Created in 1947, this colorful manuscript map of Aransas County is the current and official GLO map for this county. It was drawn by the prolific draftsman Eltea Armstrong, who during her tenure at the GLO, drew over 70 county maps with many, like this one, remaining in use to this day. Ms. Armstrong’s hallmark style, as seen on this map, fused functional professionalism with artistic flourishes in a stippling style that was created using a pattern simulating varying degrees of solidity or shading by using small dots.

This colorful map of Aransas County is the current, official land Office map for the county. The map’s creator, Eltea Armstrong, was a prolific draftswoman. During her tenure at the Land Office, Armstrong drew over 70 county maps many of which are still in use today. Armstrong’s hallmark style, as seen on this map, fused functional professionalism with artistic flourishes in a “stippling” style, which used small dots to simulate varying degrees of shading. Her lettering work is both easy to read and aesthetically pleasing, while her subtle use of color helps to contextualize this busy coastal county. Perhaps Armstrong’s signature trademark was the incorporation of a relevant artistic image on each county map that she created: here she drew a trout.