A man’s home should make a statement and a lot of making that statement comes from his decor.

When framed properly and hung sparsely (think: one), antique maps are a unique way to liven up a room and provide a point of attention and focus. It offers the perfect offset to today’s square, geometric designs found in most homes. Though I’m not from California, I’ve had this odd fascination with gold rush maps - the idea of of fortune hunters making the sojourn out West with little idea what was to be expected is, to me, refreshing. It’s not too much unlike today’s (ad)ventures of silicon valley’s finest. So, this past week I did some searching around antique and frame shops here in New York (there are a lot) and online where I came across this awesome piece of cartography, and at a fantastic price.

The map you see here is a reproduction of an 1851 map by C.D. Gibbes, marking the gold regions of California. It was originally created a few months after California became an official state in 1850. The original hand-painted map is faithfully reproduced here on 100% cotton rag, fine art paper. If you take the time to have it matted and framed correctly, you’ll have a striking piece of decor that instantly defines a room or area, especially in the larger 30″x38″ print.

Editor’s Note: Those of you living in California or that don’t share my odd fascination with the Gold Rush can also find antique map reproductions for these cities: Atlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham, Bay City, Boston, Buffalo, Charleston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Council Bluffs, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Duluth, Fargo, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Lansing, Louisville, Lowell, Lynn, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York City, Omaha, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh. Portland, Providence, Saginaw, San Francisco, Sioux City, Springfield, St. Joseph, St. Louis, Superior, Toledo, and Washington, D.C.

Cost: $89+