Herald (NY Herald) 1842-48
1842
Herald during 1842 had a lot on Fourierism, including several letters fr Brisbane, tie it to desire to upset social order, Greeley’s whigs, various other movements, mormonism, grahamism, etc including amalgamation
jan 6 p. 2 John Kennedy 4 ½ Centre st has sent us a litho of Bishop Hughes, capital work, don’t know if it’s a likeness as never seen the Bishop. presents him as v gd looking man, fine face, v smooth and plausible, have it beaut framed and hung up before the editorial desk to make us gd natured when we write abt him 12 warpath agst medical cliques 13 Bryant is attacking Draper, Bowen and Blatchford as pipelayers (Glentworth), also Edw Curtis 14 merchants oppose repeal of bankrupt law Jan 15 notes obscenity trial for eds of Sunday Flash, Wm J Snelling and Geo Wilkes; Geo Woolbidge collects items for it, in case of this trial, from a woman named Amanda Green. jury couldn’t agree. for a libel on Myer Levy in same paper, pled guilty, Geo B Woolridge got info fr Emanuel B Hart, a broker in Wall st, scandalous anecdote p.2 notes Apollo assn is pub beaut mezzotint the “Artist’s Dream” with fine portraits of Michael angelo, Raphael, Leo, Rubens, Remb Reynolds etc, foregrd ptr’s easel, statue, artist asleep. design exec admirable. Jan 17 p. 3 DC corresp critical of New World, ostensibly neutral, for their attack on Henry Wise and their partiality to Clay. notes indecency of Clay papers like the Independent and NY Courier, their attacks on nepotism of Tyler. Mott and NYU surgical clique suppressed the Lancet; likes Dr Stevens Jan 18 p. 1 woodcut port of John C Colt w/disproportionately large head (murder trial) 21 has engraving of Granite bldgs where Colt killed Adams, Van Bryck, Barker, Paige, Stanton, Kemble, Brackett, Osgood, Ridner’s Apollo exhib rooms 25 Judge Story was once a Dem but now a federalist 27 John Howard Payne testifies for defense. Saml F Osgood testified, went to school with Colt (as did Root). His mistress also testifies. 30 blames Clay for Cilley duel, exonerates Wise
Feb 1 1842: plan to May advance Am lit by publishing lit mag monthly or weekly, a sporting mag, law, science,c ommercial, ag and relig, in addition to Lancet 3 praises Dickens as a kindred spirit 4 list of bankrupts under new law include Webb, Danl Delavan, Chas Sanford, Wm S Rossiter. Sunday Mercury had engr of McDonald Clarke the poet by McDougall. JM Field is Straws. 7 Adams says Nat Intellig censors his speeches, pro slavery bias 9 p3 notices splendid exhib of 300 mod Euro ptgs at Apollo gallery, free, sold by auction 12 Curry port of Boz. Dickens wrong, (polit) cliques and publishers here too influ opinion of writers 13 p2 has engr of Boz 14 lots on Boz ball, will be decorated with scenes fr his novels, plus character portraits. Cooper responds to Webb in Brother Jonathan, makes a dig at BJ’s obscurity 15 gives engravings of the various tableaux from scnes of his novels at the Ball, and 16 a view of the Park theatre where Ball was, with medallions of the scenes fr the novel painted by Hillyard, scenic artist to the Park 18 Courier is attacking Dickens, jealous of his popularity; McDonald Clarke to asylum. prefers Webster to ultra Clay. 19 praises decorations for Boz dinner, transparencies etc, busts of authors, W Irving presiding 20 McDougall miniature ptr 11 Park Row pub litho of Bennett, highly respectable failure 21 A Friend to Merit notices port ptr Hewins fr Connecticut 26 Wm B Townsend, ed at Express, Nathaniel Marsh also formerly at Express. New World adverts a lot (and Bennett supports them over Bro Jon). 28 Lancet reviews Mott’s book of travels mockingly
