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.

Worcester porcelain dish

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1792-1804
ID Number
CE.P-820E
catalog number
P-820E
accession number
225282

KPM Berlin porcelain cabinet plate

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c.1900
ID Number
CE.P-648
catalog number
P-648
accession number
225282

shaker

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c. 1936-40
ID Number
CE.77.547Aab
catalog number
77.547Aab
accession number
1978.0033

Officers Mess, Ammunition Train

Ink wash on white paper. A group of American and French officers that are part of an ammunition train eat in a hilly field. The officers are sitting on crates, possibly filled with supplies. They're positioned directly in front of a big white tent.
Description
Ink wash on white paper. A group of American and French officers that are part of an ammunition train eat in a hilly field. The officers are sitting on crates, possibly filled with supplies. They're positioned directly in front of a big white tent. There is a large tree on the righthand side, and another tent visible in background on a hilltop.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-06-08
associated date
1917 - 1918
associated person
War Department
Townsend, Harry
artist
Townsend, Harry
ID Number
AF.26117
catalog number
26117
accession number
64592

Inigo Jones

Mezzotint of British artist and architect Inigo Jones after original portrait by Anthony van Dyck once in the Common Parlour at Houghton. Now in the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg. Removed from George P. Marsh's copy of The Houghton Gallery, vol. 1.
Description
Mezzotint of British artist and architect Inigo Jones after original portrait by Anthony van Dyck once in the Common Parlour at Houghton. Now in the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg. Removed from George P. Marsh's copy of The Houghton Gallery, vol. 1. Taken out for loan to the Cincinnati Exhibition in 1888. This small print was originally mounted on the same page with the mezzotint portrait of the Spanish poet Joseph Carreras.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1775
original artist
Van Dyck, Anthony
engraver
Green, Valentine
delineator
Farington, George
publisher
Boydell, John
ID Number
1978.0534.02.47
accession number
1978.0534
catalog number
1978.0534.02.47

Alexis And Dora

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c. 1845
original artist
Kaulbach, H.
graphic artist
Muller, Constantin
ID Number
GA.15749.8
catalog number
15749.8
accession number
94830

The Sultana's Bath

A signed pencil study which is similar to the drawing GA*16627Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
A signed pencil study which is similar to the drawing GA*16627
Location
Currently not on view
original artist
Ferris, Jean Leon Gerome
ID Number
GA.16628
catalog number
16628
accession number
119780

Machine Gun Outfit Near Esnes

Charcoal sketch. Shell bursts light up the horizon in the background. Soldiers in foreground, crouched and on the move. A horse is hitched to machine gun equipment. Three denuded trees between the soldiers and the horizon.Currently not on view
Description
Charcoal sketch. Shell bursts light up the horizon in the background. Soldiers in foreground, crouched and on the move. A horse is hitched to machine gun equipment. Three denuded trees between the soldiers and the horizon.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
maker
Morgan, Wallace
ID Number
AF.25774
catalog number
25774
accession number
64592

sheet (paper)

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Bowler, Paddy
ID Number
1986.0763.03
accession number
1986.0763
catalog number
1986.0763.03

Sèvres stand for a tête a tête tea service

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c.1838
1838
ID Number
CE.P-123
catalog number
P-123
accession number
225282

On the Edge of Beaumont

Mixed media on paper. Sketch shows two buildings separated by trees. A handful of soldiers stand in front of the building on the right. There are also soldiers on the far right of the frame.Currently not on view
Description
Mixed media on paper. Sketch shows two buildings separated by trees. A handful of soldiers stand in front of the building on the right. There are also soldiers on the far right of the frame.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-10
associated date
1917 - 1918
associated person
War Department
Smith, J. Andre
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.26025
catalog number
26025
accession number
64592

Homemade Yoghourt

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1968-1970
author
Waters, Alice
ID Number
2016.0085.12
accession number
2016.0085
catalog number
2016.0085.12

