The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: Edwin Whitefield, 1816-1892

Title: Papers

Dates: 1841-1892

Call No.: Col. 102

Acc. No.: 65x724, 67x1, 72x308, 78x316, 80x48, 80x49, 81x53, 81x54, 81x295, 97x34

Quantity: 5 boxes, 1 map case drawer

Location: 18 E 2-3 and map case 2, drawer 2

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

Edwin Whitefield, landscape and flower painter, was born in Dorset, England in 1816, and emigrated to the United States by 1838. He immediately began sketching in hopes of publishing some of his work; his style was typically American. In 1841 and 1842, he traveled along the Hudson River, painting views of Hudson Valley estates, and in 1844 he was in New York City. Emma C. Embury's American Wild Flowers in Their Native Haunts, published in 1845, contained illustrations by Whitefield. Two years later he issued a series of views under the title, North American Scenery. During this period, Whitefield taught drawing classes to supplement his income. From l856 to l859 Whitefield made several trips to Minnesota to promote his real estate interests there; from this period date a number of watercolor landscapes now in the Minnesota Historical Society. During the 1880s Whitefield lived in Boston and Reading, Massachusetts, and published five volumes of The Homes of Our Forefathers, which showed early houses of New England. In 1888-1889 he traveled to England and Scotland to promote English settlement in Minnesota. Whitefield died in 1892. The Stokes collection at the New York Public Library constitutes the best-known source of his lithographs.

Whitefield’s first wife was named Kate. They had several children: Edwin Albert, Wilfred, Cordelia, Constance, Rogvald, and Edith. However, Whitefield and Kate separated in 1853. His second wife was Lillian Stuart, and they had two daughters, Lillian (Lillie) and Mabel.

This collection contains a city view of Ottawa, Canada, published by Charles Magnus. Although Whitefield’s name does not appear on the print, a penciled note indicates that it was based on a drawing executed by him. Magnus also published a view of Chaudiere Falls, which Whitefield had also visited and sketched (however, the sketches in this collection are not similar to what Magnus published).

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The Whitefield papers at this repository include: two volumes of sketchbooks done between 1841 and 1844 for a proposed publication, "Hudson River Rail Road Illustrated," with the names of Washington Irving and other potential subscribers written on one page; travel diaries with sketches and short descriptions of towns through which Whitefield traveled; a more extensive sketchbook of trips through Illinois and up the Mississippi River in 1859; watercolors of landscapes; lithographs made for commercial uses and for published illustrations; photolithographs of places in New England (ca. 1873-1876); pencil sketches, many of which are rough, of city scenes; pen and ink sketches; drawings of houses; notes with sketches of New England houses and notes about New England towns; and newspaper clippings of articles he wrote and/or illustrated.

The sketchbooks that are accession 67x1.1-.2 include sketches and travel notes from a trip (or trips) taken by Whitefield through Illinois and up the Mississippi River. The pages are filled with pencil drawings of towns through which he passed, as well as short notations and observations about the places he saw. The 7 9/16 x 9 1/16 inch pages have been folded and hand sewn. They also include notes about the Missouri River, and some views of Cairo, Illinois, at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

Accession 78x316.1-.221 consists of a range of Whitefield's material, created between 1842 and 1892. It includes floral prints; sketchbooks and diaries of several trips; watercolors of landscapes; lithographs made for commercial uses and for published illustrations; pencil sketches, many of which are rough, of city scenes; pen and ink sketches; drawings of houses; photolithographs of places in New England (ca.1873-1876); and notebooks and newspaper clippings.

ORGANIZATION

This collection is made up of several different accessions of Whitefield material, and they are filed by size. Within each box (or map case drawer), the items are in accession number order. A list of the items from accession 78x316 in numerical order is appended to this finding aid.

PROVENANCE

Purchased from various sources.

RELATED MATERIALS

Microfilm reel no. 2948: Whitefield letters, diaries, and papers at the Minnesota Historical Society.

Additional papers are held by the Boston Public Library and the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities.

Microfilm reel no. 1623: Sketchbook and journal of a trip along the Mississippi (Downs acc. 67x1).

