Topography - topographer

A term meaning 'drawing the earth'. Topography is an accurate drawing or painting of a particular location with no artistic enhancement. Skillful Topographers were very important members of 19th-century American exploratory expeditions in a pre-photography era because they provided the data for map making and visual records for official reports on geography, flora and fauna. Many topographers also became noted painters such as Washington Allston, Ralph Blakelock, William Bradford, and Jasper Cropsey. Source: Kimberley Reynolds and Richard Seddons, "Illustrated Dictionary of Art Terms"; AskART database (LPD)