Rare Old Map of San Antonio, Texas by USGS, 1953: Alamo Heights, Fort Sam Houston & Lackland AFB
Restored in our London workshop from the original 1959 map and printed to museum-grade archival standards. Full description
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.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 Canada
Restored from the original 1959 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.
You can also contact us before you order, if you prefer!
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Titled “San Antonio East,” this US Geological Survey topographical map presents a richly detailed portrait of San Antonio, Texas, and adjoining Bexar...
Continue readingTitled “San Antonio East,” this US Geological Survey topographical map presents a richly detailed portrait of San Antonio, Texas, and adjoining Bexar County in the postwar years. Created from 1953 survey work and issued with a 1959 imprint, it captures the city at a moment of confident expansion, when older neighborhoods, military reservations, parklands, and new transportation corridors were knitting together into a larger metropolitan landscape. At the precise 1:24,000 scale, the map balances civic detail with natural form: streets, rail lines, highways, waterways, and contours combine to show not only where San Antonio stood, but how its terrain shaped development.
The US Geological Survey’s cartographic style is at its most useful and elegant here. Contour lines trace the subtle rise and fall of the South Texas landscape, giving depth to a region often imagined as flat, while color clarifies the human and natural environment. Developed districts appear in strong red tones, making the city’s residential grid, institutional grounds, and infrastructure immediately legible. Greens mark parks, vegetation, and open land, creating a vivid contrast between built San Antonio and its surrounding natural spaces. Roads, railroads, creeks, and boundaries are rendered with the disciplined precision that made USGS quadrangles essential tools for planners, engineers, researchers, and travelers.
The map is especially compelling as a mid-century record of San Antonio’s urban geography. Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills appear as established enclaves to the northeast of the city core, while the broader pattern of streets and neighborhoods reflects a city extending beyond its older historic center. US Route 90 and other major roads show the growing importance of automobile movement, even as railroad tracks and stations testify to the older networks that had long connected San Antonio to Texas and the wider Southwest. The result is a layered image of transition, with streetcar-era urban form, rail infrastructure, and postwar highway planning all visible at once.
Military geography is another defining presence on “San Antonio East.” Fort Sam Houston, one of the most important military installations in the region, anchors the eastern side of the city’s institutional landscape, while nearby air and defense facilities reflect San Antonio’s long-standing identity as a military center. Lackland Air Force Base, associated with the city’s broader military ecosystem, evokes the Cold War-era expansion of training, aviation, and federal infrastructure in Texas. These installations are not merely landmarks; they shaped housing patterns, roads, employment, and civic growth, making the map a revealing document of how national defense priorities influenced local urban development.
Natural and recreational spaces lend the map a quieter but equally important richness. San Pedro Springs Park and Brackenridge Park stand out as green refuges within the city, preserving the relationship between San Antonio’s settlement history, water sources, and public landscape. Creeks, drainage channels, and contours remind the viewer that urban growth took place within a specific environmental setting, one governed by elevation, runoff, and the availability of open land. Seen today, the map offers a fascinating comparison with modern San Antonio: boundaries have shifted, infrastructure has multiplied, and once-open margins have filled in. Yet this quadrangle preserves the city’s mid-century form with remarkable clarity and charm.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- San Antonio, Texas
- Alamo Heights
- Terrell Hills
- Lackland Air Force Base
- Fort Sam Houston
- Bexar County
- San Pedro Springs Park
- Brackenridge Park
- Railroad tracks and stations
- Major highways, including US Route 90
- Various neighborhoods and residential areas
- Natural features, including rivers, creeks, and parks
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the US Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map.
- Created in 1953 and published with a 1959 imprint.
- Shows mid-20th-century urban development, land use, city boundaries, and infrastructure.
- Features contour lines indicating elevation changes across the urban and natural landscape.
- Includes roads, natural boundaries, and other topographical features.
- Uses color to distinguish developed urban areas from parks, vegetation, and agricultural land.
- Provides a useful snapshot of how the area has changed over subsequent decades.
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.
