Domestic Furnishings

Washboards, armchairs, lamps, and pots and pans may not seem to be museum pieces. But they are invaluable evidence of how most people lived day to day, last week or three centuries ago. The Museum's collections of domestic furnishings comprise more than 40,000 artifacts from American households. Large and small, they include four houses, roughly 800 pieces of furniture, fireplace equipment, spinning wheels, ceramics and glass, family portraits, and much more.

The Arthur and Edna Greenwood Collection contains more than 2,000 objects from New England households from colonial times to mid-1800s. From kitchens of the past, the collections hold some 3,300 artifacts, ranging from refrigerators to spatulas. The lighting devices alone number roughly 3,000 lamps, candleholders, and lanterns.

Colored print of two Canada grouse, a male and female, in a wooded setting amid high grasses and leaves.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Colored print of two Canada grouse, a male and female, in a wooded setting amid high grasses and leaves.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1878
artist
Pope, Jr., Alexander
lithographer
Armstrong and Company
ID Number
DL.60.2715
catalog number
60.2715
accession number
228146
Color advertising print of a trotting horse (Lady Suffolk) with a jockey in the saddle.A color advertising print of a trotting grey mare and jockey.
Description (Brief)
Color advertising print of a trotting horse (Lady Suffolk) with a jockey in the saddle.
Description
A color advertising print of a trotting grey mare and jockey. The background is grained.
Lady Suffolk, known as the “Old Gray Mare,” was foaled in 1833 in Smithtown, Suffolk County, Long Island. Her sire was Young Engineer, making her a descendent of the famous thoroughbred Messenger who had founded the Standardbred breed; her dam was Jenny. David Bryant purchased the mare in 1835 and they remained together until 1851. She entered her first race in 1838 ridden by Hiram Woodruff. Lady Suffolk trotted in 161 races between 1838 and 1854, winning 88 of them and earning over $35,000 in purse money. In her prime she traveled through the major cities, appearing from Boston to New Orleans. However, in the last six years of her career, she raced only seven times because harness racing had begun to replace under saddle trotting. In 1843, ridden by Albert Conklin, Lady Suffolk was the first trotter to go the mile in under 2:30, which made her the first “Queen of the Turf.” This feat reduced the 1834 record by almost five seconds, coming in at 2:26 ½. Her popularity was greatly due to William T. Porter, who used his weekly newspaper, The Spirit of the Times, to publicize her exploits. She died in 1855 in Vermont and was eventually inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame as an “Immortal” in 1967.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1889
maker
unknown
ID Number
DL.60.3637
catalog number
60.3637
In 1864, in the midst of the third year of the Civil War, a clerk in the U.S. Treasury named Justus H. Rathbone founded the Knights of Pythias, a fraternal organization, in Washington, D.C.
Description
In 1864, in the midst of the third year of the Civil War, a clerk in the U.S. Treasury named Justus H. Rathbone founded the Knights of Pythias, a fraternal organization, in Washington, D.C. He hoped that the nation, torn apart by violence and hate, could begin to heal once renewed by the spirit of brotherhood. President Lincoln, upon learning of the group, expressed his approval of its mission and values, and the Knights became the first fraternal organization in the United States to be chartered through an Act of Congress. Rathbone found inspiration for the society in the Greek legend of Damon and Pythias, a story about noble friendship which had been popularized in a 19th-century play by the Irish poet John Banim. This 1872 membership certificate recognized that a brother of the order had progressed through the ranks of Page and Esquire and been initiated as a Knight.
The print features several illustrations depicting scenes from Banim’s, play Damon and Pythias, which he adapted from the original Greek legend. In the play, Damon is sentenced to death by the cruel tyrant Dionysius. When Damon asks for permission to put his affairs in order and say goodbye to his family, his friend Pythias volunteers to wait in prison in Damon’s place. Dionysius consents to this arrangement, but warns that whomever is in Damon’s cell in six hours will be the one who is executed. Damon returns in time for his execution, battling hardship, injury, and fatigue in his determined effort to save his friend. Dionysius is so moved by their bond that he allows both men to live. In the top left vignette, armed guards bring Damon before the king, who condemns him to death. In the top right vignette, Pythias volunteers to temporarily take Damon’s place, while his friend is forcibly restrained. In the central scene, Pythias points to a sundial, knowing that Damon will arrive in time. Damon is depicted pushing his way through a crowd to save his friend. Below this scene, another illustration shows Damon arguing with his servant next to a dead horse. In the legend, Damon’s servant kills the horse in an attempt to force his master to stay. Despite this setback, Damon returns in time for his execution.
