Rare Old Map of Notre Dame, Indiana by USGS, 1958: South Bend, Mishawaka & St. Joseph River
Restored in our London workshop from the original 1959 map and printed to museum-grade archival standards. Full description
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.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 1959 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.
You can also contact us before you order, if you prefer!
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Published in 1959 from 1958 mapping, “South Bend East” is a finely detailed United States Geological Survey topographical portrait of northern Indiana...
Continue readingPublished in 1959 from 1958 mapping, “South Bend East” is a finely detailed United States Geological Survey topographical portrait of northern Indiana at mid-century. At the precise 1:24,000 scale, the map captures the eastern portion of South Bend and the neighboring campus of Notre Dame with the analytical clarity for which the USGS is renowned. Urban areas appear in confident red, while green indicates wooded or less-developed ground, creating a vivid contrast between the expanding city and the remaining open landscape. Contour lines trace the subtle rises and depressions of the St. Joseph River valley, giving the sheet both scientific authority and visual rhythm. It is a snapshot of a community poised between collegiate tradition, industrial energy, suburban growth, and Midwestern terrain.
The University of Notre Dame is among the map’s most compelling features, set into its surrounding landscape rather than isolated as an icon. Its campus, famous for its collegiate Gothic architecture, sacred landmarks, athletic heritage, and cultural influence, is shown as part of a broader geographic system of roads, neighborhoods, watercourses, and green spaces. In the late 1950s, Notre Dame was already a nationally significant institution, and this map situates it in the practical geography of daily life: connected to South Bend, bounded by local routes, and embedded within the St. Joseph River region. For admirers of the university, the sheet offers a rare cartographic view of the campus at a formative moment in the postwar era.
South Bend itself appears as a city of layered functions: residential neighborhoods, industrial zones, rail corridors, parks, and road networks interlock across the sheet. The red imprint of urban development reveals how the city had expanded by the late 1950s, reflecting the influence of manufacturing, transportation, and postwar housing growth. Railways and highways speak to South Bend’s role as a regional hub, while nearby Mishawaka and Harris place the map within a wider metropolitan corridor. The map’s land-use distinctions allow the viewer to read the city not merely as a collection of streets, but as an evolving organism shaped by commerce, education, industry, and the pull of the surrounding agricultural countryside.
The St. Joseph River lends the map much of its geographic character, curving through the region as both natural feature and historical artery. Its valley, banks, and associated lowlands are clarified by delicate contouring, while creeks, lakes, and drainage patterns reveal the hydrological texture of the area. The topography is not dramatic in a mountainous sense, but the USGS treatment makes even modest Midwestern relief legible and elegant. Subtle changes in elevation help explain settlement patterns, road alignments, and green corridors. In this respect, “South Bend East” rewards close study: it transforms an apparently familiar landscape into a carefully measured terrain of slopes, waterways, wooded pockets, and planned human occupation.
As a work of the United States Geological Survey, the map embodies a distinctly American ideal of public science: precise, systematic, and visually disciplined. The USGS was created to document the nation’s land and resources, and by the mid-twentieth century its quadrangle maps had become essential tools for planners, engineers, educators, and travelers. Here, that technical mission produces something unexpectedly evocative. The sheet preserves South Bend and Notre Dame at a particular historical threshold, before later decades of campus expansion, suburban intensification, and infrastructure change altered the region’s appearance. Its combination of color, contour, and civic detail makes it both a useful geographic record and a handsome historical artifact of Indiana’s postwar landscape.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- South Bend
- Notre Dame
- St. Joseph River
- Harris
- Lake Michigan
- Mishawaka
- Creeks
- Parks and green spaces
- Residential neighborhoods
- Roads and highways
- Railways
- Industrial zones
- Agricultural lands
Historical context & cartographic details
- Historical 1:24,000 topographical map titled South Bend East
- Produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS)
- Created in 1958 and published with a 1959 imprint
- Shows Notre Dame, Indiana, and the surrounding South Bend area in the late 1950s
- Uses color-coding to show land use, with red for urban development and green for forested or undeveloped land
- Includes contour lines to show elevation changes and the topographic character of the region
- Provides a historical reference for understanding South Bend’s geographic and urban development
- Reflects changes over time in the natural landscape, infrastructure, and urban planning of the 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 in 1959 from 1958 mapping, “South Bend East” is a finely detailed United States Geological Survey topographical portrait of northern Indiana at mid-century. At the precise 1:24,000 scale, the map captures the eastern portion of South Bend and the neighboring campus of Notre Dame with the analytical clarity for which the USGS is renowned. Urban areas appear in confident red, while green indicates wooded or less-developed ground, creating a vivid contrast between the expanding city and the remaining open landscape. Contour lines trace the subtle rises and depressions of the St. Joseph River valley, giving the sheet both scientific authority and visual rhythm. It is a snapshot of a community poised between collegiate tradition, industrial energy, suburban growth, and Midwestern terrain.
