Art

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.

Color print depicting a city (Buffalo) on the banks of a river. Most of the buildings of the city are on the far bank while the near bank, in the foreground, is largely rural.
Description (Brief)
Color print depicting a city (Buffalo) on the banks of a river. Most of the buildings of the city are on the far bank while the near bank, in the foreground, is largely rural. Many steamboats and sailing vessels are on the river, some docked at the warehouses which line the river. A key beneath the image identifies churches and commerical buildings in the distance.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1847
artist
Whitefield, Edwin
printer
Michelin, Francis
ID Number
DL.60.3746
catalog number
60.3746
This colored print is an exterior scene depicting a man dressed in ragged clothes seated in a farmyard with four pigs that are eating.
Description
This colored print is an exterior scene depicting a man dressed in ragged clothes seated in a farmyard with four pigs that are eating. As the subtitle explains, “He would have filled his belly with the Husks that the swine did not eat.”
The parable of the Prodigal Son or the Lost Son is among the best-known Christian morality tales and is found in Luke 15:11-32. The youngest of the two sons demands his share of his father’s estate which the father gives him. Shortly after, he runs off and squanders the wealth “in wild living.” Finding himself destitute, he returns to his father, repents his ways, and begs to be allowed to serve as a hired servant. The father rejoices at the return of his son “who was lost and is found.” Meanwhile, the obedient, older son is angry and refuses to join the celebration. His father pleads with him to forgive and to understand his joy.
This print was produced by E.B. Kellogg and E.C. Kellogg and Kelloggs & Thayer after an engraving by Amos Doolittle. Edmund Burke Kellogg (1809-1872) and Elijah Chapman Kellogg (1811-1881) were brothers of the founder of the Kellogg lithography firm, Daniel Wright Kellogg (1807-1874). After D.W. Kellogg moved west, his two brothers took over the family lithography firm in 1840 and changed the name to E.B. & E.C. Kellogg. The younger two of the four Kellogg brothers, they were responsible for the continued success of the family firm. These two brothers were also involved in the eventual partnerships between the company and Horace Thayer in 1845 or 1846, John Chenevard Comstock (1818-1862) in 1848 and William Henry Bulkeley (1840-1902) in 1867. The print was produced by the lithography firm of Kelloggs & Thayer. Kelloggs and Thayer was the first partnership formed by Elijah Chapman Kellogg (1811-1881) and Edmund Burke Kellogg (1809-1872) after they took over the family firm from their brother Daniel Wright Kellogg (1807-1874). Horace Thayer (1811-c. 1874) was a map dealer and in 1845 or 1846 the men opened a shop in New York. The partnership appears to have dissolved in 1847. In 1848, the Kellogg brothers formed a new partnership with John Chenevard Comstock (1818-1862).
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1847
distributor
Needham, D.
maker
E.B. and E.C. Kellogg
Kelloggs & Thayer
original artist
Doolittle, Amos
maker
Kellogg, E. B. and E. C.
ID Number
DL.60.2946
catalog number
60.2946
accession number
228146
Color print, two horizontal panels depicting twenty figures: fourteen men, two women, and four children in fashions from 1848. The upper panel depicts an indoor scene; the bottom panel depicts an outdoor scene with large buildings in the background.
Description (Brief)
Color print, two horizontal panels depicting twenty figures: fourteen men, two women, and four children in fashions from 1848. The upper panel depicts an indoor scene; the bottom panel depicts an outdoor scene with large buildings in the background. Numbers below the figures are keyed to a separately printed descriptive text.
Location
Currently not on view (1998-01-01)
Date made
1848
maker
Sinclair, Thomas
French, John T.
ID Number
DL.60.3073
catalog number
60.3073
accession number
228146
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater w
Description
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater world. Romantic scenes picture devoted husbands with their contented, dutiful wives. In these prints, young women educated in reading, music, needlework, the arts, the language of flowers, basic math and science are subjugated to their family’s needs.
These prints became popular as lithography was introduced to 19th Century Americans. As a new art form, it was affordable for the masses and provided a means to share visual information by crossing the barriers of race, class and language. Sentimental prints encouraged the artistic endeavors of schoolgirls and promoted the ambitions of amateur artists, while serving as both moral instruction and home or business decoration. They are a pictorial record of our romanticized past.
