Rare Old Map of Ithaca, New York by USGS, 1900: Cayuga Lake, Dryden & Lansing
Restored in our London workshop from the original 1904 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
Restored from the original 1904 map and printed to museum-grade archival standards. Full description
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Gift message & custom finish
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.
Every order is custom made, so if you need the size adjusted slightly, or printed on an unusual material, just let us know. We've done thousands of custom orders over the years, so there's (almost) nothing we can't manage.
You can also contact us before you order, if you prefer!
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“Dryden,” published by the United States Geological Survey in 1904 from survey data gathered in 1900, presents a finely observed topographical portrait...
Continue reading“Dryden,” published by the United States Geological Survey in 1904 from survey data gathered in 1900, presents a finely observed topographical portrait of Ithaca and its surrounding New York countryside at the turn of the twentieth century. Drawn at a scale of 1:62,500, the map captures Tompkins County and neighboring communities with the measured precision that made USGS mapping indispensable to engineers, educators, landowners, and government planners. Its subject is not merely Dryden itself, but a wider Finger Lakes landscape of towns, roads, railways, streams, hills, and lake country. Seen today, it records the region before later waves of suburban expansion and modern infrastructure, preserving the spatial logic of an earlier rural and academic world.
The United States Geological Survey, founded in 1879, emerged from a national effort to understand, classify, and manage the American landscape with scientific rigor. By the time this map was issued, the USGS had become the standard-bearer for topographic mapping in the United States, replacing looser local surveys with systematic measurement and standardized visual language. Maps such as “Dryden” were practical instruments, but also feats of disciplined observation: every contour, drainage line, settlement, and route contributed to a broader national archive of terrain and resources. Created before aerial photography transformed cartography, this sheet reflects field-based surveying at its most exacting, when elevation, distance, and landform were translated through laborious ground observation into an elegant, readable geographic record.
Ithaca is the map’s most prominent urban presence, anchoring the western portion of the sheet near the southern end of Cayuga Lake. Already associated with Cornell University, Ithaca appears here as both an educational center and a gateway to the surrounding uplands, valleys, and agricultural communities. The map also names Dryden, Lansing, Danby, Caroline, and Richford, arranging them within a network of roads and railways that reveal the region’s patterns of movement and exchange. These transportation lines are especially evocative, suggesting the daily circulation of students, farmers, merchants, and travelers across a landscape still shaped by local routes and rail connections. The result is a vivid geographical snapshot of Tompkins County’s civic and rural life around 1900.
The cartographic beauty of the map lies in its topographic language. Contour lines flow across the sheet in dense, expressive patterns, tightening sharply where slopes rise and relaxing where the land opens into gentler grades. This is the terrain of the Finger Lakes region: undulating, glacially shaped, and rich with valleys, ridges, and waterways. A warm color palette emphasizes elevation and relief, giving the map a subtle visual depth while retaining the clarity required of a scientific survey. Streams and smaller waterways thread through the landscape, their courses helping explain the placement of roads, settlements, and cultivated land. Cayuga Lake, one of New York’s defining natural features, adds a commanding hydrological presence to the composition.
As a historical document, “Dryden” captures a landscape on the threshold between nineteenth-century rural patterns and twentieth-century transformation. The communities shown were connected, yet still distinct; the railways and roads point toward modernization, while the topography reminds the viewer of the enduring influence of landform on human settlement. Ithaca’s later growth, Cornell’s expanding footprint, and the region’s evolving infrastructure would all alter the map’s world in the decades that followed. Yet here, the relationship between town, countryside, lake, and hill remains legible with remarkable clarity. For collectors of American cartography, educational history, or Finger Lakes geography, this USGS sheet offers both technical sophistication and a compelling portrait of place.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Ithaca
- Dryden
- Lansing
- Danby
- Caroline
- Richford
- Tompkins County
- Cayuga Lake
- Several streams and smaller waterways
- Various roads and railways highlighted across the region
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the US Geological Survey
- Historical 1:62,500 topographical map showing Ithaca, New York, and surrounding areas
- Based on survey data from 1900 and published with a 1904 imprint
- The US Geological Survey was established in 1879 and became known for detailed topographic maps supporting land use, natural resource management, and scientific research
- Ithaca is prominently featured and is associated with Cornell University
- Uses contour lines to show elevation changes across the landscape
- Warm color palette indicates elevation and highlights topographical variation
- Densely packed contour lines mark steeper terrain typical of the Finger Lakes region of New York
- Reflects late 19th- to early 20th-century cartographic methods before the widespread use of aerial photography
- Captures the region before significant urban and infrastructural development transformed the landscape
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.
