Published in 1942 by the United States Geological Survey, “Montauk Point” captures the easternmost reach of Long Island with the precision and restraint characteristic of mid-century American topographic mapping. At a scale of 1:24,000, the map presents Montauk not as an abstract seaside name, but as a carefully measured landscape of beaches, ponds, harbor works, roads, trails, wooded ground, and gently modeled elevations. The sheet belongs to a period when USGS quadrangles were becoming indispensable tools for engineers, planners, soldiers, naturalists, and travelers alike. Its color shading and fine contour work reveal the subtle rise and fall of a coastal terrain where even modest hills matter, and where land, water, and human settlement meet in constantly shifting balance.

Montauk itself occupies a singular geographic position, thrusting into the waters between Block Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. The map’s composition is shaped by this maritime drama: Fort Pond Bay opens to the north, the Atlantic sweeps along the south, and Montauk Harbor anchors the working and recreational life of the peninsula. Fort Pond appears as an inland counterpoint to the surrounding seas, a calm body of water set amid roads, residences, and open ground. The coastline is the dominant presence, but the map also rewards closer inspection inland, where contour lines trace low ridges, slopes, and hollows. In this terrain, the distinction between beach, dune, woodland, and settlement becomes part of the map’s quiet visual richness.

The United States Geological Survey brought to such places a disciplined cartographic language that transformed local landscapes into readable national knowledge. Founded in the nineteenth century to study and map the country’s geology and natural resources, the USGS became especially renowned for its topographic quadrangles, which combined scientific accuracy with elegant graphic economy. On “Montauk Point,” every road, shoreline, elevation line, and water feature participates in that system. The result is both practical and evocative: a map designed for use, yet capable of conveying the atmosphere of a remote coastal edge. The measured contours do not overwhelm the eye; instead, they lend the land a sculptural quality, making visible the low relief and open exposures that define Montauk’s character.

The date of 1942 gives the map particular historical resonance. Montauk was already known for its beaches, fishing, and seasonal visitors, but the early 1940s also placed Long Island’s outer coastline within the strategic geography of wartime America. Coastal approaches, harbors, roads, and high ground acquired new importance in an era of military preparedness and surveillance. Even without theatrical symbolism, the map’s meticulous attention to access routes, shorelines, and terrain evokes that heightened moment. At the same time, it records a Montauk still far less developed than the resort landscape familiar today. Trails, wooded areas, open spaces, and modest residential patterns suggest a place poised between rural isolation, maritime industry, recreation, and modern expansion.

As a portrait of place, “Montauk Point” is especially compelling because it documents a landscape defined by edges: land and ocean, settlement and open country, recreation and utility, natural beauty and strategic value. Block Island Sound and the Atlantic frame the map with broad expanses of water, while the named ponds, harbor, roads, and parking areas reveal the human imprint on this exposed coastal terrain. The contour lines are subtle but essential, giving form to hills and headlands that shape views, drainage, and movement. For admirers of historic cartography, this USGS sheet offers more than geographic information; it preserves a moment in the evolution of Montauk, before later waves of urbanization and tourism fully transformed the eastern tip of Long Island.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Montauk
• Montauk Harbor
• Block Island Sound
• Atlantic Ocean
• Fort Pond Bay
• Fort Pond
• Numerous trails
• Surrounding wooded areas and parks
• Residential areas of Montauk
• Roads and parking areas
• Physical landmarks and elevation lines

Historical context & cartographic details

• Published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS)
• Created in 1942
• Scale: 1:24,000
• The USGS is a scientific agency of the U.S. government known for producing detailed topographical maps of landforms and geographic features.
• The map uses color shading and contour lines to show elevation changes and landforms, typical of mid-20th-century USGS topographic maps.
• It depicts coastal terrain, hills, and waterways, with contour lines indicating elevation and relief.
• The 1942 mapping reflects a period when the region was developing as a recreation area, with later changes visible in urbanization and land use.

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.