Matthew Dripps

1812-1896

Irish/American (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Brooklyn, New York)

Matthew Dripps was an Irish-born American mapmaker active in Philadelphia and New York during the second half of the 19th century. Dripps immigrated to America from Belfast on the Patrick Henry in 1849, arriving in Philadelphia, where he connected with the Reformed Presbyterian Church and worked briefly as a tax collector. His earliest recorded maps, depicting Philadelphia, appeared during this period. Dripps relocated to Brooklyn, New York in 1850, setting up shop as a map publisher. His two largest maps were published in the following years, 1850 and 1851, and combine to form an enormous map of Manhattan. These gained him the attention of the City Council, who used his maps for census and government work. Afterwards, he issued other large format New York City and Brooklyn maps as well as smaller maps for the New York City Clerk's office.