Camp meetings were a popular form of Protestant worship throughout the 19th century. Lasting several days, these open-air events often involved ecstatic communal prayer. Hundreds and even thousands came from miles around for preaching and worship, and to enjoy the festival-like atmosphere. In this hand colored print a large crowd in a clearing in the woods. The foreground scene depicts a quiet, peaceful group of men, women, and in this print two boys. A Black couple are depicted in the lower right near the two children. There is a muzzled dog depicted in the lower left. Some sedately sit on benches, while others kneel on the ground in prayer, stroll about in conversation, or stand listening to a minister. The minister with five men standing behind him is preaching from a covered platform on the left side of the print. This platform is a wood box-like structure, open halfway from the men's waists to the roof to form a commanding pulpit. In the background under a copse of tall trees and a jewel toned teal blue sky are several white tents with numbers and letters listed on them, and one lists Brooklyn No. 5, another A.R. No2. These presumably correspond with congregations from various locations.
The print was drawn by artist/lithographer Edward Williams Clay and printed and published in 1836 by Henry R. Robinson. Edward Williams Clay (1799-1857) came from a large, well off Philadelphia family. He began working as a political caricaturist in 1828 and was throughout his artistic career an engraver, lithographer, etcher, and portrait painter. Before his career as an artist began in earest Clay was admitted to the Philadelphia Bar, but quickly left to pursue art, first in Philadelphia starting in 1819 and then in in New York City. His step-father, who was a jeweler and silversmith appears to have fostered his artistic nature in design.Clay and Robinson specialized in political caricatures particularly Major Jack Downing,.in theater portraits, and sheet music. By the mid 1830's he was working in New York and partnering frequently with Henry R. Pobinson, who published much of his work through 1838 and then from 1843-1856. He worked with John Childs from 1838-1844. After losing his eyesight, he retired from art and held minor office in Delaware before his death in December of 1857.
Henry R. Robinson, was a caricaturist and lithographer in New York City. He was listed as a carver and gilder from 1833-34, as a caricaturist from 1836-43 and as a lithographer and print publisher from 1843-51, though he published Edward Williams Clay's work often from 1834-1856. Henry Robinson was known for political prints that championed the causes of the Whig Party (which later merged with the Republican Party) and satirized the opposing Democratic Party. New York state historian Peter C. Welsh has called Henry Robinson the "Printmaker to the Whig Party".
This black and white print is an allegorical representation of the path to eternal damnation. It depicts a city, "The City of Corruption," surrounded by erupting volcanoes, with a fiery, roiling lake in the foreground. The path of damnation is crowded with people walking toward the lake, while some are tumbling into it. A placid river, calm ocean and setting (rising?) sun are in the background, representing God's love and salvation. The image is keyed, with numbers corresponding to the text below.
This print was produced by Endicott and Company, the successor to the New York firm of Geo. & Wm. Endicott Lithographers. George (1802-1848) and William Endicott (1816-1851) were born in Canton, Massachusetts. George Endicott began working as a lithographer in New York in 1828. He partnered with Moses Swett in the company Endicott & Swett from 1830 to 1834. William Endicott joined the company in 1841. Following George Endicott's death in 1848, the firm continued operating as William Endicott & Co. Francis Endicott (born ca. 1834) worked at the company from 1852 to 1886 and George Endicott, Jr. ran the firm from 1887 to 1891.
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 full length colored portrait is of a young woman standing by a window. Behind the woman is a table with a vase of flowers framed by floral drapery and on a patterned carpet. The woman is wearing a pink and white dress with flowing sleeves, a bracelet on both arms and a necklace. The scene through the window depicts a fenced in house and a sailboat on a river.
This print was produced by James S Baillie, who 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.
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 is of a dark haired young woman seated with her hands folded on a book resting on the arm of the chair. The portrait is in a rectangular frame with decorative oval cartouche featuring flowers in four corners. The woman is wearing a simple red dress, two necklaces and a bracelet.
This print was produced by James S Baillie, who 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.
