No. 11: Guanajuato, issued in 1922 by the Dirección de Estudios Geográficos y Climatológicos of the Secretaría de Agricultura y Fomento, is a lucid, modern portrait of one of Mexico’s most storied states. Prepared for the Atlas geográfico de la República Mexicana (1919–1921), the sheet fuses scientific exactitude with quiet artistry: color is deployed to distinguish boundaries and to bathe the shaded relief, while a precise 1:700,000 scale balances sweep and specificity. Roads, railways, rivers, lakes, settlements, and political divisions are all integrated into a single legible field, inviting both planning and reverie. The result is an authoritative synopsis of Guanajuato’s physical backbone and civic fabric at a pivotal national moment, when mapping underwrote modernization and helped knit the highland Bajío more tightly to the Mexican republic.

The project bears the imprint of Mexico’s new technocratic confidence. Chief engineers Ing. Sotero Prieto and Ing. Luciano López Sorcini coordinated the endeavor, aligning cartography with the Directorate’s climatological and agronomic missions. Their team translated field surveys and administrative records into elegant plates, with skilled zincographers—among them Antonio Hernández—ensuring crisp linework and faithful color separation. Within the Secretaría de Agricultura y Fomento, such mapping was more than a visual inventory; it was a tool for land reform, infrastructure investment, and the scientific management of water and soils in the decade after revolution. This Guanajuato sheet embodies that ethic, its measured typographies, calibrated tints, and exact delineations expressing a new standard for national atlases in Latin America, equal parts empirical atlas and emblem of statecraft.

Relief shading articulates the Sierra de Guanajuato and the undulating volcanic highlands that cradle the state, setting in relief the fertile Bajío plain that unfurls toward Irapuato, Celaya, and Salamanca. Hydrography is rendered with the same care: rivers trace purposeful paths—the Lerma along the south, the Laja near San Miguel de Allende, and the Turbio threading past León—converging into basins that have long anchored irrigation and millworks. Lakes and reservoirs punctuate the landscape, their cartographic presence a reminder of seasonal cycles that preoccupied agronomists and engineers alike. The color model subtly grades elevation and demarcation without sacrificing clarity, so watersheds, ridgelines, and passes can be read at a glance. It is a physiographic lesson as much as a map, captured with restraint and precision.

Across this terrain the arteries of movement are plotted with unsentimental candor. Railroads stitch Guanajuato to the national grid, their routes marching through León, Irapuato, Celaya, and Acámbaro, while spurs serve mining towns and agricultural depots. An equally attentive web of roads—major trunks and minor byways—links the capital Guanajuato with San Miguel de Allende, Pénjamo, Salamanca, and a constellation of smaller settlements. Political organization is made immediately legible: municipal boundaries, town seats, and jurisdictional lines nest within the state frontier, clarifying how governance overlays geography. The naming conventions, hierarchies of symbol size, and clean labeling lend navigational utility without crowding the page. Commerce, pilgrimage, and administration are all implied in these itineraries, making visible the lived connectivity of the Bajío in the early twentieth century.

Issued within a series that also featured geological companions, No. 11 invites comparison between landforms and substrata, a dialogue prized by the Directorate’s scientists and by planners anticipating dams, roads, and rail alignments. Modest decorative flourishes and considered color harmonies situate the sheet within the cultured visual language of the Atlas geográfico, while the content nods to Guanajuato’s deeper narratives—silver cities and Franciscan towns, insurgent corridors and market gardens—which the network of rails, roads, and rivers quietly discloses. To study it is to watch cultural heritage mapped onto terrain: colonial cores, modern workshops, and fertile valleys all set against the sienna of high ridges. The page is at once a contemplative panorama and a working instrument, capturing a state in poised transition.

Cities and towns on this map

• Guanajuato (modern-day population approximately 190,000)
• Irapuato (modern-day population approximately 215,000)
• Salamanca (modern-day population approximately 130,000)
• Leon (modern-day population approximately 2,000,000)
• San Miguel de Allende (modern-day population approximately 160,000)
• Pénjamo (modern-day population approximately 60,000)
• Acámbaro (modern-day population approximately 45,000)
• Celaya (modern-day population approximately 400,000)

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Topography: Shaded relief showing elevation changes across Guanajuato.
• Road Network: Detailed representation of major and minor roads, essential for navigation.
• Railroads: Clearly indicated rail line routes connecting various regions.
• Water Bodies: Representation of rivers and lakes, contributing to the geographic understanding of water resources.
• Boundaries: Political boundaries marked, indicating town and county divisions.
• Settlements: Various towns and cities labeled with their respective names.
• Geologic Maps: Accompanies geological maps alongside the relief map for comprehensive analysis.
• Cultural Illustrations: Decorative elements and maps that enhance cultural context.

Historical and design context

• Publication Details: Created by the Direccion de Estudios Geograficos y Climatologicos, Secretaria de Agricultura y Fomento in 1922.
• Collection Context: Part of the "Atlas geografico de la Republica Mexicana," covering years 1919-1921.
• Mapmaker Information: Coordinated by chief engineers, including Ing. Sotero Prieto and Ing. Luciano Lopez Sorcini, with contributions from zincographers like Antonio Hernandez.
• Design Style: The use of color to indicate relief features and boundaries adds both aesthetic and practical navigation functionality; the map features a clear scale (1:700,000).
• Historical Significance: Reflects the geographic understanding and cartographic practices of early 20th-century Mexico, merging artistic elements with scientific data, illustrating the region's cultural heritage.

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 70in (180cm). 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.