Published in 1919 by the United States Geological Survey, “Fernandina” presents Amelia Island and the northeasternmost corner of Florida with the disciplined elegance of early twentieth-century topographic science. Drawn at a scale of 1:62,500, the map centers on Fernandina Beach, then a compact coastal population center poised between maritime commerce, rail connections, and the broad natural margins of island, marsh, and sea. The Atlantic Ocean frames the eastern edge, while St. Marys Entrance and surrounding waterways define the map’s strategic coastal setting. Through its fine contouring, restrained color, and carefully ordered symbols, the sheet captures a moment before later waves of tourism and development reshaped Amelia Island into one of Florida’s most celebrated coastal destinations.

The US Geological Survey brought to this map the institutional precision that made its quadrangles foundational documents of American land knowledge. By 1919, the USGS had spent decades standardizing the visual language of terrain: contour lines for elevation, blue tracery for streams and shorelines, and subtle color distinctions for cultural and natural features. In “Fernandina,” that system is especially effective because the landscape is low, intricate, and water-bound. Rather than dramatic mountain relief, the map reveals the delicate gradients of a barrier-island environment—beaches, tidal flats, wetlands, and settled ground—where slight shifts in elevation shaped transportation, habitation, and land use. Its clarity gives the viewer both a scientific survey and an evocative portrait of coastal Florida.

Amelia Island is the map’s geographic and historical heart, a place long marked by overlapping regimes of exploration, settlement, and trade. Fernandina Beach, positioned near the island’s northern end, had been shaped by its harbor, proximity to the Georgia border, and connections to inland and coastal routes. The map’s waterways are not incidental background; they are the organizing forces of the region. St. Marys Entrance, tidal channels, rivers, and marsh creeks suggest a world of navigation, fishing, shipping, and strategic coastal movement. The island’s edge is rendered as a living boundary, where ocean, estuary, and land continually meet. Seen through this 1919 survey, Amelia Island appears both settled and still profoundly governed by its natural coastal systems.

The topographic character of the sheet is one of quiet complexity. Salt marshes, swamps, wetlands, and coastal lowlands spread around the urban areas, indicating how much of the surrounding landscape remained shaped by tides, drainage, and seasonal water. Fernandina Beach appears within this matrix as a human foothold on a larger amphibious terrain. Roads, though modest and often unlabeled, point to emerging patterns of access and development, while residential areas suggest the beginnings of the modern island community. The contour lines, sparse but meaningful in such a low-relief setting, emphasize subtle rises and depressions that would have mattered greatly for building, farming, travel, and flood vulnerability. The result is a map that rewards close looking.

As a historical document, “Fernandina” offers a compelling view of Amelia Island before the full transformation of the Florida coast by automobile tourism, resort development, and modern infrastructure. It preserves a landscape where Fernandina Beach was important but not yet engulfed by the broader patterns of twentieth-century leisure and real estate expansion. The map records the balance between town and tidewater, settlement and marsh, human ambition and environmental constraint. For collectors, it is especially evocative because it combines USGS technical authority with the atmospheric appeal of a coastal place in transition. Every road, shoreline, contour, and wetland symbol contributes to a portrait of northeastern Florida at a pivotal moment in its modern history.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Fernandina Beach
• Amelia Island
• St. Marys Entrance
• Atlantic Ocean
• Various rivers and waterways
• Salt marshes
• Coastal areas
• Swamps and wetlands
• Residential areas
• Roads, unlabeled

Historical context & cartographic details

• Published by the US Geological Survey, USGS.
• Created in 1919.
• Historical topographical map at a scale of 1:62,500.
• Uses a clear color scheme to distinguish land uses and elevations.
• Includes contour lines to illustrate topography.
• Features a simple, effective legend of symbols for interpreting the landscape.
• Shows varied terrain, including marshland, urban areas, and low coastal topography.
• Reflects the landscape and population center of Fernandina in 1919.
• Offers historical insight into later changes brought by urbanization and tourism.

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.