Théophile Moreux’s 1949 Carte de la Lune is a masterclass in mid-century lunar cartography: a chromolithographic portrait of the Moon’s Earth-facing hemisphere that fuses rigorous observation with luminous design. Its principal subjects are the maria and highlands, the summits and basins, and the great impact scars that narrate the Moon’s history. Moreux distills a complex three-dimensional world into an intelligible, elegant infographic, inviting the viewer to read relief as readily as text. The map is especially intriguing for how it frames pre-space-age knowledge—when only 59% of the lunar surface had been systematically charted—capturing both the certainty of well-known features and the tantalizing ambiguity at the edges of observation.

The legend of this map is written in color and contour. Yellow tints signal elevation across ramparts, ranges, and crater rims, while cool blues mark depressions—subtle gradations that turn light and shade into measurable structure. Fine topographic lines trace major summits and impact craters, sharpening the distinction between uplifted highlands and basaltic plains. Against this backdrop, the Sea of Tranquility (Mer de la Tranquillité) and the Ocean of Storms (Ocean des Tempêtes) emerge as vast sheets of solidified lava, their calm palettes belying volcanic origins. The result is a visual grammar that makes the Moon’s morphology instantly legible: craters become timelines; seas, geological episodes; and contours, the very sentences of lunar relief.

Orientation becomes an intellectual exercise in Moreux’s hands. North and south are deliberately inverted, while east and west remain true—an observational compromise that mirrors the vantage and conventions of telescopic study. This unusual perspective invites the viewer to inhabit the astronomer’s eyepiece, where foreshortening and libration complicate simple mapping. At the southern pole, Moreux highlights the Doerfel Range, poised within the rim of a vast impact crater and bathed in enduring light—an arresting reminder that polar topography modulates illumination in extreme ways. Such choices reveal a cartographer attentive not only to where features are, but to how they appear, shifting with geometry, sunlight, and the limits of mid-century optics.

Nomenclature becomes narrative across the surface. Familiar mares—Mer de la Sérénité, Mer des Pluies, Mer des Crises, Mer des Vapeurs, Mer des Humeurs, and the evocative Golfo de la Mort—dot the disc like chapters in a chronicle of fire and impact. Labeled craters punctuate these plains and highlands, offering anchor points for both amateur stargazers and professional selenographers. By coupling poetic place-names with precise symbology, the map bridges myth and metric, making an austere celestial body invitingly human. That blend reflects Moreux’s broader preoccupations: education, popular science, and a curiosity about extraterrestrial life—threads that run through his lunar and Martian studies and animate this chart with intellectual reach.

As a scientific tool and cultural artifact, Moreux’s Moon compresses an era’s knowledge with rare clarity. Created on the cusp of space exploration, it captures the best of Earth-based astronomy just before spacecraft redefined the possible. Its disciplined use of color-coding and contour foreshadows later photogrammetric relief maps, while its lucid labeling sustains lasting pedagogical value. Moreux’s legacy—honored by an asteroid and a Martian crater bearing his name—resonates in this work: a map that invites contemplation as much as consultation. It is a portrait of the Moon and of an astronomer’s mind at once—precise, speculative, and irresistibly illuminating.

Places on this map

• Mer des Humeurs (Sea of Moods)
• Mer de la Sérénité (Sea of Serenity)
• Mer des Pluies (Sea of Rains)
• Mer des Vapeurs (Sea of Vapors)
• Mer des Crises (Sea of Crises)
• Mer de la Tranquillité (Sea of Tranquility)
• Ocean des Tempêtes (Ocean of Storms)
• Golfo de la Mort (Gulf of Death)
• Several Impact Craters: Not named here individually but depicted prominently on the map.

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Doerfel Range
• Craters: Various labeled craters, highlighted for significance.
• Topographic Lines
• Regions: Various seas and landforms are detailed with names indicating their topographical significance.

Historical and design context

• Year Created: 1949
• Mapmaker: Théophile Moreaux, an esteemed author and astronomer (1867-1954).
• Map Description: A fascinating chromolithograph depicting a detailed lunar landscape, showcasing both well-known and lesser-known features of the moon.
• Visibility: Represents the visible hemisphere from Earth; only 59% of the moon was systematically charted before space exploration.
• Color Coding: Uses a color-coded system where yellow indicates elevation and blue denotes depressions.
• Topographic Lines: Utilized to outline major summits and impact craters, enhancing clarity.
• Inversion of Lunar Poles: North and south poles are swapped, while east and west remain accurate; this requires observation from an unusual perspective.
• Themes: Explores concepts of extraterrestrial life and the mysteries of space; reflects Moreaux’s fascination with lunar and Martian studies.
• Cultural Impact: The map serves as both a scientific tool and an educational piece, accentuating Moreaux's legacy in astronomy and popular science.
• Historical Significance: Reflects early astronomical studies and cultural perceptions of space during Moreaux's lifetime.
• Recognition: An asteroid and a Martian crater were named in honor of Moreaux posthumously.

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 100in (250cm). 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.