Art

Panorama of the Army of the Cumberland

The National Museum of American History is not an art museum. But works of art fill its collections and testify to the vital place of art in everyday American life. The ceramics collections hold hundreds of examples of American and European art glass and pottery. Fashion sketches, illustrations, and prints are part of the costume collections. Donations from ethnic and cultural communities include many homemade religious ornaments, paintings, and figures. The Harry T Peters "America on Stone" collection alone comprises some 1,700 color prints of scenes from the 1800s. The National Quilt Collection is art on fabric. And the tools of artists and artisans are part of the Museum's collections, too, in the form of printing plates, woodblock tools, photographic equipment, and potters' stamps, kilns, and wheels.

Date: 1900s

Hunter Weathervane

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1875-1900
ID Number
CL.65.0922
catalog number
65.0922
accession number
256396

"Orange Peel;" coverlet; overshot; c. 1790-1825

This blue and white, overshot coverlet was woven in a simplified version of the “Orange Peel” pattern. The two-paneled coverlet measures ninety-four inches in length by seventy-two inches wide.
Description
This blue and white, overshot coverlet was woven in a simplified version of the “Orange Peel” pattern. The two-paneled coverlet measures ninety-four inches in length by seventy-two inches wide. The plain weave ground cloth is made up of natural or unbleached linen or cotton warp and weft yarn and the supplementary pattern weft is a 2-ply wool yarn. There is some staining and slight discoloration, but overall this coverlet is in fairly good condition. Because the donor collected this coverlet from and unknown sources, the date and maker of this blue and white, cotton and wool, overshot coverlet is unknown. The coverlet was probably made between 1790 and 1825 and could possibly be from New York. The weaver of this early coverlet would also likely have been a woman or group of women who would pool equipment and skill sets to produce domestic goods for themselves and their neighbors. Since this coverlet dates from the early 19th century, it is quite likely that some or even all of the yarns used were homespun. Professional weavers switched to machine-spun cotton as soon as it was available, but hand-spun wool continued in use in coverlets in the early 19th century.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1800-1850
1800-1900
1790-1825
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T6887
catalog number
T06887.000
accession number
011503

Building Operations at Is-sur-Tille

Charcoal and watercolor sketch on paper. Buildings under construction at Is-sur-Tille, France during World War I.Currently not on view
Description
Charcoal and watercolor sketch on paper. Buildings under construction at Is-sur-Tille, France during World War I.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-06
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.25960
catalog number
25960
accession number
64592

Scrimshaw Sperm Whale Tooth, mid 19th Century

The carving and artistry on this sperm whale tooth indicate the hand of a professional artist or engraver. In the center of the obverse is an American crest with stars and stripes.
Description
The carving and artistry on this sperm whale tooth indicate the hand of a professional artist or engraver. In the center of the obverse is an American crest with stars and stripes. From either side come American flags hung on spears, which change on both sides into three bayonets affixed to rifle barrels below. Under the bayonets are large cannon muzzles, below which are the rams used to clean and prepare the tubes for the next shot. At the top of the crest, a large sailing ship with all sails raised sails towards the viewer. Below is an intricate geometric border surmounted by a floral device in the center under the crest.
The complex shading, imaginative composition and absence of any image registration pinholes attest to the master craftsmanship of the piece; unfortunately, it is undecorated on the back side.
Scrimshaw began in the late 18th or early 19th century as the art of carving whale bone and ivory aboard whale ships. The crew on whalers had plenty of leisure time between sighting and chasing whales, and the hard parts of whales were readily available on voyages that could last up to four years.
In its simplest form, a tooth was removed from the lower jaw of a sperm whale and the surface was prepared by scraping and sanding until it was smooth. The easiest way to begin an etching was to smooth a print over the tooth, prick the outline of the image with a needle and then “connect-the-dots” once the paper was removed. This allowed even unskilled craftsmen to create fine carvings. Some sailors were skilled enough to etch their drawings freehand. After the lines were finished, they were filled in with lamp black or sometimes colored pigments.
Scrimshaw could be decorative, like simple sperm whale teeth, or they could be useful, as in ivory napkin rings, corset busks (stiffeners), swifts for winding yarn or pie crimpers. The sailor’s hand-carved scrimshaw was then given to loved ones back on shore as souvenirs of the hard and lonely life aboard long and dangerous voyages.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
mid 19th century
ID Number
DL.374485
catalog number
374485
accession number
136263

bowl, footed

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c. 1906
maker
Northwood Glass Company
ID Number
CE.73.107
catalog number
73.107
accession number
309646

