History of Philadelphia, 1609-1884, Part 51

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn; Westcott, Thompson, 1820-1888, joint author
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L. H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 992

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1 As already shown, the first mezzotinto portrait of Washington, by Charles W l'eale, was published In August, 1780.

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plates. Such rapidity is incompatible with his pres- ent method of procedure, in which the mezzotinto is made to form the smallest portion of the process. All the plates referred to so far were for books; we will now turn to more important works.

His large framing prints, too, are quite numerous, several of them as much as three feet in length ; but to attempt only a mere catalogue would occupy much space. Prominent among them are "Christ Rejected," after West; "The Iron-worker and King Solomon," after Schussele ; " Civil War in Missouri," after Bingham; "Homestead of Henry Clay," after Hamilton ; "John Knox and Mary, Queen of Scots," after Leutze ; "Men of Progress, American Inven- tors," after Schussele; "The County Election in Missouri," after Bingham ; " Zeisberger Preaching to the Indians at Gosgoshunk," after Schussele ; " The Battle of Gettysburg," after Rothermel (this last a work of enormous labor), and many others.

Much of his time and attention has been given to numerous associations in which he held membership. As a controller of the Artists' Fund Society, from 1835 on, he was always an active member of exhibition and other committees, and filled successively all the offices in its gift from president down. For twenty- three years as director of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, he was its most active laborer, first under the presidency of Henry D. Gilpin, then under that of Caleb Cope, and lastly under that of James L. Claghorn. During his travels in Europe, undertaken for his own pleasure and study, he saw personally the honorary members of the institution, and delivered to them their diplomas ; this in Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, Holland, England, and Scotland, and availed himself of the opportunity thus afforded of making better known and appreciated the oldest academy of the fine arts in the United States. In many other prominent institutions of Philadelphia he has been a manager or director, and vice- president of the School of Design for Women, having positively declined the presidency of it, which was tendered him. Many years ago he was elected an honorary member of an art society in Amsterdam, entitled the " Arti et Amicitia." In addition to many medals received from different quarters, the king of Italy conferred on him the title of Cavaliere, with a decoration and the appointment of "Officer of the Equestrian Order of the Crown of Italy," correspond- ing to the English grade of knighthood. This was on account of services rendered to Italian art during his management of the art department of the Cen- tennial Exhibition at Philadelphia ; but a decoration received from another foreign prince was solely in recognition of his artistic skill, namely, “Chevalier d'honneur," and Commander in the Royal Order of Mélusine.

quently called in aid of important projects. Among them, the plans for the arrangement of the galleries and rooms of both floors of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts are from his drawings, prepared at the request of the building committee of the directors. He designed the lofty granite monument to Wash- ington and Lafayette in Monument Cemetery, Phila- delphia, and superintended its construction ; modeled the two colossal medallion heads from which the bronze likenesses were cast, and is the author of the two admired inscriptions cast in bronze and placed on opposite sides of the pedestal. Other monuments of importance in the same cemetery are from his designs, as is also the steeple on the buildings at the entrance to the grounds on Broad Street.

After the organization had been completed for holding the great International Exhibition, in com- memoration of the hundredth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Mr. Sartain was se- lected to fill the important and responsible position' of chief of the bureau of art. The manner in which the arduous duties were discharged was deemed worthy of the highest praise, while the economy in its management made it infinitely less costly than any other department of the exhibition. The title and decoration from the Italian sovereign was marked evidence of appreciation in that quarter.

In the midst of all these occupations, in the course of a long, industrious life, he has not neglected oppor- tunities, as they presented themselves, of forming collections of pictures, prints, and other art materials of value in his profession, as well as a considerable accumulation of autograph letters from distinguished men. The first named were dispersed under a reverse of fortune in 1852. Among the list is a noteworthy epistle from Bayard Taylor, dated at Kennett Square, Chester Co., Pa., when he was in his seventeenth year, asking Mr. Sartain to receive him as an appren- tice. Thus we see how near the late representative of the nation at the German court came to earning distinction in a path so widely different from that on which his reputation now rests.

