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1935 Eleanore and Richard Foster Pictorial Map of Florida
Florida-foster-1935$2,750.00
Title
A Map of Florida.
1935 (dated) 26.75 x 23.5 in (67.945 x 59.69 cm)
1935 (dated) 26.75 x 23.5 in (67.945 x 59.69 cm)
Description
A scarce 1935 Eleanore and Richard Foster chromolithograph map of Florida - the most spectacular pictorial map of Florida we have seen. The map is designed on a nautical theme: the sea splashes at the base of the map, forming a cartouche supported by fish and framed by a lifesaver. Coastal cities, including St. Augustine, Daytona Beach, Vero Beach, Palm Beach, St. Petersburg, Miami, Key West, and Fort Meyers, among others, are framed by ship portholes. Smiling from the upper right, the sun shines on the peninsula. Within Florida, both natural resources (pineapples, strawberries, etc.), resort fun (golfing, polo, baseball, sunbathing), and architectural wonders are illustrated. The Overseas Railroad, here in its last year of operation before being destroyed by the Labor Day Hurricane, steams towards Key West. Along the left, Flags illustrate Florida scenes, including alligators and palm trees. A limited breakdown of Florida history appears along the bottom. The border work, in orange, highlights Florida fauna.
Chromolithography
Chromolithography is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process involved using multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Oftentimes, the process would start with a black basecoat upon which subsequent colors were layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired product. Chromolithograph color could also be effectively blended for even more dramatic results. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it emerged as the dominate method of color printing. The vivid color chromolithography produced made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda imagery.Publication History and Census
This map was published in single edition in 1935. It was drawn by the husband-and-wife team of Eleanore and Richard Foster. The map was printed by the George C. Miller firm and published by 'The Billboard Barn' in Palm Beach, Florida. Rare. We are aware or just 2 known examples, one as here, at the Touchton Library, Tampa Bay History Center, and a second example, with a more restricted color palette, in the collection of David Rumsey.CartographerS
Richard Thomas Foster (March 21, 1919 - September 13, 2002) was an American architect and illustrator born in Pittsburgh. Foster married Eleanore August Jasper (1916 - 2012) in 1945, after returning from his 4-year World War II (1939 - 1945) tour of duty. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant. After the war, he enrolled at the Pratt Institute School of Architecture, graduating in 1950. He afterwards took a position with the Philip Johnson (July 8, 1906 - January 25, 2005) Firm. In 1962, Foster founded his own firm, Richard Foster Associates, achieving fame as modernist architect. In 1964 he designed the New York State Pavilion, still visible at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens. He also worked extensively for New York University, designing the Elmer Holmes Bobst Library (1972), Tisch Hall (1972) and the Hagop Kevorkian Center (1973). His own home, the Wilton, Connecticut 'Round House' or 'Circambulant House' was and remains a groundbreaking architectural achievement. The entire house, resembling a glass and steel mushroom, rests on pedestal and rotates to maximize views and light. Foster died in Danbury Connecticut. More by this mapmaker...
Eleanore Augusta Foster (December 31, 1916 - February 4, 2012), born Japser, was an American artist. Eleanore was born in Woodcliff, New Jersey and studied at Hempstead High School, then at St. Lawrence College. She married modernist architect Richard Thomas Foster (1919 - 2002) in 1945, after his return from a 4-year World War II (1939 - 1945) Army service. She died in 1916 in Redding, Connecticut. Learn More...
George Charles Miller (June 17, 1894 - October 21, 1965) was an American lithographer and publisher. He was born in New York City into a commercial printing family, and began his apprenticeship in the family business at 15. He completed his apprenticeship at the American Lithographic Company. Miller served in World War I. He is notable for having recognized early on the value of printing for artists, and would eventually print exclusively for artists: one of only a few American printers to do so. Not only did he print artists' work, but he also trained artists (Ruth Haviland Sutton among them) in the craft of lithography. He was married to Carrie Scharsmith Miller, and lived most of his life in Lynbrook, Long Island, New York. He also had a home in Burlington, Vermont, where he died of a heart attack in 1965. Miller's son, Burris G. Miller (1928 - 2017) took over the business, until retiring in 1994. Learn More...
Condition
Very good. Laid on linen poster style. A few closed tears expertly reinforced and stabilized - the larges extending from top border through Florida to about Ocala.
References
Rumsey 10558.000 (Variant). Tampa Bay History Center, Touchton Map Library, #2019.007.026.