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- Eliza Colles America's First Female Map Engraver
Eliza Colles America's First Female Map Engraver
- By The Map Collector
- Published 1 March 1980
- Maps
- Unrated
The Map Collector
The Map Collector, initiated by Peter Scott and Valerie G. Newby, was a journal on historical cartography published every quarter. The first issue appeared in 1997 and continued for nearly 20 years. After 74 issues the last copy appeared in Spring 1996. Mrs. Valerie G. Newby, is presently editor of the IMCoS Journal.
www.imcos.org
by WaIter W. Ristow
The September 1978 issue of The Map Collector included R. V. Tooley's list of 'Women in the Map World.' In a brief introduction to the list, Mr. Tooley hoped that 'this may open the way for a general monograph on the subject, or a more detailed study of a particular person.' This paper by Dr. Ristow, who retired as map librarian at the Library of Congress in Washington DC in 1978, was inspired by Mr. Tooley's challenge and offers a 'worthy addition to his list,' Eliza Colles, America's first female map engraver.
Eliza was the daughter of Christopher and Anne Keough Colles, who emigrated from Ireland to the American colonies in 1771. Christopher, orphaned at an early age, had been educated by Or. Richard Pococke, a distinguished cleric of the period, and by his uncle, William Colles. While still in Ireland, young Colles was involved in various engineering, canal building, quarrying, mapping, and construction activities. He was a restless soul, and moved from job to job with great frequency, and often found it difficult to support his growing family.
Following the death of Pococke, in 1765, and William Colles, in 1770, Christopher's major ties to Ireland were severed. He decided, therefore, to emigrate to America, where he hoped to find greater opportunities for utilizing his scientific and engineering training and experience. [1] The Colles family landed in Philadelphia August 10, 1771, and within a fortnight Christopher was advertising his several specialities in the Pennsylvania Chronicle. Employment opportunities were meagre, however, and the young engineer resorted to public lectures to earn some income. With only indifferent success in Philadelphia, in late 1773 or early 1774, Colles sought better opportunities in New York City. Shortly after settling his family there, he proposed to city officials a plan to construct a steam pumping station and reservoirs to provide fresh water to the citizens.
Christopher Colles, a native of Ireland, emigrated to America in 1771. Eliza, born in 1776, was the ninth child of Christopher and Anne Keough Colles. (By courtesy of New-York Historical Society Collections.)
The plan was approved and for the next two years Colles directed work on the project. The water works was well on the way to completion when the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, and occupation of the city by British troops, brought construction to an abrupt halt. Some two decades later Colles received belated, and limited, compensation for his work on the New York City water supply project.
Plate 45 of Christopher Colles' Survey of the Roads of the United States of America, first parts of which were published in 1789. Cornelius Tiebout is listed as engraver on the title page of the Survey, but Eliza Colles may have assisted Tiebout in engraving some of the map plates. (By courtesy of Library of Congress.)
Because of his intimate pre-war association with John Lamb, and other ardent members of the Sons of Liberty, Christopher Colles deemed it expedient to flee from New York City in 1776. Shortly before the exodus his wife Anne gave birth to a daughter, who was named Elizabeth, or Eliza. She is believed to have been the ninth (of eleven) children born to Anne and Christopher Colles, the majority of whom did not attain adulthood. [2]
The Colles family fled first to northern New Jersey where they remained for five or six months. Eventually they worked their way northward and spent most of the remaining five or six years of exile in the highlands of New York State between New York City and Albany. There is little information about how the family survived these difficult years. Christopher may have conducted road surveys for the American army, and possibly also taught principles of gunnery to artillery officers. He also constructed a perambulator, for measuring and surveying roads, and contemplated the possibility of improving water navigation on the Mohawk River in the post-war years. It is likely that the perambulator was used in preparing maps of the roads on both sides of the Hudson River, extending south from Albany. Colles may also have formulated plans for a road book of the country prior to re-establishing residence in New York City in 1783.
