The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, DE 19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: Clarke, Thomas B. (Thomas Benedict), 1848-1931.

Title: Scrapbooks and register

Dates: 1872-1879, 1915-1916, 1921-1922

Call No.: Col. 315

Acc. No.: 67x121; 68x57; 06x11

Quantity: 3 volumes

Location: 17 L 5

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

Thomas B. Clarke of New York City was a noted collector of American paintings, Chinese porcelain, and other antiques. He served as president of the New York School of Applied Design for Women, chairman of the Union League Club’s art committee, treasurer of the National Society of Arts, and was a founding member of both the National Sculpture Society and the National Arts Club. On November 14, 1871, Clarke married Fannie Eugenia Morris, the daughter of John J. Morris, a New York City alderman.

Thomas Benedict Clarke was born in New York, New York, on December 11, 1848. Clarke was one of three sons born to Dr. George Washington Clarke, the founder and head master of the Mount Washington Collegiate Institute of New York City. Clarke graduated from his father’s school and entered the linen business, manufacturing laces, linens, collars, and cuffs. Initially, he partnered with John Carmichael, a fellow linen dealer. In 1876, Clarke entered into a partnership with Thomas King of Troy, New York, specializing in linen collars.

Although Clarke was a linen dealer by trade, he always had a strong interest in the arts. As early as 1872, Clarke began collecting works by American artists. At the age of forty, in 1888, Clarke

retired from the linen business to devote himself to the arts and established himself as a full-time

dealer in Chinese porcelain and Greek art. By October 1891, Clarke had opened Art House, a gallery on Fifth Avenue in New York devoted to the sale of Chinese and Japanese ceramics, Greek vases, and Eastern and Middle Eastern art. In addition to his sales in Greek and Eastern art, Clarke became one of the premier supporters of American artists during his lifetime, acquiring works by such artists as George Inness (1825-1894), Eastman Johnson (1824-1906), and Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902). By 1878, Clarke had amassed a collection of nearly 185 paintings, with 170 works being from American artists. His extensive collections were freely shared with numerous institutions throughout his lifetime for loan exhibitions, including exhibits held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the World’s Columbian Exposition, Chicago, and the National Academy of Design.

In February 1899, Clarke dispersed his collection of American art at a four day public auction

sale. Proceeds from the sale totaled almost $235,000. After the sale, Clarke primarily devoted himself to collecting and studying early American portraits and furniture. In 1919, at the age of 71, Clarke abandoned his business in Chinese porcelains in order to fully concentrate on researching and collecting early American portraits. At the time of his death on January 18, 1931, Clarke had a collection of 175 paintings rendered by 77 different artists, including 29 portraits by Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828).

Thomas Clarke’s former home at 22 East 35^th Street is now the headquarters of the Collectors Club. Clarke had bought the building in 1902 and had it extensively remodeled by Stanford White to accommodate his art collection.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

Consists of three volumes relating to Clarke's collecting activities. The first volume has the caption title “A Memorandum Book, description of a collection of oil paintings.” It includes lists of paintings in Clarke's collection, paintings purchased for other collections, trades and sales from his collection, loans to galleries, and old porcelain.

The second volume is a scrapbook about an exhibition and sale of Clarke’s collection of “beautiful old textiles and … antique plates of many nations” which took place in January 1916. The scrapbook holds photos of the exhibition itself, pages from the catalog produced for the exhibit or the auction (probably served both functions), and newspaper articles about the exhibit and the sale. The articles about the sale include some prices and the names of some buyers, and one notes that a rug which sold for over $10,000 was used as a movie prop. Nothing indicates who created the scrapbook. The spine label reads T. B. Clarke, 1916, Old Plates and Textiles.

The third volume is a scrapbook kept by Clarke relating to exhibitions of early American portraits held by the Union League Club in 1921 and 1922. It contains letters written to and from Clarke about the exhibits, photographs of groups of paintings on display, captions description paintings (probably from exhibit catalogs), and newspaper clippings with reviews of the exhibits.

