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.

Place: Massachusetts

Assassination of President Lincoln

After Lincoln’s assassination, Northern families often displayed in their homes lithographic prints of the man they believed to be the savior of their nation.
Description
After Lincoln’s assassination, Northern families often displayed in their homes lithographic prints of the man they believed to be the savior of their nation. This colored print from shortly after Lincoln’s death depicts an interior scene of his assassination at Ford’s Theater on April 14, 1865. John Wilkes Booth wields a blood stained knife and jumps from the box where Lincoln sits slumped in his chair. Mary Todd Lincoln attends to her husband while the surrounding spectators exhibit hysteria and alarm. The Lincolns’ box, depicted as extremely small and overcrowded, contains their guests, Major Henry R. Rathbone and his fiancée, Clara Harris, although another unidentified female onlooker also occupies the box. Lincoln's guard had earlier left his post, so he is not depicted. On the top of the box railing rest a pair of opera glasses and a program, inscribed, “Ford's Theat../ American Cousin,” which is the name of the play being performed that night. Oddly, the audience on the first floor of Ford's Theater appears to be viewing the events from the same level as the box, which makes Booth's leap one story down to the stage seem like a short hop over the box parapet to the floor. Prints of the assassination were in such demand immediately after the event that printmakers paid little attention to the accuracy of the depictions.
The artist of this work, James E Baker (1837-1914), began as an apprentice at J. H. Bufford & Co. in 1857. He eventually became John Bufford’s principal draftsman and illustrator of sheet music. He worked in NYC in 1860-1867 and specialized in portrait prints. During the Civil War he produced, for Bufford, political cartoons and lithographs relating the national drama. He later worked for Armstrong & Company, remaining active until 1888.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca. 1865
ca 1865
depicted
Lincoln, Abraham
Booth, John Wilkes
Lincoln, Mary Todd
Harris, Clara
Rathbone, Henry Reed
maker
Baker, Joseph E.
ID Number
DL.60.2547
catalog number
60.2547
accession number
228146

Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company print of The Colonel performed by actor Eric Bayley

This colored print depicts a black and white circular bust portrait of a man in the center of a yellow sunflower. The man is probably Eric Bayley (see related print DL*60.3050), a British actor who performed in the three-act farce, The Colonel .
Description
This colored print depicts a black and white circular bust portrait of a man in the center of a yellow sunflower. The man is probably Eric Bayley (see related print DL*60.3050), a British actor who performed in the three-act farce, The Colonel .
The Colonel tells the story of two imposters trying to get control of another family's fortune. It was written by F. C. Burnand (1836-1917), a British writer and editor of Punch, and based on an earlier drama called The Serious Family by Morris Barnett (1800-1856). It was first produced in London in 1881 and brought to the United States by Eric and Mindha Bayley in 1882. Eric Bayley played the role of Edward Langton and Mindha performed as a character named Olive.
This lithograph was produced by Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company, which was founded by William H. Forbes (ca 1836-1915). He immigrated to the United States from Liverpool, England in 1848. Forbes became an apprentice in the lithography business while still a boy and established William H. Forbes and Company in Boston in 1861. The firm expanded to become Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company in 1875 with hundreds of employees and offices in Boston, New York, Chicago, and London. During World War II, the company became a major printer of allied military currency but went out of business later in the 20th century.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
n.d.
maker
Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company
ID Number
DL.60.3054
catalog number
60.3054
accession number
228146

