Description:
Lithograph on paper of the "Gorge between Holyoke and Tom" by Orra White Hitchcock (1796-1863) colored in greens, blues, and oranges, which came from the Phelps family of Hadley, Massachusetts. The print is inscribed in the lower left, "Mrs. Hitchcock del." and in the lower right, "Thayer's Lith. Boston." The daughter of Jarib White and Ruth Sherman White, an affluent farmer in Amherst, Massachusetts, Orra White was educated in boarding schools in South Hadley and Roxbury, excelling in science, art, Latin and Greek. She was working as an assistant instructor at Deerfield Academy when she met her future husband Edward Hitchcock (1793-1864), who held the post of preceptor from 1816-1819, and married in 1821. Considered one of the earliest female artists and illustrators in America, Orra was an accomplished artist who prepared these prints which appeared in "Plates Illustrating the Geology and Scenery of Massachusetts" (two editions, 1833 and 1835) as a supplement for her husband's book, "Report on the Geology, Minerology, Botany and Zoology of Masachusetts" (Amhurst: J.S. and C. Adams, 1833), and in his "Final Report of the Geology of Massachusetts" (Amherst, 1841). This redrawn version of "Gorge," which was originally Plate IV in the 1833 and 1835 editions, lithographed by Benjamin Thayer & Co. can be easily distinguished from those from the earlier publications. Edward Hitchcock, who had been raised in Deerfield and attended Deerfield Academy, moved his family to Amherst where he was appointed Professor of Chemistry and Natural History in 1826, a position he filed until 1845 when he was appointed President and Professor of Natural Theology and Geology. He served as President from 1845 until 1854. During that time, Hitchcock was responsible for Amherst's recovery from extreme financial depression. In 1854 Hitchcock retired from the presidency and became Professor of Natural History and Geology, a position which he held until his death in 1864. The print shows a view of the Connecticut River with a steam boat and sail boat, a series of houses on the left bank, fields and trees on the right bank, and a town in the distant background.
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