Included between these scenes are three grisaille imitation statuettes above the letters “FCB,” which stand for the Pythian principles of Friendship, Charity, and Benevolence. Two friends clasping hands represent Friendship, a woman with her fingers to her lips represents Charity, and a knight represents Benevolence.
The lithographic firm of Ehrgott & Krebs was established by Peter E. Ehrgott (1827-1874) and Adolph Krebs (1831-1884). Peter Ehrgott first started a lithographic company in 1856 in Cincinnati with his partner Adolph Forbriger (1825-1869) as Ehrgott & Forbriger. The company worked under that name from 1856 until Forbriger’s death in 1869. Ehrgott then partnered that same year with Adolph Krebs, to form Ehrgott & Krebs. Adolph Krebs had originally founded Krebs & Brothers in 1856 with his brother Otto, but left to fight in the Civil War. Ehrgott & Krebs produced sheet music, postcards, and prints, and republished some 1865 music pieces by John L. Peters. The firm continued as a partnership until the retirement of Ehrgott in 1874. Adolph Krebs continued the business and changed the name to the Krebs Lithographing Company, which he ran until his death in 1884.
The print was published by Joseph D. Weeks & Co., which was based in Pittsburgh, although Weeks himself is listed as the Supreme Inner Steward of the Iowa chapter of the Knights, a position he held from 1872 to 1874.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1872
publisher
Joseph D. Weeks & Co.
issuer
Knights of Pythias
maker
Ehrgott & Krebs
ID Number
DL.60.2399
catalog number
60.2399
accession number
228146
Colored print; outdoor scene of boy and girl in winter. The boy carries an evergreen tree, the girl carries greens and ivy bundled in a shawl(?). A small dog (terrier?) frolicks at their feet. Both children wear hats and are dressed in Germanic style clothing.
Description (Brief)
Colored print; outdoor scene of boy and girl in winter. The boy carries an evergreen tree, the girl carries greens and ivy bundled in a shawl(?). A small dog (terrier?) frolicks at their feet. Both children wear hats and are dressed in Germanic style clothing. A church appears in background.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1870
maker
Schile, Henry
ID Number
DL.60.2464
catalog number
60.2464
accession number
228146
The subtitle, “A Scene on the Morning of the Fourth Day of July 1876,” dates the image to Centennial celebrations in Washington D.C.
Description
The subtitle, “A Scene on the Morning of the Fourth Day of July 1876,” dates the image to Centennial celebrations in Washington D.C. This inclusive chromolithograph depicts a black man, a white man, two women, and a child raising an American flag on a rooftop or terrace overlooking the U.S .Capitol. This chromolithograph was drawn by immigrant artist Dominique C. Fabronius and produced by E. P. & L. Restein. Its idealized view of America would have been popular as a Centennial commemorative.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1876
copyright holder
Munyon, J. M.
maker
E.P. & L. Restein
publisher
National Chromo Company
graphic artist
Fabronius, Dominique C.
ID Number
DL.60.2586
catalog number
60.2586
accession number
228146
Capitalizing on the success of Civil War-related artwork during the 1880s and 90s, the Chicago-based printmakers Louis Kurz and Alexander Allison published a series of 36 battle scenes commemorating famous engagements of the war.
Description
Capitalizing on the success of Civil War-related artwork during the 1880s and 90s, the Chicago-based printmakers Louis Kurz and Alexander Allison published a series of 36 battle scenes commemorating famous engagements of the war. All displayed idealized, panoramic representations of the battles with statistics of the killed and wounded below each image. Kurz and Allison did not consult photography or Civil War historians when designing their prints, instead relying on Kurz’s own first-hand experience as a soldier during the conflict. They included historical inaccuracies and eschewed aesthetic realism to remain true to earlier, pre-photographic lithographic traditions, which preferred bold graphics, black outlines, and figures performing grand, exaggerated gestures.
This 1893 chromolithograph depicts the Third Battle of Winchester, fought on September 19, 1864. The Union victory here resulted in Federal forces under General Philip Sheridan gaining the upper hand over the Confederate army of General Jubal Early in the Shenandoah Valley. In the foreground of this print, Union and Confederate cavalries clash. At the center, a Union cavalryman raises his sabre over his head while his Confederate foe to his right take aim with a pistol. Behind them, rows of riflemen reinforced with cannons exchange fire across an open field at the bottom of a valley. A cloud of smoke from the Confederate artillery fire rolls down between the two armies. Below this smoke, the bodies of killed soldiers are scattered across the battlefield.