John Sartain has three children, who are quite dis- tinguished in art. Samuel Sartain, his eldest son, born in Philadelphia Oct. 8, 1830, is both a mezzotinto and line engraver on steel; he studied under the direction of his father and at the Pennsylvania Acad- emy of Fine Arts. Before he was seventeen years of age he engraved a " three-quarter length" portrait (ten by thirteen inches) of Benjamin West, after the picture by Harlow. In 1854 he was commissioned by the Art Union of Philadelphia to engrave for their annual distribution prints a large plate (eighteen by twenty-three inches) entitled "Clear the Track," : winter coasting scene, after the painting by C. Schus- sele. This engraving secured for him a silver medal World's Fair in New York an "honorable mention, with special approbation." Prominent among his

Without entering particularly into his multitudin- ' at an exhibition of the Franklin Institute, and at the ous occupations, it ought not to be omitted that his architectural knowledge and taste have been fre-

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numerous engravings are " One of the Chosen," after Gny ; " Christ Stilling the Tempest," after Hamilton ; "The Song of the Angels," after T. Moran ; " t'hrist Blessing Little Children," after Eastlake ; " Evange- line," etc. Ilis chief work for many years past has been portraits on steel for books. Many examples of this class of engraving by him will be found in these pages. Samuel Sartain has been honored by the con- tinuous re-election for twenty-three years as treasurer of the Artists' Fund Society. He also fills the same position in the Franklin Institute, having been one of the board of managers of that body for the past eighteen years.

A younger son of John is William Sartain, the artist, now residing in New York, who has become eminent as a painter, and also a professor in the leading art schools of that city.

Miss Emily Sartain, daughter of John Sartain, has achieved distinction first as an engraver, and since as "a painter in oil. She studied in the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and also in Paris for several years under Luminais.

She has exhibited pictures in the Paris Salon, and has twice received the "Mary Smith prize" for the best picture by women in the annual exhibition of the Academy of Fine Arts. She filled the position of art editor of The Continent from the beginning of that journal until 1883, when she withdrew to make a five-months' trip to Paris.

Woud engraving, as a specialty, was introduced in Philadelphia in 1810, by William Mason, of Connec- tient. Ile had learned the art of engraving on copper from Abner Reid, of Hartford. Alexander Anderson, of New York, was the only skilled wood engraver in the country, and some of his cuts inspired Mason with the desire to attempt that branch of the art. He worked industrionsly with clumsy tools, and sue- eceded in making some rude illustrations for toy books 1808 :. He had the sense to see the faults in his work, and the courage to persevere. He procured better implements, worked hard, and at last produced a creditable picture. Ile then came to Philadelphia and began to practice his art. His brother, David H., came with him, but not having the same skill or the same taste for wood engraving, soon set up as an engraver on brass and copper, giving his attention principally to eugraving cylinders for the use of calico- printers. After some years he became the partner of Matthias W. Baldwin in the business of engraving for calico-printers. Ile was interested in the first loco- motive built by Mr. Baldwin. William Mason was represented in the exhibition of 1811 by a portrait engraved on wood, and in 1814 by a tigure called "Spring." He executed, among other ornamental work, a small eagle for a bank-check, which was superior to anything of the kind the printer . William Fryl, who ordered it, had ever seen. Charles 11. Bulkeley, in his " Recollections," says that Mr. Fry, on receiving the ent, toll him with a grave emphasis,

"Sonny, tell Mr. Mason that if he had called a jury of painters, they could not have produced a design which would have pleased me more than that does." In 1818, Mr. Mason, in partnership with his brother Alva, who had joined him in Philadelphia, set up an establishment as engravers on brass, to which they added the manufacture and sale of philosophical instruments. In the latter part of his life William Mason became teacher of drawing in the Franklin Institute. He was a well-informed man and a student of natural history, partienlarly ornithology and en- tomology. He died Feb. 28, 1844, aged fifty-five years.

On going into the brass engraving business with his brother, Mr. Mason left his wood-engraving estab- lishment to his pupil, George Gilbert. This young artist's work was almost entirely confined to book illustrations. Hle was kept very busy making wood- euts for Sunday-school books, geographies, and spell- ing-books. Later, when wood-ents were used to illus- trate magazines, Gilbert was constantly employed. The ('asket was probably the first magazine illustrated by him.

John Binns, editor of the Democratie Press, pub- lished, in 1819, an engraved copy of the Declaration of Independence, which said the Portfolio, " far sur- passes anything that the pencil and burin have hith- erto produced in this country." Mr. Binns had had this work in contemplation for several years, and he completed it amid many discouragements. His work was copied on a smaller scale by a workman in the school of one of the artists be had employed, and he could obtain no redress in the courts, as there was no provision in the acts of Congress on this subject, where the parties belonged to the same State. But the facts were too well known, and public opinion avenged Mr. Binns' wrongs. The writing part of this copy was engraved by Charles H. Parker, a young artist, who was a pupil of George Fairman, and who died soon after this work was finished. The portraits of the Presidents of the United States were from drawings by Sully,

The American Magazine for 1797-98 had some engravings by T. Clark, among them portraits of Lafayette, Ilelvetins, Dr. Fothergill, Molière, Loyola, and Abbé Chappe; also a " View of the Bastille" and the frigate " United States." In the Universal Mag- azine for 1797 are Clark's engravings of a "View of the River Wear," a portrait of Koseinsko, and em- blematic figures of " Prudence" and "Justice." Some of these are very fair specimens.

