The
The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and
Printed Ephemera
Henry Francis du Pont
5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur,
Delaware 19735
Telephone: 302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883
OVERVIEW OF
THE COLLECTION
Creator: Rogers, John, 1829-1904.
Title: Catalogs, advertisements, photographs, and other materials
Dates: 1863-1887; 1939-1987
Call No.: Col. 404
Acc. No.: [various – see detailed
description]
Quantity: 2 boxes, 1 folder (around 50
items)
Location: 2 B 4, and map case C,
drawer 1
BIOGRAPHICAL
STATEMENT
American sculptor John Rogers was particularly noted
for his small genre and literary group statues commonly called Rogers’ groups. Born in Massachusetts in 1829, he spent most
of his childhood in Massachusetts and Cincinnati, Ohio. Early on he worked as a draftsman and
mechanic, but began modeling clay in 1849.
In 1858, he went to Paris and Rome to study sculpture, but because he
disliked the Neoclassical style, he returned to Massachusetts within a year. After a brief renunciation of art as a
profession, Rogers moved to New York City and in 1859 opened a sculpture studio
where he produced portrait busts, monumental statues, and humorous
"groups" depicting scenes from everyday life in the mid-19th century. He created more than 80 plaster groups, and
as many as 12,000 copies could be made from the mold of one group.
He sold approximately 80,000 items during the last
35 years of his career. Rogers was
elected to the National Academy in 1863 and retired in 1894 to Connecticut
where he lived with his family until his death in 1904.
SCOPE AND
CONTENT
An assortment of 19th century advertising
materials and photographs and 20th century articles and letters, all
pertaining to Rogers’ groups. Three
catalogs from 1877-1881 depict approximately 50 groups of statuary made by John
Rogers of New York City. Each statue
group is depicted in a wood-cut and is accompanied by the sculpture's
dimensions, weight, price, and a description of the scene illustrated by the statue. Instructions for cleaning and repairing items
are printed in each catalog, along with ordering and shipping policies. The majority were made of plaster, but
outdoor sculptures were constructed with an iron frame. Themes represented include such scenes from
everyday life as school, the doctor's office, the theater, the photographer,
and the traveling magician. Civil War
motifs such as "The Wounded Scout," "The Home Guard,"
"Union Refugees," and "The Council of War" are also
portrayed, along with well-known scenes from such literary classics as
"Rip Van Winkle," "As You Like It," and "The Legend of
Sleepy Hollow." Also found is an
undated broadside advertisement for “The Rogers’ Groups of Sculpture” available
from James S. Earle & Sons of Philadelphia.
As well, the collection includes 7 carte de visite
photos of statues, 5 of which are mounted.
Four of the 5 mounted photos were published by J. H. Williams, Jr., while
the other mounted photo was published by John Rogers himself. Rounding out the photographic materials are
12 stereocards of various Rogers’ groups.
Several of these were published by J. Ward & Son of Boston.
The collection also includes 12 ads cut from
contemporary magazines, such as Scribner’s
and Century. The images are the same as in the catalogs,
but rather than descriptions, the ads include shipping information. If intended for wedding presents, the statues
could be shipped directly to the couple, rather than to the purchaser.
In Series II of this collection are some letters
about six Rogers groups once on loan to the public library in Elkton, Maryland;
a booklet and newspaper and magazine articles about Rogers (all from 20th
century); and a 1939 calendar issued by The Travelers insurance company with
pictures of Rogers statues.
ORGANIZATION
The collection is in two series: Series I contains
19th century advertising materials and photographs; Series II
contains 20th century articles and letters.
LANGUAGE OF
MATERIALS
The materials are in English.
RESTRICTIONS
ON ACCESS
Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.
PROVENANCE
Purchases and gifts from various sources
ACCESS POINTS
Topics:
James S. Earle & Sons
Sculpture -
Catalogs - 19th century.
Statues - Pictorial works.
Engraving - Specimens.
Wood-engraving - Specimens.
Characters and characteristics in literature - Pictorial
works.