This colored print is a three-quarter length portrait of a man standing behind a seated woman. Each are holding the other's portrait miniatures. The man is in full dress, black tie and tails, while the woman is in a simple white dress with blue sash and gold jewelry. A patterned drapery and window blind with tasseled pull are in the background.
This print was produced by James S Baillie, was active in New York from 1838 to 1855. James Baillie started as a framer in 1838, and then became an artist and lithographer in 1843 or 1844. He discovered how to color lithographs while working as an independent contractor for Currier & Ives in the mid 1840’s. A prolific lithographer and colorist for Currier & Ives; his prints were extremely popular with a wide distribution. J. Baillie spent his later years concentrating on painting instead of lithography.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1848
maker
Baillie, James S.
ID Number
DL.60.2251
catalog number
60.2251
accession number
228146
Black & white print, two horizontal panels depicting seventeen figures: twelve men, three women, and two children in fashions from 1847. The upper panel depicts an interior scene; the bottom panel depicts an outdoor scene with a man and woman on horseback in the center.
Description (Brief)
Black & white print, two horizontal panels depicting seventeen figures: twelve men, three women, and two children in fashions from 1847. The upper panel depicts an interior scene; the bottom panel depicts an outdoor scene with a man and woman on horseback in the center. Numbers below the figures are keyed to a separately printed descriptive text.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1847
maker
Sinclair, Thomas
French, John T.
ID Number
DL.60.3069
catalog number
60.3069
accession number
228146
Black and white print of a young girl in Scottish dress dancing. The image is in an ornate oval border.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Black and white print of a young girl in Scottish dress dancing. The image is in an ornate oval border.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1846
maker
Sarony & Major
ID Number
DL.60.2661
catalog number
60.2661
accession number
228146
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater w
Description
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater world. Romantic scenes picture devoted husbands with their contented, dutiful wives. In these prints, young women educated in reading, music, needlework, the arts, the language of flowers, basic math and science are subjugated to their family’s needs.
These prints became popular as lithography was introduced to 19th Century Americans. As a new art form, it was affordable for the masses and provided a means to share visual information by crossing the barriers of race, class and language. Sentimental prints encouraged the artistic endeavors of schoolgirls and promoted the ambitions of amateur artists, while serving as both moral instruction and home or business decoration. They are a pictorial record of our romanticized past.
This three-quarter length hand colored print is of a young dark haired mother seated with a child on her lap. The mother and child are sitting on a large green chair. The mother is wearing a simple red dress adorned by a rose on her bodice, five bead bracelets on her right wrist and a ring on her right pinky. She has gold jewels in her dress sleeve and in her hair. The little girl has much lighter hair and is wearing a simple blue dress with a sash. The child is resting her hand on a table which is partially seen in the lower right corner of the print.
This print was produced by the lithographic firm of D.W. Kellogg & Co. Daniel Wright Kellogg (1807-1874) founded the company in 1830 Hartford, Connecticut. Before the opening of its first retail store in 1834, D.W. Kellogg & Co. lithography firm was well established and popular in United States, particularly in the South and the Southwest. As the founding member of the family company, Daniel Wright Kellogg established the initial growth and popularity of the firm. After he left the company it continued to flourish for decades under his younger brothers and other family members.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1840
maker
D.W. Kellogg and Company
ID Number
DL.60.2311
catalog number
60.2311
accession number
228146
This black and white etching is the third of eight scenes drawn by George Cruikshank depicting the progressive degeneration of a family due to the evils of drinking.
Description
This black and white etching is the third of eight scenes drawn by George Cruikshank depicting the progressive degeneration of a family due to the evils of drinking. This print is an interior scene of a family whose furnishings are being removed by a sheriff and two men for failure to pay debts. The father and mother are seated near the fireplace, while the three children linger nearby. The mother holds the bottle and looks sadly at her possessions being taken, including the clock, the empty chest, the table with the tea chest and Bible, and the painting of the church. This series is a folio edition. On the reverse of Plate I. is the title page of the series and an inscription from the artist, including the cost of one shilling or six shillings for prints block tinted for shading on finer paper. The series is contained in a portfolio.