W. Harrison, Jr., was the engraver, in the American Magazine, of a portrait of Franklin, and Barker of a plate of a semaphore telegraph.

The Philadelphia Monthly Magazine for 1798 contains a portrait of Washington, engraved by Houston, and also the " Elevation and Ground Plan of the Jail of Philadelphia," engraved by J. Bowes.

Allerdice was engraver of plates in the third volume

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of the "Transactions of the American Philosophical Society." He was a pupil of Robert Scott.

Fevret de St. Memin, a French émigré, who had been an officer in the army of the princes, came to the United States in 1793, and to Philadelphia in 1798. He engraved portraits by the physiognotrace process, an invention of the French engraver Queneday before the commencement of the French Revolution. By means of a machine the likeness was traced on copper, and so much work was done that it only required the finishing touches by the graver to complete the picture, so that the profiles were pro- duced rapidly and cheaply. De St. Memin engraved many portraits of prominent persons-several hun- dred in number-in New York, where he remained from 1793 to 1798, and in Philadelphia. Before coming to this city he made a short stay in Burlington, N. J., and engraved a few portraits there. He re- mained in Philadelphia until 1803, after which he visited several other cities and went back to France, but returned in 1812 to New York. There he lived three years, painting portraits and landscapes in oil, having given up engraving. He finally returned to France in 1815. After the death of St. Memin a large collection of his American portraits, nearly seven hundred in number, were bought at Dijon by James B. Robertson, of New York. They were exceedingly valuable by reason of nearly all the names of the originals being written above them by St. Memin himself. This collection was made up of proofs which the artist had retained. It does not contain all the known pictures of St. Memin. There are several portraits which exist in this country that are not in the collection. Probably fifty or more of the number are of Philadelphians, and many of them the only known likenesses of the originals now ex- tant.

An emblematical picture in remembrance of Wash- ington, " America Leaning on his Tomb and Lament- ing her Loss," was engraved by Aikin & Harrison, Jr., in 1800. George Helmbold engraved a full-length portrait of Jefferson in 1801. Samuel Folwell, an artist of whoni little is known, was living in Phila- delphia in the latter part of the last and beginning of the present century. An original silhouette like- ness of Gen. Washington by this artist was in the possession of Dr. Joseph Carson. Folwell is desig- nated in the Directory for 1800 as a "miniature- painter and fancy hair-worker." He designed and engraved the vignette frontispiece of the " Philadel- phia Repertory" in 1811, in which the lanky bodies of the allegorical figures are provocative of laughter.

Edward W. Clay, who was for more than twenty years a noted caricaturist, was born in Philadelphia in 1792, and died in New York Dec. 31, 1857. He was a relative of Henry Clay; had a liberal education, served as a midshipman under Commodore Perry, then turned his attention to the law, and was admitted to the Philadelphia bar March 12, 1825. His artistic

taste, however, led him to Europe, and he studied the old masters for three years. On his return to the city he sketched a caricature of "The Rats Leaving the Falling House," on the dissolution of Jackson's cabinet, which brought him into considerable promi- nence. Failure of eyesight caused him to accept the offices of clerk of the Chancery Court and of the Orphans' Court, Delaware, which he held for several years.

Felix O. C. Darley, the celebrated artist, was born June 23, 1822. His taste for art and an inclina- tion to make it his profession were shown in his boy- hood. At fourteen he was placed in a mercantile house in the hopes that his thoughts might be di- verted into another channel. Viewing with positive distaste the dull routine of the counting-room, he spent his spare moments in drawing, in which he made rapid improvement. The subjects that first interested him were figures of firemen, and other types of city life, which brought him considerable revenue, and finally induced him to give up his mer- cantile occupation and devote himself to art. Re- ceiving from the publisher of the Saturday Museum a then handsome sum for a few designs, he applied himself wholly to that pursuit. For several years he was employed by large publishing houses, and soon acquired reputation. The series published in the "Library of Humorous American Works" was very popular in the Southern and Western States. In 1848 he removed to New York, where he has acquired eminent distinction.

