The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

Creator:          Waldron Phoenix Belknap (1899-1949)                                  

Title:               Family Papers

Dates:             1861-1960

Call No.:         Col. 130          

Acc. No.:         [unknown]

Quantity:        34 boxes, 1 map case drawer

Location:        23 A 1-5, B 1-2, and Map Case C, Drawer 6

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

Waldron Phoenix Belknap, Jr. and his mother, Rey H. Belknap, contributed to this collection of papers.  Waldron was an investment banker and later an architect, but was also interested in American painting and his ancestry.  His research interests were carried on by his mother after his untimely death.

 

Waldron P. Belknap, Jr. was born in New York City on May 12, 1899, the son of Waldron Phoenix Belknap and Rey (Hutchings) Belknap.  His father was a banker and a sportsman.  As a boy, he attended St. Paul's prep school in Concord, New Hampshire, where he graduated magna cum laude.  He entered Harvard in 1916; there he was active in clubs and studied business and accounting, with an emphasis on banking.  After graduating in 1920, Belknap returned to New York City and became an investment banker despite having an interest in architecture.  Eight years later, he resumed studies at Harvard and received his MA in architecture in 1933.  Belknap set up his practice in Boston, Massachusetts.  From 1939 until 1943, he was active in the Allied Relief Fund.  Once the United States entered the war, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Air Corps in England.

 

Due to illness, Belknap's active duty ended in August 1944; he returned to civilian life in Boston.  There, he continued his activities as a member of the American Institute of Architects, local architects associations, several social clubs, a fellow and life member of the New-York Historical Society, and a hereditary member of the Society of the Cincinnati.  He died in Boston on December 14, 1949.

 

Much of Belknap's time was devoted to the study of his family's history and American portrait painting.  (In the 1600s, the Belknaps left Holland and settled in New Amsterdam and the Hudson River Valley.)  Regarding painting, which included portraits of his ancestors, he delved into the backgrounds of both the artist and sitter.  Belknap's thesis was that English mezzotints served as prototypes for American painters.  Since his work was unfinished at the time of his death, his mother carried on his research.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

This collection of papers includes research and genealogical notes, photographs of European cities taken during the 1930s, and correspondence.  The notes concern many American artists and various New England families.  The photographs show public buildings and architectural detail of pre-war Europe.  There is also a typescript of part of Charles Willson Peale's diary of 1817 and a rough draft and galleys of a book that Belknap was writing, entitled American Colonial Painting.

 

In addition, the collection contains correspondence of Rey H. Belknap concerning the establishment of a memorial to her son's work.  There are also papers that Mrs. Belknap generated in an effort to carry on her son's research.  Mrs. Belknap's papers actually constitute almost half of the collection.

 

           

ORGANIZATION

 

The papers are in 35 boxes, with oversized materials in a folder in a map case drawer.  There is no particular order to the collection, although roughly the papers are organized as follows: photographs and negatives, research notes on artists and portraits, drafts of Belknap’s book American Colonial Painting, genealogical notes, miscellaneous notes and papers, with correspondence scattered throughout.  A group of papers found at a later date is found in two boxes at the end.  It includes photographs and a draft and a galley proof of American Colonial Painting.

 

 

PROVENANCE

           

Gift of Rey Hutchings Belknap.

 

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

            People:

                        Belknap, Rey Hutchings, 1874-1959.

                        Belknap family - Genealogy.

                        Peale, Charles Willson, 1741-1827.

                        De Peyster family.

                       

                       

Topics:

            Artists - United States - Biography.

            Painters - United States.

            Painting - Expertising.

            Painting, Modern - 17th-18th centuries - United States.

            Portrait painters - United States.

            Portrait painting - Expertising - United States.

            Portrait painting, American.

            Portrait prints, British - United States.

            Mezzotint engraving, British.

            Mezzotint engraving - 17th century - England.

            Mezzotint engraving - 18th century - England.

            Portrait painting - United States - English influences.

            Architecture - Europe - Photographs.

            Public buildings - Europe - Photographs.

            Art - History.

            Genealogy.

            Photoprints.

            Photonegatives.

            Correspondence.

            Bills (financial).

            Clippings.

            Address books.

            Galley proofs.

            Genealogies.

            Inventories.

            Lists.

            Prints.

            Notes.

            Notebooks.

            Obituaries.

            Periodicals.

            Catalogs.