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

The materials are in English.

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.

PROVENANCE

Acc. 67x121 purchased from Weyhe, Inc.

Acc. 68x57 gift of Louise du Pont Crowninshield.

Acc. 06x11 transferred from Printed Books and Periodicals collection.

RELATED MATERIALS

Letters from Thomas B. Clarke to Charles Henry Hart are found at this repository in Col. 654, Charles Henry Hart Papers. They chiefly concern American art.

The Archives of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution has additional papers of Thomas B. Clarke.

ACCESS POINTS

Topics:

Union League Club.

Art patrons.

Art - Collectors and collecting.

Exhibition catalogs.

Portrait painting, American - Photographs.

Porcelain - Collectors and collecting.

Painting, American - Exhibitions - New York - New York.

Painting - Private collections.

Textile fabrics - Collectors and collecting.

Rugs - Collectors and collecting.

Registers (lists).

Scrapbooks.

Correspondence.

Photographic prints.

Clippings.

Art collectors.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 17 L 5

Box 1:

Folder 1: Acc. 68x57: “A Memorandum Book, description of a collection of oil paintings.”

Cover title: Private Art Collection of Thomas B. Clarke, 1872-1879. It includes lists of paintings in Clarke's collection, paintings purchased for other collections, trades and sales from his collection, loans to galleries, and old porcelain.

Name index to this volume is appended to this finding aid.

Folder 2: Photocopy of the memorandum book (acc. 68x57; 1 folder)

Folders 3-4: Photographs of pages in scrapbook 67x121 (2 folders)

Folder 5: Negatives for scrapbook pages (1 folder)

Box 2: Acc. 67x121: Spine and cover labels: U.L.C., Early American Portraits, 1921-22

A scrapbook kept by Clarke relating to exhibitions of early American portraits held by the Union League Club in 1921 and 1922. Includes some letters to and from Alexander C. Humphreys, chairman of the Committee on Art of the Union League Club, and letters to and from Clarkson Cowl, secretary of the committee. Also includes photos of the exhibits, text of the exhibit catalogs, and newspaper articles about the exhibits.

An index to the artists and subjects of the portraits is appended to this finding aid.

Box 3: Acc. 06x11 Spine label: T. B. Clarke, 1916, Old Plates and Textiles.

A scrapbook about an exhibition and sale of Clarke’s collection of “beautiful old textiles and … antique plates of many nations” which took place in January 1916, under the management of the American Art Galleries. It includes photos of the exhibit, text of the catalog, and newspaper ads and articles about the exhibit and sale.

Partial index to acc. 67x121: Scrapbook of early American portraits – only artists and subjects of portraits are listed