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 portrait is of a young dark haired woman standing indoors. She is looking over her left shoulder as she leafs through a book which rests on an ornate table along with a vase of flowers. The woman is wearing a white dress, a necklace and three gold bracelets. In the background is red drapery with gold fringe and patterned wallpaper.
This print was produced by James S Baillie, who 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.
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 full length hand colored portrait print is of a little boy and girl standing outdoors while holding hands. There is grape arbor in the background that is supporting vines that surround the pair. There are roses in the background. Both the boy and the girl are in simple clothing: the girl is wearing a red and white dress while the boy is wearing a blue shirt with white pants; both their outfits have a bow on the chest.
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.
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 sentimental, outdoor scene depicting a young girl standing at water's edge. Next to her is a dog leaning over the water, sniffing a floating black hat. She is wearing a plain clothing. A thatched-roof clapboard house and rocky coastline is in the background. The reference to the fisherman in the title, and the black hat floating in the water may allude to a fisherman lost at sea-perhaps the girl's father.
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.
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 a full length portrait of a young dark haired woman. She is seated indoors in a blue upholstered chair, holding a handkerchief in one hand and looking at an oval miniature in her other hand. Behind her is a window with a blue drape,a patterned wall and carpet, and a vase of flowers on the table with a patterned tablecloth.
This print was produced by James S Baillie, who 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 is of a young woman holding a portrait of a man. The black and white scenes in each corner of the print depict the woman’s marriage, her husband's departure for service, a battle scene and the husbands return to his wife. The woman is seated in a simple upholstered chair in front of a window with drapery in the background. The woman wears a pink dress with a brooch.
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.
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 man and woman seated on either side of a bed in which a woman in bedclothes reclines. Furnishings include a bed with pillows and skirt, stool with twisted legs, drapery, patterned carpet, wallpaper and a dresser with a mirror.
Henry R. Robinson was a caricaturist, lithographer, print publisher and retailer active in New York City from 1833 until 1851. He was well known as a political cartoonist and was politically affiliated with the anti-Jackson Whig party. He advertised his affiliation with a wig silhouette which he used as an advertising logo for his shop in New York City. Like many of his contemporaries, he mentored other lithographers, including Napoleon Sarony. In 1842 he was arrested for selling obscene pictures and books. His Sept 29, 1842 court case of People vs. H.R. Robinson in New York City can be found in the District Attorney Indictment Papers in the Municipal Archives.
This colored print depicts an outdoor scene in which tree trunks spell out the word "FRAYNE." Various figures surrounding the word; some are rescuing people, some are performing stunts with guns, others are being executed as an example of frontier justice. In addition to the words “The Great Kentucky Rifle Team,” the print contains a caption reading “The Great Sensation of the Age” at the top and “Chas. A. Wing / Business Manager” at the bottom. The word “Champions” is printed vertically on the left side and “Of the World” runs vertically along the right.
Frank I. Frayne (1839-1891) was an actor and expert marksman born in Danville, Kentucky. He got his start as an actor performing on stages in Cincinnati, Ohio and New Orleans, Louisiana. After the Civil War he headed to the mining regions of the American West, where he became an expert shooter. When he returned to the East, he formed a rifle team and began presenting shows that combined shooting tricks with animal stunts involving dogs, ponies, a bear, a lion and hyenas. One of his most famous presentations was Si Slocum, in which he portrayed a ranch proprietor locked in a vicious battle to keep his land. Frayne used live ammunition for his tricks, which included shooting a pipe out of a ranch hand's mouth, extinguishing a candle with a gunshot, and shooting an apple off another performer's head while standing backwards and sighting his target with a mirror. His act went tragically wrong during an 1882 performance in Cincinnati, Ohio, when Frayne shot and killed his fiancé and partner in a William Tell type performance, actress Annie Von Behren (1857-1882). He claimed his rifle accidentally discharged, and he was absolved of responsibility for the death when an examination of his three foot long single breechloading rifle proved the firearm was damaged and not firing properly.
