Vintage Portland Oregon Map 1890 — Bird's-Eye View, Framed Print

The story of this map

Portland’s 1890 view is drawn from over the west hills so that the Willamette runs across the sheet with the whole city between the viewer and the river — the wharves and warehouses, the Morrison Street bridge and the new Steel Bridge, ships at the docks — and beyond East Portland the horizon is Mount Hood, drawn large and white the way it looks on a clear day. The publishers, Clohessy & Strengele, sold it in the year Oregon’s largest city first passed fifty thousand people.

The Library of Congress scan is nearly 14,000 pixels wide, and the lithograph’s soft colour has been kept in the restoration; fold lines are kept.

Printed to order on archival matte paper or canvas, framed in the country of delivery.

Before and after

Left: the archive scan exactly as published. Right: the file that goes to the printer.

Bird's-Eye View of Portland Oregon, 1890: archive scan compared with the restored print

Archive scanRestored

Restoration notes

Restoration: cropped the scanner bed and mount margins, corrected levels and colour cast while keeping the paper tone, removed dust and specks, applied gentle sharpening. Fold lines, stains and period annotations are kept where they belong to the object; nothing is redrawn.

Every print carries its archive credit on the packing slip. Paper tone and small imperfections of the original are kept on purpose; nothing is redrawn.

Questions

What does the map show?

Portland in 1890 from above the west hills: the Willamette waterfront lined with ships and warehouses, the Morrison and Steel bridges to East Portland, the grid of downtown, and Mount Hood standing on the horizon over the whole scene.

Is this an original antique map?

No. It is a new archival print made from a restored high-resolution scan of the original held by the Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division. We never sell originals; the archive record and its rights statement are on this page.

Does it come framed?

Yes, if you choose a framed option: a black, white or natural oak wood frame, ready to hang, made in the country of delivery. Unframed archival matte paper and stretched canvas are also available at the larger sizes.

Colours vary between screens and paper. The tone you see here is a close match to the archival matte print; framed prints have no glass glare in these previews.

Pairs well with

Hang them together — 10% off the second framed print

Mount Rainier Panoramic Map, 1914

US Geological Survey · Library of Congress

$129 24×18 in framed · paper from $35

Bird's-Eye View of Seattle, 1891

Augustus Koch · Library of Congress

$129 24×18 in framed · paper from $35

The discount is applied automatically at checkout when two or more framed prints are in the cart.

Size	Metric	Best for
16×12 in	41×30 cm	Desk, shelf, small wall, gallery groupings
18×12 in	46×30 cm	Desk, shelf, small wall, gallery groupings
20×16 in	51×41 cm	Above a desk or console, hallway, bedroom
24×16 in	61×41 cm	Above a desk or console, hallway, bedroom
24×18 in	61×46 cm	Above a desk or console, hallway, bedroom
30×20 in	76×51 cm	Over a sofa or bed, statement wall, office
30×24 in	76×61 cm	Over a sofa or bed, statement wall, office
32×24 in	81×61 cm	Over a sofa or bed, statement wall, office
36×24 in	91×61 cm	Over a sofa or bed, statement wall, office
40×30 in	102×76 cm	Over a sofa or bed, statement wall, office
48×32 in	122×81 cm	Over a sofa or bed, statement wall, office

Bird's-Eye View of Portland, Oregon, 1890

Before and after

Restoration notes

Hang them together — 10% off the second framed print