Delhi and environs. Plate 47, compiled by J. G. Bartholomew for Constable’s Hand Atlas of India (1893), offers a richly resolved portrait of India’s storied capital at a transformative moment. This city map is remarkable for the way it knits Shahjahanabad’s Mughal core to emerging colonial arteries, showing roads, railways, bridges, canals, and public institutions with disciplined clarity. Hachures subtly render the Delhi Ridge and river terraces, while a refined palette organizes function and jurisdiction—most strikingly in the cantonments, highlighted in yellow. The Yamuna’s winding course anchors the composition, with crossings and embankments carefully plotted. As an urban document, it excels: neighborhoods, markets, parks, and landmark buildings are all keyed, allowing the reader to navigate from fortified gates to bazaars to administrative compounds with uncommon ease.

Within the walled city, the map traces the mercantile spine of Chandni Chowk from the Red Fort to Fatehpuri, punctuated by side streets such as Hauz Qazi Road and Sitaram Bazar Road that braid into dense market quarters. Kashmere Gate and the environs of Delhi Junction are crisply defined, as are the precincts around Jama Masjid and Daryaganj, where Bahadurshah Zafar Marg skirts the line of the old fortifications. To the west, Paharganj Road funnels traffic toward Sadar Bazar and the caravan routes beyond, embodying Delhi’s age-old exchange with the hinterland. Notable parks and gardens—Roshanara Bagh and Qudsia Bagh among them—temper the urban fabric, while public buildings, courthouses, and schools appear as confident anchors in the civic landscape.

The colonial imprint is mapped with unsentimental precision. Cantonments, picked out in yellow, ring the historic core and extend toward the Civil Lines, parade grounds, and officers’ quarters. Major thoroughfares—Minto Road, Feroz Shah Road, Tilak Marg, and Victoria Road—radiate toward new civic axes marked by Parliament Street, Rajpath, Shahjahan Road, and Windsor Place, conveying the geometry of governance and ceremony. Connaught Place emerges as a pivotal urban node tying commercial and administrative spheres, while Race Course Road hints at leisure and elite recreation. Railways stitch Delhi to the subcontinent: lines converge at the river crossing, marshalling yards, and stations, with the Old Yamuna Bridge uniting road and rail. Together, these layers chronicle the consolidation of imperial infrastructure against the palimpsest of Mughal Delhi.

Water and terrain, the city’s oldest shapers, are central to Bartholomew’s depiction. The Yamuna curves past Firoz Shah Kotla, its banks scored by embankments, ghats, and ferry points, while the Western Yamuna Canal and the Agra Canal are traced with lock, distributary, and bridge carefully symbolized. Wazirabad Road tracks the approach to the headworks upstream, situating Delhi within its hydraulic network. To the northwest, hachures dramatize the Delhi Ridge, with the Flagstaff Tower and Hindu Rao’s House commanding the higher ground—features that carry the memory of 1857 and the city’s strategic topography. Greenswards and public gardens soften the hardscape, from the Ridge’s wooded escarpment to civic parks that frame institutions along Lodhi Road and Tilak Marg, where tomb-gardens and new avenues meet.

J. G. Bartholomew’s authorship elevates the sheet from reference to revelation. Famed for cartographic exactitude and elegant symbology, he synthesizes survey data, toponyms, and administrative boundaries into an intelligible urban narrative. In Constable’s Hand Atlas of India, this plate stands out for the balance it strikes—scientific in its hachured relief, lucid in its color logic, and humane in its attention to markets, mosques, gardens, and schools. For historians, it fixes the encounter between Mughal legacy and British modernity; for urbanists, it illustrates the birth of axial planning along Shahjahan Road, Rajpath, and Connaught Place; for collectors, it is a consummate city map, dense with roads from Chandni Chowk and Kashmere Gate Road to Lodhi Road and Bhishmapitamah Road, each thread contributing to Delhi’s enduring tapestry.

Streets and roads on this map

• Ameerpet Road
• Anand Parbat Road
• Bahadurshah Zafar Marg
• Bara Hindu Rao Road
• Bhishmapitamah Road
• Connaught Place
• Chandni Chowk
• Desh Bandhu Gupta Road
• Feroz Shah Road
• Gopal Das Saraf Marg
• Hauz Qazi Road
• ITO Road
• K.G. Marg
• Kashmere Gate Road
• Lawrence Road
• Lodhi Road
• Mandir Marg
• Minto Road
• Paharganj Road
• Parliament Street
• Race Course Road
• Rajpath
• Rani Jhansi Road
• Rouse Avenue
• Shahjahan Road
• Sitaram Bazar Road
• Tilak Marg
• Victoria Road
• Wazirabad Road
• Windsor Place

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Cantonments highlighted in yellow.
• Major roads and railroads connecting various regions.
• Parks and public spaces indicated.
• Landmarks and important buildings marked throughout the map.
• Relief indicated through hachures illustrating terrain elevation.
• Rivers and waterways depicted along with their courses.

Historical and design context

• This map is part of "Constable's Hand Atlas of India," first published in 1893 by Archibald Constable & Company. It showcases various political and physical aspects of Delhi and its surroundings.
• Date of Creation: 1893.
• Mapmaker/Publisher: J.G. John George Bartholomew, published by Archibald Constable & Company.
• Bartholomew was known for his high-quality and detailed maps during the late 19th century, contributing significantly to the field of cartography.
• The map employs hachures to depict relief, enhancing the topographic understanding of the area. The use of a colorful palette adds aesthetic value.
• This map is a significant historical document, reflecting the geographical and cultural landscape of India in the late 19th century and serving as a valuable reference for researchers and historians.

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 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.

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.

For most orders, delivery time is about 3 working days. Personalised and customised products take longer, as I have to do the personalisation and send it to you for approval, which usually takes 1 or 2 days.

Please note that very large framed orders usually take longer to make and deliver. 

If you need your order to arrive by a certain date, please contact me before you order so that we can find the best way of making sure you get your order in time.

I print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world. This means your order will be made locally, which cuts down on delivery time and ensures that it won't be damaged during delivery. You'll never pay customs or import duty, and we'll put less CO2 into the air.

All of my maps and art prints are well packaged and sent in a rugged tube if unframed, or surrounded by foam if framed.

I try to send out all orders within 1 or 2 days of receiving your order, though some products (like face masks, mugs and tote bags) can take longer to make.

If you select Express Delivery at checkout your order we will prioritise your order and send it out by 1-day courier (Fedex, DHL, UPS, Parcelforce).

Next Day delivery is also available in some countries (US, UK, Singapore, UAE) but please try to order early in the day so that we can get it sent out on time.

Read my 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.