Charles W. Wing was buisness manager for the Frank Frayne Combination in the 1870's and 1880s.
This lithograph was produced by the Metropolitan Printing Company and E. Rothengatter. Emil Rothengatter (1848-1939) was a German-born artist and designer of circus posters who worked in cities including Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1896 he won a contest to design the flag of Cincinnati for a work he called “Zero of Burnet Woods.” However, controversy over whether Cincinnati should have a flag delayed the design’s formal adoption until 1940. Emil Rothengatter also wrote a book entitled Art of Poster Making in the United States, published in 1911. He died in New York.
This black and white lithograph depicts a central scene of an interior with a woman wearing a veil, collapsed in an armchair. Two men standing near her appear to be arguing. The central scene rests on an easel and is surrounded by four vignettes, with a circular bust portrait of Bartley Campbell at the top center. The complicated plot involves the betrayal of a well-born woman by her artist husband and her ultimate vindication and revenge.
The names of two actors, Frank Evans and J. J. Sullivan, have been added in colored lettering on the left and right margins. An early playbill contains the names of these actors as cast members for performances of The Galley Slave at Haverly’s Theatre in New York in 1880. The Galley Slave was made into a 1915 film starring Theda Bara.
Bartley T. Campbell (1843-1888), was a journalist, novelist, poet, dramatist, and theatrical manager. He was born to Irish immigrant parents in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and began his writing career at age 15 as a reporter for the Pittsburgh Post . He also worked for newspapers in Louisville, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio, and founded the Southern Monthly Magazine in New Orleans, Louisiana. After the success of his first melodrama, Through Fire , in 1871, Campbell gave up journalism for playwrighting and experimented with everything from comedies to domestic dramas to military sagas. Several of his works, including The White Slave , focused on racial themes and the plight of mixed race characters. Another of his plays, Siberia , featured many prominent actors of the day and toured in England, Australia, and New Zealand. After an 1876 trip to London, Bartley Campbell began to write the western dramas for which he became especially famous, including The Vigilantes , or, The Heart of the Sierras . He has been described as America's first "first fully professional dramatist" ( The Oxford Companion to American Theatre ), and he also produced and directed plays. Later in life Bartley Campbell suffered from financial and mental problems and died at the State Hospital for the Insane in Middletown, New York.
This lithograph was produced by Henry Atwell Thomas (1834-1904). He was an artist, portrait painter, and lithographer especially well known for his theatrical portraits. His New York firm was called H. A. Thomas Lith. Studio until 1887, when it became H. A. Thomas & Wylie Lithographic (sometimes cited as Lithography or Lithographing) Company.
This black and white print contains oval bust portraits of three men, along with three smaller heads of black cherubs with wings, a pan flute, and a lyre. Overprinted directly onto the poster in blue ink is the advertisement of the location and dates of some performances. The notification printed on top in blue reads: “Newark Opera House, Saturday, June 1st / Birch, Wambold & Backus.” Below the portraits is the statement “San Francisco Minstrels from their / Opera House Broadway & 29th Street, New York, ” which was designed to convey Broadway legitimacy on a trio from New York and New Jersey that first established themselves on the west coast.
Charles Backus (1831-1883), Billy Birch (1831-1897), and D. S. Wambold (1836-1889) belonged to a performing group called the San Francisco Minstrels that was founded in San Francisco in the mid-1860s, in part to make fun of what they viewed as the elitist tastes of San Francisco opera and serious drama fans. They went on to appear on New York-area stages for the next two decades, becoming one of the highest paid minstrel groups of their time. Like other minstrel performers, they performed in blackface and parodied what was considered in the period stereotypical African-American mannerisms and behavior, but they also poked fun at the social and political mores of white society. These performers were said to be a favorite of American author Mark Twain.
Charles Backus was born in Rochester, New York, and moved to San Francisco, California, in 1852. He performed with minstrel groups and circuses in countries around the world, including England, Australia, Egypt, India, and China, before helping form the San Francisco Minstrels with Birch and Wambold in 1864. Known as a talented mimic, his specialties included social parody and imitations of popular actors.
