Mary Nimmo Moran
Born in Strathaven, Scotland, Mary Moran was considered one of the most prominent 19th century landscape etchers in the United States. In 1847, Mary and her brother emigrated to the United States from Scotland and settled in Pennsylvania. Their neighbors were English immigrants named Moran and, at the age of eighteen, Mary began to study painting and drawing under the son, Thomas Moran. Two years later, Thomas and Mary married and moved to Philadelphia.
Mary came into her own as an artist in 1879 when Thomas introduced her to etching. She was elected to the Society of Painter- Etchers and became the only female member of the Fellows of London’s Royal Society of Painter-Etchers. On numerous occasions, Mary and Thomas exhibited etchings in the same shows.
In 1884 the Morans moved to Long Island, a location that became the subject of many of Mary’s most successful etchings. She made most of her etchings on location, engraving directly onto the copper plate. She completed roughly 70 landscape etchings, which included scenes of England, Scotland, Long Island, New Jersey, Florida and Pennsylvania.