Old Map of Upper Canada and Ontario
Price range: £35.55 through £59.95
Old Map of Upper Canada by G. W. Colton, 1855
A finely detailed map of Canada West—present-day southern Ontario—published twelve years before Canadian Confederation. Colton depicts the coloured county divisions, settlements and developing transport routes surrounding Lakes Huron, Erie and Ontario, with separate inset maps of Wolf Islands and the Welland Canal.
The original hand colouring and elaborate ornamental border make this an especially attractive map for anyone with family, historical or personal connections to Ontario and the Great Lakes. Reproduced as a fine-art archival pigment print on textured paper and supplied unframed.A stunning certified FINE ART PRINT on heavy textured art paper — not a poster
- Direct from the publisher — no middlemen
- Printed in-house in Cornwall
- Free UK delivery — international shipping available
- Produced to meet — and often exceed — museum-quality standards
Fine Art Map Reproductions – Museum-Quality Printing
Unlike most online offerings, our maps are produced entirely in-house, not outsourced to print-on-demand or drop-shipping services. This allows complete control over quality while offering better value. Each map begins with a high-resolution original, carefully enhanced and printed to order using archival papers and pigment inks for exceptional clarity, depth, and longevity. Every piece is personally overseen — no map leaves our workshop unless it is of a quality we would be proud to display ourselves.
Authentic Old Map Paper & Accurate Colour Reproduction
Paper choice is essential to the authenticity of our maps. We use specially sourced 190gsm paper made in the UK from pure materials and traditionally pressed with natural woollen felts. This process creates a subtle, randomly textured surface that closely resembles an original antique document. Likewise the use of premium quality ink fully saturates the paper, producing remarkable clarity, depth, and historical character. Colour fastness and sharpness will remain good for in excess of 100 years!
Buy Old Maps Online in the UK Today Trading online since 1999
The Old Map Company of Great Britain offers a vast and carefully curated collection of the very finest expertly reproduced vintage maps. Our range includes works by renowned cartographers such as John Speed and Willem Blaeu, covering Scotland, England, and beyond. Free UK courier delivery is included, with EU, USA, and worldwide shipping available at cost and calculated at checkout. If you need assistance, our team is always happy to help you choose the perfect map.
RECENT REVIEWS
Verified ownerGot there in time and loves it! Cheers David [Gift from US to UK]
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The print arrived safely and we're delighted with it - a lovely reminder of our honeymoon 15 years ago.
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Published in New York in 1855, this detailed map by G. W. Colton depicts Canada West, the western portion of the Province of Canada that became Ontario at Confederation in 1867. Its printed title, Canada West or Upper Canada, uses both the contemporary regional name and the earlier colonial name by which the area was still widely known.
Map Details
- Original title: Canada West or Upper Canada
- Cartographer: George Woolworth Colton
- Publisher: J. H. Colton & Co.
- Published: New York, 1855
- Source: Colton’s Atlas of the World Illustrating Physical and Political Geography, Volume I
- Area shown: Canada West, principally present-day southern Ontario
- Insets: Wolf Islands and the Welland Canal
- Printing: Engraved atlas map with original hand colouring
- Orientation: North at the top
- Relief: Indicated by hachures
The main map extends from the Great Lakes eastwards towards Montreal. Lake Huron, Georgian Bay, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario dominate the geography, while the coloured county divisions reveal the administrative structure of Canada West during the middle of the nineteenth century.
Toronto appears on the north-western shore of Lake Ontario, with Kingston farther east near the entrance to the St Lawrence River. The map also records numerous smaller settlements, roads, rivers, canals and railway routes, reflecting a period of rapid development and migration. Beyond the Canadian boundary, parts of Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio provide geographical context around the Great Lakes.
An inset of the Welland Canal records one of the region’s most important transport routes. The canal allowed vessels to pass between Lakes Erie and Ontario without navigating Niagara Falls, strengthening the commercial connection between the upper Great Lakes and the St Lawrence. A second inset gives additional detail around Wolf Island at the eastern end of Lake Ontario.
The date is particularly significant. In 1855 the modern Dominion of Canada did not yet exist. Canada West and Canada East formed the Province of Canada, while the name Ontario would not become the province’s official title until Confederation in 1867. Colton’s map therefore records the region during an important transitional period in Canadian history.
Counties are individually picked out in soft pink, green, yellow and blue washes. Hachures indicate upland areas, while Colton’s elaborate interlaced border gives the practical geographical information a distinctly decorative finish. This ornamental border became one of the recognisable features of maps issued in Colton’s mid-nineteenth-century atlases.