Map of Stonington, Maine by USGS, 1983: Deer Isle, Isle au Haut & Penobscot Bay
Restored in our London workshop from the original 1983 map and printed to museum-grade archival standards. Full description
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Choose two eligible works and receive 20% off both. Choose three and the lowest-priced one is complimentary, a maximum saving of 33%.
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Standard made-to-order configurations are included. Bespoke sizes, personalised designs and commissioned work are excluded.
Need delivery to different addresses? Contact us before ordering.The Collector’s Offer
Choose two eligible works and receive 20% off both. Choose three and the lowest-priced one is complimentary, a maximum saving of 33%.
Mix and match eligible standard maps and fine-art prints. No code is required; the offer is applied automatically at checkout.
Standard made-to-order configurations are included. Bespoke sizes, personalised designs and commissioned work are excluded.
Need delivery to different addresses? Contact us before ordering.
Restored in London • Printed and framed in the UK
Restored from the original 1983 map and printed to museum-grade archival standards. Full description
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If you want to add a gift message, or a finish (jigsaw, aluminium board, etc.) that is not available here, please request it in the "order note" when you check out.
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Published by the United States Geological Survey in 1983, “Deer Isle Quadrangle” presents one of Maine’s most intricate coastal landscapes at the...
Continue readingPublished by the United States Geological Survey in 1983, “Deer Isle Quadrangle” presents one of Maine’s most intricate coastal landscapes at the highly detailed 1:24,000 scale. Marked “Provisional,” the map belongs to a practical yet fascinating category of USGS cartography: authoritative enough for field use, navigation, planning, and study, while also reflecting an evolving stage in the agency’s mapping program. Its subject is the island world around Deer Isle and Stonington, where land and sea interlace in a complex pattern of coves, ledges, harbors, roads, and settlement. The map captures a moment in the late twentieth century when traditional maritime communities, working waterfronts, and scattered island settlements still defined much of this remarkable stretch of the Maine coast.
The United States Geological Survey brought to this map the disciplined visual language that made its quadrangles essential tools for generations of geologists, engineers, hikers, planners, and historians. Contour lines articulate the modest but meaningful elevations of Deer Isle and its neighboring islands, while color coding distinguishes water, woodland, built features, roads, and relief with admirable clarity. The design is understated but richly informative: every inlet, shoreline indentation, shoal, and causeway contributes to a larger portrait of coastal topography. At this scale, the map rewards close reading, revealing trails, local roads, shoreline structures, and the subtle transitions between upland, village, and tidal edge. It is both a scientific document and a refined study in cartographic precision.
Stonington, the principal populated place shown, anchors the southern end of Deer Isle and gives the map much of its human drama. Long associated with fishing, granite, and seafaring, Stonington appears here not as an isolated village but as part of a broader maritime network extending across Penobscot Bay and Blue Hill Bay. Roads lead toward harbors and waterfronts; docks and shore constructs hint at the labor and commerce of the coast. Around it lie Little Deer Isle, Sand Island, Green Island, Thrumcap Island, and the Cod Islands, each contributing to the archipelagic character of the scene. The abundance of named and unnamed inlets emphasizes how deeply the sea shapes movement, livelihood, and identity in this region.
Beyond Deer Isle itself, the quadrangle opens outward into some of the most evocative waters in coastal Maine. Penobscot Bay and Blue Hill Bay frame the map’s geography, while Merchants Row evokes the historic island passages used by mariners navigating between granite-studded shores. Isle au Haut, North Haven, and Vinalhaven appear as part of a wider constellation of islands, each with its own relationship to fishing grounds, ferry routes, sheltering coves, and open water. The topographic treatment makes clear that this is not a coastline of smooth boundaries, but one of broken granite, tidal channels, narrow crossings, and protected harbors. The map’s beauty lies in this complexity: a seascape rendered with the exactness of survey work.
As a historical record from 1983, “Deer Isle Quadrangle” is valuable for understanding both environmental conditions and patterns of development along the Maine coast. It preserves the configuration of roads, settlements, waterfront infrastructure, and land cover at a particular moment, offering clues for studies of historical ecology, coastal change, and community growth. Comparing this map with later surveys can reveal shifts in shoreline use, residential expansion, conservation priorities, and the evolving relationship between working waterfronts and seasonal landscapes. Its provisional status adds another layer of interest, suggesting a cartographic snapshot in progress rather than a static final word. For collectors, historians, and admirers of Maine’s island coast, it is a deeply atmospheric and information-rich portrait.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Deer Isle
- Stonington
- Isle au Haut
- Little Deer Isle
- Sand Island
- Green Island
- North Haven
- Vinalhaven
- Thrumcap Island
- Cod Islands
- Penobscot Bay
- Blue Hill Bay
- Merchants Row
- Various small inlets and waterfronts
- Shore constructs, including ports and docks
- Roads, including local routes and trails
Historical context & cartographic details
- Titled “Deer Isle Quadrangle.”
- Produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
- Created in 1983.
- Marked as a historical “Provisional” map.
- Uses a 1:24,000 scale, providing detailed topographical information.
- Employs color coding to distinguish landforms, elevations, and water bodies.
- Shows contour lines and varying elevations across the coastal landscape.
- Depicts numerous islands and inlets characteristic of the Maine coastline.
- Reflects geographic conditions and potential development patterns as of 1983.
- Useful for historical ecology and urban development studies.
- Cartographic symbols and color choices emphasize the natural beauty and geographic detail of the Deer Isle area.
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.
Published by the United States Geological Survey in 1983, “Deer Isle Quadrangle” presents one of Maine’s most intricate coastal landscapes at the highly detailed 1:24,000 scale. Marked “Provisional,” the map belongs to a practical yet fascinating category of USGS cartography: authoritative enough for field use, navigation, planning, and study, while also reflecting an evolving stage in the agency’s mapping program. Its subject is the island world around Deer Isle and Stonington, where land and sea interlace in a complex pattern of coves, ledges, harbors, roads, and settlement. The map captures a moment in the late twentieth century when traditional maritime communities, working waterfronts, and scattered island settlements still defined much of this remarkable stretch of the Maine coast.
The United States Geological Survey brought to this map the disciplined visual language that made its quadrangles essential tools for generations of geologists, engineers, hikers, planners, and historians. Contour lines articulate the modest but meaningful elevations of Deer Isle and its neighboring islands, while color coding distinguishes water, woodland, built features, roads, and relief with admirable clarity. The design is understated but richly informative: every inlet, shoreline indentation, shoal, and causeway contributes to a larger portrait of coastal topography. At this scale, the map rewards close reading, revealing trails, local roads, shoreline structures, and the subtle transitions between upland, village, and tidal edge. It is both a scientific document and a refined study in cartographic precision.
Stonington, the principal populated place shown, anchors the southern end of Deer Isle and gives the map much of its human drama. Long associated with fishing, granite, and seafaring, Stonington appears here not as an isolated village but as part of a broader maritime network extending across Penobscot Bay and Blue Hill Bay. Roads lead toward harbors and waterfronts; docks and shore constructs hint at the labor and commerce of the coast. Around it lie Little Deer Isle, Sand Island, Green Island, Thrumcap Island, and the Cod Islands, each contributing to the archipelagic character of the scene. The abundance of named and unnamed inlets emphasizes how deeply the sea shapes movement, livelihood, and identity in this region.
Beyond Deer Isle itself, the quadrangle opens outward into some of the most evocative waters in coastal Maine. Penobscot Bay and Blue Hill Bay frame the map’s geography, while Merchants Row evokes the historic island passages used by mariners navigating between granite-studded shores. Isle au Haut, North Haven, and Vinalhaven appear as part of a wider constellation of islands, each with its own relationship to fishing grounds, ferry routes, sheltering coves, and open water. The topographic treatment makes clear that this is not a coastline of smooth boundaries, but one of broken granite, tidal channels, narrow crossings, and protected harbors. The map’s beauty lies in this complexity: a seascape rendered with the exactness of survey work.
As a historical record from 1983, “Deer Isle Quadrangle” is valuable for understanding both environmental conditions and patterns of development along the Maine coast. It preserves the configuration of roads, settlements, waterfront infrastructure, and land cover at a particular moment, offering clues for studies of historical ecology, coastal change, and community growth. Comparing this map with later surveys can reveal shifts in shoreline use, residential expansion, conservation priorities, and the evolving relationship between working waterfronts and seasonal landscapes. Its provisional status adds another layer of interest, suggesting a cartographic snapshot in progress rather than a static final word. For collectors, historians, and admirers of Maine’s island coast, it is a deeply atmospheric and information-rich portrait.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Deer Isle
- Stonington
- Isle au Haut
- Little Deer Isle
- Sand Island
- Green Island
- North Haven
- Vinalhaven
- Thrumcap Island
- Cod Islands
- Penobscot Bay
- Blue Hill Bay
- Merchants Row
- Various small inlets and waterfronts
- Shore constructs, including ports and docks
- Roads, including local routes and trails
Historical context & cartographic details
- Titled “Deer Isle Quadrangle.”
- Produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
- Created in 1983.
- Marked as a historical “Provisional” map.
- Uses a 1:24,000 scale, providing detailed topographical information.
- Employs color coding to distinguish landforms, elevations, and water bodies.
- Shows contour lines and varying elevations across the coastal landscape.
- Depicts numerous islands and inlets characteristic of the Maine coastline.
- Reflects geographic conditions and potential development patterns as of 1983.
- Useful for historical ecology and urban development studies.
- Cartographic symbols and color choices emphasize the natural beauty and geographic detail of the Deer Isle area.
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.
Many of our maps and art prints are chosen as thoughtful gifts for homes, offices, studies and meaningful places.
Choose a framed option for the easiest ready-to-hang gift, or choose an unframed print if the recipient may prefer to select their own frame.
We make orders locally in 23 countries around the world, so gifts can often be produced close to the recipient. This helps them arrive faster, travel more safely, and avoid customs or import duty surprises.
- We can deliver directly to the recipient
- Framed pieces arrive ready to hang
- Unframed prints are carefully packed in a strong protective tube
- Almost every order is made locally, for faster, safer gifting
- 90-day returns give the recipient time to decide
If you are not sure what to choose, please contact us. We can help you pick the right map, size, finish or delivery option.
Most orders are made locally and delivered in around 2–3 working days, depending on the product, size and destination.
We print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world, so your order is usually made close to you or your recipient. That means faster delivery, less time in transit, and no customs or import duty surprises.
Personalised and customised pieces usually take an extra 1–2 working days, because we prepare your design and send it to you for approval before printing.
Very large framed orders can take a little longer, as they need extra care in production and delivery.
Every order is carefully packaged: unframed prints are sent in a strong protective tube, while framed pieces are securely packed with protective materials around the frame.
If you need your order by a particular date, please contact us before ordering. We’ll check the best production route and delivery option for your location.
Express delivery is available at checkout for most countries. Next-day delivery is available in the UK, US, Singapore and the UAE.
Your order is covered by our 90-day returns policy and 10-year guarantee.
Our standard frame is a gallery-style black ash hardwood frame, with a simple, modern look. It is approximately 20mm (0.8in) wide. You can also view some lovely customer photos of framed maps and art.
We use super-clear acrylic glazing, also known as Perspex or Acrylite, instead of traditional glass. It is lighter, safer, and has lower reflectivity, giving the artwork a clearer, cleaner appearance.
Six standard frame colours are available at no extra cost: black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white, and antique gold. Custom framing and mounting/matting is also available for customers looking for something more specific.
Most maps, art prints, and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced wooden box frame, and then float the piece within a wooden outer frame. The finished result is beautifully presented, with no glazing between you and the artwork.
All frames are supplied ready to hang, with either string or brackets fitted to the back. Very large frames will include heavy-duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.
We can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag, and other materials.
If you would prefer to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read our size guide before ordering.
Every Unique Maps piece begins with an authentic cartographic source or an original design from our London studio.
For our historic maps, we source rare originals from libraries, archives, auction houses and private collections around the world. We carefully restore each map for print—repairing age-related damage, balancing colour and improving clarity while preserving its original detail, texture and character.
Once restored, the map is prepared for your chosen size and finish. Your piece is then printed and, where selected, framed close to its delivery destination.
Our map prints use acid-free 200gsm archival matte paper and fade-resistant pigment inks, creating a rich, non-glossy finish designed to last. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.
Canvas, cotton-rag and other specialist presentations are also available. Learn more about our materials and finishes.
Personalising your map
You can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. For personalised designs, we send a proof before printing and you can request changes before approval.
For more complex bespoke commissions, contact our design team.
Original or Aged
Choose Original for true-to-source colour, or Aged for a warmer, richer antique character created with our specialist ageing process. See examples of our Aged maps.
We’ve been restoring and producing maps and art prints since 1984, and we stand behind every piece.
Every order is covered by our 10-year guarantee and damage-free delivery guarantee. If your piece arrives damaged, we’ll replace or remake it free of charge. If anything else isn’t right, contact our workshop team and we’ll put it right promptly.
See our returns and refund policy for full details.
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