Louis Kurz was a mural and scene painter before the Civil War, explaining the mural-like format of the images. His illustrations also appear to have been inspired by cycloramas, which were popular at the time, such as Paul Philippoteaux’s Gettysburg Cyclorama. Kurz was an Austrian immigrant who settled in Chicago during the 1850s, where he formed a partnership with Henry Seifert of Milwaukee. He later fought for the Union Army during the Civil War. After the conflict, he co-founded the Chicago Lithographic Company. When the company’s assets were destroyed during the Chicago Fire of 1871, Kurz started a new business with his partner, financial backer, and business manager, Alexander Allison.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1893
maker
Kurz & Allison-Art Studio
ID Number
DL.60.2630
catalog number
60.2630
accession number
228146
A color print of ponies running in herds on grassy mountain slopes. Their coats are brown, white, back, and bay. Huge boulders and rocky peaks give the environment a rugged appearance.
Description
A color print of ponies running in herds on grassy mountain slopes. Their coats are brown, white, back, and bay. Huge boulders and rocky peaks give the environment a rugged appearance. There are strong contrasts between the light and shade.
The firm of Day and Son was run by Benjamin H. Day and his son Benjamin H. Day Jr. Benjamin Jr. was an artist, illustrator and inventor; born in New York City in 1838. His father was a publisher and Benjamin Jr. began working as a designer in his father’s shop throughout the 1860’s. He exhibited at the National Academy in 1885. Benjamin Jr. died in Summit N.J. in 1916.
Herring, born in London in 1795, was the son of a London merchant of Dutch parentage, who had been born overseas in America. The first eighteen years of Herring's life were spent in London, England, where his greatest interests were drawing and horses. In the year 1814, at the age of 18, he moved to Doncaster in the north of England, arriving in time to witness the Duke of Hamilton's "William" win the St. Leger Stakes horserace. In Doncaster, England, Herring was employed as a painter of inn signs and coach insignia on the sides of coaches, and his later contact with a firm owned by a Mr. Wood led to Herring's subsequent employment as a night coach driver. Herring spent his spare time painting portraits of horses for inn parlors, and he became known as the "artist coachman" (at the time). Herring's talent was recognized by wealthy customers, and he began painting hunters and racehorses for the gentry. In 1845, Herring was appointed Animal Painter to HRH the Duchess of Kent, followed by a subsequent commission from the ruling Queen Victoria, who remained a patron for the rest of his life. A highly successful and prolific artist, Herring ranks along with Sir Edwin Landseer as one of the more eminent animal painters of mid-nineteenth (19th) century Europe. The paintings of Herring were very popular, and many were engraved, including his 33 winners of the St. Leger and his 21 winners of the Derby. Herring exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1818–1865, at the British Institution from 1830–1865, and at the Society of British Artists in 1836-1852, where Herring became Vice-President in 1842.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1855
publisher
Lloyd Brothers
maker
Day & Son
artist
Herring, J.F. Sr.
ID Number
DL.60.3571
catalog number
60.3571
This print is one of fifteen chromolithographs that were included in the 1889-1890 folio "Sport or Fishing and Shooting" published by Bradlee Whidden of Boston and edited by A.C. Gould.
Description (Brief)
This print is one of fifteen chromolithographs that were included in the 1889-1890 folio "Sport or Fishing and Shooting" published by Bradlee Whidden of Boston and edited by A.C. Gould. These prints are based on watercolors that were commissioned for the publication, and illustrated by prominent American artists. Each folio illustration was accompanied by a single leaf of descriptive text followed by an account of the depicted sporting scene. The publication was advertised as having been reviewed for accuracy by a renowned group of anglers and hunters prior to printing.
This print was originally titled and numbered on the text page as 14. [Canada] Goose Shooting. Frederic Remington. Depicted are two hunters with rifles lying on a bank beside a body of water. A dog and two dead geese are lying beside them. Geese are flying in a "V" formation in the distant background.
This print is by well known western artist, Frederick Remington (1861-1909). It is one of his first two prints to be issued in color and was published less than a decade after Remington first traveled to the American West. After Remington died, the print was reissued under the title "Pheasant Shooting."
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1889
publisher; copywriter
Bradlee Whidden
lithographer
Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company
artist
Remington, Frederic
ID Number
DL.60.2728
catalog number
60.2728
accession number
228146
This print is one of fifteen chromolithographs that were included in the 1889-1890 folio "Sport or Fishing and Shooting" published by Bradlee Whidden of Boston and edited by A.C. Gould.
