The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: Mrs. Joseph Carson

Title: Autograph Collection

Dates: 1785-1945 (bulk 1814-1890)

Call No.: Col. 66

Acc. No.: 57x18

Quantity: 0.6 cubic ft. (2 boxes; 256 items)

Location: 13 A 3

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

Mrs. Carson was a resident of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, who collected autographs.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

This collection includes autographs of American and a few European artists, painters, and architects. Among the more important are Victor Audubon, Albert Bierstadt, Frederic E. Church, Thomas Cole, John Singleton Copley, Robert Fielding, Horatio Greenough, Henry Inman, John F. Kensett, John Lewis Krimmel, John La Farge, John Notman, members of the Peale family, Joshua Shaw, Thomas Sully, and Benjamin West.

While most of the items in the collection are of trifling consequence, some are important for the study of the people they represent. For example, several manuscripts relate to a Benjamin West painting titled "Christ Healing the Sick in the Temple," and about one dozen letters written by Frederic Church detail his trip to South America in 1853. A couple of Church’s letters include sketches of South American scenes.

ORGANIZATION

The items are arranged in alphabetical order by last name of artist. The last folder includes some printed items related to a few artists for whom there are no autographs, plus items relating to several museums and other cultural institutions, particularly the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Philadelphia Museum. A complete index of the artists' names is available at this repository.

PROVENANCE

Purchased from Mrs. Joseph Carson.

ACCESS POINTS

People:

Audubon, Victor Gifford, 1809-1860.

Bierstadt, Albert, 1830-1902.

Church, Frederick Edwin, 1826-1900.

Cole, Thomas, 1801-1848.

Copley, John Singleton, 1738-1815.

Fielding, Robert.

Greenough, Horatio, 1805-1852.

Inman, Henry, 1801-1846.

Kensett, John Frederick, 1816-1872.

Krimmel, John Lewis, 1786-1821.

La Farge, John, 1835-1910.

Notman, John, 1810-1865.

Shaw, Joshua, 1776-1860.

Sully, Thomas, 1783-1872.

West, Benjamin, 1738-1820. Christ healing the sick in the temple.

Peale family.

Topics:

Painters - United States - Autographs.

Artists - United States - Autographs.

Architects - United States - Autographs.

Autographs - Collectors and collecting.

South America – Description and travel.

South America – Pictorial works.

Autographs.

Letters.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 13 A 3

[note: all accession numbers begin with 57x18]

Box 1:

Folder 1 .1 American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Cambridge, printed letter sent to Loammi Baldwin, Woburn, signed by E. Pearson, July 20, 1799

Folder 2 .2 A[ndrew] V[arick] S[tout] Anthony, letter to Alex Farnum, New York, April 8, 1867

Folder 3 .3 V[ictor] G. Audubon, printed circular letter about “Quadrupeds of North America,” sent to Saml. Bispham, New York, July 12, 1852

.4 V[ictor G. Audubon, letter to a friend, New York, January 12, 1848

Folder 4 .5 John Banvard, autograph and a printed portrait, n.d.

Folder 5 .6 T[homas] E. Barratt, receipt for “miniature and case,” money received from Mr. McCallister, August 20, 1840

Folder 6 .7 Albert Bierstadt, receipt, “Ruins of Carthage,” money received from Mr. Hathaway, August 14, 1851

.8 A[lbert] Bierstadt, letter to C. H. Brainard, October 9, 1877

.9 Albert Bierstadt, letter to John D. Champlin, Jr., New York, December 12, 1886

Folder 7 .10 F[ranklin] Birch, pencil sketch labeled Sportsmans Manual, n.d.

Folder 8 .11 Edwin H. Blashfield, letter to Mr. Hurd, n.d.

.12 Edwin H. Blashfield, letter to Mr. Eberlin, August 9, 1906

Folder 9 .13 Samuel Blodget, architect, letter to Hon. Jasper Yeates, Washington, August 1808

.14 lottery ticket signed by Sam. Blodget, Federal City, November 1, 1794; name on back: John Moore

Folder 10 .19 Daniel Bowen, broadside re: Phenix Museum, Boston, May 29, 1816, addressed to Joseph Bloomfield, Burlington, New Jersey

.252 Bowen’s Phenix Museum, admission ticket for Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Bloomfield, ticket engraved by A. Bowen

Folder 11 .15 George L[oring] Brown, letter to Jno. Owen, South Boston, April 10, 1871

Folder 12 .16 J[ohn] G[eorge] Brown, letter to Geo. W. Shiber, New York City, June 4, 1908

Folder 13 .17 Mather Brown, letter about exhibiting paintings, n.d.

