Rare Old Map of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania by USGS, 1960: Mauch Chunk, Lehigh River & Mount Pisgah
Restored in our London workshop from the original 1962 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%.
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.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 1962 map and printed to museum-grade archival standards. Full description
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Gift message & custom finish
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.
Every order is custom made, so if you need the size adjusted slightly, or printed on an unusual material, just let us know. We've done thousands of custom orders over the years, so there's (almost) nothing we can't manage.
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Published by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1962 from survey data gathered in 1960, the map titled “Christmans” presents a richly detailed...
Continue readingPublished by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1962 from survey data gathered in 1960, the map titled “Christmans” presents a richly detailed topographic portrait of the Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, area at a moment of transition in the mid-twentieth century. Its carefully drawn contour lines reveal the folded terrain of Carbon County, where steep wooded slopes, narrow valleys, and river corridors shape settlement and movement. The Lehigh River forms one of the map’s defining features, threading through a landscape long associated with industry, transportation, and mountain scenery. Roads appear in red, vegetation in lush green, and built features with restrained precision, creating a classic USGS composition that is both scientifically exacting and visually elegant.
The USGS tradition is evident throughout the map: systematic, data-driven, and designed to make the land intelligible at a glance. By the early 1960s, these quadrangle maps had become indispensable tools for engineers, planners, hikers, foresters, and local officials, combining field survey, aerial interpretation, and standardized cartographic symbology. Here, that method gives the Christmans area a remarkable clarity. Elevation is not merely suggested but measured through contour intervals, allowing the eye to climb Bear Mountain, Mount Pisgah, and surrounding ridges. The result is a map that balances utility and beauty, translating complex Appalachian topography into a disciplined visual language of lines, color, and symbols.
Jim Thorpe, formerly known as Mauch Chunk, anchors the human geography of the sheet and lends the map much of its historical resonance. Nestled dramatically along the Lehigh River and surrounded by steep slopes, the town developed as a nineteenth-century hub of coal transport, canal traffic, and rail connections. By 1960, its industrial prominence had shifted, yet the map preserves the physical framework that shaped its rise: constricted valleys, river bends, roads threading through gaps, and slopes that hem in the built environment. Summit Hill, Franklin, Penn Forest, and nearby settlements appear in relation to this rugged setting, showing how communities adapted to the contours of Pennsylvania’s anthracite region.
The landscape beyond the towns is rendered with particular sensitivity. Green tinting marks wooded land and vegetated areas, emphasizing the heavily forested character of the ridges and valleys around the Lehigh. Numerous unnamed creeks, hollows, and drainage lines articulate the terrain, suggesting the quiet complexity of watersheds that feed the larger river system. Parks and open spaces sit within this broader matrix of slopes and woodland, while isolated buildings and structures punctuate the countryside. The map’s topographic style makes visible the intimate relationship between geology, water, roads, and settlement: every route appears negotiated with the land, every cluster of buildings shaped by elevation and access.
As a historical document, “Christmans” captures Carbon County before later waves of development, recreation infrastructure, and ecological change altered portions of the region. It records the early-1960s geography of Jim Thorpe and its surroundings with a precision that allows modern viewers to compare past and present landscapes in striking detail. The red roads, contour-draped mountains, river corridor, and scattered structures evoke a place still closely tied to its terrain. For collectors of American topographic mapping, the sheet offers more than location; it preserves a measured image of a storied Pennsylvania landscape, where industrial history, Appalachian landforms, and federal cartographic craftsmanship meet in one compelling composition.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Jim Thorpe, PA
- Lehigh River
- Mauch Chunk
- Carbon County
- Penn Forest
- Summit Hill
- Bear Mountain
- Franklin
- Mount Pisgah
- Several unnamed valleys and creeks
- Roads, depicted in red
- Parks within the landscape
- Isolated buildings and structures within the populated area
Historical context & cartographic details
- Map title: Christmans
- Produced by the U.S. Geological Survey
- Based on survey data from 1960
- Published in 1962
- Features a traditional topographic style with contour lines showing elevation changes
- Uses lush green coloring to represent vegetation and land use
- Shows a varied landscape of valleys and hills, especially around the Lehigh River
- Captures the Jim Thorpe area in the early 1960s, before later urban development and ecological changes
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 U.S. Geological Survey in 1962 from survey data gathered in 1960, the map titled “Christmans” presents a richly detailed topographic portrait of the Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, area at a moment of transition in the mid-twentieth century. Its carefully drawn contour lines reveal the folded terrain of Carbon County, where steep wooded slopes, narrow valleys, and river corridors shape settlement and movement. The Lehigh River forms one of the map’s defining features, threading through a landscape long associated with industry, transportation, and mountain scenery. Roads appear in red, vegetation in lush green, and built features with restrained precision, creating a classic USGS composition that is both scientifically exacting and visually elegant.
