1977 Map of Provincetown

About this map

Provincetown sits at the very tip of Cape Cod, captured here in an orthophotograph based on 1977 aerial imagery. This specific format replaces traditional contour lines with rectified photography, revealing the stark contrast between the dense residential and maritime center of the town and the expansive, shifting sands of the surrounding dunes. The imagery shows the intricate shape of the harbor protected by the curved hook of the land, positioned between the deep waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the sheltered Cape Cod Bay. Local historians can observe the footprint of coastal development and natural sand migration exactly as they existed in the late seventies.