Description (Brief)
This print is one of fifteen chromolithographs that were included in the 1889-1890 folio "Sport or Fishing and Shooting" published by Bradlee Whidden of Boston and edited by A.C. Gould. These prints are based on watercolors that were commissioned for the publication, and illustrated by prominent American artists. Each folio illustration was accompanied by a single leaf of descriptive text followed by an account of the depicted sporting scene. The publication was advertised as having been reviewed for accuracy by a renowned group of anglers and hunters prior to printing.
This print was originally titled and numbered on the text page as 5. Hunting Antelope [i.e. Prong-horn] Frederic Remington. Depicted are two men on barren mesa with the game in the distance. In the foreground, one cowboy is holding a rifle and the reins of his horse while standing near standing near a second saddled and hobbled cow pony. The second hunter is kneeling in the background, shooting at the antelope in the distance.
This print is by well known western artist, Frederick Remington (1861-1909). It is one of his first two prints to be issued in color and was published less than a decade after Remington first traveled to the American West.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1890
publisher; copywriter
Bradlee Whidden
lithographer
Remington, Frederic
maker
Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company
ID Number
DL.60.2732
catalog number
60.2732
accession number
228146
Colored print; combat scene between George Custer's military forces and Indian warriors. Custer is in center foreground on horseback, brandishing a sword at a plumed warrior who holds a tomahawk. Most Indians are armed with rifles. Heavy casualties are depicted on both sides.
Description (Brief)
Colored print; combat scene between George Custer's military forces and Indian warriors. Custer is in center foreground on horseback, brandishing a sword at a plumed warrior who holds a tomahawk. Most Indians are armed with rifles. Heavy casualties are depicted on both sides. Foothills appear in the background.
This is one of the earliest images of the battle and the first lithograph of the event.. Historically inaccurate, it depicts a long haired Custer with his saber, which he did not have with him in the battle. He is not using not a pistol or rifle which he did carry into the battle. The image is full of grand gestures and depictions of glorious death on both sides and unfortuneately added to the Custer mystique and heroic image.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1876
copyright holder
Siefert Gugler & Co.
depicted
Custer, George Armstrong
maker
Milwaukee Lithographic & Engraving Company
designer
Fuchs, Feodor
ID Number
DL.60.2599
catalog number
60.2599
accession number
228146
Colored print of George and Martha Washington on a veranda. In this popular image, he is seated and she stands behind him. A boy (George Washington Parke Custis) and girl (Eleanor Parke Custis) stand at the left. Older girl enters at left with tea service.
Description (Brief)
Colored print of George and Martha Washington on a veranda. In this popular image, he is seated and she stands behind him. A boy (George Washington Parke Custis) and girl (Eleanor Parke Custis) stand at the left. Older girl enters at left with tea service. A large standing globe is in the foreground. This is a copy of the family portrait by Edward Savage which was painted 1789-1796 and published from a mezzotint engraving March 10, 1798.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1869
depicted
Washington, George
Washington, Martha
Custis, George Washington Parke
Custis, Eleanor Parke
maker
H. Schile and Company
originator
Savage, Edward
ID Number
DL.60.2457
catalog number
60.2457
accession number
228146
Colored print of a railroad engine and tender, exhibited behind a brass railing. The engine is labeled "General" and the tender is labeled W & A. R.R.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Colored print of a railroad engine and tender, exhibited behind a brass railing. The engine is labeled "General" and the tender is labeled W & A. R.R.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
n.d.
maker
unknown
ID Number
DL.60.2892
catalog number
60.2892
accession number
228146
Capitalizing on the success of Civil War-related artwork during the 1880s and 90s, the Chicago-based printmakers Louis Kurz and Alexander Allison published a series of 36 battle scenes commemorating famous engagements of the war.
Description
Capitalizing on the success of Civil War-related artwork during the 1880s and 90s, the Chicago-based printmakers Louis Kurz and Alexander Allison published a series of 36 battle scenes commemorating famous engagements of the war. All displayed idealized, panoramic representations of the battles with statistics of the killed and wounded below each image. Kurz and Allison did not consult photography or Civil War historians when designing their prints, instead relying on Kurz’s own first-hand experience as a soldier during the conflict. They included historical inaccuracies and eschewed aesthetic realism to remain true to earlier, pre-photographic lithographic traditions, which preferred bold graphics, black outlines, and figures performing grand, exaggerated gestures.