This series of prints is by the English artist George Cruikshank (1792-1878). Cruikshank’s father, Isaac Cruikshank, was an artist who specialized in song sheets and caricatures and trained George and his brother Robert Cruikshank in these arts. George started as a caricaturist for magazines and children’s books. His most famous works included The Bottle and The Drunkard’s Children, designed and etched by Cruikshank to show the wickedness of alcohol. Cruikshank's father and brother were both alcoholics and he himself drank heavily until he took a vow of abstinence in 1847. These prints were published by David Bogue, who published most of Cruikshank’s works in the 1850s. David Bogue (1807–1856) was born in Scotland and moved to London in 1836. Bogue began working in Charles Tilt's bookshop as a publisher and bookseller in 1836 and became Tilt's partner in 1840. Bogue bought the shop in 1843. He was the principle publisher of Cruikshank’s short-lived periodicals, brief illustrated stories, and the Comic Almanack 1835-53. David Bogue published The Bottle series in 1847. Bogue suffered from heart disease and died in 1856 at the age of 48.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1847
maker
Cruikshank, George
publisher
Bogue, David
ID Number
DL.60.2912
catalog number
60.2912
accession number
228146
Black and white print. Oval bust portrait with an ornate rectangular frame of a man (President Thomas Jefferson).Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Black and white print. Oval bust portrait with an ornate rectangular frame of a man (President Thomas Jefferson).
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1846
depicted
Jefferson, Thomas
publisher
Williams, C. S.
maker
Newsam, Albert
Duval, Peter S.
ID Number
DL.60.3228C
catalog number
60.3228C
Colored print; battle scene of ground troops and cavalry in early 19th century European uniform. Ground is covered with snow. Soldiers are engaged in hand to hand combat with swords.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Colored print; battle scene of ground troops and cavalry in early 19th century European uniform. Ground is covered with snow. Soldiers are engaged in hand to hand combat with swords.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1833-1843
maker
D.W. Kellogg and Company
ID Number
DL.60.2557
catalog number
60.2557
accession number
228146
Black and white print of Boston Common filled with men, women and children around a pool of water with a fountain in the center.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Black and white print of Boston Common filled with men, women and children around a pool of water with a fountain in the center.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1849
maker
Tappan & Bradford
artist
Rowse, Samuel W.
original artist
Smith, Jr., B. F.
ID Number
DL.60.3750
catalog number
60.3750
Black and white print, half length portrait of a man (Henry Clay) seated holding a book. There are columns in the background. Below the image is an extract his valadictory address.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Black and white print, half length portrait of a man (Henry Clay) seated holding a book. There are columns in the background. Below the image is an extract his valadictory address.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1842
depicted
Clay, Henry
maker
Sarony, Napoleon
Robinson, Henry R.
ID Number
DL.60.3224
catalog number
60.3224
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater w
Description
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater world. Romantic scenes picture devoted husbands with their contented, dutiful wives. In these prints, young women educated in reading, music, needlework, the arts, the language of flowers, basic math and science are subjugated to their family’s needs.
These prints became popular as lithography was introduced to 19th Century Americans. As a new art form, it was affordable for the masses and provided a means to share visual information by crossing the barriers of race, class and language. Sentimental prints encouraged the artistic endeavors of schoolgirls and promoted the ambitions of amateur artists, while serving as both moral instruction and home or business decoration. They are a pictorial record of our romanticized past.
This half length hand colored portrait print depicts a young woman with dark hair. She wears a lace veil accented with a ribbon and flowers in her curled hair, red dress with lace trim, a blue bow on her left arm and a long white glove on her right hand. The bottom portion of a column is visible in right background.
This print was produced by the lithographic firm of D.W. Kellogg & Co. Daniel Wright Kellogg (1807-1874) founded the company in 1830 Hartford, Connecticut. Before the opening of its first retail store in 1834, D.W. Kellogg & Co. lithography firm was well established and popular in United States, particularly in the South and the Southwest. As the founding member of the family company, Daniel Wright Kellogg established the initial growth and popularity of the firm. After he left the company it continued to flourish for decades under his younger brothers and other family members.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1840
maker
D.W. Kellogg and Company
ID Number
DL.60.2506
catalog number
60.2506
accession number
228146
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater w
Description
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater world. Romantic scenes picture devoted husbands with their contented, dutiful wives. In these prints, young women educated in reading, music, needlework, the arts, the language of flowers, basic math and science are subjugated to their family’s needs.