See Wintercat for a list of books illustrated by Whitefield and for photographs of paintings and drawings by Whitefield which are also located at Winterthur.

See Col. 123 for the Ottawa, Canada, views published by Charles Magnus.

ACCESS POINTS

People:

Irving, Washington, 1783-1859.

Whitefield, Wilfred, 1839-1926.

Magnus, Charles, 1826-1900.

Topics:

Painters - United States.

Landscape painting, American.

Landscape drawing, American.

Landscape drawing - 19th century.

Landscape in art.

Hudson River school of landscape painting.

Artists' preparatory studies.

Lithography, American.

Lithography - 19th century.

Watercolor painting.

Artists - United States.

Cities and towns in art.

Cities and towns - Pictorial works.

Dwellings - Drawings.

Dwellings in art.

Dakota Indians - Wars, 1862-1865 - Archival resources.

Mississippi River - Description and travel.

Illinois - Description and travel.

Minnesota - Description and travel.

Minnesota - History - Sources.

Hudson River (N.Y. and N.J.) - Description and travel.

Diaries.

Drawings.

Watercolors.

Notebooks.

Paintings.

Photographs.

Photographic prints.

Sketchbooks.

Sketches.

Letters.

Painters.

Landscape painters.

Artists.

Illustrators.

Lithographers.

Draftsmen.

Real estate agents.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 18 E 2-3 and map case 2

Box 1:

Folders 1-2: 67x1.1-.2 Sketchbooks of Illinois and Mississippi River (note: photographs of these sketchbooks are found in Box 3)

These volumes include sketches and travel notes from a trip (or trips) taken by Whitefield through Illinois and up the Mississippi River. The pages are filled with pencil drawings of towns through which he passed, as well as short notations and observations about the places he saw. The 7 9/16 x 9 1/16 inch pages have been folded and hand sewn. (for another sketchbook of views along the Mississippi River, see 78x316.48, in folder 16 below)

67x1.1:

First page: top of page: pencil sketch labeled "Point Douglas, Minn. from below";

Bottom of page: hand-colored print of black and white dog lying beside lily pond, oval shape, 1 1/2x2 3/8"

Reverse of above: pencil sketch "On the Miss. below Homer, looking down."

Opposite page: pencil sketch "Below Homer, looking down."

Reverse of above: pencil sketch "Below Homer, looking down. A few pine trees here and there."

Opposite page: pencil sketch "From Trempeleau looking up. Colors of the rocks - various shades of ochre."

Reverse of above: "St. Paul to May 6, l859," notes in pencil, with mileage from Galena to St. Paul, with the towns in between also listed.

Opposite page: 2 columns listing mileage from St. Paul to St. Louis, and the towns in between.

Reverse of above: pencil notations on mileage from Galena to Dubuque, St. Louis to St. Paul.

Opposite page: pencil sketch "From Columbus looking down."

Reverse of above: pencil sketch "Bluff at [left blank]," includes notes about color of rocks.

Opposite page: pencil sketch, sidewheel river steamboat "Northern Line Packet Metropolitan"

Reverse of above: blank

Opposite page: ink travel notes, "Chicago to Alton"

Reverse of above: ink notes continued, about Pana, also pencil drawing of Beckwith House, the "Hotel at Pana."

Opposite page: pencil sketch "Part of Pana looking S down the I.C.R.R." (railroad tracks are on left side of page)

Reverse of above: pencil notes written after leaving Pana, includes Irving, Hillsboro, Butler, and Litchfield.

Opposite page: pencil travel notes continued, about Gillespie and Bunker Hill

Reverse of above: pencil sketch "From Alton, Ill. looking up the Miss."

Opposite page: pencil sketch "From Alton, Ill. looking down at the junction of the Mississ. & Missouri."

Reverse of above: pencil note, one line about Alton.

Opposite page: pencil sketch "Part of Pana," depicting a row of houses, and the I.C.R.R. (with an engine on the tracks)

Reverse of above: pencil travel notes about Tacusa, Moawequa, and Macon

Opposite page: pencil sketch "Depot at Decatur" and Central Hotel. Initialed “by W.R.B.”

