1951 Map of Chandeleur Light

About this map

Chandeleur Light stands as the primary navigational landmark on this remote stretch of the Chandeleur Islands in St. Bernard Parish. This coastal survey reflects the shifting sands of the Louisiana barrier island chain in the early 1950s, documenting the narrow ribbon of land that separates the open Gulf of Mexico from the calmer waters of Chandeleur Sound. Much of the southern portion of this archipelago is protected within the Breton National Wildlife Refuge, one of the earliest established wildlife sanctuaries in the nation. The map provides a precise record of the shoreline and depth curves before decades of erosion and storm surge significantly altered these low-lying landforms. Notably, the cartography omits the state boundary between Mississippi and Louisiana due to insufficient data at the time of the survey, highlighting the complex and changing nature of this maritime environment.