Samuel Herbert Maw’s The City of Quebec with Historical Notes (1932) is a tour de force of the pictorial cartographic revival, marrying scholarly narrative with painterly finesse. From a luminous bird’s‑eye perspective, Quebec City unfurls in miniature—streets, neighborhoods, and landmark facades rendered with jewel‑box precision. Elaborate scrollwork frames the scene, while allegorical figures and decorative floral borders—adorned with provincial emblems of Canada—announce a story as ceremonial as it is informative. A finely modeled compass rose anchors orientation, and bold color bands carve the city into distinct districts and terrains. Throughout, cartouches honor Wolfe, Frontenac, Cartier, and Champlain, and inset texts recount formative episodes, transforming the map from a mere guide into a richly layered historical tableau.

Maw’s composition distills centuries of contest and encounter on the St. Lawrence River. The map’s historical annotations revisit Cartier’s early explorations and the naming of the St. Lawrence, trace Champlain’s 1608 foundation of Quebec, and salute Frontenac’s indomitable governorship in the crucible of imperial rivalry. Most poignantly, iconography and captions converge on the Plains of Abraham, where Wolfe’s victory over Montcalm in 1759 reshaped the balance of colonial power and ushered in British control. Rather than a simple commemorative, the work threads these moments into an ongoing colonial narrative—one that acknowledges Quebec’s role as gateway, battleground, and capital at the heart of North American history.

Topography and civic identity receive equal artistry. The star‑shaped Citadel crowns the heights as a geometric focal point, surveying Parliament Hill, Old Quebec, and the terraced descent to Lower Town along Champlain Street. Key public squares, parks such as Frontenac Park, and the Governor’s Residence are picked out in miniature architectural relief, while unnamed but meticulously delineated historic streets knit together an urban fabric shaped by commerce, faith, and fortification. Tourist markers and points of interest related to battles guide the eye from bastion to boulevard, from memorial site to marketplace. Throughout, Maw’s deft annotations turn façades and corners into living footnotes, where civic memory and cartographic detail reinforce one another with rare elegance.

Movement and exchange—lifeblood of Quebec—are charted with interwar clarity. The St. Lawrence River ripples with ferry routes and steamship docks, Lower Town ferries threading passengers to maritime areas bustling with cargo and arrivals. On land, the Canadian National Railways terminal anchors the city’s modern reach, stitching Quebec to continental networks that echo its older oceanic ties. Wolfe’s Landing is signposted as a narrative hinge, bridging waterfront to battlefield. Even Montmorency Falls, subtly alluded to beyond the immediate urban core, expands the map’s horizon. Maw’s bold chromatic contrasts, wayfinding symbols, and careful labeling create a choreography of water, rail, and road—proof that Quebec’s past and present cohabit the same navigable stage.

The result is both artwork and archive, a cultivated balance of allegory, annotation, and exacting draftsmanship. Maw’s pictorial style dignifies each cartouche and border flourish while offering a trustworthy guide through centuries of exploration, siege, and statecraft. For the connoisseur, it is a masterclass in how maps narrate power: floral borders and heroic portraits framing the contested spaces of the Citadel and the Plains of Abraham; maritime wharves conversing with Parliament Hill; colonial episodes entwined with daily streets. As a centerpiece of Canadian historical cartography, this map invites sustained study and quiet admiration—an heirloom chronicle of Quebec City’s place on the St. Lawrence and in the world.

Places on this map

• Plains of Abraham
• Citadel
• Lower Town
• St. Lawrence River
• Parliament Hill
• Old Quebec
• Champlain Street
• Wolfe’s Landing
• Frontenac Park
• The Governor's Residence
• Lower Town Ferries
• Maritime Areas (docks)
• National Railways Terminal
• Montmorency Falls (alluded or represented)
• Major historic streets (unnamed in the context)
• Architectural landmarks (specific buildings not identified)
• Tourist markers for visitors
• Points of interest related to battles
• Key public squares or parks
• Historical sites related to open contests or conflicts

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Elaborate scrollwork surrounding the map
• Allegorical figures representing historical context
• Cartouches dedicating sections to historical figures: Wolfe, Frontenac, Cartier, Champlain
• Decorative floral borders featuring provincial emblems of Canada
• Insets with texts recounting historical events
• The Plains of Abraham depicted prominently
• The star-shaped Citadel as a focal point
• Depictions of ferry terminals and steamship docks
• The Canadian National Railways terminal illustrated
• Iconography illustrating notable battles and sieges
• Detailed street layouts and neighborhood representations
• Miniature architectural renditions of important landmarks
• Compass rose indicating navigational orientation
• Bold color use to distinguish different areas
• Historical annotations throughout the map

Historical and design context

• Map Title: The City of Quebec with Historical Notes
• Map Maker: Samuel Herbert Maw, created in 1932
• Context about the Mapmaker: Maw was part of the pictorial cartographic revival, influencing the artistic presentation of maps during the early 20th century.
• Themes Depicted: The map features a rich historical narrative, notable events, and significant figures related to Quebec's history; it emphasizes a blend of artistry and cartography.
• Countries/Regions Featured: The map focuses on Quebec City, Canada.
• Design Style: A highly detailed bird’s-eye perspective, characterized by architectural miniature representation, elaborate borders, and historical cartouches.
• Historical Significance: The map captures pivotal moments in Quebec’s history, including the naming of the St. Lawrence River, significant battles, and the establishment of colonial control, highlighting the ongoing colonial narrative.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 100in (250cm). 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.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

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.