            Wills.

            X-ray photographs.

            Architectural drawings.

            Biographies.

            Trade cards.

            Articles.

            Diaries.

            Drafts (preliminary versions).

            Artists.

            Painters.

            Architects.

           

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 23 A 2-5, B 1-2, and Map Case C, Drawer 6

 

 

 

Box 1:     Photos: Europe and cities

 

Box 2:     Photos

 

Box 3:     Photos

 

Box 4:     Negatives

 

Box 5:    Negatives & photos

 

Box 6:    Negatives & photos

 

Box 7:     Negatives & photos

 

Box 8:    Index cards

 

Box 9:

            "Research notes concerning early New York State records and early American painters & paintings", by WPB, Jr.

            "Research notes & findings on American portraiture" by WPB, Jr.

            "Research notes concerning the influence of English mezzotints on American colonial paintings" by WPB, Jr.

 

 

Box 10:          

            "Research notes concerning early Bermuda painters &  paintings," by WPB, Jr.

            Annotated copyright books

             Notebooks 1-3: notes on painters

             Notebook 4: "Blue book"

             Notebook 5: "Green book"

             Notebook 6: Halsey-Partridge

             Notebook 7: Beeckman, etc.

             Notebook 8: Beekman portraits

             Notebook 9: Baltimore notes

 

 

Box 11:

             Notebook 10: prototypes

             Notebook 11: "White book"

             Notebook 12: Bermuda-New England

             Miscellaneous research notes

             Miscellaneous research notes -1

            Miscellaneous research notes -2

            Miscellaneous research notes -3

            Miscellaneous research notes -4

            Miscellaneous research notes -5

            Miscellaneous research notes -6

            Miscellaneous research notes -7

            Miscellaneous research notes -8

            Miscellaneous research notes -9, mezzotints

            Miscellaneous research notes -10

            Miscellaneous research notes -11, genealogical notes: Duyckinck, Ten Eyck, Schuyler

            Correspondence: De Peyster portraits

            Correspondence: Livingston L. Short, re: De Peyster portraits

            Correspondence: publication & photo authorizations

            Correspondence: Donald A. Shelley

            Correspondence: George C. Groce

            Correspondence: "Phoenix" Belknap & Chas. C. Sellers

            Correspondence: Theodore Size

            Correspondence: catalog

            Correspondence: miscellaneous

             Belknap family history; WPB, Jr. biography

             Belknap, Waldron Phoenix, Jr. - biography

             Death notices-Mrs. Waldron P. Belknap

             Copyrights

             Papers re: Chas. C. Sellers book-American Colonial Painting

 

 

Box 12:          

             Notes on artists: 1-Chandler, Winthrop

            Notes on artists: 2-Couturier, Henri

            Notes on artists: 3- Couturier, Henri

            Notes on artists: 4-Du Simitiere, P.E.

            Notes on artists: 4A-Feke, Robert

            Notes on artists: 5-Green, John

            Notes on artists: 6-Gullager, Christian

            Notes on artists: 7-Mare, John

            Notes on artists: 8-Partridge, Nehemiah & the Halseys

            Notes on artists: 9-Smibert, John

            Notes on artists: 10-Smibert's painting room

            Notes on artists: 11-estate of Thomas Moffatt

            Notes on artists: 12-estate of John Smibert

            Notes on artists: 13-estate of Dr. William Smibert

            Notes on artists: 14-estate of John Moffatt

            Notes on artists: 15-estate of Suviah Thayer

            Notes on artists: 16-Smith, Thomas

            Notes on artists: 17-Trumbull, John

            Notes on artists: 18-Vanderlyn, Pieter

            Notes on artists: 19-Williams, William

            Notes on artists: 21-New York painters, 1750s-1770s

            Notes on portraits: 22-portrait of Rev. George Phillips

            Notes on portraits: 23-as above

            Notes on portraits: 24-as above

            Notes on portraits: 26-New York portraits

            Notes on portraits: 29-Hallett family

            Notes on portraits: 31-Van Rensselaer family

            Notes on portraits: 33-Hunt family

            Notes on portraits: 49-Charleston, SC, portraits

            Notes on portraits: 50-Bermuda

            Notes on portraits: 55-Plan for a photo collection on American paintings

 

 

Box 13:          

             Founding of the Belknap Library

            Correspondence: Mrs. Belknap & C.F. Montgomery

            Correspondence: Mrs. Belknap & Chas. C. Sellers

            Correspondence: Mrs. Belknap

            Correspondence: Mrs. Belknap & P. & D. Colnaghi & Co.

