in collaboration with the War Department, Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army. At a scale of 1:31,680, the map captures Cooperstown and its surrounding countryside with the precision demanded by mid-twentieth-century civil and military mapping. Its brown contour lines, green land-cover indications, and carefully notated roads, waterways, and settlements reveal a region shaped by glacial terrain, rural settlement, and expanding modern infrastructure. Created at the close of the Second World War, it belongs to an era when accurate domestic mapping was both a scientific endeavor and a strategic national priority.
At the heart of the map lies Cooperstown, elegantly arranged near the southern end of Otsego Lake, the famed “Glimmerglass” of James Fenimore Cooper’s literary imagination. Main Street, Lakeside Drive, Route 28, and connecting county roads trace the anatomy of a village already defined by tourism, local commerce, and its lakeside setting. The surrounding map records nearby communities and landmarks such as Hartwick Seminary, Fly Creek, Burroughs Park, Crystal Lake, Ridge Road, and Mount Vision. Together, these names evoke a landscape where hamlets, farms, wooded ridges, and watercourses were interwoven long before postwar development altered the region’s patterns of residence, recreation, and travel.
The cartographic beauty of this sheet lies in its topographic language. Contour lines rise and fall across the page, marking elevations from roughly 1,500 feet to more than 2,000 feet and giving sculptural form to the hills and valleys around Cooperstown. The viewer can read the land almost as if walking it: slopes gather tightly where hillsides steepen, loosen where valleys broaden, and curve around basins, ridges, and upland shoulders. Green areas suggest vegetation and land character, while blue waterways anchor the composition. Otsego Lake dominates the scene, and the Susquehanna River’s emergence from this lake underscores Cooperstown’s important position at the headwaters of one of America’s great river systems.
Historically, the Cooperstown region is a meeting place of natural drama and cultural memory. Otsego Lake, framed by wooded heights and rural roads, helped shape the identity of the village, from Indigenous travel corridors and early Euro-American settlement to literary fame and modern leisure. Glimmerglass State Park, shown at the lake’s northern reach, preserves part of this celebrated environment, while the mapped roads and farms speak to the area’s agricultural heritage. Since 1945, tourism, heritage institutions, recreation, and residential growth have transformed land use around Cooperstown, making this map a compelling snapshot of the region before many later pressures reshaped its rural character.
The involvement of the U.S. Geological Survey and the Corps of Engineers lends the map both technical authority and historical resonance. USGS topographic sheets were designed to be practical instruments—useful for engineers, planners, scientists, travelers, and public agencies—yet they also possess an austere graphic elegance. Here, the disciplined layering of contour, color, symbol, and label turns the Cooperstown landscape into a readable terrain of ridges, roads, lakes, parks, and settlements. For admirers of New York history, American topography, or the geography of beloved cultural places, this 1945 map offers more than orientation: it preserves a moment when Cooperstown stood poised between its pastoral past and its increasingly prominent role as a destination.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Cooperstown
- Otsego Lake
- Glimmerglass State Park
- Susquehanna River
- Lakeside Drive
- Main Street
- Route 28
- County Road 16
- Ridge Road
- Hartwick Seminary
- Fly Creek
- Burroughs Park
- Crystal Lake
- Mount Vision
- Hudson River near Cooperstown
- Several unnamed hills and valleys
- Various public and private roads throughout the area
Historical context & cartographic details
- Map name: Cooperstown
- Produced by the US Geological Survey, in collaboration with the War Department, Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army.
- Historical 1:31,680 topographical map showing Cooperstown, New York, and the surrounding area.
- Dated 1945.
- The map prominently features the populated area of Cooperstown, along with surrounding landscapes and waterways.
- Displays contour lines in varying shades of brown to highlight topography, with green areas indicating vegetation or lower elevation regions.
- Includes a detailed legend and notation to show elevation changes and important features.
- Elevation is represented through contour lines ranging from 1,500 to over 2,000 feet.
- Depicts hills, valleys, and water bodies across the region.
- The area has undergone significant land-use and development changes since the mid-20th century, influenced by tourism, agriculture, and urban growth.
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 18x24in (45x60cm) 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.
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.
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.
We’ve been restoring and producing maps and art prints since 1984, and we stand behind every piece.
Every order is covered by our 10-year guarantee and damage-free delivery guarantee. If your piece arrives damaged, we’ll replace or remake it free of charge. If anything else isn’t right, contact our workshop team and we’ll put it right promptly.
See our returns and refund policy for full details.
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