Survey of Sturgeon Creek, Maine

Art Historical Context

This pen-and-ink drawing, dated July 4, 1752, offers a rare glimpse into colonial America’s practical artistry. Created by an anonymous surveyor in what was then part of Massachusetts (now Maine), the work records the contours and features of Sturgeon Creek with precise linework. At a time when accurate land documentation was essential for settlement and ownership, such surveys combined functional measurement with careful draftsmanship, transforming raw observation into a lasting visual record. The medium—simple pen and ink on paper—highlights the utilitarian nature of eighteenth-century Amer...