Folder 14 .18 Charles Bulfinch, letter to Joseph Coolidge, Jr., Washington, May 18, 1820

Folder 15 .20 George M. Canarroe, note, December 20, 1852

Folder 16 .21 John G[adsby] Chapman, letter to Gov. Wise, Washington City, October 6, 1841

.22 John G[adsby] Chapman, letter to Fredk. R. Spencer, National Academy of Design, New York, December 30, 1845

Folder 17 .25 J[ames] Wells Champney, letter to a friend, New York, March 14, 1891

Folder 18 .26 William M[erritt] Chase, letter to Mr. Allen, July 3, 1916

Folder 19 .23 Chicago Academy of Design, advertisement, n.d.

.24 Chicago Academy of Design, P. Fiske Reed, cor. sec., letter to Mr. Trotter, Chicago, May 30, 1871

Folder 20 .27 F[rederic] E[dwin] Church, letter to Mr. Baxter, Hudson, October 13, 1896

.28 F[rederic] E[dwin] Church, letter to Mr. Baxter, Hudson, July 26, 1899

.29 F[rederic] E[dwin] Church, letter to mother [Mrs. Joseph Church], Barranquilla, April 28, 1853

.30 F[rederic] E[dwin] Church, letter to sister Elizabeth, Barranquilla, April 29, 1853, includes sketch of house

.31 F[rederic] E[dwin] Church, letter to father, Barranquilla, May 4, 1853

.32 F[rederic] E[dwin] Church, letter to father, Barranquilla, May 9, 1853

.33 F[rederic] E[dwin] Church, letter to father, Rio Magdalena, May 16, 1853

.34 F[rederic] E[dwin] Church, letter to mother, Honda, May 25, 1853, includes sketch of a hut

.35 F[rederic] E[dwin] Church, letter to father, Bogota, June 9, 1853

.36 F[rederic] E[dwin] Church, letter to mother, Bogata, July 7, 1853

.37 F[rederic] E[dwin] Church, letter to sister Elizabeth, Cartago, July 23, 1853

.38 F[rederic] E[dwin] Church, letter to sister Charlotte, Cali, July 30, 1853

.39 F[rederic] E[dwin] Church, letter to sister Charlotte, Popayan, August 8, 1853

.40 F[rederic] E[dwin] Church, letter [incomplete] to mother, Pasto, August 20, 1853

.41 F[rederic] E[dwin] Church, autograph cut from a letter

Folder 21 .42 F[red] S. Church, note to R. S. Torrey, New York, May 3

.43 F[red] S. Church, note to Mary, New York, January 13, 1887

Folder 22 .45 Thomas Cole, letter to J. Cheney, Rome, March 22, 1832

.46 Thomas Cole, letter to J. Cheney, Florence, August 15, 1832

Folder 23 [number not used]

Folder 24 .47 J[ohn] S[ingleton] Copley, letter to William Phillips, London, July 27, 1795

.48 [John Singleton Copley], manuscript about an engraving, n.d.

Folder 25 .49 Kenyon Cox, letter to D. F. Thompson, March 19, 1913

Folder 26 .44 Palmer Cox, note, Philadelphia, n.d.

.50 Palmer Cox, letter to Frank H. Polk, New York, April 24, 1893

Folder 27 .51 Thomas George Crawford, letter to Mr. Arnold, Rome, November 2, 1837

Folder 28 .53 Paul Cret, letter to Joseph Carson, September 30, 1934

Folder 29 .54 to G[eorge] H. C[ushman], poem inscribed to him by A[nna] C. L[ynch], February 14, 1847

Folder 30 .55 F. O. C. Darley, bill, New York, May 16, 1853, attached to printed portrait of Darley

.56 F. O. C. Darley, letter to Robert Barry Coffin, Claymont, [Delaware], February 15, 1870

Folder 31 .57 Thomas W[ilmer] Dewing, autographed printed portrait, n.d.

Folder 32 .59 A. J. Downing, letter to Prof. I. W. Jackson, Newburgh, April 27, 1844

Folder 33 .58 W[illiam] Dunlap, broadside announcing exhibition of and explaining the painting “Christ Rejected,” n.d.

Folder 34 .61 Thomas Eakins, note to Miss Pue, May 10

Folder 35 .62 C. A. Eastman, letter to Miss Whitman, Pine Ridge[?], January 15, 1890

Folder 36 .63 Stephen J[ames] Ferris, letter to madam, Philadelphia, March 18, 1893

Folder 37 .221 Robert Fielding, letter to Samuel Coates, Burlington, New Jersey, March 3, 1818

.222 note about Fielding and Coates, n.d.

