Only the second known pair of these 19th-century allegorical maps contrasting male and female habits of the heart and painting a pessimistic view of the possibility of meaningful love between the sexes. They have been ably described by Nancy Finlay, whom I quote at length:
“A Map of the Open Country of Woman’s Heart shows canals, rivers, roads, and a railroad connecting the Country of Eligibleness with the City and District of Love. Coquetry, Caprice, and Selfishness lead to the Land of Oblivion. Love of Dress and Love of Display lead to Old Man’s Darling Bay on the Sea of Wealth. And Good Sense, Discrimination, Patience, Hope, and Enthusiasm are the way to the Country of Solid Worth. A multitude of details provides additional commentary on the different options available to an eligible young woman—and the different choices she might choose to make.
“In contrast, the Fortified Country of Man’s Heart is portrayed as a citadel, bristling with defenses intended to ward off attack. The outer redoubt is the Dread of Matrimony; at the center is the Citadel of Self Love. Much of the country appears inhospitable to romance, with such regions as the Land of Love of Power, the Land of Love of Money, the Land of Love of Ease, and the Land of Love of Economy. The Land of Romance occupies only one small corner of Man’s Heart….
“…both prints are identified only as the compositions of “a Lady.” The identity of this clever and talented woman is unknown…. It is also possible that the artist was actually a man, who adopted this pseudonym because the prints appear to reflect a feminine sensibility and seem calculated to appeal to female purchasers.”
The pair is extraordinarily rare, and I am aware of a complete set only at the Connecticut Historical Society, while the American Antiquarian Society and the Smithsonian Institution Peters Collection both hold “Open Country of Woman’s Heart.”
Daniel Wright Kellogg (1807-1872) was the “pioneer” (Peters) of the famed Kellogg family of lithographers, which for a time rivaled the Curriers for depth and breadth of output.
References
OCLC 191117373 and Peters, America on Stone, p. 242 (“Woman’s Heart” only). Not in Finlay, Picturing Victorian America or Persuasive Maps: PJ Mode Collection. Background from Nancy Finlay, “The Open and Fortified Country of the Human Heart: A Victorian Lady’s View of Love” at chs.org. For more on Kellogg, see Peters, America on Stone, pp. 242-3.
CAT303