Antique 1930 Pictorial Map Bermuda Islands Women Cartographer Shurtleff McMillin

Description

This is a rare antique pictorial map of the Bermuda Islands issued in 1930. The title in the top left corner reads- “The Sommer Ilands" and "A MAP of the BERMUDA ISLANDS. Ya des Demonios, Isles of the Devils” created by a trio of pioneer female mapmakers / cartographers based in Boston, MA United States Of America: Elizabeth Shurtleff, Helen F. McMillin, and her niece Elizabeth L. McMillin. The map covers all of Bermuda including the adjacent islands. It is full of color and pictorial vignettes illustrating island flora, fauna, and social life. It is surrounded by a coral reef motif border.
Copyright dated 1930. Map size measures 24.5” wide x 34.5” tall. Age appropriate, of the period, 1930’s wooden oak frame measures 36.5” wide x 26” tall.  Both front and back sides of the map are encased behind glass, so it is a heavy piece.
Please see all of the photographs to see the condition issues of this rare map. The map is sandwiched between two pieces of framed glass. There is an additional wire on the back to assist in maintaining structural stability of the frame, due to its heavy weight. The original folds in the paper map are visible. There is rippling of the map paper along the bottom half, which occured due to the appearance of an old water stain at the bottom. Faint foxing and water staining along the top border, along the left side border and mid-map where the rippling occurs. The water staining is not easily visible, other than the rippling, however it is easily viewed on the light colored paper on the back of the map. There are no tears or rips and the frame is in good condition.
The following vast amount of information regarding the female creators/illustrators and general information regarding the map was retrieved from “Geographicus Rare Antique Maps” website.
Women Pictorial Cartographers
Issued in 1930, this map appeared in the early days of the American pictorial map Golden Age. It was during this period, between 1920 and 1940, that women mapmakers began to rise to prominence. Among them Helen F. McMillin, Elizabeth L. McMillin, Alva Bennett Scott, and Ruth Taylor White, stand out as pioneers.
Publication History and Census
This map was designed and drawn by Elizabeth Shurtleff in 1930. The border is the work of Elizabeth L. McMillin. It was published jointly by Helen F. McMillin and Elizabeth Shurtleff and is one of the publications associated with their Boston, MA based firm, Graphic History Association Publishers of Historical Maps. The printing was completed by Tudor Press of Boston.
CARTOGRAPHERS
Elizabeth Shurtleff (September 3, 1890 - December 7, 1968), or Elizabeth Cate, was an American painter and artist active in the middle part of the 20th century. She was born in Concord, New Hampshire and attended the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts. Shurtleff is known for a small but significant corpus of pictorial maps issued alone and in collaboration with others between 1926 and 1930. She frequently collaborated with Wellesley graduates and pictorial mapmakers Helen F. McMillin, Elizabeth L. McMillin, and Alva Bennett Scott. These women were at the forefront of a new generation of female mapmakers emerging in the mid-20th century. Together with Helen F. McMillin, Shurtleff headed the Boston based Graphic History Association Publishers of Historical Maps. Elizabeth was married to Carroll L. Cate of Montreal. She died in Montreal in 1968.
Helen Frances McMillin (June 9, 1896 - June 6, 1987) was and American publisher, writer, editor, and illustrator active in the middle part of the 20th century. McMillin was born to a prominent family of North Adams, Massachusetts and attended Wellesley College, where she was editor of the Wellesley Legenda and Wellesley College News. =After graduating in 1917, she moved to Boston, where she worked as publisher of the Granite Monthly. She remained in until at least 1926, but in 1930 she was living in New York City where she worked at the Museum of Modern Art. She is the aunt of another important female pictorial map mapmaker and artist, Elisabeth L. McMillin (1909 - 19??). Together with Helen F. McMillin, Shurtleff headed the Boston based Graphic History Association Publishers of Historical Maps, which published several important pictorial maps between 1926 and 1936. Helen died in Hamilton, Ohio.
Elizabeth L. McMillin (1909 - 19??) was and American publisher and illustrator active in the middle part of the 20th century. McMillan was born to a prominent family of North Adams, Massachusetts and attended Wellesley College. She frequently collaborated with Elizabeth Shurtleff, her aunt Helen F. McMillin, and fellow Wellesley Alum, Alva Bennett Scott. These women were at the forefront of a new generation of female mapmakers emerging in the mid-20th century.
Tudor Press (fl. 1910 - 1967) was a Boston based lithograph, offset, and letterpress printer active in Boston throughout the 20th century. They were founded by Ralph Harland Wilbur (1875 - 19??). Wilber learnt the printing trade at the Melrose Journal, a job and book printing business. He struck out on his own, founding Tudor Press in 1910, with offices on Causeway Street, Boston. Ralphs children, Harland, Alvra, and Wesley joined the firm in the 1920s. The press acquired its first four-color offset press in 1940 and was active in printing maps for the war effort. Harland took over the firm in 1941. After World War II, the firm was contracted to issue military currency for U.S. Occupation forces. In 1967, it was relocated to Lawrence, Massachusetts and renamed Graphic Litho. Harland's son Ralph E. Wilbur, took over the firm in 1968. While the name Tudor Press is no longer used, Graphic Litho remains in business.
REFERENCES
OCLC 20631819. Boston Public Library, Normon B. Leventhal Map Center 06_01_014646. Rumsey 7862.002.
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