Charles Deas, another eminent American artist, was born in Philadelphia in 1818. His maternal grandfather was Ralph Izard. He was educated by John Sanderson, and early devoted himself to his art. He studied under the auspices of the National Acad- emy, and afterward traveled extensively among the Indians of the Northwest, and practiced his art suc- cessfully many years in St. Louis, Mo. Among his pictures are "The Turkey Shoot," "Walking the Chalk," "Long Jake," "The Wounded Pawnee," " Indian Guide," " A Group of Sioux," " Hunters of the Prairie," and "The Last Shot." His principal work is "Council of the Shawnees at North Bend," an incident in the life of Gen. George Rogers Clarke.

Among the later artists Samuel Sloan, the architect, is deserving of mention. He was born in Chester County, Pa., in March, 1815, and, establishing himself in Philadelphia, he designed many im- portant edifices. Among them are the Blockley Hospital for the Insane, Philadelphia, and the State Insane Hospital at Montgomery, Alabama. He pub- lished "The Model Architect" in 1850-51 ; " City and Suburban Architecture" in 1859 ; " Homestead Archi- tecture" in 1860, and "Constructive Architecture," 4to. In 1868 he began the Architectural Review.

Joseph Wright, portrait-painter, died in 1793, of yellow fever. Appointed by Washington first draughtsman and die-sinker in the United States

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Mint, the first wodos and medals of the United States were his handiwork.

Die-sinking and seal-engraving form a peculiar branch of art which does not bring the artist's name before the public so speedily as painting and the various other modes of engraving. While, therefore, it was practiced by many of the engravers we have noticed in this work, few made it a specialty, and it is only after the beginning of the century that we hear of any renowned die-sinkers. As early, how- ever, as 1790, an advertisement appeared in the Freeman's Journal, in which " an artist" proposed "a subscription for a medal of Gen. Washington," said medal bearing "a striking and approved likeness, and such inscriptions or allegorical figures as shall best suit so great a character." Subscriptions were received at Wilmington by Mr. Peter Rynberg, and by J. Manly to the care of Robert Patton, Esq., post- master, Philadelphia. Accompanying this announce- ment was the following certificate : "We, the under- signed, have seen the medal of Gen. Washington, and think it a strong and expressive likeness, and worthy the attention of the citizens of the United States of America." Signed by Thomas Mifflin, Governor of the State of Pennsylvania; Richard Peters, Speaker of the House of Assembly ; Christian Febiger, treas- urer of the State; and Francis Johnston, colonel of the late American army. What success the sub- scription to the Washington medal niet, is a matter for conjecture.

John Reich, of whom Dunlap says that he was " the best artist in his line that Philadelphia had had," was a die-sinker, frequently employed by Robert Scot, the engraver of the United States Mint, to prepare the diex for the national coin. In 1806, Reich executed, in silver, a medal in com- memoration of the retirement of Washington. The design for this medal was by William Sansom, who caused to be prepared a series of fine historical medals, which were struck in silver, bronze, and white metal. One of the medals prepared by San- som was a likeness of Franklin, from Houdon's bust, with the inseription, " Lightning averted; Tyranny repelled." On the reverse was a design of "the American beaver nibbling at the overshadowing oak." Motto: "British power on the Western con- tinent, 1776." Reich was the artist engaged to ent the medal presented to Commodore Edward Preble, in 1806, under vote of Congress, for his services at Tripoli. Reich, after many years' practice of his art in Philadelphia, moved West, it is said, in conse- quence of ill health.

Moritz Fuerst, or Furst, die-sinker and engraver of seals and medals, was a native of Hungary. He had been instructed in his art by Wurt, die-sinker in the mint of Vienna, and Megele superintendent of the mint of Lombardy at Mauckeufries, and was thor- oughly acquainted with all its branches. He was appointed die-sinker of the mint in ISOS. In addi-

tion to his duties in that office, he had, after 1812, considerable work upon medals voted by Congress to military and naval officers who had distinguished themselves in the war with Great Britain. After the peace, Fuerst moved to New York, where he con- tinued to work in his profession. He was residing there in 1834.

Christian Gobrecht, die-sinker and seal- and medal- engraver, was born in Ilanover, York Co., Pa. He began life as an apprentice to a elock-maker at Man- heim, Lancaster Co. Having learned his trade he went to Baltimore, where he gradually became an engraver of headings for newspapers, punches for type-founders, seals and dies. In 1836 he was en- gaged as a die-sinker at the United States Mint, and he became chief engraver after the death of William Kneass, in 1840. Ile held that office until his death, in 1844. Mr. Gobrecht was the inventor of the geometrical lathe for ruling plates, which Perkins and Asa Spencer turned to practical uses, as we have mentioned in our notice of these artists. Among Gobreeht's portraits mentioned by Baker were those of Washington, Franklin, Rittenhouse, Dr. Benjamin S. Barton, and Abraham Reese. His medal for the Franklin Institute, with the head of Franklin, is con- sidered extremely fine.