Reverse of above: pencil notes about Decatur [this is left page of center fold]

Opposite page (right of center fold): pencil travel notes about Makanda, Jonesboro, and Wetaugh.

Reverse of above: pencil travel notes about Ullin, Pulaski, Villa Ridge, and Cairo.

Opposite page: pencil sketch "Junction of the Ohio & Miss.," shows steamboats on the rivers

Reverse of above: note that reads simply "woods on the Kentucky and Missouri sides."

Opposite pate: pencil sketch "New Hotel, Cairo, looking up the Ohio." With steamboats and a building labeled U.S. Mail

Reverse of above: blank

Opposite page: pencil sketch "Jonesboro Old Town"

Reverse of above: pencil notes about Jonesboro.

Opposite page: pencil travel notes about Carbondale, De Soto, Du Quoin, St. Johns, and Tumaroa(?).

Reverse of above: pencil travel notes about Coloma, Ashley, Richview, and Centralia.

Opposite page: pencil travel notes about C[entralia] City, Odin, Tonti, and Kinmunday.

Reverse of above: pencil travel notes about Farina, Mason, Watson, Effingham, and Neoga.

Opposite page: pencil travel notes about Mattson, Milton, Tuscola, Pesotum, Tolono, and Urbana.

Reverse of above: travel notes continued.

Opposite page: pencil sketch "East or Old Urbana," with a church and a bridge.

Reverse of above: pencil travel notes about Rantoul, Pera, Prospect Village, Loda, Spring Creek, Onarga, and Gilman.

Opposite page: pencil travel notes about Chabanse, Kankakee, Manteno, Monee, and Richton.

Reverse of above: pencil travel notes about Matteson, Thornton, and Calumet. He ends the page with “A Lady in the Cars! Yes, verily a Lady at last!”

Opposite page: pencil travel notes about Canfield, Des Plaines, Dunton, Palatine, and Barrington; includes mileage from Chicago to St. Paul (although the list is headed Chicago to Madison)

Reverse of above: pencil travel notes about Crystal Lake, Ridgefield, Woodstock, Harvard, Lawrence, and Sharon.

Opposite page: pencil travel notes about Clinton, Shopiero, and Jonesville.

Reverse of above: blank.

Opposite page: blank

Reverse of above, which is the final page (back cover): blank.

67x1.2:

first page (labeled page 5; pages 1-4 missing): travel notes from Chicago to St. Louis, via Alton; includes notes on Virden, Girard, Nelwood, Carlinville, Macoupin, Plainview, and Shipman, with mileage figures;

Reverse of above (page 6): travel notes on Providence, Brighton (with sketch of town); a note at the bottom of the page calls the Missouri River “liquid mud”

Opposite page: sketch of cemetery overlooking a river (boats on river), and copy of inscription for Mary Ann Shaw, wife of Wm. W. Shaw, died 1859, age 31, formerly of Swineshead, England, and baby age 32 days

Reverse of above: blank

Opposite page: blank

Reverse of above: blank

Opposite page (blue paper): rough sketches of a pole with lines attached and perhaps a rock

Reverse of above: blank

Opposite page: blank

Reverse of above: sketch of “Falmouth, Mo., from Hamburg, Ill., looking up,” with notes about village and the same comment about Missouri River being liquid mud

Opposite page: travel notes St. Louis to St. Paul, with notes on Alton, Falmouth, Mo., and Hamburg, Ill.

Reverse of above: sketch of “distant view of Louisiana, Mo.,” with notes

Opposite page: sketch of “part of Louisiana from the levee”

Reverse of above: notes about river between Louisiana (Mo.) and Cincinnati (Ill.?)

Opposite page: sketch of “approach to Hannibal, Mo. from below”

Reverse of above: sketch of “part of Hannibal from the levee”

Opposite page: sketch of “part of Hannibal, Mo., from above”

Reverse of above: sketch of “Marion City, Mo. (all there is of it) from above”

Opposite page: watercolor of “approach to Quincy, Ill., from below,” with notes

Reverse of above: sketch of “part of Nauvoo, Ill.”

