Published in 1925 under the title “Norman NO 2,” this U.S. Geological Survey topographical map presents Norman, Oklahoma, and its surrounding country at the highly detailed 1:24,000 scale. It belongs to the great federal mapping tradition that transformed local landscapes into precise instruments of science, planning, and navigation. The “advance” designation gives the sheet particular interest, suggesting a map issued for early use before wider or final dissemination. At its center lies Norman, already an important settlement in Cleveland County and increasingly shaped by education, transportation, and regional growth. Seen through the disciplined language of contour lines, roads, rail lines, and waterways, the map captures a moment when the town remained closely tied to the open prairie and riverine landscapes around it.

The U.S. Geological Survey, founded in 1879, became the principal authority for systematic topographic mapping in the United States, and this sheet reflects the agency’s characteristic precision. Rather than presenting territory as decoration or empire, the USGS rendered land as measurable terrain: elevations, drainage, transportation corridors, settlement patterns, and civic landmarks all brought into a coherent geographic framework. The monochromatic style, typical of early twentieth-century survey work, gives the map an austere elegance. Its coordinated grid and carefully spaced contour lines make the terrain legible at a glance, while closer study reveals the subtle slopes, rises, and lowlands that define the Norman area. It is a map designed for use, yet its restraint and clarity give it a quiet visual authority.

Norman appears as the central populated place, with its street pattern, roads, and rail connections marking its role as a local hub in central Oklahoma. The presence of West High School and other civic features hints at the developing institutional life of the community, while transportation lines speak to the movement of people, goods, and ideas across the region. By 1925, Norman was already closely associated with the University of Oklahoma, founded in the territorial period and increasingly influential in the town’s identity and expansion. This map preserves the urban footprint before later decades of suburban growth, highway construction, and metropolitan transformation altered the relationship between town, countryside, and campus.

The Canadian River and Little River are among the most important natural features shown, their courses shaping the surrounding land and anchoring the broader geography of the sheet. In central Oklahoma, rivers and creeks were not merely scenic elements; they structured travel, agriculture, settlement, and local boundaries. The contouring around these waterways reveals the gradual undulations of the landscape, where broad plains give way to drainage corridors and modest elevation changes. Such topographic detail is especially valuable in a region where subtle relief can be as significant as dramatic mountains elsewhere. The map invites the viewer to read the land as surveyors did: through slope, flow, access, and the practical realities of moving across terrain.

As a historical document, “Norman NO 2” offers a finely observed portrait of a community on the threshold between rural Oklahoma and modern urban development. Its roads and rail lines trace the infrastructure of the early twentieth century, while the surrounding contours and waterways record the underlying geography that continued to influence later growth. The map is especially compelling for anyone interested in Norman’s evolution, Oklahoma history, federal cartography, or the disciplined beauty of topographic design. Every line serves a purpose: to measure, orient, and explain. Yet together those lines form something more evocative—a carefully surveyed image of place, preserving Norman and its environs as they stood in 1925.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Norman, Oklahoma
• Canadian River
• Little River
• West High School
• Various roads and rail lines
• Contour lines indicating elevation changes across the landscape

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS)
• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Norman, Oklahoma and the surrounding area
• Created in 1925
• Special features include “advance”
• Uses a monochromatic, typically brown-toned, color scheme
• Emphasizes topographic lines showing elevation changes
• Includes a coordinated grid layout to aid orientation
• Shows detailed contour lines indicating landforms and varying elevations
• Reflects the geography of Norman in the early 20th century
• Documents the area before substantial later urban development and expansion, including growth associated with the University of Oklahoma

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.