Rare Old Map of Prescott, Arizona by USGS, 1973 – Prescott National Forest & Granite Mountain
Restored in our London workshop from the original 1977 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 1977 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 in 1977 from survey work completed in 1973, the USGS topographic map titled “Prescott” captures one of Arizona’s most storied highland...
Continue readingPublished in 1977 from survey work completed in 1973, the USGS topographic map titled “Prescott” captures one of Arizona’s most storied highland cities with scientific precision and quiet elegance. At a scale of 1:24,000, it presents Prescott not merely as an urban settlement, but as a place shaped by elevation, water, roads, forests, and mineral-rich mountains. Once the capital of the Arizona Territory, Prescott occupies a singular position in the history of the American Southwest, associated with frontier government, mining enterprise, ranching culture, and the enduring romance of the cowboy era. This map records the city during the 1970s, a moment when historic neighborhoods, expanding residential grids, and surrounding wild landscapes still stood in close and revealing proximity.
The cartographic language is unmistakably that of the United States Geological Survey: clean, disciplined, and deeply informative. Fine contour lines articulate every rise, basin, slope, and ridge, allowing the viewer to read the terrain almost as a sculptural surface. Subtle variations in shading and symbolization distinguish vegetation, open land, water, roads, trails, and developed areas, creating a layered portrait of both natural and human geography. Prescott’s street network appears with particular clarity, including the urban geometry around Gurley Street and the residential grids spreading outward from the historic core. Mountain Club Road and other routes trace the relationship between town and upland, suggesting how settlement adapted itself to the folds and constraints of Arizona’s central high country.
Beyond the city, the map opens into the rugged beauty of Prescott National Forest, where hills, drainages, and wooded elevations frame the urban basin. Granite Mountain rises as one of the defining landmarks of the region, its presence marked through dense contouring that conveys both mass and altitude. Willow Creek threads through the landscape, while the Agua Fria River system hints at the hydrological complexity of this semi-arid terrain. The map also identifies open water areas and recreational landscapes, revealing the importance of lakes, creeks, and reservoirs in a region where water has always shaped patterns of habitation, travel, and leisure. In its topographic detail, the sheet becomes a study in how Prescott exists between forest, desert edge, and mountain.
Lynx Lake and Watson Lake add striking geographical and cultural interest to the mapped area, representing places where recreation, water management, and scenery converge. These lakes became beloved local destinations, set amid rock formations, wooded slopes, and open spaces that contrast with the denser urban fabric of Prescott itself. Roads and trails radiate through the surrounding terrain, marking pathways into national forest lands and recreational zones. The map’s treatment of these features offers a vivid sense of mid-twentieth-century outdoor life in Arizona: camping, fishing, hiking, and scenic driving all embedded within a carefully surveyed landscape. The balance between built environment and natural setting is especially compelling, showing a city whose identity remained inseparable from the mountains and forests around it.
As a historical document, “Prescott” is particularly valuable for understanding the area during a period of growth and transition. The 1973 survey data preserves the arrangement of neighborhoods, roads, waterways, and undeveloped lands before later decades of expansion altered the city’s footprint. For historians, collectors, planners, and admirers of the Southwest, it offers a precise benchmark against which modern change can be measured. Yet its appeal is not only analytical. The map evokes the layered identity of Prescott: territorial capital, mining town, ranching hub, forest gateway, and mountain community. Through the refined visual grammar of USGS cartography, it transforms a specific Arizona landscape into a richly readable record of place, memory, and terrain.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Prescott
- Prescott National Forest
- Willow Creek
- Granite Mountain
- Lynx Lake
- Watson Lake
- Gurley Street
- Mountain Club Road
- Agua Fria River
- Open water areas
- Recreational areas
- Various roads and trails
- Smaller neighborhoods and residential areas in Prescott marked by grid patterns
Historical context & cartographic details
- Published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS)
- Created in 1973 and published in 1977
- Historical topographic map of Prescott, Arizona, at a scale of 1:24,000
- Derived from 1973 survey data
- Prescott was once the capital of the Arizona Territory
- The area is known for its mining and cowboy heritage
- Features contour lines showing elevation changes
- Uses shading and map symbols to depict vegetation types, land use, water, roads, trails, and developed areas
- Shows a mix of urban areas and natural landscapes, including forests and hills
- Serves as a historical record of the Prescott area in the 1970s, useful for comparing later development and environmental change
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 1977 from survey work completed in 1973, the USGS topographic map titled “Prescott” captures one of Arizona’s most storied highland cities with scientific precision and quiet elegance. At a scale of 1:24,000, it presents Prescott not merely as an urban settlement, but as a place shaped by elevation, water, roads, forests, and mineral-rich mountains. Once the capital of the Arizona Territory, Prescott occupies a singular position in the history of the American Southwest, associated with frontier government, mining enterprise, ranching culture, and the enduring romance of the cowboy era. This map records the city during the 1970s, a moment when historic neighborhoods, expanding residential grids, and surrounding wild landscapes still stood in close and revealing proximity.