“Dryden,” published by the United States Geological Survey in 1904 from survey data gathered in 1900, presents a finely observed topographical portrait of Ithaca and its surrounding New York countryside at the turn of the twentieth century. Drawn at a scale of 1:62,500, the map captures Tompkins County and neighboring communities with the measured precision that made USGS mapping indispensable to engineers, educators, landowners, and government planners. Its subject is not merely Dryden itself, but a wider Finger Lakes landscape of towns, roads, railways, streams, hills, and lake country. Seen today, it records the region before later waves of suburban expansion and modern infrastructure, preserving the spatial logic of an earlier rural and academic world.
The United States Geological Survey, founded in 1879, emerged from a national effort to understand, classify, and manage the American landscape with scientific rigor. By the time this map was issued, the USGS had become the standard-bearer for topographic mapping in the United States, replacing looser local surveys with systematic measurement and standardized visual language. Maps such as “Dryden” were practical instruments, but also feats of disciplined observation: every contour, drainage line, settlement, and route contributed to a broader national archive of terrain and resources. Created before aerial photography transformed cartography, this sheet reflects field-based surveying at its most exacting, when elevation, distance, and landform were translated through laborious ground observation into an elegant, readable geographic record.
Ithaca is the map’s most prominent urban presence, anchoring the western portion of the sheet near the southern end of Cayuga Lake. Already associated with Cornell University, Ithaca appears here as both an educational center and a gateway to the surrounding uplands, valleys, and agricultural communities. The map also names Dryden, Lansing, Danby, Caroline, and Richford, arranging them within a network of roads and railways that reveal the region’s patterns of movement and exchange. These transportation lines are especially evocative, suggesting the daily circulation of students, farmers, merchants, and travelers across a landscape still shaped by local routes and rail connections. The result is a vivid geographical snapshot of Tompkins County’s civic and rural life around 1900.
The cartographic beauty of the map lies in its topographic language. Contour lines flow across the sheet in dense, expressive patterns, tightening sharply where slopes rise and relaxing where the land opens into gentler grades. This is the terrain of the Finger Lakes region: undulating, glacially shaped, and rich with valleys, ridges, and waterways. A warm color palette emphasizes elevation and relief, giving the map a subtle visual depth while retaining the clarity required of a scientific survey. Streams and smaller waterways thread through the landscape, their courses helping explain the placement of roads, settlements, and cultivated land. Cayuga Lake, one of New York’s defining natural features, adds a commanding hydrological presence to the composition.
As a historical document, “Dryden” captures a landscape on the threshold between nineteenth-century rural patterns and twentieth-century transformation. The communities shown were connected, yet still distinct; the railways and roads point toward modernization, while the topography reminds the viewer of the enduring influence of landform on human settlement. Ithaca’s later growth, Cornell’s expanding footprint, and the region’s evolving infrastructure would all alter the map’s world in the decades that followed. Yet here, the relationship between town, countryside, lake, and hill remains legible with remarkable clarity. For collectors of American cartography, educational history, or Finger Lakes geography, this USGS sheet offers both technical sophistication and a compelling portrait of place.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Ithaca
- Dryden
- Lansing
- Danby
- Caroline
- Richford
- Tompkins County
- Cayuga Lake
- Several streams and smaller waterways
- Various roads and railways highlighted across the region
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the US Geological Survey
- Historical 1:62,500 topographical map showing Ithaca, New York, and surrounding areas
- Based on survey data from 1900 and published with a 1904 imprint
- The US Geological Survey was established in 1879 and became known for detailed topographic maps supporting land use, natural resource management, and scientific research
- Ithaca is prominently featured and is associated with Cornell University
- Uses contour lines to show elevation changes across the landscape
- Warm color palette indicates elevation and highlights topographical variation
- Densely packed contour lines mark steeper terrain typical of the Finger Lakes region of New York
- Reflects late 19th- to early 20th-century cartographic methods before the widespread use of aerial photography
- Captures the region before significant urban and infrastructural development transformed the landscape
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.
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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