Iron sculpture - Pictorial works.
Figure sculpture.
Outdoor sculpture.
United States - History - Civil War, 1861-1865 -
Pictorial works.
Sculptors.
DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Location: 2 B 4, and map case C,
drawer 1
Items are listed in accession number order.
Series I: 19th
century advertising materials and photographs
64x96 “1881-2
Groups of Statuary by John Rogers, no. 23 Union Square, New-York.” Printed by Francis Hart & Co.
Advertising booklet for group
statues, with ordering information.
68x81 “Groups of
Statuary by John Rogers, 1155 Broadway, cor. 27th Street, New York,
1878.” Printed by Holman Printing House.
Advertising booklet for group
statues, and also a stone flower vase decorated with a view of Santa Claus, a
stone flower box, a stone pedestal, and a walnut bracket. Includes ordering information.
The pages of the
booklet have not been cut, so use care in opening it.
74x206 “Groups
of Statuary by John Rogers, 1155 Broadway, corner 27th Street, New
York, 1877.” Printed by Thomas Holman.
Advertising booklet for group
statues, including lawn statues, and also a stone flower vase decorated with a
view of Santa Claus, a stone flower box, a stone pedestal, and a walnut
bracket. Includes ordering information.
The pages of the
booklet are folded into thirds, so use care in opening it.
79x65.1-.12 stereocards of Roger’s statuettes:
.1 “The Slave Auction”
.2 “Checker Players”
.3 “The Village Schoolmaster”
.4 “The Picket Guard”
.5 “The Sharp Shooters,” stamped on back:
J. Ward & Son, Boston
.6 “Camp Life: the Card Players”
.7 “The Wounded Scout”
.8 “One More Shot: Wounded to the Rear,”
stamped on back: J. Ward & Son, Boston
.9 “Uncle Ned’s School,” stamped on back:
J. Ward & Son, Boston
.10 “The Charity Patient,” stamped on back:
J. Ward & Son, Boston
.11 “The School Examination,” stamped on
back: J. Ward & Son, Boston
.12 “Courtship in Sleepy Hollow,” stamped on
back: J. Ward & Son, Boston
04x123.1-.7 photos of Rogers’ groups; .3-.7 are mounted on cards with
identifying information:
.1 “The Home Guard” [not mounted]
.2 “Checker Players” [not mounted]
.3 “The Returned Volunteer: How the Fort
was Taken”
.4 “The Camp Fire: Making Friends with the
Cook”
.5 “Union Refugees”
.6 “One More Shot: Wounded to the Rear”
.7 “Country Post-Office”
04x123.8-.19 advertisements cut from magazines:
.8 “A Frolic at the Old Homestead,” from Century, June 1887
.9 “Neighboring Pews,” from Century, 1886
.10 “The Favored Scholar,” from Century, May 1882
.11 “The Referee,” from Scribner’s Monthly, July 1881
.12 “Rip van Winkle at Home,” from Century, Feb. 1886
.13 “Fetching the Doctor,” from Century, Dec. 1881
.14 “The Elder’s Daughter,” from Century, Oct. 1886
.15 “Polo,” from Scribner, June 1879
.16 “Rip van Winkle at Home,” from Century, Aug. 1887
.17 “Rip van Winkle at Home,” from Century, March 1882
.18 “Checkers, up at the Farm,” from Scribner’s Magazine, Dec. 1887
.19 “The Photograph,” from Scribner’s, Dec. 1878
14x41.2 broadside advertisement for
“The Rogers’ Groups of Sculpture” available from James S. Earle & Sons of
Philadelphia. Shows 12 Rogers’ groups,
ranging in price from $15-$25. No date.
In
map case.
Series II: 20th
century printed materials and letters
12x88 Letters about six Rogers
groups once on loan to the public library in Elkton, Maryland; a booklet and
newspaper and magazine articles about Rogers (all from 20th century); and a
1939 calendar issued by The Travelers insurance company with pictures of Rogers
statues.
Calendar
in map case.