Slavery as It Is

This colored broadside advertises “The Great Moving Mirror of Slavery,” a travelling panoramic painting exhibited in New England in 1858. According to the inscription, it was on display in the Methodist Church.
Description
This colored broadside advertises “The Great Moving Mirror of Slavery,” a travelling panoramic painting exhibited in New England in 1858. According to the inscription, it was on display in the Methodist Church. Purported to reveal “Slavery As It Is,” this poster contains two preview illustrations. One shows a young girl lying in a canopied bed attended by a doctor, as her mother and a black man sit nearby. The other image depicts a white man riding a bucking horse as three black men and a black woman watch. Headings on the poster advertise, “Scenes in Africa,” an “Auction Sale of Slaves,” and “Life-Like Scenes!” The exhibit also promises a personal appearance by Anthony Burns.
Burns (1834-1862) was born a slave in Stafford County, Virginia in 1834, became a Baptist preacher,and escaped to Boston in 1853/1854. The next year, he was captured and put on public trial, inspiring protest by thousands of abolitionists. Several people were arrested and wounded, while they attempted to free Burns and a U.S. Marshall was fatally stabbed. Under the terms of the Fugitive Slave Act, Burns was returned to his "owner" in Virginia. In 1855, Leonard Grimes, a free black Baptist minister bought Burns’ freedom. Burns then travelled north and studied theology at Oberlin College in Ohio and emigrated to Canada and worked as a non-ordained minister . In 1858, he toured with “The Great Moving Mirror,” using the opportunity to sell copies of narrative of his life to sympathetic anti-slavery Northerners. He died in 1862 of tuberculosis at the age of 28, having never regained his health after enduring several months in a Richmond slave jail.
The print was created by the firm of J.H. & F.F. Farwell & Gordon Forrest. The three men founded a Boston lithographic firm active around the middle of the 19th century. Gordon Forrest enlisted in Company G of the First Massachusetts Infantry during the Civil War. He was killed on July 18, 1861, during a skirmish at Blackburn’s Ford, Virginia, one of the first engagements of the conflict. Little is known about J.H. and F.F. Farwell. The printers were also known as Farwells & Forest.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1858
referenced
Burns, Anthony
maker
Farwells & Forrest
ID Number
DL.60.3001
catalog number
60.3001
accession number
228146

Winter in the Country

Colored print; rural house and stream in winter. Two adults and three children with a dog cross a wooden bridge with bundles of twigs and sticks in hand.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Colored print; rural house and stream in winter. Two adults and three children with a dog cross a wooden bridge with bundles of twigs and sticks in hand.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
n.d.
maker
Haskell & Allen
ID Number
DL.60.2649
catalog number
60.2649
accession number
228146

Otis Patent Steam Excavator.

Color print of steam dredge designed to work under water.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Color print of steam dredge designed to work under water.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
n.d.
maker
Bufford, John Henry
ID Number
DL.60.3288
catalog number
60.3288

View from Ruggle's House Newburgh

Color print of a verandah and a rose-covered arbor lining a path down to a river (Hudson). Sail boats are visible on the river.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Color print of a verandah and a rose-covered arbor lining a path down to a river (Hudson). Sail boats are visible on the river.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
n.d.
maker
Sowle & Shaw
ID Number
DL.60.3652
catalog number
60.3652

S.E View of Portland in 1832, Taken from Fort Prebble, on Purpooduck Point.

Black and white print of the buildings of a city in the distance with a point of land jutting into a body of water in the foreground. A couple with a child and dog are on a grassy spot on the left.
Description (Brief)
Black and white print of the buildings of a city in the distance with a point of land jutting into a body of water in the foreground. A couple with a child and dog are on a grassy spot on the left. Sailing vessels are on the water to the right and in front of the city in the background.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1832 ca.
n.d.
artist
Bufford, John Henry
lithographer
Pendleton's Lithography
ID Number
DL.60.3677
catalog number
60.3677

The Pursuit

Color print of a white man on horseback being pursued by an Indian also on horseback.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Color print of a white man on horseback being pursued by an Indian also on horseback.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
n.d.
maker
Bufford, John Henry
ID Number
DL.60.3510
catalog number
60.3510

Untitled (Sleighing Scene)

A color print of a sleigh pulled by two horses overtaking an elderly couple in a sleigh pulled by a single horse. The sleigh pulled by two horses is tipping over, spilling its driver, still holding onto the reins, onto the ground.
Description
A color print of a sleigh pulled by two horses overtaking an elderly couple in a sleigh pulled by a single horse. The sleigh pulled by two horses is tipping over, spilling its driver, still holding onto the reins, onto the ground. Mountains are in the distance, and the road is covered with snow and bordered with a stone fence. A church spire indicates a village.
Haskell and Allen’s most memorable productions were their horse prints. A Boston based publisher of lithographs, the firm seems to have issued more large folio images than small. Haskell began as a print seller with Haskell and Ripley (1868) but in 1869 he began a partnership with George Allen. In 1873 they moved to 61 Hanover St in Boston where they prospered for a few years. They went bankrupt in 1878.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1877
maker
Haskell & Allen
ID Number
DL.60.3540
catalog number
60.3540