This chromolithograph depicts the Battle of Lookout Mountain, fought on November 24, 1863, which was part of the Chattanooga Campaign. After supplying the besieged Army of the Cumberland with supplies and reinforcements, he ordered an attack on the Confederate forces led by General Braxton Bragg. The Battle of Lookout Mountain collapsed the Confederate left flank, allowing the Union to claim victory in the Campaign. After its defeat, the Confederacy had lost its last significant hold on Tennessee, opening the South for further-reaching Union invasions. The print depicts Union forces climbing the mountain towards entrenched Confederate riflemen who fire down upon them. A number of Union soldiers already lay dead or wounded.
Louis Kurz was a mural and scene painter before the Civil War, explaining the mural-like format of the images. His illustrations also appear to have been inspired by cycloramas, which were popular at the time, such as Paul Philippoteaux’s Gettysburg Cyclorama. Kurz was an Austrian immigrant who settled in Chicago during the 1850s, where he formed a partnership with Henry Seifert of Milwaukee. He later fought for the Union Army during the Civil War. After the conflict, he co-founded the Chicago Lithographic Company. When the company’s assets were destroyed during the Chicago Fire of 1871, Kurz started a new business with his partner, financial backer, and business manager, Alexander Allison.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1889
depicted
Hooker, Joseph
maker
Kurz & Allison-Art Studio
ID Number
DL.60.2632
catalog number
60.2632
accession number
228146
Colored lithographic print commemorating the death of Robert Emmet, for leading an 1803 uprising in Dublin. The Goddess of Liberty stands on a tomb holding the hearts of murdered patriots in her hand.
Description (Brief)
Colored lithographic print commemorating the death of Robert Emmet, for leading an 1803 uprising in Dublin. The Goddess of Liberty stands on a tomb holding the hearts of murdered patriots in her hand. To the right is the Figure of Death attacking Lord Norbury, the judge who sentenced Emmet for High Treason. The Scales of Justice lie broken by his side. To the left of the tomb is a representation of the Maid of Erin weeping over murdered Innocence (two children). Beneath the image is the text of Robert Emmet's speech delivered at trial.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
n.d.
depicted
Emmet, Robert
publisher; distributor
Smith, William
depicted
Norbury, Lord
maker
Schnabel & Finkeldey
ID Number
DL.60.2412
catalog number
60.2412
accession number
228146
This print depicts American forces attacking the fortress palace of Chapultepec on Sept. 13th, 1847. General Winfield Scott, on a white horse (lower left), led the southern division of the U.S. Army that successfully captured Mexico City during the Mexican American War.
Description
This print depicts American forces attacking the fortress palace of Chapultepec on Sept. 13th, 1847. General Winfield Scott, on a white horse (lower left), led the southern division of the U.S. Army that successfully captured Mexico City during the Mexican American War. The outcome of American victory was the loss of Mexico's northern territories, from California to New Mexico, by the terms set in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. It should be noted that the two countries ratified different versions of the same peace treaty, with the United States ultimately eliminating provisions for honoring the land titles of its newly absorbed Mexican citizens. Despite notable opposition to the war from Americans like Abraham Lincoln, John Quincy Adams, and Henry David Thoreau, the Mexican-American War proved hugely popular. The United States' victory boosted American patriotism and the country's belief in Manifest Destiny.
This large chromolithograph was first distributed in 1848 by Nathaniel Currier of Currier and Ives, who served as the "sole agent." The lithographers, Sarony & Major of New York (1846-1857) copied it from a painting by "Walker." While the current location of that painting is unknown, when the print was created, the painting was owned by Captain B. S. Roberts of the Mounted Rifles, as indicated by an inscription below the image.
The original artist has previously been incorrectly attributed to William Aiken Walker as well as Henry A. Walke, as both worked at various times with Currier. The artist of the original painting however is James Walker (1819-1889), who created the "Battle of Chapultepec" 1857-1862 for the U.S. Capitol. This image differs from the painting commissioned for the U. S. Capitol by depicting the troops in regimented battle lines with General Scott in a more prominent position in the foreground. Variant copies of the image from different viewpoints were painted by Walker. James Walker was living in Mexico City at the outbreak of the Mexican War and joined the American forces as an interpreter. Attached to General Worth's staff, he was present at the battles of Contreras, Churubusco, and at Chapultepec was tasked as the artist. Captain Benjamin Stone Roberts, an engineer, was assigned by General Winfield Scott to assist Walker with recreating the details of the battle of Chapultepec. Roberts is depicted in the painting as leading the storming. When the painting was complete, Roberts purchased a copy of the painting for $250.00 (documented in letters and a diary). Captain George T. M. Davis, aide-de-camp to Generals Quitman and Shields also purchased a copy of the painting by Walker, in Mexico City, which was publicized in newspapers and made into a print. By 1848, James Walker had returned to a New York City studio in the same neighborhood as the print's distributor Nathaniel Currier and lithographers Napoleon Sarony and Henry B. Major.