William Birch was a comedian born in Utica, New York, who began appearing in small town minstrel shows in his early teens. He crisscrossed the United States performing with various minstrel groups before helping establish the San Francisco Minstrels, where he was celebrated for his originality and clever word play.
David S. Wambold was born in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. He joined a small minstrel group when he was just 13 years old and toured with other shows in the United States and Europe before helping form the San Francisco Minstrels. His tenor voice made him one of the most highly praised ballad singers of his time.
This lithograph was produced by Henry Atwell Thomas. Henry Atwell Thomas (1834-1904) was an artist, portrait painter, and lithographer especially well known for his theatrical portraits. His New York firm was called H. A. Thomas Lith. Studio until 1887, when it became H. A. Thomas & Wylie Lithographic (sometimes cited as Lithography or Lithographing) Company.
This black and white print depicts a man, Joseph K. Emmet, in the center scene giving a child a piggyback ride. Two men and two women look on. In each of the four corners there are bust portraits of Emmet in familiar roles. A banner across the bottom proclaims: “Pronounced by press and public to be the best drama Mr. Emmet has ever appeared in.” The top edge of a handbill is pasted to the bottom. It has been cut off but someone has written on it "Grand" (maybe in pencil?)
Joseph Klein (frequently spelled Kline) “Fritz” Emmet (1841-1891) was a singer and comedian born in St. Louis, Missouri. He was drawn to the stage after apprenticing with a sign maker who also created sets for local playhouses. At around age 17 he began working as a snare drummer for Joseph Escher’s orchestra. He also showed a talent for yodeling and soon got a job with a local minstrel show. Moving on to New York, he appeared with Dan Bryant’s Minstrels, a German blackface group, and then in variety shows. Over time he developed a character called "Dutch," who wore wooden shoes and a cap and sang in fractured English. In 1870, Emmet made his debut in the role that would turn him into one of the most successful performers of his time, as the lead in Fritz, Our Cousin German. Portraying a young man seeking his long-lost sister, with a signature song called “Emmet’s Lullaby,” he appeared as Fritz on stages throughout the United States and Europe for the rest of his life. His other roles included Carl, the Fiddler (1871) Max, the Merry Swiss Boy (1873), and Fritz in Ireland (1879). His appeal was enhanced by his dancing skills, his mastery of musical instruments like the guitar, violin, and harmonica, his Irish tenor voice, and his personal charm. Emmet also became celebrated for the eccentric mansion he built on 15 acres overlooking the Hudson River near Albany, New York. "Fritz Villa," as it came to be known, featured an eclectic mix of towers, gables, stained glass windows--even a windmill--and was influenced by Emmet's exposure to various architectural styles during his travels through Europe. Unfortunately, by 1890 Emmet was having sobriety issues. He divorced his wife in 1891, became engaged to his leading lady, and died shortly after.
This lithograph was produced by Henry Atwell Thomas (1834-1904) who was an artist, portrait painter, and lithographer especially well known for his theatrical portraits. His New York firm was called H. A. Thomas Lith. Studio until 1887, when it became H. A. Thomas & Wylie Lithographic (sometimes cited as Lithography or Lithographing) Company.
A color print of a track filled with race horses being ridden hard by jockeys. The spectators behind the railing are very fashionably dressed. A woman in a long blue gown and red cape and hat is escorted by a man in a black jacket and high hat. The other men wear vests, white shirts, bow ties, caps, and trousers. The jockeys wear jodhpurs, colorful jackets, and caps.