Whalebone and Bone Umbrella

The bony substance from the mouths of whales known as baleen is formed of keratin, like human hair and nails. It hangs in long, parallel sheets from the upper jaws of the blue, right, and minke whales, as well as other lesser-known species.
Description
The bony substance from the mouths of whales known as baleen is formed of keratin, like human hair and nails. It hangs in long, parallel sheets from the upper jaws of the blue, right, and minke whales, as well as other lesser-known species. Its hairy fringe filters food from seawater.
Dried out, baleen’s strength and flexibility made it ideal for buggy whips, corset busks, and umbrella ribs before the advent of plastic. A whale’s bone could actually be worth more than its oil. This man’s large umbrella has a wooden shaft, heavy hinged baleen ribs made in short sections, and an ivory handle. Marked “G. Hobbs, Barre,” it belonged to the donor’s grandfather, who lived in Barre, Massachusetts, until around the end of the Civil War.
Date made
ca 1835-1865
user
Hobbs, George
ID Number
AG.169283.01
accession number
169283
catalog number
169283.01

August Saint Gaudens with Shaw Memorial

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1897
maker
Cox, George Collins
ID Number
PG.76.14S7.3
catalog number
76.14S7.3
accession number
238180

Dog Weathervane

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1850-1900
ID Number
CL.65.0943
catalog number
65.943
accession number
256396

Cast Iron Whale

The words “BAKER NEW BEDFORD.” appear on the back of this cast-iron sperm whale, which has two mounting lugs on the bottom for fastening to a flat surface.
Description
The words “BAKER NEW BEDFORD.” appear on the back of this cast-iron sperm whale, which has two mounting lugs on the bottom for fastening to a flat surface. These features suggest that it was a shop sign for one of the many stores in New Bedford, Massaschusetts that provided items to whalers needed for their dirty and dangerous business. In the 1878 New Bedford city directory, the only person listed with the surname Baker was Ansol Baker, a machinist.
New Bedford was the largest American whaling port in the industry, which flourished until the Civil War and lasted into the early 20th century.
Date made
19th century
possible owner of sign
Baker, Ansol
ID Number
CL.25052
catalog number
25052
accession number
2009.0157
catalog number
2009.0157.01

1831 World Map by Marianne S. Fernald, Student at Charlestown Female Academy

This hand drawn map, a cartography school assignment, was created Marianne S. Fernald who signed the work M.A.S. Fernald/1831. It depicts the eastern and western hemispheres as perceived at the time.
Description
This hand drawn map, a cartography school assignment, was created Marianne S. Fernald who signed the work M.A.S. Fernald/1831. It depicts the eastern and western hemispheres as perceived at the time. Included are geographic labels, including continents, regions, islands, and bodies of water. The bottom reads, Charlestown, Female Publick School..
Marianne S. Fernald (1816-1871), the daughter of William and Sarah Fernald, would have been a 14 year old student at the time she created this map as a student of the Charlestown Female Seminary.
The Charlestown Female Seminary was opened in 1830 at 30 Union Street and founded by 2 Baptist pastors, Dr. William Collier and Dr. Henry Jackson. For the citizens of Charlestown, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Boston, Massachusetts, this was the second school for girls. the first was Mount Benedict Academy, which was an Ursuline convent and finishing school. Both were tragically burned to the ground by a Nativist mob in 1834.
By May 9, 1831, the Charlestown Female Seminary was being run by Martha Whiting, one of the pioneers in female education. In her memoirs she states that there were about 40 pupils and 4 teachers; that later increased to 160 students.To prepare young ladies for "republican motherhood" or as teachers, they outfited the school with a telescope, a microscope with about 400 objects, and a set of transparent maps. They taught music, drawing, painting, penmanship, projection of maps, bookkeeping, English, American and ancient history, political economy, Latin and of course the scriptures. There were also special lectures of physiology and chemistry and philosophy. While the trustees were all men, Miss Whiting was appointed the first headmistress or Governess when she came from a school in Hingham, Ma She later became Director until her death in 1853.
Private female seminaries and academies catering to girls from wealthy and upper middle class families were common in the East and in urban areas of the United States during the first half of the 19th Century.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1831
ID Number
2014.0244.004
accession number
2014.0244
catalog number
2014.0244.004

Birds Eye View of Mt. Vernon/ Home of Washington

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1859
maker
G. & F. Bill
ID Number
2013.0309.11
accession number
2013.0309
catalog number
2013.0309.11

Prang's Complete Course in Form Study and Drawing No. 9

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1891
author
Perry, Walter Scott
ID Number
2014.0029.01
accession number
2014.0029
catalog number
2014.0029.01