This popular lithograph was one of several published to visually document the war while engaging the imagination of the public. Created prior to photography, these prints were meant to inform the public, while generally eliminating the portrayal of more gory details. Historians have been able to use at least some prints of the Mexican War for study and corroborate with the traditional literary forms of documentation. As an eyewitness, both Walke and Walker could claim accuracy of detail within the narrative. The battle is presented in the grand, historic, heroic style with the brutality of war not portrayed. The print depiction is quite large for a chromo of the period. In creating the chromolithographic interpretation of the painting, Sarony & Major used at least four large stones to produce the print "in colours," making the most of their use of color. They also defined each figure with precision by outlining each in black. This print was considered by expert/collector Harry T. Peters as one of the finest ever produced by Sarony & Major.
Description (Spanish)
Este grabado ilustra a las fuerzas americanas atacando la fortaleza del palacio de Chapultepec el 13 de septiembre de 1847. El General Winfield Scott, representado en la esquina inferior izquierda montando un caballo blanco, condujo la división sureña del ejército estadounidense que tomó con éxito la ciudad de México durante la guerra mexicoamericana. El resultado de la victoria americana se tradujo en la pérdida para México de los territorios al norte del país, desde California hasta Nuevo México. Estos términos quedaron establecidos en el tratado de Guadalupe Hidalgo. Debe observarse que las dos naciones ratificaron diferentes versiones del mismo tratado de paz, con los Estados Unidos eliminando en última instancia cláusulas que reconocían títulos territoriales a los ciudadanos mexicanos recientemente asimilados. A pesar de la notable oposición de los americanos a la guerra, como Abraham Lincoln, John Quincy Adams y Henry David Thoreau, la Guerra Mexicoamericana evidenció ser considerablemente popular. La victoria de los Estados Unidos reforzó el patriotismo americano y la fe del país en el Destino Manifiesto.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1848
associated date
1847-09-13
distributor
Currier, Nathaniel
depicted
Scott, Winfield
lithographer
Sarony & Major
artist
Walker, James
ID Number
DL.60.2602
catalog number
60.2602
accession number
228146
Colored print of hunter and his dog. The hunter is loading his rifle and looking over his shoulder at a woodcock that is flying away.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Colored print of hunter and his dog. The hunter is loading his rifle and looking over his shoulder at a woodcock that is flying away.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1880
copyright holder
Zink, C. H.
maker
Earle, L. C.
ID Number
DL.60.2678
catalog number
60.2678
accession number
228146
Color print of a sailing ship with three masts. Information about the ship is below the image.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Color print of a sailing ship with three masts. Information about the ship is below the image.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
n.d.
maker
Ketterlinus
ID Number
DL.60.3284
catalog number
60.3284
Colored print of two men in a boat amongst reeds and lily pads. One stands in the front of the boat firing at a bird, the other stands at the rear, poling.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Colored print of two men in a boat amongst reeds and lily pads. One stands in the front of the boat firing at a bird, the other stands at the rear, poling.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1866
maker
Sinclair, Thomas
ID Number
DL.60.2797
catalog number
60.2797
accession number
228146
This colored print depicts an outdoor scene of an overturned coach, with a horse galloping away while four passengers lie on the ground or stand nearby. One of the passenger’s legs is pinned under the coach and he is crying out.
Description
This colored print depicts an outdoor scene of an overturned coach, with a horse galloping away while four passengers lie on the ground or stand nearby. One of the passenger’s legs is pinned under the coach and he is crying out. Two policemen and a woman in a knee length skirt are coming to the rescue on the left while three men, one with a leather satchel (maybe a medical bag?) are conversing on the right. The snow-covered Alps can be seen in the background, and a two-story stone house with a balcony appears on the left. Beneath the picture are the words, “The greatest success in New York this season. / Having been played there one hundred and twenty-five nights.” A datebill or label indicating the theater and dates of the performance is pasted across the bottom margin.
The Park Theater was built in 1798 on Park Row in Manhattan and was New York City’s premiere performance space in the early 19th Century. It attracted a diverse audience with each class sitting in its preferred section. Working class men sat in the pit; members of the upper class and women in the boxes, and the less affluent, including immigrants, people of color, and prostitutes sat in the balcony.