Tiffany vase

Favrile glass. Common greenish glass, with upper part colored a creamy gray. Form: two cone-shaped bodies united by three tubular necks and a middle one of triangular shape. Upper part of body has 16 sides with a circular slightly flaring lip.
Description (Brief)
Favrile glass. Common greenish glass, with upper part colored a creamy gray. Form: two cone-shaped bodies united by three tubular necks and a middle one of triangular shape. Upper part of body has 16 sides with a circular slightly flaring lip. Purchased from Charles Tiffany, $4.00.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1893 - 96
maker
Tiffany Glass & Decorating Company, or Tiffany Studios
ID Number
CE.96430
catalog number
96430
accession number
30453
maker number
5929

New England Glass Company 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.
The New England Glass Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts was founded about 1818 by Deming Jarves along with three wealthy businessmen, and probably began producing paperweights by the mid 1850s. In 1888 the business moved to Ohio, under the name Libbey Glass Company.
This New England Glass Company faceted paperweight features a dark-blue double Clematis.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1852-1880
maker
New England Glass Company
ID Number
CE.60.110
catalog number
60.110
accession number
211475

Freddy Taylor

White on black lithograph of American jazz singer, trumpeter, dancer and bandleader of swing, Freddy Taylor (1914-1970). 3/4 profile of Taylor wearing a hat. No signature or number/year on print.
Description

White on black lithograph of American jazz singer, trumpeter, dancer and bandleader of swing, Freddy Taylor (1914-1970). 3/4 profile of Taylor wearing a hat. No signature or number/year on print. The print is marked:

FREDDY TAYLOR

This print is from a set of 15 lithographs of jazz musicians by Charles Delauney, entitled Hot Iconography, first printed in 1939.

Charles Delaunay (1911–1988) was a French author and jazz expert. Delaunay was the co-founder and long-term leader of the Hot Club de France, a French organization of jazz fans dedicated to the promotion of "traditional" jazz, swing, and blues. In 1931, the Jazz Club Universitaire was founded, and later became the Hot Club de France in 1932.

Location
Currently not on view
date made
1939
depicted
Taylor, Freddy
maker
Delaunay, Charles
ID Number
2001.0182.03
accession number
2001.0182
catalog number
2001.0182.02

Paul W. Bradley

Oil painting on illustration board. Portrait of Corporal Paul. W. Bradley. Bradley wears the 42nd Infantry Division patch on the shoulder of his left arm sleeve. He also wears three gold overseas chevrons on the bottom of his left arm sleeve.Currently not on view
Description
Oil painting on illustration board. Portrait of Corporal Paul. W. Bradley. Bradley wears the 42nd Infantry Division patch on the shoulder of his left arm sleeve. He also wears three gold overseas chevrons on the bottom of his left arm sleeve.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1919
associated date
1917 - 1918
associated person
Chase, Joseph Cummings
Chase, Joseph Cummings
artist
Chase, Joseph Cummings
ID Number
AF.58041M
catalog number
58041M
accession number
203612

Chinese reticulated bowl

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1662-1722
ID Number
CE.P-315
catalog number
P-315
accession number
225282

Cherub Figure

Made of painted carved wood. Black hair, face fron, running to the right, left arm outstretched. Back of carving is flat.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Made of painted carved wood. Black hair, face fron, running to the right, left arm outstretched. Back of carving is flat.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
CL.66.222
catalog number
66.222
accession number
261195
collector/donor number
S-313

Flying Field at Issoudun

A pencil and watercolor sketch on paper of Field Number One at Issoudun, France. The busy airfield depicted here was part of a large training complex for the U.S. Air Service during World War I.Currently not on view
Description
A pencil and watercolor sketch on paper of Field Number One at Issoudun, France. The busy airfield depicted here was part of a large training complex for the U.S. Air Service during World War I.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-08
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.25984
catalog number
25984
accession number
64592