These prints became popular as lithography was introduced to 19th Century Americans. As a new art form, it was affordable for the masses and provided a means to share visual information by crossing the barriers of race, class and language. Sentimental prints encouraged the artistic endeavors of schoolgirls and promoted the ambitions of amateur artists, while serving as both moral instruction and home or business decoration. They are a pictorial record of our romanticized past.
This colored print is an interior scene of a mother and child looking at the mother's portrait. The portrait is in an ornate, gold frame. Red drapery and a floral wallpaper are in the background. Both mother and daughter are wearing elegant dresses with ribbons, bows and lace ruffles.
This print was produced by James S Baillie, was active in New York from 1838 to 1855. James Baillie started as a framer in 1838, and then became an artist and lithographer in 1843 or 1844. He discovered how to color lithographs while working as an independent contractor for Currier & Ives in the mid 1840’s. A prolific lithographer and colorist for Currier & Ives; his prints were extremely popular with a wide distribution. J. Baillie spent his later years concentrating on painting instead of lithography.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1845
distributors
Sowle & Shaw
maker
Baillie, James S.
ID Number
DL.60.2240
catalog number
60.2240
accession number
228146
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater w
Description (Brief)
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater world. Romantic scenes picture devoted husbands with their contented, dutiful wives. In these prints, young women educated in reading, music, needlework, the arts, the language of flowers, basic math and science are subjugated to their family’s needs.
These prints became popular as lithography was introduced to 19th Century Americans. As a new art form, it was affordable for the masses and provided a means to share visual information by crossing the barriers of race, class, and language. Sentimental prints encouraged the artistic endeavors of schoolgirls and promoted the ambitions of amateur artists, while serving as both moral instruction and home or business decoration. They are a pictorial record of our romanticized past.
This is a black and white print of a young woman seated on a bench with a young boy beside her and a toddler at her feet. She has a basket of flowers on her lap and another beside her. The title of the print indicates the interest in botany and the natural world.
The print was produced by the lithographic firm of D. W. Kellogg & Co. of Hartford, Connecticut. Daniel Wright Kellogg, established this family business that would flourish for decades under his younger brothers and other family members.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1830-1840
maker
D. W. Kellogg and Company
ID Number
DL.60.2222
catalog number
60.2222
accession number
228146
Color print, full length portrait of George Washington seated in an elaborate chair holding a quill pen. His arm rests beside a document on a table. Mount Vervon can be seen out a window in the right background.
Description (Brief)
Color print, full length portrait of George Washington seated in an elaborate chair holding a quill pen. His arm rests beside a document on a table. Mount Vervon can be seen out a window in the right background. A red heavy fringed drapery is behind him on the left and the chair rests on a patterned carpet.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1846
depicted
Washington, George
maker
Sarony & Major
ID Number
DL.60.3179
catalog number
60.3179
Early photogravure print etched from a daguerreotype, one of a few known examples after the attempts of Niepce. An important work in the history of photomechanical processes.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Early photogravure print etched from a daguerreotype, one of a few known examples after the attempts of Niepce. An important work in the history of photomechanical processes.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1841
artist
Fizeau, Hippolyte Louis
ID Number
GA.21058
catalog number
21058
accession number
238258
This colored print depicts the Prodigal Son on one knee pleading for his father’s forgiveness. There are two unidentified women looking on.
Description
This colored print depicts the Prodigal Son on one knee pleading for his father’s forgiveness. There are two unidentified women looking on. They are in the lavish garden of the family estate, with the great country house pictured in the background.
The parable of the Prodigal Son or the Lost Son is among the best-known Christian morality tales and is found in Luke 15:11-32. The youngest of the two sons demands his share of his father’s estate which the father gives him. Shortly after, he runs off and squanders the wealth “in wild living.” Finding himself destitute, he returns to his father, repents his ways, and begs to be allowed to serve as a hired servant. The father rejoices at the return of his son “who was lost and is found.” Meanwhile, the obedient, older son is angry and refuses to join the celebration. His father pleads with him to forgive and to understand his joy.