Opposite page: sketch of “part of Nauvoo, Ill.,” with a note about reading “Aurora Leigh” while the boat was passing where part of the action in that work took place

Reverse of above: watercolor of “Fort Madison, Iowa,” with a note about houses

Opposite page: travel notes on Pontoosuc and Dallas City

Reverse of above: watercolor of “approach to Burlington, Iowa,” with pencil sketches of church spires and notes about the town

Opposite page: part watercolor, part pencil sketch of Burlington

Reverse of above: part watercolor, part pencil sketch of “approach to Oquawka, Ill.”

Opposite page: travel notes about Keithsburg, Ill., New Boston, Ill., Burroughs City, and Port Louisa

Reverse of above: sketch of “lower part of Rock Island from Davenport, with an extra sketch of a “wood boat” (i.e. a boat carrying wood)

Opposite page: sketch of “part of R. Island Bridge on the Davenport side”

Reverse of above: sketch of “Moline” with notes about the town

Opposite page: sketch of “Hampton,” with notes about this Illinois town

Reverse of above: sketch of Leclair, Iowa, with notes about that town and Port Byron

Opposite page (on blue paper): sketch of view of river “from Hamburg, Ill., looking down,” with note about Hamburg

Reverse of above: sketch of “part of Port Byron”

Opposite page (blue paper): travel notes about Princeton, Iowa, and Cordova, Ill.

Reverse of above: rough sketch of a steamboat

Opposite page: watercolor of “junction of the Missouri & Mississippi,” with notes

Reverse of above, which is last page (back cover): watercolor of “junction of the Missouri and the Mississippi,” showing the different colors of water

Folder 3: 78x316.15a-p illustrations and partial text removed from Emma Embury, American Wildflowers in Their Native Haunts (New York: Appleton, 1845).

Pages removed from a copy of this work, which was illustrated by Whitefield. The illustrations are early asclepias (2 copies, originally opposite p. 67), slender-leaved gerardia (originally opposite p. 91), star flower (originally opposite p. 219), wood lily (2 copies, originally opposite p. 251), prince’s pine (opposite p. 131), and brook-lime (opposite p. 177), plus extra pages of poems and descriptions. The floral illustrations include views of the Hudson River in the background.

Folder 4: 78x316.17 lithograph: “Cohoes Falls, Mohawk River, New York,” from North American Scenery, number 2, part 1, (New York: H. Long & Brother, 1846)

Folder 5: 78x316.19 watercolor: “Anthony’s Nose, Hudson River,” ca.1846;

On back: part of a pencil sketch of an unnamed town, showing houses, a church, and what might be a large greenhouse along Metcalf and Spruce streets, with names of some of the home owners noted (see also 78x316.43 in folder 13 for more of the map)

Folder 6: 78x316.32 lithograph: “Fountain Park near Philadelphia, residence of A. McMakin, esq.”; ,” from North American Scenery, number 17, part 5, (New York: H. Long & Brother, 1846)

78x316.33 lithograph: not labeled, but identified as “Falls on the Lackawanna, near Tunkhannock, Pa.,” depicting factories along a river; ,” from North American Scenery, number 23, part 6, (New York: H. Long & Brother, 1846), printed by Michelin

Folder 7: 78x316.35 title on front cover: “Sketch Book of Lowell, [Massachusetts,] Pittsburgh [Pennsylvania]”;

title on back cover: “Copy of Subscribers Names in Pittsburgh & Sketches of Pittsburgh”

From front cover, the contents are:

Three pencil sketches of Lowell, two of which depict mills along the river;

“Churches at Lowell” – pencil sketches of spires;

“View from Mt. Prospect, Oak Hill Cemetery” – pencil sketch;

three very faint pencil sketches;

list of “Subscribers to View of Portland” – 7 pages of names;

unidentified pencil sketch;

log cabin seen “Along the Allegheny Mts. Portage R. Road, elderberry pie eaten in this log cabin”;

three sketches of Johnstown, with notes about travel expenses;

sketch of Allegany City;

five sketches of unidentified city, perhaps Pittsburgh;

at this point, it is necessary to turn the book around and start looking at the contents from the back cover:

inside back cover: lithograph of Pittsburgh Novelty Works (a Johnson & Stockton print);

list of subscribers (11 pages), includes a note about fence posts;

“Old Subs. who did not subscribe” and “Persons who paid Smith”;

“Good Witnesses”;

“Subs. to Smith 2d time and not the 1^st who will take mine if they can get rid of Smith’s”;

sketches of Pittsburgh and Allegany City (29 pages);

accounts with Chas. Goodwin (2 pages)

note: blank pages were not included in the above description

Folder 8: 78x316.36a-d four sketches, one identified as Saco, Maine, ca.1849?