Dead Acres - St. Mihiel Sector

A charcoal sketch on paper of a war-torn area in the St. Mihiel Sector of combat during World War I. Several bare trees dominate the scene. Two American soldiers are resting by the tree on the right.
Description
A charcoal sketch on paper of a war-torn area in the St. Mihiel Sector of combat during World War I. Several bare trees dominate the scene. Two American soldiers are resting by the tree on the right. In the foreground, there is a trench with a wooden plank crossing on the right side. Several crosses, presumably marking graves, are in the background on the left.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1918
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.25981
catalog number
25981
accession number
64592

Artist Sketch Box

Artist sketch box used by Harvey Dunn as an official artist with the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in World War I. The metal box is painted olive drab. It is marked on the top cover "HARVEY DUNN / CAPTAIN" with the castle insignia of the Army Corps of Engineers.
Description
Artist sketch box used by Harvey Dunn as an official artist with the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in World War I. The metal box is painted olive drab. It is marked on the top cover "HARVEY DUNN / CAPTAIN" with the castle insignia of the Army Corps of Engineers. The cover is attached by metal slide fasteners which hook into screws. Inside of the box is a roll of white drawing paper that can be advanced by turning the rollers with half-ring handles. On the bottom of the box is a metal back plate which is attached by nails and screws to allow the paper roll to be removed and replaced with a new roll.
Location
Currently not on view
user
Dunn, Harvey Thomas
ID Number
AF.67518M
accession number
229290
catalog number
67518M

Nandina domestica

Japanese wood block print. No. 18 in a series of progressive proofs of a stylized group of leaves and berries from the shrub Nandina domestica. Designed by Tsubaki Chinzan, engraved by Kotaro Kido, and printed by Iwakichi Yamamoto.Currently not on view
Description
Japanese wood block print. No. 18 in a series of progressive proofs of a stylized group of leaves and berries from the shrub Nandina domestica. Designed by Tsubaki Chinzan, engraved by Kotaro Kido, and printed by Iwakichi Yamamoto.
Location
Currently not on view
engraver
Kido, Kotaro
ID Number
GA.03217.18
catalog number
03217.18
accession number
22582

Scrimshaw Sperm Whale’s Tooth, Mid-19th Century

Nearly every spot on this small sperm whale tooth is decorated. The center of the main side contains a generic US warship in the center, with a swallowtail pennant on the foremast, a homeward bound pennant on the main mast and a big American flag off the stern.
Description
Nearly every spot on this small sperm whale tooth is decorated. The center of the main side contains a generic US warship in the center, with a swallowtail pennant on the foremast, a homeward bound pennant on the main mast and a big American flag off the stern. Above it floats a thistle; below is a crosshatch basket of flowers. Vines connect the edges of the tooth to the other side, the bottom of which is etched with an American eagle shield with thistles in its beak and crossed American flags in its talons. Above it floats a heart with a star in the middle. Three arrows and a horn pierce it through the middle, and above floats another vine. On the final edge is a head-on view of a ship with studding sails flying. It appears to be an alternate view of the ship on the other side of the tooth, judging from its visible flags. Around the base of the tooth, a sharp dentil molding draws all the images together into one composition.
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
ID Number
TR.67.723
accession number
248268
catalog number
67.723

Two Women Seated

Sallie Rayen made this poignant etching, showing a tearful young woman and her sympathetic companion, under the supervision of Stephen Ferris in March 1880. She dedicated it: “To Mr.
Description
Sallie Rayen made this poignant etching, showing a tearful young woman and her sympathetic companion, under the supervision of Stephen Ferris in March 1880. She dedicated it: “To Mr. Ferris with compliments of his pupil Sallie Rayen.” Ferris generously helped artists with their etching technique.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1880-03-25
1880
graphic artist
Rayen, Sallie
ID Number
GA.14931
catalog number
14931
accession number
94830

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