Robert Lovett, an engraver upon stone and metals, came to Philadelphia in 1816. Ilis principal work was upon seals and dies. lle removed to New York in 1825, but returned to Philadelphia in after-years. J. Danby, engraver on copper, brass, wood, gold, and silver, settled in Philadelphia in 1822. He came from London.

The first specimen of lithography done in Phila- delphia was drawn and printed on stone by Bass Otis, in 1818. This picture, which appeared in the Analectic Magazine, resembled a line engraving much more than a modern lithograph. The stone was pre- sented to the American Philosophical Society by Thomas Dobson. The first practical lithographer was John Meer, a painter, who gave notice in April, 1825, that a specimen of engraving on stone, done by him, was on exhibition.

The first etching on glass done in America, it is claimed, appeared in the first volume of the Em- porium of Arts and Sciences, 1812. It was done by Dr. John Redman Coxe, with fluoric acid, and printed from the glass. The original plate broke after seven hundred copies had been struck off, and a new etching had to be made.

The history of Albert Newsam, the deaf and dumb lithographer, is quite a romance. One day in May, 1820, passers-by stopped to see a little boy of about eleven years, who, with a piece of chalk, was sketch- ing a street scene upon the side of a watch-box, at the corner of Fifth and Market Streets. The cor- reetness of the drawing, the fidelity with which the familiar scene was reproduced under the deft fingers of so young an artist, awakened the curiosity and ad-

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miration of the crowd, and some inquiries were made. The boy was deaf and dumb. Accompanying him was a man, also a deaf mute, who claimed to be his brother. They had resorted to this exhibition as a means of obtaining assistance to proceed on their jour- ney. This information was obtained from the man, who gave his name as William P. Davis. Among the inquirers was Bishop White, of the Protestant Epis- copal Church, who was the president of the newly- founded Institution for the Deaf and Dumb. Struck with the boy's cleverness, and touched by the desti- tute condition of a child of such tender age, the good bishop immediately apprised the managers of the society of these facts, and proposed to admit the little wayfarer to the institution, if his brother would con- sent. Davis, on being approached on this subject, showed much reluctance to part with his brother, but finally consented to leave him in the custody of the managers. He was going to Richmond, Va., he said, and on his return would claim his "little brother" and take care of him. This was the last ever seen of William P. Davis.

The boy Albert was very intelligent; he learned rapidly, and his artistic tastes, developed under proper tuition, left no doubt as to his future vocation. He was a born artist. But a very puzzling mystery was now found to surround the little fellow's past. It was ascertained from him that Davis was not his brother, but he did not know his father's name; nor could he tell the name of the town from which he came. He often drew scenery from memory. One of these pic- tures was a town on the margin of a river. A visitor who came from Steubenville, Ohio, recognized it as a view of that town. Mr. Wright, another citizen of Steubenville, came to the asylum some time after this, and was shown this boy. A gleam of recognition lighted up Albert's face, but Mr. Wright had no recol- lection of ever having seen him. The boy seized his pencil, and sketched rapidly a dwelling-honse, in which the visitor, to his great astonishment, recog- nized his own home. Meanwhile the little artist went on drawing an adjoining street and a particular house in it, which, Mr. Wright at last remembered, was formerly occupied by a woman who had a deaf and dumb son ; her name was Newsam. Here was a clne at last. It was followed up, and the truth came out. Albert was born in Steubenville in 1809. His father, William Newsam, a boatman on the Ohio, was drowned shortly after the birth of his deaf and dumb child. His mother died some years later, and the orphan boy was taken care of by a kind-hearted inn- keeper named Thomas Hamilton. When he was about ten years old a deaf mnte, who gave his name as Davis, stopped at the inn, and was much struck with the child's talent for drawing. The little fellow was always sketching things and places with marvel- ons correctness. Davis represented himself as a man of means, and persuaded Hamilton to let him takc charge of the boy and provide for his education. The

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History of Philadelphia, 1609-1884, Part 51

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn; Westcott, Thompson, 1820-1888, joint author Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L. H. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 992

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn; Westcott, Thompson, 1820-1888, joint author
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L. H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 992