Alexander, Francis 15

Allston, Josias 53

Allston, Washington 53

Ames, Ezra 27

Ames, Joseph A. 28

Anderson, Alexander 28

Astor, John Jacob 50

Barlow, Rebecca Sanford 13

Barton, Coralie Livingston 14

Barton, Thomas Pennant 14

Beck, Theodoric Romeyn 16

Beckford, Elizabeth, Countess of Effingham 17

Biddle, Charles 24

Biddle, Thomas (Major) 69

Brown Gawen 54, 82

Brown, Mather 37, 39

Calder, Robert (Lt.) 40

Charlotte, Queen of England 36

Constable, William 51

Conyngham, Francis N. P. (Sir) 37

Coolidge, Joseph 50

Copley, John Singleton 12, 39, 54, 66, 79, 82

Cruger, Matilda Caroline 55

Dawson, James Massy 40

Dawson, Thomas 39

De Kalb, Johann 70

De Lancey, Stephen 53, 90

Devon, Lord 38

Dexter, (Mrs.) Andrew 50

Dick, John (Sir) 36

Dickson, (Mrs.) John 13

Dyott, Thomas W. 66, 84

Earl, Ralph E. W. 70

Eckford, Henrietta 25, 85

Eckford, Henry 25, 29, 85

Eckford, Marian (Bedell) 25, 85

Effingham, Countess of (Elizabeth Beckford) 17

Eichholtz, Jacob 15, 26, 68

Elliott, Charles Loring 29, 67, 71

Foster, Stephen 14

Freeman, C. (Dr.) 15

Freeman, Phoebe 15

Fulton, Robert 25, 29, 85

Gansevoort, Peter (General) 27

Gates, Horatio (General) 70

George III, King of England 36

Gibson, William (Doctor) 12

Gordon, Elizabeth, Countess of Sutherland 13

Greenwood, Grace 15

Griffin, Cyrus 53

Hall, James 29

Hamilton, Alexander 39

Hamilton, James 61

Harding, Chester 69

Harper, Joseph Wesley 26

Harrison, Benjamin 68

Hartigan, Betsey 35

Hartigan, William (Dr.) 35

Hawkins, Augustus Fielding 68

Healy, G. P. A. 28

Hicks, Thomas 14

Hoffman, Charles Fenno 16

Hopkinson, Ann Biddle 24

Hopkinson, Francis 24

Hubard, William James 27

Huntington, Daniel 14, 29

Inman, Henry 15, 27, 71

Jackson, Andrew 70

Jarvis, John Wesley 25

Johnson, Eastman 26

Johnston, John 66, 88

Jouett, Matthew Harris 68

King, Charles Bird 15

Kintzing, Abraham 24

Knox, Henry (General) 70

Krimmel, John Lewis 69, 90

Lambdin, James R 69, 84

Laurens, Henry 39

Lawrence, James 25

Leman, Henry Eichholtz 68

Lincoln, Levi 25

Lippincott, Sarah Jane 15

Lloyd, James 52

Marchant, Edward D. 16

Marshall, John 27, 69, 84

Melville, Herman 27

Melville, Maria Gansevoort 27

Metcalfe, Eliab 16, 28

Morris, George Pope 71

Morse, Samuel F. B. 14, 16, 25

Mount, William S 67, 71

Murray, William Vans 37

Neagle, John 13, 26, 27, 66, 84

Peale, Charles Willson 67, 68

Peale, James 69

Peale, Rembrandt 12, 26, 66

Peck, John 66, 88

Pelham, Peter 68

Pierce, Franklin 28

Pine, Robert Edge 70

Pollock, George 51

Pollock, (Mrs.) George 51

Porter, Peter B. 26

Preston, James Patton 17, 79

Quidor, John 24

Reynolds, Sir Joshua 35, 37, 83

Richards, Guy 14

Rittenhouse, David 67

Rogers, William 54, 88

Rudman, Ann C. 27

Rudman, Wm. C. 27

Rush, William 26

Savage, Edward 70

Scott, George 66

Sharples, James 67

Shirley, William (Governor) 17

Smibert, John 17, 53, 68, 90