The USGS tradition is evident throughout the map: systematic, data-driven, and designed to make the land intelligible at a glance. By the early 1960s, these quadrangle maps had become indispensable tools for engineers, planners, hikers, foresters, and local officials, combining field survey, aerial interpretation, and standardized cartographic symbology. Here, that method gives the Christmans area a remarkable clarity. Elevation is not merely suggested but measured through contour intervals, allowing the eye to climb Bear Mountain, Mount Pisgah, and surrounding ridges. The result is a map that balances utility and beauty, translating complex Appalachian topography into a disciplined visual language of lines, color, and symbols.
Jim Thorpe, formerly known as Mauch Chunk, anchors the human geography of the sheet and lends the map much of its historical resonance. Nestled dramatically along the Lehigh River and surrounded by steep slopes, the town developed as a nineteenth-century hub of coal transport, canal traffic, and rail connections. By 1960, its industrial prominence had shifted, yet the map preserves the physical framework that shaped its rise: constricted valleys, river bends, roads threading through gaps, and slopes that hem in the built environment. Summit Hill, Franklin, Penn Forest, and nearby settlements appear in relation to this rugged setting, showing how communities adapted to the contours of Pennsylvania’s anthracite region.
The landscape beyond the towns is rendered with particular sensitivity. Green tinting marks wooded land and vegetated areas, emphasizing the heavily forested character of the ridges and valleys around the Lehigh. Numerous unnamed creeks, hollows, and drainage lines articulate the terrain, suggesting the quiet complexity of watersheds that feed the larger river system. Parks and open spaces sit within this broader matrix of slopes and woodland, while isolated buildings and structures punctuate the countryside. The map’s topographic style makes visible the intimate relationship between geology, water, roads, and settlement: every route appears negotiated with the land, every cluster of buildings shaped by elevation and access.
As a historical document, “Christmans” captures Carbon County before later waves of development, recreation infrastructure, and ecological change altered portions of the region. It records the early-1960s geography of Jim Thorpe and its surroundings with a precision that allows modern viewers to compare past and present landscapes in striking detail. The red roads, contour-draped mountains, river corridor, and scattered structures evoke a place still closely tied to its terrain. For collectors of American topographic mapping, the sheet offers more than location; it preserves a measured image of a storied Pennsylvania landscape, where industrial history, Appalachian landforms, and federal cartographic craftsmanship meet in one compelling composition.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Jim Thorpe, PA
- Lehigh River
- Mauch Chunk
- Carbon County
- Penn Forest
- Summit Hill
- Bear Mountain
- Franklin
- Mount Pisgah
- Several unnamed valleys and creeks
- Roads, depicted in red
- Parks within the landscape
- Isolated buildings and structures within the populated area
Historical context & cartographic details
- Map title: Christmans
- Produced by the U.S. Geological Survey
- Based on survey data from 1960
- Published in 1962
- Features a traditional topographic style with contour lines showing elevation changes
- Uses lush green coloring to represent vegetation and land use
- Shows a varied landscape of valleys and hills, especially around the Lehigh River
- Captures the Jim Thorpe area in the early 1960s, before later urban development and ecological changes
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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