This print was produced by E.B. Kellogg and E.C. Kellogg and Kelloggs & Thayer after an engraving by Amos Doolittle. Edmund Burke Kellogg (1809-1872) and Elijah Chapman Kellogg (1811-1881) were brothers of the founder of the Kellogg lithography firm, Daniel Wright Kellogg (1807-1874). After D.W. Kellogg moved west, his two brothers took over the family lithography firm in 1840 and changed the name to E.B. & E.C. Kellogg. The younger two of the four Kellogg brothers, they were responsible for the continued success of the family firm. These two brothers were also involved in the eventual partnerships between the company and Horace Thayer in 1845 or 1846, John Chenevard Comstock (1818-1862) in 1848 and William Henry Bulkeley (1840-1902) in 1867. The print was produced by the lithography firm of Kelloggs & Thayer. Kelloggs and Thayer was the first partnership formed by Elijah Chapman Kellogg (1811-1881) and Edmund Burke Kellogg (1809-1872) after they took over the family firm from their brother Daniel Wright Kellogg (1807-1874). Horace Thayer (1811-c. 1874) was a map dealer and in 1845 or 1846 the men opened a shop in New York. The partnership appears to have dissolved in 1847. In 1848, the Kellogg brothers formed a new partnership with John Chenevard Comstock (1818-1862).
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1847
distributor
Needham, D.
maker
E.B. and E.C. Kellogg
Kelloggs & Thayer
original artist
Doolittle, Amos
maker
Kellogg, E.B. and E.C.
ID Number
DL.60.2947
catalog number
60.2947
accession number
228146
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater w
Description
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater world. Romantic scenes picture devoted husbands with their contented, dutiful wives. In these prints, young women educated in reading, music, needlework, the arts, the language of flowers, basic math and science are subjugated to their family’s needs.
These prints became popular as lithography was introduced to 19th Century Americans. As a new art form, it was affordable for the masses and provided a means to share visual information by crossing the barriers of race, class and language. Sentimental prints encouraged the artistic endeavors of schoolgirls and promoted the ambitions of amateur artists, while serving as both moral instruction and home or business decoration. They are a pictorial record of our romanticized past.
This hand colored print is of man and woman standing in an entry way about to kiss. The man and woman are at a doorway with green drapery. Beneath the couples feet there is a patterned tile floor. Behind the couple stands a podium with flowers in a flower pot on top. The man wears a military uniform complete with sash, belt, epaulets, fringe and brass. There is a tall feathered hat in his hand. The woman opposite him wears a simple full length dress with a tight bodice and lace collar with a rose in her dark hair. The head of another soldier is visible in the back left of the print.
This print was produced by the lithographic firm E.B. & E.C. Kellogg. Edmund Burke Kellogg and Elijah Chapman Kellogg were younger brothers of the founder of the Kellogg lithography firm, Daniel Wright Kellogg. After Daniel Wright Kellogg moved west, his two brothers took over the family lithography firm in 1840 and changed the name to E.B. & E.C. Kellogg. They were responsible for the continued success of the family firm and involved in the partnerships with Horace Thayer in 1845/1846, John Chenevard Comstock in 1848 and William Henry Bulkeley in 1867.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1847
distributor
Needham, D.
maker
E.B. and E.C. Kellogg
ID Number
DL.60.2331
catalog number
60.2331
accession number
228146
maker number
79
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater w
Description
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater world. Romantic scenes picture devoted husbands with their contented, dutiful wives. In these prints, young women educated in reading, music, needlework, the arts, the language of flowers, basic math and science are subjugated to their family’s needs.
These prints became popular as lithography was introduced to 19th Century Americans. As a new art form, it was affordable for the masses and provided a means to share visual information by crossing the barriers of race, class and language. Sentimental prints encouraged the artistic endeavors of schoolgirls and promoted the ambitions of amateur artists, while serving as both moral instruction and home or business decoration. They are a pictorial record of our romanticized past.
This three-quarter length colored portrait print is of a dark haired woman seated outdoors, clutching a letter to her breast. She is wearing a full-sleeved pink dress and earrings.