Saratoga Race Course is located in Saratoga Springs, New York, a neighbor to the area’s famous mineral springs. It is the oldest racetrack left in the United States and considered possibly the oldest sporting venue in the country. Beginning in 1847 it hosted Standardbred trotting races before reopening across the street. The first Thoroughbred race took place on August 3, 1863, a day after the Battle of Gettysburg. It was organized by boxer and future Congressman John “Old Smoke” Morrissey drawing thousands of locals and tourists wanting to see Lizzie W. defeat Captain Moore in the best-of-three series of races. New York’s prohibition on gambling put a stop to the races in 1911 and 1912, but very few other exceptions have historically stopped the races, which have been held almost every year since opening. The first betting machines were installed there in 1940. The population of Saratoga Springs still triples to 75,000 when the racing season begins in the summer and the opening meet has been extended from four days to forty.
Heinrich or Henry Schile’s was a lithographer and publisher in New York in the 1870’s, listed on Division Street. Though his works often were German in source or character, and often bore titles in foreign languages, it was for the convenience of immigrants and invariably and outrageously were crude in conception, composition, and drawing; yet, Schile’s prints are undoubtedly American in spirit. Schile vividly represented the melting pot mentality of the US. Schile played to his audiences’ desires for history of the new country they had immigrated to; from personifications of America, to the races in Saratoga. Schile’s patrons were mostly immigrants and he created specific works from them, from German inspired to Jewish religious prints. His most frequent and popular works were his gaudy sentimentals which were to the New York tenements what the Kellogg sentimentals were to the white New Englanders.
Schile’s works were often large in quantity and were often on heavy black paper; though the paper often ranged from the thinnest to the very thickest. Notable to Peter’s was that the coloring was very crude in many of the prints.
This black and white print depicts a man recoiling in alarm with his arms raised standing over a girl who is kneeling. She is dressed in a peasant costume, likely German, and appears to be overcome with emotion. In the background, a man takes advantage of the commotion to sneak away with an infant in his arms. Beneath the title, “J. K. Emmet’s ‘New Fritz’” is the statement: “Pronounced by press and public to be the best drama Mr. Emmet has ever appeared in.” The words "Opera House" are printed on a torn top half of a handbill which is pasted across the bottom margin.
Joseph Klein (frequently spelled Kline) “Fritz” Emmet (1841-1891) was a singer and comedian born in St. Louis, Missouri. He was drawn to the stage after apprenticing with a sign maker who also created sets for local playhouses. At around age 17 he began working as a snare drummer for Joseph Escher’s orchestra. He also showed a talent for yodeling and soon got a job with a local minstrel show. Moving on to New York, he appeared with Dan Bryant’s Minstrels, a German blackface group, and then in variety shows. Over time he developed a character called "Dutch," who wore wooden shoes and a cap and sang in fractured English. In 1870 Emmet made his debut in the role that would turn him into one of the most successful performers of his time, as the lead in Fritz, Our Cousin German. Portraying a young man seeking his lost sister, with a signature song called “Emmet’s Lullaby,” he appeared as Fritz on stages throughout the United States and Europe for the rest of his life. His other roles included Carl, the Fiddler (1871), Max, the Merry Swiss Boy (1873), and Fritz in Ireland (1879).
His appeal was enhanced by his dancing skills, his mastery of musical instruments like the guitar, violin, and harmonica, his Irish tenor voice, and his personal charm. Emmet also became celebrated for the eccentric mansion he built on 15 acres overlooking the Hudson River near Albany, New York. "Fritz Villa," as it came to be known, featured an eclectic mix of towers, gables, stained glass windows--even a windmill--and was influenced by Emmet's exposure to various architectural styles during his travels through Europe. Unfortunately, by 1890 Emmet was having sobriety issues. He divorced his wife in 1891, became engaged to his leading lady, and died shortly after.
This lithograph was produced by Henry Atwell Thomas (1834-1904) who was an artist, portrait painter, and lithographer especially well known for his theatrical portraits. His New York firm was called H. A. Thomas Lith. Studio until 1887, when it became H. A. Thomas & Wylie Lithographic (sometimes cited as Lithography or Lithographing) Company.
Colored print of a little boy in a blue sailor suit and yellow brimmed hat, hoisting an American flag from the deck of an ocean ship. An anchor and an axe lie at his feet.