Personalised Old Map of Hackney

Step into the past and rediscover the Borough of Hackney as it once was with our personalised old map, crafted just for you. This unique piece offers a fascinating window into the area’s historical layout, making it a thoughtful gift for any Hackney resident, history buff, or anyone longing to trace their roots through the winding streets and green corners of East London. Whether you’re celebrating a housewarming, a birthday, or simply your own connection to Hackney, this map will spark conversations and evoke nostalgia every time you see it.

Explore the borough as it appeared over a century ago, capturing the landscapes around London Fields, the bustling surroundings of Mare Street, and the early developments that have since become Victoria Park. The map encompasses the storied grounds of Hackney Empire and the historic St John at Hackney Church, offering a glimpse into the district’s long-standing landmarks. While the map reflects the era of its making, it includes the areas that would later become these cherished icons, allowing you to see how Hackney’s character has evolved.

Your map is fully customisable, centred precisely on any address or location you choose—be it your home, a special event spot, or a favourite haunt. Highlight places that matter to you, such as schools, parks, or family homes, by marking them with icons or labels. For an extra personal touch, add a dedication, an inside joke, or a meaningful date. You can also tailor the map’s title and subtitle to reflect your message or occasion, ensuring your map is a one-of-a-kind creation with true personal significance.

Your personalised map could focus on these areas in Borough of Hackney

• Shoreditch
• Dalston
• Stoke Newington
• Hackney Central
• London Fields
• Homerton
• Clapton (Upper and Lower)
• Haggerston
• Hoxton
• De Beauvoir Town

Every map is produced with meticulous attention to quality, using high-resolution giclée printing on archival-grade paper or artist’s cotton canvas. Choose from a selection of elegant frames, including FSC-certified wood and float-mounted options, all fitted with crystal-clear acrylite glazing for enhanced protection and clarity. Each map is hand-finished to ensure it looks striking on your wall, whether you’re displaying it at home, in the office, or gifting it to someone special.

Our Hackney map is lovingly recreated from genuine Ordnance Survey maps published between the 1870s and 1960s. The original OS maps were renowned for their crisp detail and artistic beauty, drawn with painstaking accuracy by surveyors traversing the borough on foot. These maps not only document Hackney’s changing landscape through the Victorian and post-war eras, but also serve as testament to British cartographic excellence. Owning this map means owning a true piece of Hackney’s past, meticulously preserved and beautifully presented for today.

Please note you are purchasing a fully customised old map. Modern landmarks, such as your house, may not have been built yet! You can contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

Generally, larger maps look much better than smaller maps, because you can enjoy all of the smaller details. If you need a smaller map, I would suggest ‘zooming in’ so that the map covers a smaller area.

Because these maps are custom made to order, we can make you a map that looks great at at any size, from very small (8x10in/20x25cm) all the way to a few metres. If you are looking for a very large map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this map.

Every map can be personalised or customised, for example if you want to mark your house or street on the map. The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

This personalised map would make a wonderful housewarming, birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, Mother’s Day, wedding anniversary or work leaving gift for someone from Borough of Hackney, or someone who works there.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or on artist’s cotton canvas. Several frame choices are available for free, or custom framing is available for an additional fee. Please get in touch if you’re looking to order a very large map for a hotel or office, or if you’re looking for a size that isn’t available on my shop.

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.

For most orders, delivery time is about 3 working days. Personalised and customised products take longer, as I have to do the personalisation and send it to you for approval, which usually takes 1 or 2 days.

Please note that very large framed orders usually take longer to make and deliver. 

If you need your order to arrive by a certain date, please contact me before you order so that we can find the best way of making sure you get your order in time.

I print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world. This means your order will be made locally, which cuts down on delivery time and ensures that it won't be damaged during delivery. You'll never pay customs or import duty, and we'll put less CO2 into the air.

All of my maps and art prints are well packaged and sent in a rugged tube if unframed, or surrounded by foam if framed.

I try to send out all orders within 1 or 2 days of receiving your order, though some products (like face masks, mugs and tote bags) can take longer to make.

If you select Express Delivery at checkout your order we will prioritise your order and send it out by 1-day courier (Fedex, DHL, UPS, Parcelforce).

Next Day delivery is also available in some countries (US, UK, Singapore, UAE) but please try to order early in the day so that we can get it sent out on time.

Read my full delivery and local production guide

My standard frame is a gallery style black ash hardwood frame. It is simple and quite modern looking. My standard frame is around 20mm (0.8in) wide.

I use super-clear acrylic (perspex/acrylite) for the frame glass. It's lighter and safer than glass - and it looks better, as the reflectivity is lower.

Six standard frame colours are available for free (black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white and antique gold). Custom framing and mounting/matting is available if you're looking for something else.

Most maps, art and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte (not shiny) cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced box wood frame, and then 'float' the piece within a wood frame. The end result is quite beautiful, and there's no glazing to get in the way.

All frames are provided "ready to hang", with either a string or brackets on the back. Very large frames will have heavy duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

See some examples of my framed maps and framed canvas maps.

Alternatively, I can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag and other materials.

If you want to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read my size guide first.

My maps are extremely high quality reproductions of original maps.

I source original, rare maps from libraries, auction houses and private collections around the world, restore them at my London workshop, and then use specialist giclée inks and printers to create beautiful maps that look even better than the original.

My maps are printed on acid-free archival matte (not glossy) paper that feels very high quality and almost like card. In technical terms the paper weight/thickness is 10mil/200gsm. It's perfect for framing.

I print with Epson ultrachrome giclée UV fade resistant pigment inks - some of the best inks you can find.

I can also make maps on canvas, cotton rag and other exotic materials.

Learn more about The Unique Maps Co.

Map personalisation

If you're looking for the perfect anniversary or housewarming gift, I can personalise your map to make it truly unique. For example, I can add a short message, or highlight an important location, or add your family's coat of arms.

The options are almost infinite. Please see my map personalisation page for some wonderful examples of what's possible.

To order a personalised map, select "personalise your map" before adding it to your basket.

Get in touch if you're looking for more complex customisations and personalisations.

Map ageing

I have been asked hundreds of times over the years by customers if they could buy a map that looks even older.

Well, now you can, by selecting Aged before you add a map to your basket.

All the product photos you see on this page show the map in its Original form. This is what the map looks like today.

If you select Aged, I will age your map by hand, using a special and unique process developed through years of studying old maps, talking to researchers to understand the chemistry of aging paper, and of course... lots of practice!

If you're unsure, stick to the Original colour of the map. If you want something a bit darker and older looking, go for Aged.

See some amazing examples of Aged maps.

If you are not happy with your order for any reason, contact me for a no-quibble refund.

I am very confident you will like your restored map or art print. I have been doing this since 1984. I'm a 5-star Etsy seller. I have sold tens of thousands of maps and art prints and have over 4,000 real 5-star reviews.

I use a unique process to restore maps and artwork that is massively time consuming and labour intensive. Hunting down the original maps and illustrations can take months. I use state of the art and eye-wateringly expensive technology to scan and restore them. As a result, I guarantee my maps and art prints are a cut above the rest - that's why I can offer a no-quibble refund.

Almost all of my maps and art prints look amazing at large sizes (200cm, 6.5ft+) and I can frame and deliver them to you as well, via special oversized courier. Contact me to discuss your specific needs.