            Correspondence: Mrs. Belknap & George C. Groce

            Correspondence: Mrs. Belknap & Yale Uni. Art Gallery

            Correspondence: Mrs. Belknap & New-York Historical Society

            Correspondence: Mrs. Belknap & Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

            Belknap, Mrs. W.P., miscellaneous notes & correspondence

            De Peyster portraits by C.W. Peale

            Minott, Niagara Falls

            Portrait of a Lady, English School

            Hallett

            Clubs & societies, WPB, Jr.

            Portrait of Thomas Appleford, 1746 by John Wollaston

            Correspondence: WPB, Jr. miscellaneous

 

 

Box 14:          

             Correspondence: WPB, Jr. to his mother, Jan.-May 1947

            Correspondence: WPB, Jr. to his mother, Sept.-Oct. 1947

            Correspondence: WPB, Jr. to his mother, 1948

            Correspondence: WPB, Jr. to his mother, Jan.-Feb. 1949

            Correspondence: WPB, Jr. to his mother, Aug. 1949

            Correspondence: WPB, Jr. to his mother, Sept. 1949

            Correspondence: Condolences, Dec. 1949 (7 folders)

            Correspondence: Mrs. Belknap & Mrs. Francis B. Crowninshield

            Belknap Library, tentative survey

            Correspondence: Mrs. Belknap & Belknap Library

            Correspondence: Mrs. Belknap & Clarence S. Brigham

            Correspondence: Mrs. Belknap, De Peyster genealogy

             Reprint from the Art Bulletin, Sept. 1953

             Reprint from the Art Bulletin, Sept. 1947

             Correspondence: WPB, Jr. to Anne Dana

            Correspondence: WPB, Jr. to Boyleston A. Beal

            Correspondence: Mrs. Belknap to H.F. du Pont

            Correspondence: WPB, Jr. to Michael Morris Killanin

            Correspondence: Mrs. Belknap to Arthur S. Maynard

            New-York Historical Society-John Watts De Peyster Publication Fund

            Correspondence: Theodore Sizer

            Notebook of letters & notes

 

 

Box 15:

             "Grandfather's Hobby" by Thomas Sully

             Research notes: 52 - Lenox portraits

             Queen Anne

             Research notes: 46 - John Trumbull, M/M R. Lenox

             Possible prototypes

             Research notes: 8a - R. Philips

            Research notes: 38-Henry Inman, Mrs. R. Lenox

             Countess of Ranelagh

             Nell Gwyn

             Buckhurst

             Countess of Andover

             Princess Ann of Denmark

             Print collection

             British provincial paintings

             Research notes: 37-A.B. Durand, Aaron Betts Belknap

            Research notes: 36-J.S. Copley

            Research notes: 35-J. Cooper

            Research notes: 34-J. Cooper, Queen Anne & Prince George

            Research notes: 47-John Trumbull, David Sproat

            Research notes: 51-portraits by unidentified artists

            Research notes: 45-John Trumbull, M/M Codwise

            Research notes: 42-William De Peyster Jr. by C.W. Peale

            Research notes: 39-James Lenox by J.W. Jarvis

            Research notes: 32-M/M Cassius Hunt by Joseph Badger

            Research notes: 30-Van Rensselaer portraits

            Research notes: 28-Hallett portraits

            Research notes: 27- Joh. De Peyster

            Mrs. Turnor

            Downing, Sir George

            De Peyster genealogy

            Miscellaneous notes

            Belknap Library history

            Staats family genealogy

            Correspondence: WPB, Jr. to his mother

            Review of "Art & Life in America"

            Clippings, etc. removed from books

 

 

Box 16:          

             American Colonial Painting: bibliographies

            American Colonial Painting: lst generation of Duyckincks, Evert I

            American Colonial Painting: 2nd generation of Duyckincks, Belitje

American Colonial Painting: 2nd generation of Duyckincks, Evert II, Evert III, Evert IV, Sara

            American Colonial Painting: 2nd generation of  Duyckincks, Sytie

            American Colonial Painting: 2nd generation of Duyckincks, Annetje & husbands

            American Colonial Painting: 2nd generation of Duyckincks, Aeltje

            American Colonial Painting: 2nd generation of Duyckincks, Maria

            American Colonial Painting: 2nd generation of Duyckincks, Gerrit & descendants

            American Colonial Painting: Provoost family

            American Colonial Painting: Abeel family

            American Colonial Painting: Van Brugh family

            American Colonial Painting: miscellaneous New York-general

            American Colonial Painting: financial church membership lists, etc.

