The Unique Map Of California, drawn by E. McD. Johnstone and issued in San Francisco by Dickman-Jones Co. Lithographs in 1885, is a tour de force of late‑19th‑century cartographic artistry and intelligence. Across the full sweep of the state, vibrant color delineates counties and landscapes, while ornate cartouches and a richly worked border lend the sheet a ceremonial presence. Twenty vignetted scenes encircle and punctuate the composition, offering a pictorial counterpart to the geography within. Johnstone integrates three incisive thematic insets—soil types, temperature variations, and an elevation profile of the Sierra Nevada—so that California’s visual drama is paired with environmental understanding. The result is a map that reads as both panorama and primer, a vivid invitation to study the land’s form, character, and promise at a moment of extraordinary change.

E. McD. Johnstone remains an elusive figure, yet his association with a Climatic Map of California speaks volumes about his priorities. He was a cartographer attuned to the physical sciences, intent on translating weather, terrain, and resource patterns into legible, decision‑shaping images. In collaboration with the accomplished lithographers of Dickman-Jones Co., he harnessed San Francisco’s bustling print culture to produce a sheet that is as refined as it is instructive. The lettering is crisp, boundaries are cleanly engraved, and color assignments are carefully keyed to meaning rather than mere decoration. Johnstone’s “unique” approach lies in this marriage of scientific clarity and visual theater—an 1880s sensibility that sought to inform migrants, merchants, and policymakers with maps that were beautiful enough to keep and precise enough to use.

Nowhere is that dual purpose clearer than in the thematic apparatus. The soil map discloses belts of alluvium and loam across the Central Valley and along coastal terraces, hinting at where orchards, vineyards, and grain might thrive. The temperature inset traces California’s signature gradients—from ocean-cooled shores to the more extreme interiors—capturing the seasonal logic that undergirds planting calendars and settlement comfort. Most dramatic is the Sierra Nevada elevation profile, which stages the ascent from oak‑studded foothills to snow‑capped crest in a single sweep. It quietly gestures to the mountain’s role in water storage and river regimes, connecting high country to valley floor. Collectively, these insets convert a beautiful map into a working model of the state’s environmental machinery.

Johnstone’s base map is equally persuasive as a geographic portrait. County lines are sharply delimited, with cities and towns—San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, Oakland, Fresno, Bakersfield, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Long Beach—clearly inscribed to chart a lattice of urban growth. Major rivers, notably the Sacramento and San Joaquin, guide the eye through the Central Valley’s long axis toward the intricacies of the Delta and San Francisco Bay. To the east the Sierra Nevada rises in sweeping continuity, while the Coast Ranges ripple along a shoreline scalloped by Monterey Bay and other coves. In the far south and interior, arid basins and desert tracts are rendered with restraint, their presence balancing the maritime cool of the north and the agricultural heartland at center.

The twenty vignettes punctuate this geography with lived atmosphere—glimpses of coastlines and harbors, mountain passes and forested slopes, ranchlands, fields, and burgeoning townscapes. They offer a narrative bridge between the labeled map and the daily realities it implies, underscoring how climate, soil, and relief conspire to shape livelihoods and vistas. In 1885, California was accelerating into modernity, its rail lines tightening connections, its counties multiplying in function, its cities surging outward. Johnstone’s composition catches that momentum without losing the longue durée of landscape. It is a singular artifact of the era’s optimism and curiosity: decorative yet disciplined, regional yet comprehensive, and enduringly insightful in the way it makes a vast state both knowable and compelling.

Cities and towns on this map

• Los Angeles, Los Angeles County (Modern-day population: ~3.9 million)
• San Diego, San Diego County (Modern-day population: ~1.4 million)
• San Francisco, San Francisco County (Modern-day population: ~883,000)
• Fresno, Fresno County (Modern-day population: ~530,000)
• Sacramento, Sacramento County (Modern-day population: ~513,000)
• Long Beach, Los Angeles County (Modern-day population: ~467,000)
• Oakland, Alameda County (Modern-day population: ~433,000)
• Bakersfield, Kern County (Modern-day population: ~403,000)
• Anaheim, Orange County (Modern-day population: ~352,000)
• Santa Ana, Orange County (Modern-day population: ~332,000)

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Vibrant Color Printing: The map uses intricate color palettes to represent different geographic areas.
• Vignettes: Twenty picturesque scenes depicting California's landscapes and cultural aspects.
• Inset Maps:
• Soil types
• Temperature variations
• Elevation profile of the Sierra Nevada mountains
• Cartographic Elements: Well-defined boundaries of counties and cities with clear labeling.
• Decorative Elements: Ornate cartouches and borders enhancing visual appeal.

Historical and design context

• Date of Creation: 1885
• Design Style: Features vibrant full-color printing and ornate design elements, typical of 19th-century cartography, integrating artistic and informative aspects.
• Historical Significance: Reflects California's diverse landscapes and historical context as a rapidly growing state during the late 19th century.
• Context on the Mapmaker: Little is known about Johnstone aside from his work on the Climatic Map of California, suggesting a focus on regional climatic features.

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.