Smith, Elizabeth Oakes 15

Smith, James P. 26

Southward, George 28

Stow, Edward 54

Stuart, Gilbert 12, 17, 35-38, 40, 50-55, 79, 82, 83

Stuart, Richardson 12

Sturgis, Sarah Blake 15

Sudam., John 66

Sully, Thomas 12, 24, 69, 71

Sutherland, Countess of (Elizabeth Gordon) 13

Taylor, Jeremiah 12, 79

Theus, Jeremiah 53, 70

Thew, Robert 12

Thornton, William 52

Thornton, (Mrs.) William 52

Tompkins, Daniel D. 71

Townshend, Thomas 38

Trumbull, John 54, 88

Van Rensselaer, Stephen 55

Vanderlyn, John 66

Vanderlyn, Pieter 9, 12

Van Vechten, Johannes 9, 12

Van Winkle, Rip - The Return of 24

Waldo, Samuel L. 13

Wallack, James William 27

Walsh, Robert 24

Ware, Katharine Augusta Rhodes 16

Washington, Bushrod 67

Washington, George 66

West, Benjamin 13, 17, 37

White, Luke 40

Willis, Nathaniel Parker 69

Yates, Lawrence Reid 55

Yates, Richard 50

Yates, (Mrs.) Richard 50, 76, 82

Index to 68x57: Memorandum Book: Paintings in the Collection of Thomas B. Clarke

Agazziz 54

Agazziz, J. 57

Allen, Thomas (Jr.) 73

Armstrong, M. 139

Augero, F. 2, 55, 59

Baker & Rondel 127

Baker, Geo. A. 4

Baker, E. and Rondel(?) 4, 56

Barstow, S. A. 4

Beard, W. H. 4, 58, 59, 75

Beard, Wm H. 56

Bellows, A. F. 4, 135

Bensa 4

Benson 51

Benson, E. 4

Benson, Eugene 56

Bierstadt 51

Bierstadt, Albert 4, 75

Blakelock 4

Blakelock, R. A. 4, 55, 75

Boughton, G. H. 75

Boughton, Geo. H. 4

Brenneman, G. W. 141

Bridgman, F. A. 4, 75, 123, 139, 151

Bristol J. B. 4, 58

Brown, J. G. 4, 54, 56, 59, 75, 141, 151

Bunner., A. F. 131

Butman 4

Cafferty 6

Casilear, J. W. 6, 75

Champney, J. W. 139

Chapin 6

Chapin, C. H. 56, 127

Chapman, J. Linton 6

Chase, Harry 151

Chase, Wm. M. 6, 77

Church, F. E. 77, 151

Church, F. S. 6, 77, 141

Cole, Thomas 6

Colgate 6

Colman, S. 139

Colman, Samuel 6, 77

Cowell 6, 51

Craig, J. Eugene 6

Crane, R. B. 139

Crane, R. Bruce 141

Cropsey, J. F. 6

De Elorriaga, R. 8, 52

De Haas, M. F. H. 8, 79

De Haas, W. F. 58

De Haas, Wm. F. 8, 54

De Luce, P. 131, 139

Dewey, C. M. 139, 151

Dewing, T. W. 8, 79

Dielman, F. 79

Dielman, Frederick 8

Dolph, J. H. 8, 79

Dudley, A. 139

Dunell(?), Olive(?) 137

Ferris, Gerome 83

Foote, C. B. 149

Frappa 12

Frappa, J 54, 58, 59

Frere, Theo. 12, 54, 58

Gelli 14

Gelli, E. 55

Gelli, Edward 57

Gifford, R. Swain 14, 85

Gifford, S. R. 85

Gifford, Sanford R. 14

Gifford, Swain 151

Gray, H. P. 127

Gray, Henry Peters 14

Guy, S. J. 14, 85, 133

Hahs, P. B. 123, 131, 139

Hahs, Phillip B. 87

Hall, G. H. 16

Harland, A. C. 16

Harnett, W. 127

Harnett, W. M. 57, 58, 133, 135, 137, 141

Harnett, Wm M. 16, 87, 143

Harrison 51

Harrison, H. 59

Harrison, Henry 16, 54, 57

Hart, James M. 16

Hart, William 16, 56, 58, 59, 87, 140, 151

Hatch,, D. B. 147

Hazeltine, W. S. 16

Hekking, J. A. 55

Hekking, J. K. 16

Heniman, John 143

Hennessy 51

Hennessy, W. J. 16