March 1842: Drs Quackenboss and Parker ok. Emerson’s lecture advertises, on 4th reviewed, doesn’t have insight into human heart, but has soul of a poet, not sure audience understood him, their hair was well arranged 6 sad abt death of McDonald Clarke; Dickens visits tombs, Five Points, Pete Williams saloon, where black and white mingle 7 supports repeal of Pilots law. Likes the Park, Simpson. 11 recommends more taxes. Metford portrait of McDonald Clarke, over Atwill’s saloon, extraord likeness 14 view of St George’s for christening of Victoria’s son 17 Mcdonald Clarke’s monument, many will subscribe who gave him nothing when alive, we paid him for his poetry, a few months before his death, clique of consummate knaves started ephemeral prints of lowest kind seduced poor Clarke into their toils and published his effusions to a lady in town without any compensation. Since Herald started, 50 newspapers have come and gone. 20 admires Trinity church and new Merchants Exchange 21 has Wm Wallace lines on death of Clark, Nature will hang over her worshipper p2 Lyell unlike Silliman proving mosaic account of age of world wrong, may upset whole system of morality and govt founded on it, revolutionize world, seems excited by idea. Brisbane’s plan for society economical! Retrenches later, worries abt materialism. 23 supporting Cass. 25 crit of Clay’s theatricality, claptrap 29 defend Tyler and Bishop Hughes fr gross beastly shocking attacks in newly estab periodicals 30 suggests some artist give public lectures on ptg etc during next NAD exhib
April 1842: 2 Hughes sends Herald a card. Clay supports Intl copyright. 3 has engraving from Mormon relig books 5 doesn’t like current issue of Dem Review, malicious to Dickens 19 An Omen: yesterday cord held port of (by Shegogue) Jacob Hays, High Constable, broke and smashed into a thous pieces, priv room of Board of Aldermen had been meant for a niche in Genl Sessions court room to terrify rogues in gallery. Old Hays proud rep of Old Tammany at head of police for twenty years, foreboding of downfall to Tammany. Courier and American libel Tyler. 23 like Prof Anthon. JW Bell of New Era office, praise his publication of McDonald Clarke’s collected poems. 24 publishes SW Parmly’s bio of McDonald Clarke, 11 Park place 25 Erie rrd a rotten corporation, clique; Van Loan in granite bldg miraculous miniatures 26 Bryant’s poets of America for Harpers poor affair, this one by Carey and Hart has favoritism in bios and Longfellow has 4 pages, Willis 10. 30 NAD? ed, regret such a largenumber of portraits, all this is in bad taste—miserably bad taste, and should be corrected. comparatively few lscapes, or orig compositions. This shows bad management in some branch of the society. No ad.
May 1842: missing May 2. 9 has donated $500 to Charlotte Cushman’s new theater, Halleck wrote a play for her. 10 p1 Wash corresp, NY pipelayers sent reps, wanted appointments, got cold shoulder, melancholy to see them despairing, haunting the rotunda, looking at the statue of Washington, and mourning over their reverse of fortune 14 Hiram Ketchum their enemy 21 supports Fenimore Cooper agst Stone’s effort to crush his reputation; notices Common Council is looking for design for Fire Dept banner, young artist could gain immortality. Have crits on NaD shall begin in day or two, some of the remarks are capital—spciy, courteous and accurate. 25 p2 NAD keeps asking about “Mr. Brown”. Likes composition of Marriage of Pocohontas, Villamill disgusting, Likes Huntington, Mooney’s I Varian is good, Durand copying Italian styles. 28 Chas King of American is bro of James King, wall st firm 29 Wash corresp writes Robinson has new caricature of Clay, features and expression perfect. a social despot who has driven his party into a minority. Tyler will pardon Commander Levy, unjust court martial, an unpop officer but sentence unjust May 25, 1842, NAD: Biting Criticisms. Has weird motif of where is the artist, Mr Brown? Loves Marriage of Pocahontas by JR, critical of Durand for being imitative, mentions others. Herald has an advertisement on Saturday May 28, 1842, for the Sunday Mercury, promising it contains a criticism (not a mere notice, puff or personal attack) on the exhib of Ptgs in the NAD, written by a competent hand, not a mere newspaper writer. It is in the true spirit of just and impartial criticism.”
NAD exhibition review continues on June 13, 1842, p. 1 Cutting Criticism not biting—Edmonds is the gem (Ital mendicants), long interesting critique of Talbot. June 18, 1842, NAD crit continues? Same as June 13th.
