John Wesley Powell's 1885 Map of Yellowstone

This 44" x 60" topographic map of Yellowstone National Park is a thing of real beauty. Mapped by the US Geological Survey under the direction of its second Director, the famous explorer John Wesley Powell, this was by far the most accurate and detailed map of Yellowstone to date. Both the US Geological Survey (formed in 1879) and Yellowstone National Park (designated in 1872) were new institutions in America at the time that Henry Gannell, J.H. Renshawe, H.S. Chase, Frank Tweedy, and S.A. Alpin Jr. surveyed Yellowstone and created this remarkable map with precisely-surveyed and hand-drawn contour intervals (lines of equal elevation) of 100 feet. 

With extensively-labelled geographic and geothermal features, as well as roads, trails, hotels, and even the precise location of the Continental Divide, the map remains a testament to the skill of the early USGS survey and cartography teams. 

This Yellowstone map is printed on Arches BFK Rives 100% Cotton Rag paper, handmade at the Blanchet Frères & Kléber paper mill in Rives, France on a traditional cylinder paper mould. The subtle texture of the paper adds a delicious substance to the blank spaces on the map, giving the whole piece a richness and maturity fitting for such a remarkable work. Please note that this 1885 map nearly, but not entirely, encompasses the current boundaries of Yellowstone National Park. 

* NOTE: This is a carefully crafted print of the highest quality, but it is not the original work.

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