            American Colonial Painting: NY genealogical notes from RLB

            American Colonial Painting: NY artists & portraits

            American Colonial Painting: miscellaneous artists, craftsmen

            American Colonial Painting: Chap.II, De Peyster portraits

            American Colonial Painting: Chap.IV, painters & craftsmen

            American Colonial Painting: Chap.V, mezzotint prototypes of colonial portraiture

            American Colonial Painting: layout of photos, bib.

            American Colonial Painting: permission for book- reprint of article

            American Colonial Painting: copyright permission

            American Colonial Painting: unanswered requests for Frick permission

            American Colonial Painting: permission for book- illustrations

            American Colonial Painting: CCS-tentative plan for WPB,Jr. book

            American Colonial Painting: illustrations-layouts

            American Colonial Painting: various parts

            American Colonial Painting: Belknap Press

            American Colonial Painting: duplicate lists of prints purchased in Eng.

            American Colonial Painting: WPB,Jr. publication project, bibliography

 

 

Box 17:          

            American Colonial Painting: manuscript, part 1 (4 folders)

            American Colonial Painting: manuscript, part 2 (2 folders)

 

Box 18:          

             American Colonial Painting: galleys (3 folders)

            American Colonial Painting: notes

            American Colonial Painting: illustrations

            American Colonial Painting: copy C

            American Colonial Painting: miscellaneous

 

 

Box 19:          

            American Colonial Painting (3 folders)

             De Peyster: 1st generation (lst typescript)

             De Peyster: 2nd generation (lst typescript)

             De Peyster: 3rd generation (lst typescript)

            De Peyster: 4th generation (lst typescript)

             De Peyster: 5th generation (lst typescript)

             De Peyster: 6th generation (lst typescript)

             De Peyster: 1st generation (carbon)

             De Peyster: 2nd generation (carbon)

             De Peyster: 3rd generation (carbon)

             De Peyster: 4th generation (carbon)

             De Peyster: 5th generation (carbon)

            De Peyster: 6th generation (carbon)

            De Peyster: 7th generation (carbon)

             De Peyster genealogy

 

 

Box 20:

             De Peyster: genealogy bookcover

             De Peyster: notes (2 folders)

             De Peyster: portraits

             De Peyster genealogy: book notes

             Ducking (Duyckinck) papers

             Genealogical: New York Genealogical & Biographic Society

             Maitland family pedigree

             Genealogical notes (3 folders)

             Notes from the Annuals of Newtown by Rey H. Belknap

             Genealogists' Handbook & Magazine

 

 

Box 21:          

            Research notes: 20-John Wollaston

             Research notes: 56-Washington bust

             Research notes: Arent De Peyster, John Vanderlyn

             American Colonial Painting: galleys (3 folders)

             De Peyster: wills, inventories

             Genealogical notes

             Ancestral tablets

             Genealogical notes: Phoenix

             Genealogical notes: Ditmer family, et.al.

 

 

Box 22:

             Genealogical notes

             Flagg genealogy

             Genealogical notes: Dorland family

            Genealogical notebook: De Peyster, Halstead, Denton Genealogical notes: De Peyster

             Genealogical notebooks

             Genealogical notes: Dally family

            Genealogical notes: Burger family

            Genealogical notes: Bogart family

            Genealogical notes: Van Schaick family

            Genealogical notes: Clopper & Shuart families

            Genealogical notes: Lott family

            Genealogical notes: silversmiths, loyalists

            Genealogical notes: various families

 

 

Box 23:

             Genealogical notes: Remsen family (2 folders)

            Genealogical notes: Beekman family

             "The Identity of Robert Feke" by WPB,Jr.; manuscripts, correspondence, notes

             Feke article    

             Feke articles

             Feke & Ludlam families

             Flagg portraits by Feke

             Collections

 

 

Box 24:

             Research on American portraiture (2 folders)

             Mezzotints & prototypes: correspondence, lists

             Belknap correspondence & notes-mezzotints