Monument/In Memory of the Patriots who fell in the first Battle of Bull Run/July 21, 1861

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
publisher
L. Prang & Company
ID Number
2014.0271.01
accession number
2014.0271
catalog number
2014.0271.01

Porter Wagoner

One of the most recognizable figures in country music, Porter Wagoner was known as the "Thin Man from West Plains, Missouri." He began recording music in 1954 after several years of singing on a local radio station. In 1961, Wagoner (b.
Description
One of the most recognizable figures in country music, Porter Wagoner was known as the "Thin Man from West Plains, Missouri." He began recording music in 1954 after several years of singing on a local radio station. In 1961, Wagoner (b. 1927) began to host his own country music television show, which was syndicated for 21 years.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1972
print
2003
depicted (sitter)
Wagoner, Porter
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.022
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.022

Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn is a classic country singer whose life--from her autobiography, Coal Miner's Daughter--is a well-known story. She was one of the first stars to sing with a feminist point of view.
Description
Loretta Lynn is a classic country singer whose life--from her autobiography, Coal Miner's Daughter--is a well-known story. She was one of the first stars to sing with a feminist point of view. Her songs, like "Don't Come Home a-Drinkin' (with Lovin' on Your Mind)" and "The Pill," broke new ground in country music. Lynn (b. 1935) and Conway Twitty were named Vocal Duo of the Year by the Country Music Association for years in a row in the early 1970s.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1971
print
2003
depicted (sitter)
Lynn, Loretta
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.011
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.011

Harmonica Frank Floyd

Photographed backstage, "Harmonica" Frank Floyd (1908-1984) was an entertainer for the better part of the 20th century. After running away from home at age twelve, he began playing harmonica in carnivals and medicine shows.
Description
Photographed backstage, "Harmonica" Frank Floyd (1908-1984) was an entertainer for the better part of the 20th century. After running away from home at age twelve, he began playing harmonica in carnivals and medicine shows. His repertoire included jokes, tricks, songs, and stories.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1973
print
2003
depicted (sitter)
Floyd, Frank
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.006
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.006

Roscoe Holcomb

Roscoe Holcomb (1911-1981) embodied the "high, lonesome sound" of traditional Appalachian songs. A banjo player and singer, he spent most of his life in the small town of Daisy, Kentucky, working for a living with no aspirations to become a star.
Description
Roscoe Holcomb (1911-1981) embodied the "high, lonesome sound" of traditional Appalachian songs. A banjo player and singer, he spent most of his life in the small town of Daisy, Kentucky, working for a living with no aspirations to become a star. Smithsonian folklorist John Cohen recorded Holcomb at home in 1959. That recording led to performances at bluegrass festivals and an international tour with the Stanley Brothers.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1972
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.028
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.028

Doc Watson and Merle Watson

Doc Watson (Arthel Lane Watson, b. 1923), blind since his early life, achieved national acclaim primarily as a result of his involvement in the folk song revival of the 1960s.
Description
Doc Watson (Arthel Lane Watson, b. 1923), blind since his early life, achieved national acclaim primarily as a result of his involvement in the folk song revival of the 1960s. Watson remained a powerful influence in many different forms of acoustic music, including blues, old time, country, and bluegrass. His, son Merle (1946-1985), frequently performed on guitar with him until his untimely death in a tractor accident.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1974
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.024
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.024

The Scarlet Letter

Book, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthornel.
Description (Brief)
Book, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthornel. The hand-painted cream-colored celluloid cover feature a scarlet letter "A," with a shadow extending over a church steeple, a stockade, and a gravestone, also marked "A." The volume is bound by a white ribbon, and an image of the author is on an interior page. The 346-page book contains a small white hand-painted bookmark inscribed "St. Anne of Beaupre protect us. Made in France."
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2006.0098.1546
catalog number
2006.0098.1546
accession number
2006.0098

Waylon Jennings

Waylon Jennings's first single, the Cajun song "Jole Blon," was produced by Buddy Holly in 1958. Jennings (1937-2002) moved to a more hardcore country sound by the 1970s.
Description
Waylon Jennings's first single, the Cajun song "Jole Blon," was produced by Buddy Holly in 1958. Jennings (1937-2002) moved to a more hardcore country sound by the 1970s. Rejecting slick commercial conventions of the time and demanding more control of his music, Jennings's professional and personal lifestyle personified what became known as the Outlaw Country movement.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1975
print
2003
depicted (sitter)
Jennings, Waylon
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.029
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.029

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