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: Tait, Arthur Fitzwilliam,
1819-1905.
Title: Letters
Dates: 1853-1898
Call No.: Col. 448
Acc. No.: 71x107
Quantity: 21 letters (1 folder)
Location: 34 J 2
BIOGRAPHICAL
STATEMENT
Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait was an American painter of
sporting scenes and animals. He was born
in England in 1819 and studied art as a boy in Manchester. He came to the United States in 1850,
settling in New York City. Tait spent
many of his summers at his camp in the Adirondack Mountains. A number of his paintings were made into
lithographs by Louis Prang and Currier & Ives. He was named an associate of the National
Academy in 1853 and an academician in 1858.
Tait died at his home in Yonkers, NY in 1905.
Tait was married three times. His first wife was Marian Cardwell (1822-1872;
married 1838), and his grief over her death is expressed in a letter in this
collection. His second wife was Mary
Jane Bortoft (1844-1880; married 1873); she was the mother of his two children,
and she died shortly after the birth of the second child. (Her surname was also found spelled Bartoft
and Bouthoft.) His sorrow over her death
is expressed in a letter as well. His
third wife was Emma Hough (1861-1938; married 1882). She was born in England; after Tait died, she
married William Carlyle Fraser. An
obituary of her called her the mother of Arthur James Blossom Tait, but his
birth mother was Tait’s second wife, Mary Jane.
An article about Mrs. Fraser’s estate correctly identified him as
stepson but also as a nephew.
SCOPE AND
CONTENT
This collection contains 21 letters written by
artist Arthur Tait. Most of the
correspondence is with Boston lithographer, Louis Prang, who published many of
Tait's paintings. Many of the letters
describe the various stages of his paintings and his search for subjects,
particularly animals. Other letters note
that Currier & Ives reproduced one of Tait's paintings without
permission. Tait also became involved in
a published argument with Clarence Cook [Clarence Chatham Cook] and Louis Prang
over the placement of the artist's name in relation to the name of the
lithographic artist and the publisher's name on a lithograph.
In two letters, Tait expresses grief and sorrow over
the deaths of his wives (the first died in 1872 and the second in 1880). In another letter, he extends his condolences
to Louis Prang over the death of Mrs. Prang.
ORGANIZATION
Arranged chronologically.
LANGUAGE OF
MATERIALS
The materials are in English.
RESTRICTIONS
ON ACCESS
Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.
PROVENANCE
Gift of Harry T. Peters, Jr.
RELATED
MATERIALS
See also Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait Papers at the Adirondack
Museum, Blue Mountain Lake, N.Y.
ACCESS POINTS
People:
Prang, Louis, 1824-1909.
Topics:
Currier & Ives.
Animals in art.
Artists -
Correspondence.
Artists – United
States.
Chromolithography,
Victorian.
Painting,
American.
Grief.
Condolence
notes.
Letters.
Painters.
DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Location: 34 J
2
All accession
numbers begin with 71x107. All letters
were written by Arthur F. Tait.
.17 to C. D. Stuart, esq., written from 150
Spring St., N.Y., March 15, 1853: large picture now finished and is on display
at 111 Wall St. (Jno. & Robt. Osborn’s place); Jones recently called and gave
him a paper with poems by Stuart.
[This
letter was once mounted in a scrapbook.]
[poet
and journalist Carlos D. Stuart lived 1820-1862, dying in Huntingdon, Long
Island.]
.18 receipt: New York, March 31, 1857: Tait
received a gold watch and chain from Uriah Levison, and is to paint him a
picture of cock, hen, and chickens in payment
[this
may refer to the New York physician Uriah Levison.]
.19 to Uriah Levison, esq., Brooklyn, written
from 600 Broadway, N.Y., June 9, 1857: sends a painting of ruffled grouse and
young as promised; please give bearer a receipt; hope it satisfies their
agreement
.20 to J. R. Lamb[illegible], written from
Morrisania, Westchester, N.Y., Nov. 30, 1860: draft received, but no banks will
take it because of “the existing state of affairs here and at the South”; hopes
that recipient will send him a draft payable in New York; hopes the paintings
were satisfactory to his friend; “matters are very hard in art in New York at
present, every one pulling long faces.”
