J.H. Colton
Encyclopedia
Joseph Hutchins Colton (July 5, 1800 - July 29, 1893), known professionally as J.H. Colton, founded an American
mapmaking company which was an international leader in the map
publishing industry between 1831 and 1890.
Colton was born in Longmeadow
, Massachusetts
, and moved to New York
in 1831 to establish his firm. For the first ten years, Colton licensed the use of maps from established engravers such as Samuel Stiles and David H. Burr. Colton went on to create railroad maps, immigrant guides, folding pocket maps, large wall maps, and elaborate atlas
es.
J.H. Colton Company maps were printed using engraved steel plates, which produced higher quality prints than maps made with less costly wax engravings. They were often individually hand watercolored
and were recognized for their decorative borders.
In the early 1850s Colton brought his two sons into the business, George Woolworth Colton (1827–1901) and Charles B. Colton (1832–1916).
In 1857, Colton was awarded a $25,000 commission by the Government of Bolivia
to produce 2500 large maps of the country. Colton completed the contract, but was not paid by Bolivia, which was mired in revolution. Colton pursued a high-profile legal case against the Bolivian and Peru
vian governments and after considerable delay was awarded $100,000 in compensation and damages.
Maps published by J.H. Colton can be found in the historical archive
s of most of the U.S. states, (including Mississippi
, Louisiana
, and Maryland
) and of many national governments (including the United States Library of Congress
). They are also found in university and museum collections (including at University of Kansas
, University of Texas, and Princeton University
).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mapmaking company which was an international leader in the map
Map
A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
publishing industry between 1831 and 1890.
Colton was born in Longmeadow
Longmeadow, Massachusetts
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,633 people, 5,734 households, and 4,432 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 5,879 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.42% White, 0.69% African American, 0.05% Native American, 2.90%...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, and moved to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1831 to establish his firm. For the first ten years, Colton licensed the use of maps from established engravers such as Samuel Stiles and David H. Burr. Colton went on to create railroad maps, immigrant guides, folding pocket maps, large wall maps, and elaborate atlas
Atlas
An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a map of Earth or a region of Earth, but there are atlases of the other planets in the Solar System. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats...
es.
J.H. Colton Company maps were printed using engraved steel plates, which produced higher quality prints than maps made with less costly wax engravings. They were often individually hand watercolored
Watercolor painting
Watercolor or watercolour , also aquarelle from French, is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle...
and were recognized for their decorative borders.
In the early 1850s Colton brought his two sons into the business, George Woolworth Colton (1827–1901) and Charles B. Colton (1832–1916).
In 1857, Colton was awarded a $25,000 commission by the Government of Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
to produce 2500 large maps of the country. Colton completed the contract, but was not paid by Bolivia, which was mired in revolution. Colton pursued a high-profile legal case against the Bolivian and Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian governments and after considerable delay was awarded $100,000 in compensation and damages.
Maps published by J.H. Colton can be found in the historical archive
Archive
An archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
s of most of the U.S. states, (including Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, and Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
) and of many national governments (including the United States Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
). They are also found in university and museum collections (including at University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
, University of Texas, and Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
).
External links
- David Rumsey Map Collection features many Colton maps http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/view/search?QuickSearchA=QuickSearchA&q=J.H.+Colton&sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%252CPub_Date%252CPub_List_No%252CSeries_No&search=Search
- Colton's 1855 Kansas & Nebraska map in The Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm198.html
- Colton's 1855 Georgia map in the University of Georgia collection http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/histcountymaps/ga1855map.htm
- Colton's 1856 England and Wales map in the UCLA collection http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/snow/1856emap/6_7c.htm
- Colton's 1885 New Mexico & Utah map in the UNLV collection http://digital.library.unlv.edu/objects/LV_Maps/589