The Hanlon brothers—Thomas (1833-1868), George (1840-1926), William (1842-1923), Alfred (1844-1886), Edward (1846-1931) and adopted sibling Frederick (1848-1886)— were acrobats and theatrical producers. Le Voyage en Suisse was one of their most successful stage shows. They were born in Manchester, England, where their father worked as a theatrical manager and the oldest brother Thomas began his theatrical career at age four. His siblings soon began performing gymnastic stunts as well, and they eventually united into an act called the Hanlon-Lees in honor of their gymnastics teacher John Lees. The brothers toured the world in the decades the followed, becoming especially well known for a daring stunt that involved swinging from three trapezes placed across the ceiling of the auditorium. They have been credited with introducing the trapeze and the velocipede to American audiences. They also invented the aerial safety net after Thomas Hanlon suffered a devastating fall that led to his suicide.
In 1870, the Hanlons began new careers as producers in Paris, devising lavish productions that combined comedy, pantomime, dance, and illusion. Le Voyage en Suisse, which made its debut in 1879, was their first full-length pantomime. The story of a young man whose fiancé is taken off to Switzerland by an older man, it was a mix of slapstick comedy, juggling, and bold feats of physical daring; in one scene a performer fell through two stories and landed on a banquet table. The production also featured extravagant special effects like a collapsing stagecoach and an exploding train. The Hanlon brothers eventually settled in the United States, where in 1914 one of their last pantomime extravaganzas, Fantasma, was made into a film for inventor Thomas Edison's motion picture company. Their children carried on the family tradition with vaudeville acts that contained portions of the original family pantomimes. The Hanlons have been credited with exerting a major influence on American musical comedy, vaudeville, circus acts, and film, including the works of the Marx Brothers and The Three Stooges.
The name of the artist and printing company is obscured beneath the theater bill pasted on the bottom of the print, advertising the location and date of performance. Forbes Manufacturing is known to have published this theater poster and two others advertising this production. The Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company was founded by William H. Forbes (ca 1836-1915), who 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.
The artist is probably Joseph E. Baker as this work is consistent with his style. Joseph Edwin Baker (1837-1914) was a lithographer, cartoonist and pencil portraitist who became especially well known for an 1860 portrait of Abraham Lincoln. He began his printing career as an apprentice at J. H. Bufford & Co. in 1857, and eventually became John Bufford’s principal draftsman and illustrator of sheet music. During the Civil War, Baker produced political cartoons and lithographs for Bufford. He also did playbills and advertisements for the Forbes Company. Baker later worked for Armstrong & Company, remaining active until 1888.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
n.d.
date made
ca 1881
printer
Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company
ID Number
DL.60.3051
catalog number
60.3051
accession number
228146
When Congress authorized a 500,000 man army to put down the Southern insurrection, Northern men enthusiastically responded to its call for volunteers.
Description
When Congress authorized a 500,000 man army to put down the Southern insurrection, Northern men enthusiastically responded to its call for volunteers. Northern men enlisted for a variety of causes: to seek adventure, to prove their manhood, to fulfil a duty to state or country, because of their religious beliefs, or because their friends, family, and community-members had volunteered. As an added incentive to enlist, Congress authorized a bounty system, which offered additional cash payments to men who volunteered. While the Confederacy also attempted to establish a bounty system, the extremely low value of Confederate currency made it much less of an incentive to Southern volunteers. The federal government paid a bounty of $100 to those who enlisted for three years in July of 1861, and after the Enrollment Act of 1863, this increased to $300 for three-year recruits and $400 for those who enlisted for five years. $100 during the war had the same buying power as about $2,700 today, which provided enough incentive for soldiers to enlist. Even with the bounty, however, pay in the Union Army was still usually less than average yearly incomes. This often placed hardship on families back home, whose primary financial support was off at war. As the war dragged on into 1863, however, patriotism and bounties were not enough to recruit the necessary manpower to wage war, and Congress passed the controversial Enrollment Act, which authorized a military draft.