.223 Robert Fielding, letter to Samuel Coates, Burlington, New Jersey, July 2, 1818

Folder 38 .64 Charles Fraser, note to sir, April 22, 1846[?]

.65 Charles Fraser, letter to Robert W. Gibbes, Charleston, August 16, 1847

Folder 39 .66 N. Gevelot, letter to Madame E. Burd, Philadelphia, October 20, 1848

.67 Nicholas Gevelot, letter to Edward Burd, Paris, July 18, 1835

Folder 40 .68a C[harles] D[ana] Gibson, letter to Charles A. Burkhardt, December 8, 1894

.68b printed envelope addressed to Charles Dana Gibson, New York

Folder 41 .69 Horatio Greenough, letter to Geo. W. Greene, Florence, December 6, 1839

Folder 42 .70 C. Groombridge, bill for tuition, addressed to Miss M. Meredith, March 22, 1794

Folder 43 .71 James Hamilton, letter to Dr. Mackenzie, June 19, 1860

Folder 44 .72 George P[eter] A[lexander] Healy, letter to Mrs. Z. Allen, Boston, June 19, 1849

Folder 45 .73 Edward L[amson] Henry, letter to John Eyerman, New York, March 12, 1898

Folder 46 .74 James Herring, letter to A[sher] B. Durand, April 21, 1831

Folder 47 .75 Thomas Hicks, letter to R. P. Kane, February 27, 1838

Folder 48 .76 Thomas Hovenden, letter to Mr. Hart, Plymouth Meeting, Penn., April 15, 1885

Folder 49 .77 Will Humphreys, letter to Edward L. Carey, London, June 17, 1845

.228 W[illiam] Humphreys, letter to Samuel Coates, November 30, 1818

Folder 50 .79 D[aniel] Huntington, letter to Miss Lynch, White Lake, Sullivan Co., August 13, 1847

.80 D[aniel] Huntington, letter to Mrs. J. Harvey Young, New York, n.d.

.81 D[aniel] Huntington, letter to Rev. Dr. Prime, March 20, 1874

.82 D[aniel] Huntington, letter Charles Lanman[?], New York, June 28, 1879

Folder 51 .84 Charles Ingham, letter to Mr. Corning, New York, October 24, 1833

Folder 52 .83 H[enry] Inman, letter to William H. Seward, September 29, 1840[?]

Folder 53 .85 G. V. R. Innes, letter to Miss Clarke, Stockbridge, March 8, 1852

Folder 54 .86 C[hauncy] B[radley] Ives, letter to madam, n. d.

.87 C[hauncy] B[radley] Ives, letter to Wetherill, Rome, July 17 1856[?]

Folder 55 .88 E[astman] Johnson, note to A. Baker, n.d.

Folder 56 .89 John F. Kensett, letter to sister Sarah, New York, May 18, 1839

.90 to John F[rederick] Kensett, letter from Sarah Kensett, Ithaca, December 3, 1843

.91 to John F[rederick] Kensett, letter from J. M. Falconer, n.d.

.92 to John F[rederick] Kensett, letter from J. W. Casilear, New York, May 12, 1848[?]

.93 to John F[rederick] Kensett, letter from J. Burrill Curtis, Berlin, January 29, 1848

Folder 57 .94 Wyncie [King], letter to George, Bryn Mawr, June 20, 1938

Folder 58 .96 E[dward] W[indsor] Kemble, note to Mr. Holt, New York, December 12, n.y.

Folder 59 .230 J[ohn] L[ewis] Krimmel, letter to Sam. Coates, Philadelphia, April 22, 1819

Folder 60 .95 Edward Kuntze, letter to Mr. Wetherill, New York, February 8, 1859

.97a Kdward Kuntze, incomplete letter to Mr. Wetherill, February 27, 1862

.97b envelope addressed to Edward Wetherill, possibly for letter above

.98a Edward Kuntze, letter to Miss Wetherill, London, October[?] 15, 1862

.98b envelope for the letter to Miss Wetherill

Folder 61 .100 John La Farge, letter to Mr. House, January 22, 1890

Folder 62 .99 J[ames] R[eid] Lambdin, letter to Hugh McCann[?], January[?] 16, 1871

Folder 63 .106 Louis Lang, letter to D. Huntington, July 16, 1861

.107 Louis Lang, letter to D. Huntington, May 31, 1864

.108 Louis Lang, letter to D. Huntington, December 15, 1871

.109 Louis Lang, letter to D. Huntington, October 14

.110 Louis Lang, letter to D. Huntington, n.d.

