The two women met a decade ago as neighbors in Chappaqua, New York, a northern suburb of Manhattan. "We both had children in school, and we worked on art projects together," Brown says. Both especially enjoyed scientific art --simultaneously, they mention charts and diagrams -- and both loved drawing. But neither had a formal art education, though Brown's grandfather had a studio in Connecticut where, at age three, Brown learned how to mix oil paints. Even at that tender age Brown knew she possessed some artistic talent. As she grew up, though, she realized she had no desire to work as a commercial or a fine-arts artist.
Brooklyn-born Ruff knew she wanted to take art classes when she went to college at Boston University, but was stymied in her attempt. "At that time, during the 1960s, if you were a declared sociology major you couldn't take art classes," Ruff recalls. That made as much sense as the university's former rule that women couldn't wear slacks to class. "Wear a skirt and stick to your major, I guess," Brown says with a laugh. In spite of the obstacles, Ruff served as director of the Children's Art Workshop in Mamaroneck, New York, during the 1970s and 1980s.
About ten years ago the women started a more formal relationship, working together to paint murals and cheap old furniture, which looked much better after they had finished with it. "We had a great time doing antiques, but our supply dried up," recalls Ruff. From time to time they painted maps on folding screens, so it occurred to them to do more cartography-related projects, though they weren't exactly sure what. "We looked at book after book of not only maps, but all kinds of scientific drawings. Sometimes we didn't know why we were doing it, we just liked certain kinds of images -- all scientific and most of them old -- and trusted that something would coalesce," Brown recalls.
When they decided to specialize in maps they read cartographic histories and visited a multitude of map exhibits. "There was a lot to master, and we had to teach ourselves," says Brown. After making a few maps for themselves as test examples, they began in earnest. That was about three years ago. "There was no turning back," says Ruff. "Plus, it was a hell of a lot easier than schlepping pieces of furniture all over New York."