A Regiment Stops for Mess

Pencil, charcoal, and watercolor sketch on paper. In this scene from the First World War, a regiment of soldiers stops for mess at Pagny-sur-Meuse, France. A large group of soldiers is assembled outdoors of what appears to be a complex of farm buildings.Currently not on view
Description
Pencil, charcoal, and watercolor sketch on paper. In this scene from the First World War, a regiment of soldiers stops for mess at Pagny-sur-Meuse, France. A large group of soldiers is assembled outdoors of what appears to be a complex of farm buildings.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-06
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.25915
catalog number
25915
accession number
64592

Saddler's Room in a Monastery

Pencil sketch on white paper, mounted on white thick paper. Three men stand in a room in a monastery. One of the men is making a horse saddle. Sheets of leather on workbenches are seen in the foreground, and there are tools and chains hanging on the wall to the right.
Description
Pencil sketch on white paper, mounted on white thick paper. Three men stand in a room in a monastery. One of the men is making a horse saddle. Sheets of leather on workbenches are seen in the foreground, and there are tools and chains hanging on the wall to the right. The room is dark and in the shadows, except for the area under an open window where the men are standing.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-05
associated date
1917 - 1918
associated person
War Department
Smith, J. Andre
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.26048
catalog number
26048
accession number
64592

A Battlefield on the Marne

Mixed media on paper. This landscape depicts a battlefield that was part of the Second Battle of the Marne during World War I. This conflict was a turning point in the war.
Description
Mixed media on paper. This landscape depicts a battlefield that was part of the Second Battle of the Marne during World War I. This conflict was a turning point in the war. On July 15-16, 1918, the 38th Regiment of the Third Infantry Division of the United States Army participated in a battle here. Two crosses marking graves in the left foreground.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-07
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.25946
catalog number
25946
accession number
64592

Fish Weathervane

Depicting a cod. Fins, gills and tail are made from a corrugated metal. There are two fins on bottom, three fins on top with serrated edges, and two side fins. Eyes, mouth, and gills are scored into metal.
Description (Brief)
Depicting a cod. Fins, gills and tail are made from a corrugated metal. There are two fins on bottom, three fins on top with serrated edges, and two side fins. Eyes, mouth, and gills are scored into metal. There is a support rod through the bottom of the fish.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1850-1900
ID Number
CL.65.0902
catalog number
65.902
accession number
256396
collector/donor number
S-80

Whitall Tatum Paperweight

In the 1700s, paperweights made from textured stone or bronze were part of the writer’s tool kit, which also included a quill pen and stand, inkpot, and blotter.
Description (Brief)
In the 1700s, paperweights made from textured stone or bronze were part of the writer’s tool kit, which also included a quill pen and stand, inkpot, and blotter. By the mid-1800s, decorative paperweights produced by glassmakers in Europe and the United States became highly desired collectibles.
Decorative glass paperweights reflected the 19th-century taste for intricate, over-the-top designs. Until the spread of textiles colorized with synthetic dyes, ceramics and glass were among the few objects that added brilliant color to a 19th-century Victorian interior. The popularity of these paperweights in the 1800s testifies to the sustained cultural interest in hand craftsmanship during an age of rapid industrialization.
Whitall, Tatum & Company of Millville, New Jersey was formed in 1901 and employed first-rate craftsmen who created outstanding paperweights.
This Whitall, Tatum and Company pedestal paperweight features an opaque, rich yellow twelve-petal flower, freely suspended in a clear glass ball. The pointed center flower petals suggest that it is the work of glassmaker Emil Stanger.
date made
early 1900s
maker
Whitall, Tatum and Company
ID Number
CE.60.97
catalog number
60.97
accession number
211475

Reherry

Mixed media sketch on paper. The sixteenth-century Church of Saint-Medard rises above the small French village of Grandpré. Grandpré's structures were damaged during World War I, like much of rural Fance along the Western Front.
Description
Mixed media sketch on paper. The sixteenth-century Church of Saint-Medard rises above the small French village of Grandpré. Grandpré's structures were damaged during World War I, like much of rural Fance along the Western Front. Small, partially-destructed houses and figures crowd the foreground at the intersection of what is today Rue du Clos and Rue du Moulin.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-04
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.26035
catalog number
26035
accession number
64592

