Today, a true relic from television history is going under the hammer.
The original, first-ever map of Twin Peaks, hand-drawn by David Lynch himself and crafted to help him and Mark Frost pitch the series to ABC, has surfaced and is going under the hammer.
The map preceded the script. “We knew where everything was,” David Lynch told TIME, “and it helped us decide what mood each place had, and what could happen there. Then the characters just introduced themselves to us and walked into the story.”
Julien’s Auctions rightfully calls this lot a “holy grail item” in an already impressive list of Hollywood collectibles it is placing on the auction block today. Previously, limited prints have been made available as part of the official 20th anniversary celebration of Twin Peaks (In The Trees, A Twin Peaks Art Exhibition) and from Showtime’s online store during Twin Peaks: The Return. But this is the real deal.
Its owner until now? As far as I know, it’s Tony Krantz, David Lynch’s television agent at Creative Artists Agency and one of the key players in bringing Twin Peaks to life. A revealed in Brad Dukes’ Reflections, Krantz received the legendary map as a birthday gift:
David drew a charcoal map of the town of Twin Peaks that we unfurled with Chad [Hoffman] when we sold the show and gave it to me for my birthday one year. I have it framed in my office. It is television history.
Julien’s have listed David Lynch’s Twin Peaks map as follows:
Featuring Lynch’s signature artistic style, this moody original artwork illustrates the fictional surrounding area in the Pacific Northwestern part of North America where the show takes place. Lynch’s unmistakable handwriting identifies the eponymous twin peaks – White Tail Mountain and Blue Pine Mountain – that the town is nestled between, as well as Meadow Lark Hill, Sparkwood Mountain, Lower Town, and “The Flats.” Also identified are other significant locations to the series such as Highway 21 (labeled here as “Lucky Hiway”) – which also served as the main street of the town, Ghostwood National Forest – where the entrance to the sinister and otherworldly Black Lodge resides, Pearl Lakes – where the young evil spirit of Bob first encountered a young Leland Palmer, and Black Lake – where Laura Palmer’s body was found wrapped in plastic shortly after she was murdered on February 24, 1989, setting off the entire series.
The concept map is realized in graphite, charcoal, and watercolor on thick, textured paper with frayed edges. The piece is presented elevated against a white canvas matte and housed in a wooden frame. The verso of the frame contains an adhered label featuring Lynch’s signature, handwritten date “1989 / 1990,” and red fingerprint stamp.
Dimensions: Framed: 27.75 x 35.35 x 2 inches; Sight: 21.5 x 29.5 inches
Bidding started at $10,000 but has already soared up to $50,000 with just a few hours before the live auction at Julien’s which starts at 10 AM (PDT) on June 19, 2025. Don’t forget to register in advance and bid fast if you want a shot.
My prediction is it will land somewhere between $150,000 and 200,000, and I can only hope it ends up in a museum or public archive where all of us can eventually stand before it and trace the roots of Twin Peaks with our own eyes.
UPDATE: It sold for $90,000 to an online bidder. Congrats to the new owner!
Fire walk with 