Plates Illustrating the Geology and Scenery of Massachusetts
From childhood, Orra White demonstrated an aptitude for both natural science and art. As an adult, she taught those subjects to girls at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts and began to draw illustrations for contemporary publications. After her marriage to the geologist Edward Hitchcock (1793–1864), she contributed thousands of images for his books and became one of the first American women to specialize in scientific illustration. This group of plates, published by the Boston lithography firm Pendleton's, demonstrates Hitchcock's talents as both a landscape artist and scientific draftsman.
Description:
Cardboard cover, with list of plates on the front (plates II-XIV designed by Orra White Hitchcock).
Plate I (missing).
Plate II: Autumnal Scenery: view in Amherst, handcolored.
Plate III: A View in Hadley.
Plate IV: Gorge Between Holyoke and Tom.
Plate V: West View From Holyoke.
Plate VI: South Hadley Falls.
Plate VII: Sugar Loaf Mountain, Deerfield.
Plate VIII: Confluence of Connecticut and Deerfield Rivers.
Plate IX: Turner's Falls.
Plate X: Gorge or Glen, Leyden.
Plate XI: Organic Remains: Figs. 1, 2, 6-10: Vegetable Impressions and Remans, Fig. 3: Cast of a Venus, Fig. 4: Cast of a Turbo?, Fig. 5: Cast of a Tellina; Fig. 17: Mould of an Orthocera, Figs. 11-15: Shark's Teeth, Fig. 15: a Crocodile's Tooth, Figs. 18-22: Unknown Animal Relics from the Newest Tertiary.
Plate XII: Organic Remains: Figs. 23-25, 28: Vertebrae probably of Sharkes, Figs. 26-27: Alcyonia?, Figs. 29-30, 32-33: perhaps Radiated Animals, Fig. 31: Fossil Crab.
Plate XIII: Organic Remains: Figs 34-36: Impressions of Gorgoniae, Fig. 37: Shark's Tooth, Fig. 40: Cast of a Venus, Figs. 41-43: Casts of Calamites, Cyclopteria? and Nevropteria?, Figs.38-39: Fucoides in Sandstone.
Plate XIV: Organic Remains: Figs. 44-46, 48: Ictholites, Fig. 47: Encrini.
Plate XV: Map of the Valley of the Connecticut in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Plate XVI: Map of the Direction of the Strata in Massachusetts.
Plate XVII: East and West Sections of Massachusetts.
Plate XVIII: East and West Section across the Southern part of Massachusetts; Section across the Eastern Part of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Plate XIX: A Tabular and Systematic View of the Rocks and Their Imbedded Minerals in Massachusetts.
Description:
Cardboard cover, with list of plates on the front (plates II-XIV designed by Orra White Hitchcock).
Plate I (missing).
Plate II: Autumnal Scenery: view in Amherst, handcolored.
Plate III: A View in Hadley.
Plate IV: Gorge Between Holyoke and Tom.
Plate V: West View From Holyoke.
Plate VI: South Hadley Falls.
Plate VII: Sugar Loaf Mountain, Deerfield.
Plate VIII: Confluence of Connecticut and Deerfield Rivers.
Plate IX: Turner's Falls.
Plate X: Gorge or Glen, Leyden.
Plate XI: Organic Remains: Figs. 1, 2, 6-10: Vegetable Impressions and Remans, Fig. 3: Cast of a Venus, Fig. 4: Cast of a Turbo?, Fig. 5: Cast of a Tellina; Fig. 17: Mould of an Orthocera, Figs. 11-15: Shark's Teeth, Fig. 15: a Crocodile's Tooth, Figs. 18-22: Unknown Animal Relics from the Newest Tertiary.
Plate XII: Organic Remains: Figs. 23-25, 28: Vertebrae probably of Sharkes, Figs. 26-27: Alcyonia?, Figs. 29-30, 32-33: perhaps Radiated Animals, Fig. 31: Fossil Crab.
Plate XIII: Organic Remains: Figs 34-36: Impressions of Gorgoniae, Fig. 37: Shark's Tooth, Fig. 40: Cast of a Venus, Figs. 41-43: Casts of Calamites, Cyclopteria? and Nevropteria?, Figs.38-39: Fucoides in Sandstone.
Plate XIV: Organic Remains: Figs. 44-46, 48: Ictholites, Fig. 47: Encrini.
Plate XV: Map of the Valley of the Connecticut in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Plate XVI: Map of the Direction of the Strata in Massachusetts.
Plate XVII: East and West Sections of Massachusetts.
Plate XVIII: East and West Section across the Southern part of Massachusetts; Section across the Eastern Part of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Plate XIX: A Tabular and Systematic View of the Rocks and Their Imbedded Minerals in Massachusetts.
Artwork Details
- Title: Plates Illustrating the Geology and Scenery of Massachusetts
- Artist: Orra White Hitchcock (American, South Amherst, Massachusetts 1796–1863 Amherst, Massachusetts)
- Printer: Pendleton's Lithography (American, active 1825–36) Boston
- Date: 1833
- Medium: Illustrations: lithographs, one hand-colored
- Dimensions: 9 9/16 × 12 3/16 in. (24.3 × 31 cm)
- Classification: Books
- Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund
- Object Number: 55.662.1
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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