.111 Louis Lang, letter to D. Huntington, New York, July 8, 1886

.112 Louis Lang, letter to D. Huntington, New York, February 12, 1892

Folder 64 .101 B[enjamin] Henry Latrobe, letter, February 9, 1801

Folder 65 .102 Tom Lea, letter to Charlie, El Paso, Texas, June 20, 1945

Folder 66 .103 C[harles] R[obert] Leslie, note to Sully n.d.

.104 C[harles] R[obert] Leslie, letter to E. M. Ward, November 24, 1844

.105 C[harles] R[obert] Leslie, letter to Philip Hone, London, August 26, 1838

Folder 67 .113 James B[arton] Longacre, receipt to D. W. Coxe, Philadelphia, January 20, 1834

.114 James B[arton] Longacre, letter to A[sher] B. Durand, Philadelphia, October 20, 1834

Box 2:

Folder 68 .115 Jervis McEntee, letter to J. (or I.) H. Richardson, New York, May 25, 1865

Folder 69 .116 William McIlvaine, bill to James C. Booth for drawings, Philadelphia, January 14, 1852

Folder 70 .117 A[nna] Lea Merritt, letter to Mr. Hart, Philadelphia, December 2, 1887

Folder 71 .118 Willard L[eroy] Metcalf, autograph

Folder 72 .120 T[homas] Moran, letter to Stedman, Newark, n.d., attached to biographical sketch of Moran

.121 T[homas] Moran, autograph, clipped from a letter

Folder 73 .119 Samuel F. B. Morse, letter to Charles M. Keller, Poughkeepsie, May 12, 1848

Folder 74 .122 M[ihaly] de Munkacsy, autograph

Folder 75 .124 Th[omas] Nast, autograph, March 15, 1869

Folder 76 .123 John Neagel, letter to Dr. Ruschenberger, May 25, 1839

Folder 77 .125 David Neal, letter to Mr. Conway, Munich, August 1882

.126 David Neal, letter to Mr. Stoddard, Munich, April 25, 1877

.127 David Neal, letter to Charles H. Brainard, Munich, March 17, 1877

Folder 78 .128 John Notman, letter to Joseph Cowperthwaite, Philadelphia, March 28, 1840

.129 letter about Notman from Joseph A. Clay to Jas. C. Booth, Philadelphia, February 8, 1862

.130 John Notman, letter to Prof. Booth, Philadelphia, April 4, 1862

.131 letter about Notman from J. A. Clay to Prof. Booth, April 4, 1862

.132 John Notman, letter to Horace B[?], April 17, 1856, appended to which is a note from Horace B[?] to Prof. Booth, April 21, 1856

Folder 79 .133 Bass Otis, letter to Mr. Nicholas, Philadelphia, June 6, 1814

Folder 80 .134 Maxfield Parrish, letter to Mr. Russell, Vermont, September 20, 1900

.135 Maxfield Parrish, letter to Mr. Russell, Vermont, June 6, 1901

Folder 81 .136 Jeremiah Paul, bill and receipt, money received for Sarah McNeely, October 13, 1804 and March 9, 1805

Folder 82 .137 C[harles] W[illson] Peale, letter to William Tilghman, Philadelphia, March 9, 1826

.140 Charles Willson Peale, copy of a letter to the secretary of the American Philosophical Society, December 16, 1785

Folder 83 .141 Mrs. Franklin Peale, letter to Prof. Booth, May 9, 1873

.142 Franklin Peale, letter to Miss Yates, listing titles of duets, Philadelphia, August 9, 1822

.143 F[ranklin] Peale, letter to Prof. Booth, December 20, 1861

.144 Franklin Peale, letter to Prof. Ducatet[?], Philadelphia, March 4, 1832

.145 F[ranklin] Peale, letter to J. C. Booth, Philadelphia, May 10, [1858]

Folder 84 .146 Miss. M. A. Peale and Anna M. Slayhton[?] receipt and check, made payable to Mrs. Anna M. Slayhton[?], November 5, 1836

.147 Margaretta A. Peale, receipt, July 12, 1859

Folder 85 .148 Mary J. Peale, note to Mrs. Carson, May 8, 1896

Folder 86 .149 Rembrandt Peale, letter to Philip Hone, New York, March 25, 1832

.150 Rembrandt Peale, letter[ to Mr. Lossing?], Philadelphia, November 14, 1859