ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Peak to Peak is a multifaceted art book created by Robert Walp to showcase Verplanck Colvin’s contributions to the region. Colvin (1847-1920) was a self-taught surveyor, illustrator, and journalist who influenced many in the Adirondacks. He was most known for his surveying and advocating for the creation of the Adirondack Park.

Walp places Colvin in a setting where his imagination would inspire many others. Unlike other art books, Peak to Peak is a tribute to Colvin. It is not simply a book filled with his drawings, but an artwork revealing the impact he had on Robert Walp. Within the case that holds the book, there is a map tucked into the book which outlines the Adirondacks through surveying and the placement of Colvin’s copper survey bolts. Photographs show individuals such as Mills Blake who cared for Colvin when he received a head injury. A timeline outlines the major points of surveying in the Adirondacks. The last component inside the case includes part of the so-called Forever Wild Amendment (Article 14, Section 1 of the New York State Constitution) because Colvin worked heavily to preserve the park and served as state surveyor for a while.

The book was created at Chester Creek Press, a publishing company based in Albany, New York, where Colvin grew up. The company specializes in handmade paper and unique bindings. The book and the case are covered in cloth, and the paper inside is handmade. Although the book contains Colvin’s work, Robert Walp celebrates the work that Colvin did in the Adirondacks and how his work inspired others to think of surveying in a new way.
– Abby Curtin ’26

 

Robert Walp
Peak to Peak: Verplanck Colvin and the First Years of the Adirondack Survey, Chester Creek Press, 2010, ed. 12/40
Cloth-bound art book and case with hand-made paper
Special Collections
Owen D. Young Library

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