This print was produced by the lithographic firm of D.W. Kellogg & Co. Daniel Wright Kellogg (1807-1874) founded the company in 1830 Hartford, Connecticut. Before the opening of its first retail store in 1834, D.W. Kellogg & Co. lithography firm was well established and popular in United States, particularly in the South and the Southwest. As the founding member of the family company, Daniel Wright Kellogg established the initial growth and popularity of the firm. After he left the company it continued to flourish for decades under his younger brothers and other family members.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1840
maker
D.W. Kellogg and Company
ID Number
DL.60.2312
catalog number
60.2312
accession number
228146
This black and white etching is fifth of eight scenes drawn by George Cruikshank depicting the progressive degeneration of a family due to the evils of drinking.
Description
This black and white etching is fifth of eight scenes drawn by George Cruikshank depicting the progressive degeneration of a family due to the evils of drinking. This print is an interior scene of a family, now reduced to two children after the starvation death of the baby/toddler. Mother, father and son huddle near a meager fire, the mother holding a wine glass, the father holding a bottle. The daughter stands with her hand on the toddler's coffin. The mother and daughter are weeping but now the mother holds a glass. A fork is stuck in the wall and holds up a piece of fabric that is covering the window, and a candle is stuck in the wine bottle on the mantle. This series is a folio edition. On the reverse of Plate I. is the title page of the series and an inscription from the artist, including the cost of one shilling or six shillings for prints block tinted for shading on finer paper. The series is contained in a portfolio.
This series of prints is by the English artist George Cruikshank (1792-1878). Cruikshank’s father, Isaac Cruikshank, was an artist who specialized in song sheets and caricatures and trained George and his brother Robert Cruikshank in these arts. George started as a caricaturist for magazines and children’s books. His most famous works included The Bottle and The Drunkard’s Children, designed and etched by Cruikshank to show the wickedness of alcohol. Cruikshank's father and brother were both alcoholics and he himself drank heavily until he took a vow of abstinence in 1847. These prints were published by David Bogue, who published most of Cruikshank’s works in the 1850s. David Bogue (1807–1856) was born in Scotland and moved to London in 1836. Bogue began working in Charles Tilt's bookshop as a publisher and bookseller in 1836 and became Tilt's partner in 1840. Bogue bought the shop in 1843. He was the principle publisher of Cruikshank’s short-lived periodicals, brief illustrated stories, and the Comic Almanack 1835-53. David Bogue published The Bottle series in 1847. Bogue suffered from heart disease and died in 1856 at the age of 48.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1847
maker
Cruikshank, George
publisher
Bogue, David
ID Number
DL.60.2914
catalog number
60.2914
accession number
228146
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater w
Description
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater world. Romantic scenes picture devoted husbands with their contented, dutiful wives. In these prints, young women educated in reading, music, needlework, the arts, the language of flowers, basic math and science are subjugated to their family’s needs.
These prints became popular as lithography was introduced to 19th Century Americans. As a new art form, it was affordable for the masses and provided a means to share visual information by crossing the barriers of race, class and language. Sentimental prints encouraged the artistic endeavors of schoolgirls and promoted the ambitions of amateur artists, while serving as both moral instruction and home or business decoration. They are a pictorial record of our romanticized past.
This colored print is a full length portrait of a man and woman standing together, outdoors, holding hands. The man is wearing a long, fitted coat, fancy vest, high collar, bow tie and shirt pin. The woman is wearing a long, floor length dress, with lace around the sleeve, gold bracelet and beaded necklace. The are standing in front of a stone wall topped with a vase or urn. Flowering bushes line the base of the wall.
This print was produced by James S Baillie, was active in New York from 1838 to 1855. James Baillie started as a framer in 1838, and then became an artist and lithographer in 1843 or 1844. He discovered how to color lithographs while working as an independent contractor for Currier & Ives in the mid 1840’s. A prolific lithographer and colorist for Currier & Ives; his prints were extremely popular with a wide distribution. J. Baillie spent his later years concentrating on painting instead of lithography.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1846
maker
Baillie, James S.
ID Number
DL.60.2252
catalog number
60.2252
accession number
228146
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1845
ID Number
DL.60.2886
catalog number
60.2886
accession number
228146
Black and white print. Oval bust portrait with an ornate rectangular frame of a man (President Andrew Jackson).Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Black and white print. Oval bust portrait with an ornate rectangular frame of a man (President Andrew Jackson).
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1846
depicted
Jackson, Andrew
publisher
Williams, C. S.
lithographer
Newsam, Albert
Duval, Peter S.
ID Number
DL.60.3228G
catalog number
60.3228G

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