Titled “San Antonio East,” this US Geological Survey topographical map presents a richly detailed portrait of San Antonio, Texas, and adjoining Bexar County in the postwar years. Created from 1953 survey work and issued with a 1959 imprint, it captures the city at a moment of confident expansion, when older neighborhoods, military reservations, parklands, and new transportation corridors were knitting together into a larger metropolitan landscape. At the precise 1:24,000 scale, the map balances civic detail with natural form: streets, rail lines, highways, waterways, and contours combine to show not only where San Antonio stood, but how its terrain shaped development.
The US Geological Survey’s cartographic style is at its most useful and elegant here. Contour lines trace the subtle rise and fall of the South Texas landscape, giving depth to a region often imagined as flat, while color clarifies the human and natural environment. Developed districts appear in strong red tones, making the city’s residential grid, institutional grounds, and infrastructure immediately legible. Greens mark parks, vegetation, and open land, creating a vivid contrast between built San Antonio and its surrounding natural spaces. Roads, railroads, creeks, and boundaries are rendered with the disciplined precision that made USGS quadrangles essential tools for planners, engineers, researchers, and travelers.
The map is especially compelling as a mid-century record of San Antonio’s urban geography. Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills appear as established enclaves to the northeast of the city core, while the broader pattern of streets and neighborhoods reflects a city extending beyond its older historic center. US Route 90 and other major roads show the growing importance of automobile movement, even as railroad tracks and stations testify to the older networks that had long connected San Antonio to Texas and the wider Southwest. The result is a layered image of transition, with streetcar-era urban form, rail infrastructure, and postwar highway planning all visible at once.
Military geography is another defining presence on “San Antonio East.” Fort Sam Houston, one of the most important military installations in the region, anchors the eastern side of the city’s institutional landscape, while nearby air and defense facilities reflect San Antonio’s long-standing identity as a military center. Lackland Air Force Base, associated with the city’s broader military ecosystem, evokes the Cold War-era expansion of training, aviation, and federal infrastructure in Texas. These installations are not merely landmarks; they shaped housing patterns, roads, employment, and civic growth, making the map a revealing document of how national defense priorities influenced local urban development.
Natural and recreational spaces lend the map a quieter but equally important richness. San Pedro Springs Park and Brackenridge Park stand out as green refuges within the city, preserving the relationship between San Antonio’s settlement history, water sources, and public landscape. Creeks, drainage channels, and contours remind the viewer that urban growth took place within a specific environmental setting, one governed by elevation, runoff, and the availability of open land. Seen today, the map offers a fascinating comparison with modern San Antonio: boundaries have shifted, infrastructure has multiplied, and once-open margins have filled in. Yet this quadrangle preserves the city’s mid-century form with remarkable clarity and charm.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- San Antonio, Texas
- Alamo Heights
- Terrell Hills
- Lackland Air Force Base
- Fort Sam Houston
- Bexar County
- San Pedro Springs Park
- Brackenridge Park
- Railroad tracks and stations
- Major highways, including US Route 90
- Various neighborhoods and residential areas
- Natural features, including rivers, creeks, and parks
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the US Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map.
- Created in 1953 and published with a 1959 imprint.
- Shows mid-20th-century urban development, land use, city boundaries, and infrastructure.
- Features contour lines indicating elevation changes across the urban and natural landscape.
- Includes roads, natural boundaries, and other topographical features.
- Uses color to distinguish developed urban areas from parks, vegetation, and agricultural land.
- Provides a useful snapshot of how the area has changed over subsequent decades.
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.
We work with interior designers, hospitality businesses, property professionals, offices and corporate buyers on individual pieces and larger coordinated projects.
This map can be adapted for a particular wall, room or project, and our workshop can help coordinate the dimensions, material and framing before production.
- Exact, oversized and made-to-measure dimensions
- Custom framing, mounting and alternative materials
- Coordinated pieces for several rooms or locations
- Map personalisation, to mark important locations or add extra details
- Map and framing guidance from our workshop
- Local production for projects around the world
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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