This print depicts three Union volunteers, two soldiers and one sailor, gesturing upwards toward an enormous American flag. This wartime, patriotic image was surely created to attract more potential volunteers to the Union cause. It was designed by James Fuller Queen, a pioneering chromolithographer active in Philadelphia, who served in a Civil War militia between 1862 and 1863. It was printed by P.S. Duval & Son. Peter S. Duval, a French-born lithographer, was hired by Cephas G. Childs in 1831 to work for the firm of Childs & Inman in Philadelphia. Duval formed a partnership with George Lehman, and Lehman & Duval took over the business of Childs & Inman in 1835. From 1839 to 1843, Duval was part of the lithography and publishing house, Huddy & Duval. He established his own lithography firm in 1843, and was joined by his son, Stephen Orr Duval, in 1858.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1861
maker
P.S. Duval & Son Lith.
artist
Queen, James
ID Number
DL.60.3324
catalog number
60.3324
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1890
depicted
Jackson, Andrew
maker
Kurz & Allison-Art Studio
ID Number
DL.60.2629
catalog number
60.2629
accession number
228146
Colored print of twelve men gathered in a gothic-paneled room around an oval table covered with a gold-fringed green cloth. Some are seated, others are standing.
Description (Brief)
Colored print of twelve men gathered in a gothic-paneled room around an oval table covered with a gold-fringed green cloth. Some are seated, others are standing. The men are identified as, Daniel O'Connell, Edmund Burke, Marshall Patrick Scarsfield, Henry Grattan, Oliver Goldsmith, Theobald Wolfetone, Robert Emmet, Gerald Griffin, John Philpot Curran, John Fox, Thomas Moore, and Major General Owen Roe O'Neil.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1870
maker
Schile, Henry
ID Number
DL.60.2459
catalog number
60.2459
accession number
228146
Colored print (proof before letters with a color chart below image) of a baseball game in progress. The baseball diamond is enclosed by a wooden fence and spectators stand on a hill in the background, outside the fence.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Colored print (proof before letters with a color chart below image) of a baseball game in progress. The baseball diamond is enclosed by a wooden fence and spectators stand on a hill in the background, outside the fence.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
n.d.
maker
unknown
ID Number
DL.60.2811
catalog number
60.2811
accession number
228146
Color print of a bay trotting horse (Hambeltonian) standing in a stable with wood floor. A man with a long white beard (William M. Rysdyk) stands in front of him.
Description (Brief)
Color print of a bay trotting horse (Hambeltonian) standing in a stable with wood floor. A man with a long white beard (William M. Rysdyk) stands in front of him. "Hambeltonian" is written on a blanket on the floor beside him.
Description
A color print of a bay trotting stallion with powerful chest muscles and a narrow sensitive face standing in his finely built stable. It has a plank floor, plastered walls, and built-in water and hay troughs. His owner is a middle-aged man with a long, white beard, wearing stylish informal dress of a maroon sport jacket and white pants, and he is smoking a cigar.
Hambletonian was bred in Sugar Loaf, NY on May 5, 1849 by Jonas Seely. He was registered as Hambletonian 10 but commonly known as Rysdyk’s Hambletonian, named after the British thoroughbred of the same name. His dam was the Charles Kent Mare, or “Kent Mare”, a descendant of the Norfolk Trotter breed known for its smooth gate; and his sire, Abdullah was known for being both mean and ugly, and had been bought for only $5. Nevertheless, William Rysdyk, one of the farm hands, purchased Hambletonian for $125. Hambletonian’s unusual build allowed for his long hind legs that were the key to his success, providing more length for every push. His first race took place at the Orange County Fair in Goshen, NY and immediately stirred public attention for his appearance and his competition with his half-brother Abdallah Chief. The rivalry was finally settled in 1852 at the Union Course on Long Island when Hambletonian trotted the mile in 2:48 ¼ seconds, a full seven seconds before Abdallah Chief. Rysdyk put Hambletonian to stud for the first time at age two, when he mated with four mares for $25 a mating. During the height of his career, Hambletonian earned $500 per mating, and his Rysdyk’s total stud earnings came to $200,000. Hambletonian fathered 1,331 foals with 1,900 mares by the end of his life on March 27, 1876, and at least 40 of his progeny were able to trot the mile in less than 2:30. Hambletonian’s blood runs through most of today’s Standardbred trotters and several Morgans, earning him the title of “Father of the American Trotter.” He was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame as an “Immortal” in 1953 and the prestigious harness race, the Hambletonian Stakes, is named after him.
Henry C. Eno was a New York City lithographer and publisher, operating under his own name between 1863-1869, and as the firm Thomas and Eno (a partnership with Henry A. Thomas) prior to that from 1862-1864. Eno was born in Connecticut in 1828, and was married to Caroline Eno. He left New York City for Orangetown, Rockland, New York where he died in the early 1900’s.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1866
maker
Eno, Henry C.
original artist
Wright, James H.
artist
Geissler, L.
ID Number
DL.60.3544
catalog number
60.3544

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.