Folder 9: 78x316.37 sketch of Bushkill Falls, Pennsylvania, ca.1850

Folder 10: 78x316.38 sketch of Beverly Farms from Hospital Point; on back: notes about Danvers [Massachusetts]

Folder 11: 78x316.40 engraving: “Wacanga Lake, from town of Whitefield, M.T.” [Minnesota], drawn from nature by E. Whitefield, engraved by John Andrew [1851]

Folder 12: 78x316.42 sketchbook of Chaudiere Fall, Ottawa

Only four pencil sketches; most of book is blank

Folder 13: 78x316.43 watercolor of a waterfall, which a later person has identified as being in Canada [1854-1856];

On back: more of the town map that is on the back of 78x316.19 (in folder 5)

Folder 14: 78x316.44 “Detroit to Chicago” – travel notebook

Pages 1-2: notes about Dearborn, Wayne, Ypsilanti, and Ann Arbor

p. 3: sketch of Ann Arbor

p. 4-9: notes about Dexter, Chelsea, Grass Lake, Jackson, Parma, Albion, M.C.R.R., Marshall, Ceresco, Battle Creek, Galesburg, and Kalamazoo;

p. 10: sketch of part of Kalamazoo, focusing on the round water tower for the railroad;

p. 11-15: travel notes about Kalamazoo (continued), Paw Paw, Decatur, Dowagiac, Buckannan, New Buffalo, and Michigan City;

p. 16: travel notes about Lake Station and Calumet, with a sketch of the path of the railroad over a swamp and a sandy island;

p. 17-18: sketches of “Sunset on the Prairies”

p. 19: travel notes, arrival in Chicago

p. 20: blank;

p. 21-28: travel notes: Freeport to Galena, Elcroy(?), Nora, Warren (with sketch of church at Warren on p. 23), Apple River, Scales Mound, Council Hill, and Galena;

p. 29: end of travel notes; newspaper clipping showing a long surname; list of household goods in boiler;

p. 30-32: lists of household goods, some in rattan basket, others in bushel basket

Folder 15: 78x316.46 proof of illustration for broadside advertising Minnesota Land Agency (or perhaps just a sample of stationery) printed with a view of “Fall of Minne-ha-ha,” drawn from nature by E. Whitefield, printed by J.W. Orr, New York, 1857

Folder 16: 78x316.48 watercolor sketches, pencil sketches, and notes about views along the Mississippi River in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, 1858

First page: watercolor “from Savannah [Illinois], looking up” (on blue paper);

Reverse of above: blank;

Opposite page: blank (blue paper);

Reverse of above: pencil sketch “Savannah from Sabula”;

Opposite page: pencil sketch of “Bridge at Galena, Ill.”;

Reverse of above: notes about islands;

Opposite page: watercolor done “5 or 6 miles above Dubuque looking up”;

Reverse of above: pencil sketch, with some color, done “Above Guttenburg, looking up”;

Opposite page: watercolor and pencil sketch of “Glen Haven, Wis.”;

Reverse of above: watercolor done “Above Clayton City, Iowa,” showing the “Sunset behind the bluff on the left”;

Opposite page: watercolor showing “the Wisconsin side, 5 or 5 miles below Brownsville, just after sunrise’;

Reverse of above: watercolor of “Brownsville, Minn., from below”;

Opposite page: watercolor of a view “on the Minnesota side above La Crosse”;

Reverse of above: pencil sketch of view “just above Dresbach City, Minn., looking up”;

Opposite page: pencil sketch of Queen Bluff, below Trempeleau, from Richmond;

Reverse of above: pencil sketch of Queen Bluff and King Bluff;

Opposite page: pencil sketch of view of river “just above Trempeleau, looking down”;

Reverse of above: watercolor of view “Above Trempeleau, looking down”;

Opposite page: watercolor of view “Two miles above Trempeleau”;

Reverse of above: pencil sketch, with a little color, of view of the Wisconsin side, 3 miles below Alma;

Opposite page: wash drawing of “Wabashaw from above,” with notes about the scene

Reverse of above: watercolor “At Quincy” [Wisconsin?]

