Brockhaus, 1895 Map of Yellowstone National Park

This stunning map of Yellowstone National Park was originally sourced from The Brockhaus Enzyklopädie, a German-language encyclopedia which until 2009 was published by the F. A. Brockhaus printing house. Though predominantly in English, some German language appears on the map. The cartographer highlights “Kontinental Wasserscheide” (Continental Divide), and names the “Sud” and “Sud-Ost” arms (South and South East, respectively) of “Yellowstone See” (Yellowstone Lake). The map covers all the major sections of Yellowstone in incredible detail, spanning the Lamar Valley and the Northeast peaks such as Baronette, Abiathar, and The Thunderer. It also extends to the southern boundary and slightly into what is now Grand Teton National Park. A notable feature in the bottom right section is Two Ocean Pass: an alpine meadow that’s so low, and so gentle when flooded in the spring, fish are able to swim across and travel from the Pacific watershed into the Atlantic watershed. It’s believed that Two Ocean Pass is how the cutthroat trout originally inhabited Lake Yellowstone following the end of the Pinedale glaciation about 14,000 years ago.

Though information about the cartographer remains a mystery, certain clues can help date when they may have traveled through the area. An unnamed hotel where the Nez Perce Creek meets the Firehole River would have been the Marshall’s Hotel, later renamed the Firehole Hotel. Built in 1880, it was the second hotel in the park. After eleven years, operations ceased in 1891. The hotel was razed in 1895 with the exception of a few cabins which were removed later. The inclusion of the Marshall’s hotel serves as a good indicator that the creator of this map traversed the Yellowstone landscape while the hotel was still in operation, before publishing their work in 1895.

Original Artist: N/A (Published in Brockhaus Enzyklopädie Konversations-Lexikon)

Year Published: 1895

Poster Size: 20in x 28in

Price Per Print: $42