One of a Pair of Scrimshaw Sperm Whale’s Teeth, late 19th Century

This is one of a pair of decorative whales teeth (374507 and 374508). Both are the same size, have similar subjects by the same hand and identical mahogany bases for vertical display.
Description
This is one of a pair of decorative whales teeth (374507 and 374508). Both are the same size, have similar subjects by the same hand and identical mahogany bases for vertical display. Originally, they would have decorated a family parlor, or a gentleman’s bureau or dressing room. This tooth shows an armored and cloked man standing before a large wooden throne. On his head is a winged helmet reminiscent of both the god Mercury or a Viking chieftain.
Scrimshaw began in the late 18th or early 19th century as the art of carving whale bone and ivory aboard whale ships. The crew on whalers had plenty of leisure time between sighting and chasing whales, and the hard parts of whales were readily available on voyages that could last up to four years.
In its simplest form, a tooth was removed from the lower jaw of a sperm whale and the surface was prepared by scraping and sanding until it was smooth. The easiest way to begin an etching was to smooth a print over the tooth, prick the outline of the image with a needle and then “connect-the-dots” once the paper was removed. This allowed even unskilled craftsmen to create fine carvings. Some sailors were skilled enough to etch their drawings freehand. After the lines were finished, they were filled in with lamp black or sometimes colored pigments.
Scrimshaw could be decorative, like simple sperm whale teeth, or they could be useful, as in ivory napkin rings, corset busks (stiffeners), swifts for winding yarn or pie crimpers. The sailor’s hand-carved scrimshaw was then given to loved ones back on shore as souvenirs of the hard and lonely life aboard long and dangerous voyages.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
ID Number
DL.374508
catalog number
374508
accession number
136263

The Bridge at Dormans

Ink and pencil sketch on white paper, mounted on thick paper. This sketch shows a destroyed suspension bridge. There are buildings to the left, and water and hills to the right. There are men under and on top of the bridge.Currently not on view
Description
Ink and pencil sketch on white paper, mounted on thick paper. This sketch shows a destroyed suspension bridge. There are buildings to the left, and water and hills to the right. There are men under and on top of the bridge.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-07
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.26077
catalog number
26077
accession number
64592

Tiffany vase

Translucent glass vase with motif of irregular swags. Favrile Glass. The body is of common amber bottle glass. Form: The body is of the double gourd shape, it has a large opening and no neck. Decorated with stripped leaf designs in blue, gray and red with an iridescent surface.
Description (Brief)
Translucent glass vase with motif of irregular swags. Favrile Glass. The body is of common amber bottle glass. Form: The body is of the double gourd shape, it has a large opening and no neck. Decorated with stripped leaf designs in blue, gray and red with an iridescent surface. Purchased from Charles Tiffany, $25.00.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1893 - 96
maker
Tiffany Glass & Decorating Company, or Tiffany Studios
ID Number
CE.96422
catalog number
96422
accession number
30453
maker number
x 1212 (etched ?)

Girl Reading

A drawing in pencil on mauve paper, signed “C. Schuessele” in purplish ink with what might be a stampCurrently not on view
Description (Brief)
A drawing in pencil on mauve paper, signed “C. Schuessele” in purplish ink with what might be a stamp
Location
Currently not on view
date made
19th century
original artist
Schussele, Christian
ID Number
GA.16632
catalog number
16632
accession number
119780

The Village of Vaux

Colored sketch on white paper, mounted on thick paper. Sketch shows the village of Vaux, which has sustained significant damage. Some houses have holes in the roof, while others have crumbling walls.
Description
Colored sketch on white paper, mounted on thick paper. Sketch shows the village of Vaux, which has sustained significant damage. Some houses have holes in the roof, while others have crumbling walls. There are rolling hills in the background with fields and trees.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-08
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.26072
catalog number
26072
accession number
64592

Scrimshaw Walrus Tusk, 19th Century

This long, highly polished walrus tusk is scrimshawed on one side; the other remains rough and unpolished. At the bottom is a heraldic shield and weapons image with a British flag and a sash with a crown.
Description
This long, highly polished walrus tusk is scrimshawed on one side; the other remains rough and unpolished. At the bottom is a heraldic shield and weapons image with a British flag and a sash with a crown. Above is a mid-19th century bust portrait of a young woman with elaborately coiffed hair, a brooch on a ribbon around her neck and a low-cut fur bodice—possibly an opera singer or stage actress. Above, a circular motif frames an anchor topped with eight stars. The highest image is only a little more than halfway up the long tusk, and it is an unfinished scene of two doves both reaching for the same ribbon. The rest of the tusk is polished but undecorated to the top, which is pierced by a hole for hanging the piece. On the back in small letters is the word “HAZEN”, which might be the name of the scrimshander who carved this tusk.
Scrimshaw began in the late 18th or early 19th century as the art of carving whale bone and ivory aboard whale ships. The crew on whalers had plenty of leisure time between sighting and chasing whales, and the hard parts of whales were readily available on voyages that could last up to four years.
In its simplest form, a tooth was removed from the lower jaw of a sperm whale and the surface was prepared by scraping and sanding until it was smooth. The easiest way to begin an etching was to smooth a print over the tooth, prick the outline of the image with a needle and then “connect-the-dots” once the paper was removed. This allowed even unskilled craftsmen to create fine carvings. Some sailors were skilled enough to etch their drawings freehand. After the lines were finished, they were filled in with lamp black or sometimes colored pigments.
Scrimshaw could be decorative, like simple sperm whale teeth, or they could be useful, as in ivory napkin rings, corset busks (stiffeners), swifts for winding yarn or pie crimpers. The sailor’s hand-carved scrimshaw was then given to loved ones back on shore as souvenirs of the hard and lonely life aboard long and dangerous voyages.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
19th century
ID Number
DL.154079
catalog number
154079