Opposite page: notes on perspective;

Reverse of above: more on perspective;

Opposite page: more on perspective; on all three pages, the drawings are numbered for lessons – Whitefield may have been working on a book about perspective or copying from a book with lessons;

Reverse of above: pencil sketch of Quincy

Opposite page: ink drawing “at Quincy looking up”

Reverse of above: pencil and ink drawing of Quincy;

Opposite page: pencil sketch of “part of Fulton City, Iowa” (on blue paper)’

Reverse of above: travel notes about Clinton; Fulton; Lyons; Sabula, Iowa; and Savannah, Ill.

Opposite page: pencil sketch of Albany, Ill. (on blue paper);

Reverse of above: pencil sketch with note “running up a new channel with no apparent outlet”

Opposite page: pencil sketch of trees and houses, location not given (on blue paper);

Reverse of above (last page): notes about printing railroad tickets

Folder 17: 78x316.49 pages 10-[14] from a travel journal describing a camping trip in Minnesota, along the Sauk River to a lake they named Fairy Lake [1858]

Folder 18: 78x316.52 one page from a travel journal about a trip from Quincy to Dunleith, Illinois, taken October 26, 1859, including notes about Chiola, Fowler, Paloma, Camp Point, La Prairie, Augusta, Plymouth, Colmar, Tennessee, and Colchester

78x316.53 notes on a trip from Hannibal to St. Joseph, Missouri, Oct. 18, 1859, including notes on Hannibal, Clarence, Shelbina, Lakenan, Hunnewell, Munroe, and Palmyra; also includes a print of a cow from a French book

Folder 19: 78x316.56 travel notes (incomplete) and sketches around Lake Superior:

p. 1-3: as the notes are incomplete, one cannot tell where Whitefield began this trip, but he passed through Macomb, Bardolph, Bushnel, Prairie City, Avon, St. Augustine, Abingdon, Galesburg, Wataga, Oneida, Altona, Galva, Kenawee, Neponset, Buda, Princeton, and Malden;

p. 4: pencil sketch with some color of Lake Superior, near Carp River;

p. 5: pencil sketch of the mail packet Ocean Wave;

p. 6: pencil sketch, with some color, of Monument Rock, Isle Royale, Lake Superior;

p. 7: pencil sketch of The Chapel in the Pictured Rocks, Lake Superior;

p. 8: pencil sketch of “The Castles” (rock formations), Lake Superior;

p. 9: pencil sketch of Lake Superior and Mount Houghton;

p. 10: pencil sketch of Trap Rock River Fall on Lake Superior;

p. 11-18: travel notes from Chicago to Cincinnati, September 2, 1863, with notes about Hobart, Valparaiso, English Lake, Shakopee, Ripley, Winnemac (i.e. Winamac), Searboro, Royal Centre, Nebhard(?), Logansport, Anoka, Walton, Lincoln, Galveston, Kokomo, [illegible], Nevada, Windfall, Curtis, Quincy, Frankton, Clarks, Anderson, Middletown, Sulpher Springs, Newcastle, Ashland, Millville, Hagerstown, Washington, Richmond, Florence, Easton, and Barnets

78x316.57 travel notes and sketches:

p. 1: notes about Logansport, Sept. 6, 1863;

p. 2-22: blank pages;

p. 23: notes about Hamilton, Butler County, Ohio, including notes about when maps of the area were published;

p. 24-26: blank;

p. 27: notes about and pencil sketch of Newport [probably Kentucky]

p. 28-29: blank;

p. 30-31: pencil sketch of Cincinnati (not labeled, but Newport and Covington Kentucky are across the river from Cincinnati)