John Foster
John Foster was an influential figure in early American history, born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, in 1648. He was the fourth child in his family and showed academic promise, attending Harvard University at the age of 19. After a brief teaching career, Foster ventured into woodcutting and established the first printing press in Boston by 1675. Despite his Puritan background, he was known for his artistic talents, engaging in fiddle playing and portrait painting, and he became well-recognized for his woodcutting skills. Notably, he created woodcuts for William Hubbard's 1677 publication, "The Present State of New England," which are regarded as some of the earliest illustrations produced in the United States. Foster also made contributions to astronomy through an almanac that featured his calculations. Tragically, he passed away from tuberculosis at the young age of thirty-two, leaving behind a legacy of artistic and scholarly achievements.
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Subject Terms
John Foster
Printer
- Born: December 10, 1648
- Birthplace: Dorchester, Massachusetts
- Died: September 9, 1681
Biography
John Foster was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, in 1648. He was the fourth child of Hopestill and Mary Bates Foster. He attended Harvard University in 1667 and began teaching in Dorchester in 1669. By 1671, Foster had begun his career as a woodcutter, and by 1675 he had set up the first printing press in Boston. Although Foster was portrayed as a Puritan, he played the fiddle and painted portraits of his contemporaries, Richard Mather and John Davenport. He developed a reputation among his associates as a man of many talents, including as a mathematician.
Foster is best known for his woodcutting and printed engraving of Richard Mather. In 1677, Foster made the woodcuttings for William Hubbard’s The Present State of New England, Being a Narrative of the Troubles with the Indians. Foster’s woodcuttings for this volume are the earliest examples of illustration in the United States. Foster did not sign the map, but it has long been accepted that the work was his. Although there is some confusion over which of Foster’s woodcuttings is the first illustration ever produced in America, it is certain that he produced the work. In addition to his woodcuttings, Foster wrote an almanac in which he published his own astronomical calculations. Foster died from tuberculosis at the age of thirty-two.