19th-Century Schoolgirls Were Incredibly Good at Drawing Maps
Many schools required students to trace or re-create maps in order to learn skills that may have helped them later in life.
The beautifully detailed, early 19th-century map of the United States pictured above would be snapped up quickly by a collector if it were to hit the market today. But that’s not because it was made by a well-known cartographer or a prestigious map publisher. This map was hand-drawn by a 15-year-old girl as part of her schoolwork.
For a brief period at the beginning of the 19th century, many schoolgirls in the United States were expected to draw elaborate maps, either by copying or tracing existing maps, as a central part of their education. “It was hugely popular for about 30 years,” says historian Susan Schulten of the University of Denver. “Chances are if you come across one [of these