Henry, E. L. 16, 87

Holberton, W. 54, 59, 87

Holberton, Wakeman 16

Homer, Winslow 16, 87

Hosford, J. H. 16, 56

Hovenden, T. 131, 135, 141

Hovenden, Thos. 87, 123, 147

Howland., A. C 16, 56

Hubbard, R. W. 16, 127

Huntington, D. 16, 87

Inness 51

Inness, G. 127

Inness, George 18, 55-59, 89, 133, 135, 139, 151

Inness, Geo (Jr.) 18

Irving, J. Beaufain 18

Irving, W. 18, 51

Johnson, D. 127, 140

Johnson, David 20, 58, 91, 141, 143

Johnson, E. 57

Johnson, Eastman 20, 56, 59, 91, 137, 151

Jones, Bolton 145

Jones, H. Bolton 123, 131, 139, 151

Kappes, A. 139

Kappes, Alfred 93

Kensett, J. F. 22, 58, 93

Kilbourne, S. A. 22

King, Thomas 133

La Farge, John 24, 55, 95

Lambdin, G. C. 24

Lane 140

Lawrie, Alexander 24, 56

Lehr, A. 127

Lehr, Adam 131

Lemaire, Casimir 24

Loop, H A. 24

Macy, W. S. 26, 58, 97, 131

Magrath 58

Magrath, W. 139

Magrath, Wm. 26, 97

Martin, Homer 26

McCord, H. 55, 59

McCord, Herbert 26

McEntee, J. 139

McEntee, Jervis 26, 52, 97

McKie, (Mrs.) Thomas 131

Miller, C. H. 58

Miller, Chas. H. 26

Minor, R. C. 58, 151

Minor, Robt. C. 26, 54

Moore, R. E. 55

Moran, Edward 26, [58,] 97

Moran, Leon 97

Moran, Percy 97, 141

Moran, Peter 26

Moran, T. 51, 58

Moran, Thomas 26, 97

Morse, G. H. 54

Morse, Geo. D. 57

Morse, Henry D. 26

Mount., W. S. 26, 97

Murphy, J. F. 127

Murphy, J. Francis 26

Nehlig, V. 137

Otter, Thomas 30

Orgazzis 30

Parton, A. 127, 131

Parton, Arthur 32, 103, 139

Perry, E. W. 137

Piquet, R. E. 56, 103, 139

Piquet, Rudolph E. 32

Plumb, H. G. 103, 140

Plummer, A. T. 145

Poore, H. R. 103

Quartly, A. 151

Quartley, Arthur 34, 105, 141

Ream 75

Ream, M. 58, 131

Ream, Marston 36, 55

Rehn, F. K. 131

Ricci 51

Ricci, Pio 36

Richards, W. T. 107, 140

Richards, Wm. T. 36

Robbins, H. W. 36, 55, 58, 151

Roorbach, A. S. 56, 127

Roorback 36

Rosier, D. 54

Rosier, Dominque [Dominiquel 36, 57

Ryder, P. P. 36, 51, 107, 127

Sarri 38, 51

Schuchardt, F. (Jr.) 109

Seney, George J. 151

Shattuck 38

Shattuck, A. D. 54, 59

Shirlaw, W. 58

Shirlaw, Walter 38, 56

Smedley, W. T. 109

Smillie, J. D. 38

Smillie, G. H. 59, 151

Smillie, Geo. 55

Smillie, Geo. H. 38

Smith 38

Smith, H. P. 127, 133, 135, 141

Smith, Henry P. 109

Sontagg, W. A. 38, 109

Story, Geo. H. 38, 109

Tait, A. F. 40, 57, 137

Tamburini 40, 52

Thompson, Jerome 40, 56, 127

Thorn, J. C. 57

Thorn, J. Crawford 40

Tiffany, Louis C. 40

Ulrich, C. F. 151

Van Schendel 127

Van Schendel, P. 54

Van Schendel, Pierre 44, 57

Volk, D. 44, 133, 139, 151

Volk, Douglas 115, 124

Way, A. J. H. 46, 57

Whittredge 51, 139

Whittredge, W. 117, 137

Whittredge, Worthington 46

Wiederfeld 46, 51

Wiggins, J. C. 46, 137

Wilson, Washington 135

Windmair 46, 52

Witt, J. H. 46, 59, 117, 149

Wood, J. 0. 51, 117

Wood, J. Ogden 46

Wood, T. W. 46, 117, 135, 151

Wyant, A. H. 46, 117, 124, 139, 151

Yewell 48

Young, Harvey 48, 51