The cartographic language is unmistakably that of the United States Geological Survey: clean, disciplined, and deeply informative. Fine contour lines articulate every rise, basin, slope, and ridge, allowing the viewer to read the terrain almost as a sculptural surface. Subtle variations in shading and symbolization distinguish vegetation, open land, water, roads, trails, and developed areas, creating a layered portrait of both natural and human geography. Prescott’s street network appears with particular clarity, including the urban geometry around Gurley Street and the residential grids spreading outward from the historic core. Mountain Club Road and other routes trace the relationship between town and upland, suggesting how settlement adapted itself to the folds and constraints of Arizona’s central high country.
Beyond the city, the map opens into the rugged beauty of Prescott National Forest, where hills, drainages, and wooded elevations frame the urban basin. Granite Mountain rises as one of the defining landmarks of the region, its presence marked through dense contouring that conveys both mass and altitude. Willow Creek threads through the landscape, while the Agua Fria River system hints at the hydrological complexity of this semi-arid terrain. The map also identifies open water areas and recreational landscapes, revealing the importance of lakes, creeks, and reservoirs in a region where water has always shaped patterns of habitation, travel, and leisure. In its topographic detail, the sheet becomes a study in how Prescott exists between forest, desert edge, and mountain.
Lynx Lake and Watson Lake add striking geographical and cultural interest to the mapped area, representing places where recreation, water management, and scenery converge. These lakes became beloved local destinations, set amid rock formations, wooded slopes, and open spaces that contrast with the denser urban fabric of Prescott itself. Roads and trails radiate through the surrounding terrain, marking pathways into national forest lands and recreational zones. The map’s treatment of these features offers a vivid sense of mid-twentieth-century outdoor life in Arizona: camping, fishing, hiking, and scenic driving all embedded within a carefully surveyed landscape. The balance between built environment and natural setting is especially compelling, showing a city whose identity remained inseparable from the mountains and forests around it.
As a historical document, “Prescott” is particularly valuable for understanding the area during a period of growth and transition. The 1973 survey data preserves the arrangement of neighborhoods, roads, waterways, and undeveloped lands before later decades of expansion altered the city’s footprint. For historians, collectors, planners, and admirers of the Southwest, it offers a precise benchmark against which modern change can be measured. Yet its appeal is not only analytical. The map evokes the layered identity of Prescott: territorial capital, mining town, ranching hub, forest gateway, and mountain community. Through the refined visual grammar of USGS cartography, it transforms a specific Arizona landscape into a richly readable record of place, memory, and terrain.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Prescott
- Prescott National Forest
- Willow Creek
- Granite Mountain
- Lynx Lake
- Watson Lake
- Gurley Street
- Mountain Club Road
- Agua Fria River
- Open water areas
- Recreational areas
- Various roads and trails
- Smaller neighborhoods and residential areas in Prescott marked by grid patterns
Historical context & cartographic details
- Published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS)
- Created in 1973 and published in 1977
- Historical topographic map of Prescott, Arizona, at a scale of 1:24,000
- Derived from 1973 survey data
- Prescott was once the capital of the Arizona Territory
- The area is known for its mining and cowboy heritage
- Features contour lines showing elevation changes
- Uses shading and map symbols to depict vegetation types, land use, water, roads, trails, and developed areas
- Shows a mix of urban areas and natural landscapes, including forests and hills
- Serves as a historical record of the Prescott area in the 1970s, useful for comparing later development and environmental change
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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