The title-page of Colles' The Geographical Ledger and Systemized Atlas, includes an outline of the intended contents of this aborted atlas. As noted, Colles planned to include plates of the Survey of the Roads in the Ledger. (By courtesy of Library of Congress.)
The September 1978 issue of The Map Collector included R. V. Tooley's list of 'Women in the Map World.' In a brief introduction to the list, Mr. Tooley hoped that 'this may open the way for a general monograph on the subject, or a more detailed study of a particular person.' This paper by Dr. Ristow, who retired as map librarian at the Library of Congress in Washington DC in 1978, was inspired by Mr. Tooley's challenge and offers a 'worthy addition to his list,' Eliza Colles, America's first female map engraver.
Eliza was the daughter of Christopher and Anne Keough Colles, who emigrated from Ireland to the American colonies in 1771. Christopher, orphaned at an early age, had been educated by Or. Richard Pococke, a distinguished cleric of the period, and by his uncle, William Colles. While still in Ireland, young Colles was involved in various engineering, canal building, quarrying, mapping, and construction activities. He was a restless soul, and moved from job to job with great frequency, and often found it difficult to support his growing family.
Following the death of Pococke, in 1765, and William Colles, in 1770, Christopher's major ties to Ireland were severed. He decided, therefore, to emigrate to America, where he hoped to find greater opportunities for utilizing his scientific and engineering training and experience. [1] The Colles family landed in Philadelphia August 10, 1771, and within a fortnight Christopher was advertising his several specialities in the Pennsylvania Chronicle. Employment opportunities were meagre, however, and the young engineer resorted to public lectures to earn some income. With only indifferent success in Philadelphia, in late 1773 or early 1774, Colles sought better opportunities in New York City. Shortly after settling his family there, he proposed to city officials a plan to construct a steam pumping station and reservoirs to provide fresh water to the citizens.
Christopher Colles, a native of Ireland, emigrated to America in 1771. Eliza, born in 1776, was the ninth child of Christopher and Anne Keough Colles. (By courtesy of New-York Historical Society Collections.)
The plan was approved and for the next two years Colles directed work on the project. The water works was well on the way to completion when the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, and occupation of the city by British troops, brought construction to an abrupt halt. Some two decades later Colles received belated, and limited, compensation for his work on the New York City water supply project.
Plate 45 of Christopher Colles' Survey of the Roads of the United States of America, first parts of which were published in 1789. Cornelius Tiebout is listed as engraver on the title page of the Survey, but Eliza Colles may have assisted Tiebout in engraving some of the map plates. (By courtesy of Library of Congress.)
Because of his intimate pre-war association with John Lamb, and other ardent members of the Sons of Liberty, Christopher Colles deemed it expedient to flee from New York City in 1776. Shortly before the exodus his wife Anne gave birth to a daughter, who was named Elizabeth, or Eliza. She is believed to have been the ninth (of eleven) children born to Anne and Christopher Colles, the majority of whom did not attain adulthood. [2]
The Colles family fled first to northern New Jersey where they remained for five or six months. Eventually they worked their way northward and spent most of the remaining five or six years of exile in the highlands of New York State between New York City and Albany. There is little information about how the family survived these difficult years. Christopher may have conducted road surveys for the American army, and possibly also taught principles of gunnery to artillery officers. He also constructed a perambulator, for measuring and surveying roads, and contemplated the possibility of improving water navigation on the Mohawk River in the post-war years. It is likely that the perambulator was used in preparing maps of the roads on both sides of the Hudson River, extending south from Albany. Colles may also have formulated plans for a road book of the country prior to re-establishing residence in New York City in 1783.
The title-page of Colles' The Geographical Ledger and Systemized Atlas, includes an outline of the intended contents of this aborted atlas. As noted, Colles planned to include plates of the Survey of the Roads in the Ledger. (By courtesy of Library of Congress.)