The University of Notre Dame is among the map’s most compelling features, set into its surrounding landscape rather than isolated as an icon. Its campus, famous for its collegiate Gothic architecture, sacred landmarks, athletic heritage, and cultural influence, is shown as part of a broader geographic system of roads, neighborhoods, watercourses, and green spaces. In the late 1950s, Notre Dame was already a nationally significant institution, and this map situates it in the practical geography of daily life: connected to South Bend, bounded by local routes, and embedded within the St. Joseph River region. For admirers of the university, the sheet offers a rare cartographic view of the campus at a formative moment in the postwar era.
South Bend itself appears as a city of layered functions: residential neighborhoods, industrial zones, rail corridors, parks, and road networks interlock across the sheet. The red imprint of urban development reveals how the city had expanded by the late 1950s, reflecting the influence of manufacturing, transportation, and postwar housing growth. Railways and highways speak to South Bend’s role as a regional hub, while nearby Mishawaka and Harris place the map within a wider metropolitan corridor. The map’s land-use distinctions allow the viewer to read the city not merely as a collection of streets, but as an evolving organism shaped by commerce, education, industry, and the pull of the surrounding agricultural countryside.
The St. Joseph River lends the map much of its geographic character, curving through the region as both natural feature and historical artery. Its valley, banks, and associated lowlands are clarified by delicate contouring, while creeks, lakes, and drainage patterns reveal the hydrological texture of the area. The topography is not dramatic in a mountainous sense, but the USGS treatment makes even modest Midwestern relief legible and elegant. Subtle changes in elevation help explain settlement patterns, road alignments, and green corridors. In this respect, “South Bend East” rewards close study: it transforms an apparently familiar landscape into a carefully measured terrain of slopes, waterways, wooded pockets, and planned human occupation.
As a work of the United States Geological Survey, the map embodies a distinctly American ideal of public science: precise, systematic, and visually disciplined. The USGS was created to document the nation’s land and resources, and by the mid-twentieth century its quadrangle maps had become essential tools for planners, engineers, educators, and travelers. Here, that technical mission produces something unexpectedly evocative. The sheet preserves South Bend and Notre Dame at a particular historical threshold, before later decades of campus expansion, suburban intensification, and infrastructure change altered the region’s appearance. Its combination of color, contour, and civic detail makes it both a useful geographic record and a handsome historical artifact of Indiana’s postwar landscape.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- South Bend
- Notre Dame
- St. Joseph River
- Harris
- Lake Michigan
- Mishawaka
- Creeks
- Parks and green spaces
- Residential neighborhoods
- Roads and highways
- Railways
- Industrial zones
- Agricultural lands
Historical context & cartographic details
- Historical 1:24,000 topographical map titled South Bend East
- Produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS)
- Created in 1958 and published with a 1959 imprint
- Shows Notre Dame, Indiana, and the surrounding South Bend area in the late 1950s
- Uses color-coding to show land use, with red for urban development and green for forested or undeveloped land
- Includes contour lines to show elevation changes and the topographic character of the region
- Provides a historical reference for understanding South Bend’s geographic and urban development
- Reflects changes over time in the natural landscape, infrastructure, and urban planning of the 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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