Horse Weathervane

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1850-1900
ID Number
CL.65.0925
catalog number
65.0925
accession number
256396

Minton parian porcelain pâte-sur-pâte vase (one of a pair)

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
c. 1870-1904
date made
c. 1898
ID Number
CE.P-984
catalog number
P-984
accession number
225282

Scrimshaw Sperm Whale Tooth, mid 19th Century

This elegant tooth could serve as a primer or pictorial dictionary on the different types of sailing ship rigs.
Description
This elegant tooth could serve as a primer or pictorial dictionary on the different types of sailing ship rigs. Spread out over its surface are a fully rigged three-masted ship; a topsail brig; a hermaphrodite brig; a two-masted schooner; a cutter; a yawl; a barque; and a brigantine. About half of the fleet have American flags, and all have the vertical sail sections or gores carefully delineated. The larger ship types have gun ports along their sides; the smaller types have the strakes or hull planks etched along their sides. Around the top of the tooth, a little building inside a fenced area is engraved with three trees around it.
Scrimshaw began in the late 18th or early 19th century as the art of carving whale bone and ivory aboard whale ships. The crew on whalers had plenty of leisure time between sighting and chasing whales, and the hard parts of whales were readily available on voyages that could last up to four years.
In its simplest form, a tooth was removed from the lower jaw of a sperm whale and the surface was prepared by scraping and sanding until it was smooth. The easiest way to begin an etching was to smooth a print over the tooth, prick the outline of the image with a needle and then “connect-the-dots” once the paper was removed. This allowed even unskilled craftsmen to create fine carvings. Some sailors were skilled enough to etch their drawings freehand. After the lines were finished, they were filled in with lamp black or sometimes colored pigments.
Scrimshaw could be decorative, like simple sperm whale teeth, or they could be useful, as in ivory napkin rings, corset busks (stiffeners), swifts for winding yarn or pie crimpers. The sailor’s hand-carved scrimshaw was then given to loved ones back on shore as souvenirs of the hard and lonely life aboard long and dangerous voyages.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
mid 19th century
ID Number
DL.65.1128
catalog number
65.1128
accession number
256396

A General View of Base Hospital No. 16, at Bazoilles

Pencil and watercolor sketch on paper mounted on brown card. The subject of the drawing is Base Hospital No. 16, at Bazoilles-sur-Meuse, France, during World War I.
Description
Pencil and watercolor sketch on paper mounted on brown card. The subject of the drawing is Base Hospital No. 16, at Bazoilles-sur-Meuse, France, during World War I. The perspective is from a northeast position looking southwest toward two sets of hospital buildings on opposite sides of the river. The hospital complex on the right is composed of tents and barracks set up in orderly rows in front of a grove of trees. Several town buildings are in the center of the work including a tower which might be the steeple of a church.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-08
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.25927
catalog number
25927
accession number
64592

photograph

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca. 1900
ID Number
2012.0093.12
accession number
2012.0093
catalog number
2012.0093.12

A View from the Terrace at Boucq

Pencil and watercolor sketch on beige paper. The work depicts a view toward the east from a terrace in Boucq, France. The terrace is set high above a valley or flat plain with small towns depicted in the distance.
Description
Pencil and watercolor sketch on beige paper. The work depicts a view toward the east from a terrace in Boucq, France. The terrace is set high above a valley or flat plain with small towns depicted in the distance. There are three planes and an American observation balloon in the sky.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-06
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.25911
catalog number
25911
accession number
64592

Arms of the State of Maine

This plaque was made of cast bronze. It depicts the Arms of the State of Maine with two men flanking a tree and moose. This was made from an original carving by American folk artist John Haley Bellamy.Currently not on view
Description
This plaque was made of cast bronze. It depicts the Arms of the State of Maine with two men flanking a tree and moose. This was made from an original carving by American folk artist John Haley Bellamy.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
ID Number
CL.68.445
catalog number
68.445
accession number
260206
collector/donor number
B-30

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