.1 to L. Prang, written from Morrisania,
Westchester, N.Y., Aug. 9, 1866: terms mentioned in recent letter are
satisfactory, but why limited to only two years? Plans to send “Ducklings” in a day or two but
has been ill; P.S.: “don’t say anything more about being ‘generous’ or we’ll
quarrel, or about hos pictures you speak about [illegible]; hopes they will
both be candid and straight-forward in their dealings
.2 to L. Prang & Co., written from
Morrisania, Westchester, N.Y., Sept. 26, 1866: would like more time to finish
the quail as the paint is not hardening; working on a companion but if Prang
doesn’t like it, it can be returned to him; “I did not know about your idea of
having thse pictures called ‘Home scenes’”; if had known several weeks ago,
could have done some kittens, but now they are too old; however, cat is
probably going to have more soon; goslings are now geese and there will not be
more until spring; no lambs until next spring; “suppose I do something in the
puppy line with chickens”; have been working on deer and fawns; how about goats
and ducks? Asks his opinion about what seen in photographs; working on quail
and grouse, then roosters and hens, and home scenes; suggests sheep and fowls,
calves and fowls and ducks; has been busy with vineyard;
.3 to L. Prang & Co., written from
Morrisania, Westchester, N.Y., Oct. 17, 1866: Prang best judge of what will be
popular with the public; Currier & Ives published quail and young recently
so perhaps too soon for the same subject; if Prang agrees, then send picture to
Williams & Everett for exhibition; painting quails life-size, and have
different plumage from European ones; ducklings also life-size; would have
repainted background if had known it would cause so much trouble; doing a
grouse and young companion picture to the quail; will send photos for Prang to
pick out preferred subjects;
.4 to L. Prang, written from Morrisania,
Westchester, N.Y., Dec. 4, 1866: Clarence Cook just called to ask “questions
about some controversy between himself & you”; had not previously heard of
this; agrees with Cook “that the artist’s name ought to be prominent, as easily
made out as on the painting, & that the lithographers name has no right
on the picture at all or on the chromo lithograph but ought to be
underneath…”; has heard that another artist’s name was put on one of his
pictures; didn’t agree with Cook about the roughening of the surface of the
chromo, but does want his to be published smooth so people are not deceived
into thinking a print is an oil painting; thinks engraver’s name belongs below
the picture, not on it;
.5 to L. Prang, written from Morrisania,
Westchester, N.Y., Dec. 6, 1866: agrees that lithographer’s name should be on
picture, but it should not be more prominent than that of the artist; the
painter’s should be more prominent because he created an original work and the
lithographer is merely copying it; more about Cook; sorry he doesn’t like the
duckling; things the current disagreement is good for publicity; please send
some copies of ducklings and chickens – wants to send them to England
.6 to L. Prang, written from Morrisania,
Westchester, N.Y., Dec. 17, 1866: hasn’t received requested prints of chickens
and ducklings; finally received copies of articles [basis of dispute between
Prang and Clarence Cook]; mostly agrees with him, but iterates that engraver’s
or lithographer’s name should not be more prominent than that of artist; thinks
Cook’s article was “poor trash, … ungentlemanly vituperation and Billingsgate”;
.7 to L. Prang, written from Morrisania,
Westchester, N.Y., April 13, 1867: has not given Currier & Ives permission
to publish anything in the past year; Currier & Ives put Tait’s name on a
picture he did not do and gave no explanation for doing so; will soon send some
pictures to see if they suit;
.8 to L. Prang, written from Morrisania,
Westchester, N.Y., Dec. 19, 1867: “I have been engaged for the last 8 months on
paintings for a sale…” and have been too busy to write; knows Prang has many
others painting for him but willing to do more for him if he wishes more; willing
to see Prang anytime he comes to New York; willing to discuss ideas for
paintings with him;
.9 to Friend Prang, written from
Morrisania, Westchester, N.Y., Jan. 26, 1868: mentions painting “The Jolly
Washerwoman,” and that the usual deal is to divide the cost of a painting
between the artist and the printer; believes the picture will be popular in the
U.S. and in Europe; urges Prang to promote chromos now before public reacts to
disadvantages of them; the selling of chromos has destroyed the market for
Tait’s paintings; offers to repay Prang the cost of copyright if the copies of
the his paintings do not sell;
.10 to Friend Prang, written from Morrisania,
Westchester, N.Y., Feb. 5, 1868: received the photos from Mrs. Prang; more
about publishing “The Jolly Washerwoman”; fully appreciates Prang as
businessman and friend; continues to produce works to be reproduced as chromos
even though knows that that cuts into sales of his original paintings; what
size does Prang want various pictures to be (dogs, kittens, doe & fawn,
etc.); inquires if Prang would let him invest in the company;
.11 to Louis Prang, written from Morrisania,
Westchester, N.Y., Feb. 6, 1868: more about a possibly investment, the money to
come from Tait’s friend [not named] of 18 years; suggests a size for a
painting;
.12 to Friend [Prang], written from
Morrisania, Westchester, N.Y., Feb. 12, 1868: working on these paintings: Dog
Heads, Doe & Fawn, Dead Game; did not mean to suggest being a business
partner bur rather just investing in business; glad Mrs. Prang likes the
painting
.13 to Friend [Prang], written from
Morrisania, Westchester, N.Y., March 4, 1868: tried to make recent painting
[dog and bird] an easy one to make into a chromo but since Prang thinks he
failed just send it back and it will be redone; was painted from nature; p.s.
still working on pointer and quail; sorrow to hear about Mr. Forbes’ accident
.14 to Friend [Prang], written from Y.M.C.A.,
23d St., N.Y., May 11, 1872: grief over wife’s death: “My loss in the death of
my dear little wife has almost stunned me.
I can’t work … so I am going to England….” Wants to take chromos of his work to England;
“We lived 34 years together and it seems like tearing part of my life from me.”
[written on stationery with black
border]
.15 to Friend [Prang], written from Y.M.C.A.,
23d St., N.Y., June 22, 1880: wife died after giving birth to a boy; wife’s
sister Emma is taking care of children; she is a treasure;
[written on stationery with black
border]
.21 to Mr. Bell, written from 53 E. 56 St.,
New York, April 19, 1896: am returning Col. Sickel’s book; did a design and
willing to do more
.16 to dear friend [Prang], written from 82
Waring Place, Yonkers, N.Y., Dec. 7, 1898: much pleased to hear from him again;
condolences on death of Mrs. Prang; still working hard; boys are now 18 and 22
and are “as good as gold … my wife is a great blessing to us all”; are
comfortable in Yonkers and hopes he can come visit