Created in 1940 by John G. Brink and produced by Rand McNally in Chicago, this Historical-scenic map of Ohio marries cartographic precision with storytelling allure. Political boundaries, major roads, and principal cities are crisply delineated, while a lively palette and a flourish of vignettes turn the state into a gallery of its own past. An ornate cartouche crowns the composition, and a compass rose at the top fixes true north with ceremonial clarity. The result is both instructive and engaging: a mid-century portrait of Ohio that invites the viewer to trace routes, decode regional identities, and linger over finely rendered scenes. It is a map that serves the traveler and the historian alike, celebrating place, movement, and memory.

Water defines Ohio on this sheet, and the artist lets it sing. Lake Erie’s scalloped shoreline anchors the north, punctuated by islands that call to mind the War of 1812 and Perry’s victory at Put-in-Bay, a formative Great Lakes moment often noted in Ohio iconography. The Maumee drains quiet farmland toward Toledo; the Cuyahoga bends through Cleveland’s industrial flats; the Scioto threads Columbus; the Great Miami shapes Dayton; the Muskingum and Hocking carve their way past Zanesville and Athens. These waters once fed the Ohio & Erie and Miami & Erie canals, and their legacy lingers in the pathways and towns the map connects. Drainage lines and blue washes aren’t mere ornament—they’re a syllabus on how geography steered settlement, trade, and power.

Across the urban belt, the map captures a state in motion at the cusp of wartime industry. Cleveland’s lakefront and river confluence announce steel, shipping, and commerce; Akron radiates rubber-age energy; Youngstown and Canton speak in the language of mills; Toledo gleams with glassworks and automotive ingenuity. Cincinnati’s river heritage and grand bridges evoke an older mercantile metropolis, while Dayton’s inventive spirit gestures to aviation and research. Columbus stands at the center as capital and crossroads. Further notes nod to the state’s deeper roots: Chillicothe’s early capitol era, Newark’s ancient earthworks and indigenous heritage, Athens and Ohio University’s frontier learning, Springfield’s farm machinery, Lima’s oil boom, Sandusky’s port, and the resilient manufacturing towns of Mansfield, Marion, and Hamilton.

Roads stitch these places into a coherent narrative. Before the interstate age, the National Road (US 40) strides east–west through Zanesville and Springfield; the Lincoln Highway (US 30) ties Mansfield and Canton; US 20 arcs along the lake between Toledo and Cleveland; US 23 spears from Toledo through Columbus toward Portsmouth; US 50 links Cincinnati to the Appalachian foothills near Athens; and US 35 couples Dayton to the Ohio River country. The map’s clean symbology clarifies these arteries while pictorial cues invite detours to courthouses, campuses, battlefields, and museums. Decorative borders and informative captions transform a driving companion into a cultural itinerary, making navigation an act of discovery as much as a line from A to B.

Historically, the sheet functions as a compact biography of Ohio: from the Northwest Territory and statehood in 1803, through the canal era that jump-started cities, to railroads and paved highways that modernized commerce. It gestures toward abolitionist networks along the Ohio River and Lake Erie, the state’s Civil War mobilization, and the industrial boom that positioned Ohio for the coming “Arsenal of Democracy.” Annotations tether landmarks to events, turning scenery into evidence. Viewed from 1940, the map balances heritage and horizon—proud of Native earthworks and pioneer cabins, attentive to workshops and laboratories—capturing the decisive moment when geography, industry, and civic ambition converged to shape Ohio’s trajectory.

Places on this map

• Columbus
• Cincinnati
• Cleveland
• Dayton
• Toledo
• Springfield
• Akron
• Youngstown
• Lima
• Portsmouth
• Canton
• Mansfield
• Zanesville
• Athens
• Newark
• Marion
• Sandusky
• Chillicothe
• Hamilton
• Medina

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Political boundaries and major roads clearly marked
• Illustrations of key historical buildings and landmarks
• Major cities identified with clear labels
• Bodies of water, like rivers and lakes, illustrated prominently
• Drainage systems and shorelines of significant water bodies depicted
• The compass rose enhancing navigational clarity
• Historical significance of depicted sites emphasized through annotations
• Decorative borders and cartouches contributing to its aesthetic value

Historical and design context

• Map Title: Historical-scenic map of Ohio
• Creation Year: 1940
• Mapmaker/Publisher: John G. Brink; produced by Rand McNally & Company, Chicago, Illinois
• Map Type: Historically informative thematic and pictorial map
• Visual Style: Engaging historical-scenic style with illustrations and a vibrant color palette
• Dual Purpose: Road map of Ohio on the verso, combining decorative and informative functions
• Dimensions: 35 x 37 cm map on a larger sheet of 57 x 44 cm
• Historical Significance: Mid-20th-century snapshot of Ohio’s geography and history for educational and recreational use

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 16x16in (40x40cm) 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.