June 1842: 3 doesn’t care abt Intl copyright. 5 Van Loan views of city, Granite bldg 13 Schermerhorn defaulted 14 p2 New Era for ultra democrats has changed hands, now conducted by Mr We forget his name, Secy of Tyler mtg at Washington Hall, Likes Bouck and Morris and Van Buren, Major Hopkins of Pewter Mug supports Dorr and financial control of Era, Jared Bell acts for him. Levi D Slamm starting a new paper. Noah, Morris Willis and Fay as a foreign corresp starting new two cent paper printed by Beach of the Sun, go for Capt Tyler and then Clay.16 p1 NAD Clonney not a nice young man, no harmony in his soul, bad taste and indecent, likes HP Gray and Waugh, Mount should learn from Edmonds, Sanderson no Hogarth, Flagg excellent, Linen, Gignoux, Rossiter must improve, Inman second only to his own newsboy, Page lifelike, Cole should have been called Lettuces. some abominations on Grays Elegy 17 Godwin starting the Morning Post, former working editor of Eve Post, indicates Eve Post is dying, hear Godwin some talents experience and character. Pres reinstated Capt Levy. 20 Applegate in Ann st printing a press libelling the Herald 26 p2 NAD attacked, old Amer Acad better! Bennett is in Saratoga 30 JH Raymond supporting Tyler
July 1842: publishes Albert Brisbane’s letters explaining scheme 8 Wash corresp of Herald describes group coming fr White House, talking rapturously of pics they’ve seen, Healey’s, one of the Pres, one of little Alice Tyler, his engaging young daughter, all life and heart, and Mrs Robt Tyler, promises to do justice to estimable and lovely lady. King, so long esteemed resident artist with liberality of true genius exult in triumphs of his young friend, talent in pic of Senator Preston for the National institution and engaging Mrs Preston. One observed shall be rich in fine arts here, Pettrich statue of Wash for Phila, is here, should volunteer payment to view statue despite sculptor’s plan to make it free, turn it into marble. His son at President’s house in Black Huntsman uniform, Pettrich used to have to put a collar on him. Erie rrd connected with Comm Advert. 17 engr of a Mermaid. defend James whiting 29 happy abt Payne’s appt 30 destr of Catherwood’s rotunda
Aug 1842 1 and 6 engr fr Cooley’s book on Egypt, Gliddon abusing it in New World, Park Benjamin abusing everybody 18 arrest of licentious print sellers in Wall st, patronized by highly respectable financiers in that ave of pure morals, highest respectability, for boudoirs, have their names, during hard cider campaign business increased, church member supervised printing and pious daughters did coloring, Henry P Robinson and others, sold by boys. 19 proves upper classes are corrupt, honesty and virtue in middling and lower 23 like Mike Walsh and Young Democracy 24 like Quarle’s Artist (advertises, he’s involved in publishing) and Colman’s picture saloon
Sept 1842: clerks. 16 Ann st press like libertine condemned, but licentious Wall st press permited to go on, dueling vs prizefighting, stocks vs lotteries 17 Willis moving to Astor hse, bringing all his pics and busts 21 Gouge used to be with New Era now with Morning Post, commercial matter, takes fr Herald, Dickens attacking Bennett in letters to Major Jack Downing, Clark of Knick and Geo P Morris. New Tyler paper proposed by Willis, TN Parmelee, Alex Jones and Timothy Pippin on business. Bulwer and Marryatt licentious. still hostile to Hamblin and Bowery. 28 Sparks left out impt papers
Oct 1842 7 Merc lib assoc charging too much for its dinners for clerks. demoralizing caricature of Tyler at a Clay rally. 8 Tattler publishes forgeries 10 puffs sale at NA gallery, valuable coll pics 11 endless Am Inst fair. Aurora and Walsh libel. 14 Croton water engravings. Francis Hall of Comm Ad is english. glad NY Mirror suspending. 22 cites James Otis and Cambell P White and Chas Augustus Davis as with the Bennetts at Marine Pavilion, testify to their character
Nov 1842 3 engr of Trinity church when finished 8 excerpts Dickens 9 p2 list of newspaper writers! 12 Delmonico’s death and port of Miller of end times and on 13 a Miller camp mtg engr 14 Applegate his earlier target was publishing the Flash with Snelling, Wilkes and courtesan Miller; Applegate now connected with Beach and Noah and Redwood Fisher to Union a paper assoc with Sun in evening 18 still promoting Norman’s Yucatan rather than Stephens, gives engravings from it, he’s involved in the publishing of it 23 Times and Mail of England are hi Tory, attack Herald. now seems crit of cheap lit of New world. 28 Puffer Hopkins illus by HK Brown, Esq (Phiz)?
Dec 1842 3 among the bankrupts are James G Wilson, of Wilson & Co, pub Bro Jon and cheap lit, Park Benjamin too. 5 praises Henry Carey, not of old 1837 fashionable society, but mansion, literary attainments, millionaire, travels, fills house with choicest works of art, housekeeper married young highly respectable artist of the city, so he gave a magnificent fete for her, including Onderdonk and literati and Congress members 20 Bancroft good, New Eng soc quarrel over temperance 21 Clevenger excerpt, long condemnation of cheap lit (French) 24 Rev Cheever a bigot. nice notices abt Geo Morris. 30 is last issue
Herald 1843 LOC bound volume skipped first issues fragile.
Jan 30 1843 gives Greeley’s call for money for Sylvania, mocks himAmerican is v crit of Seward’s appointments. He likes Bouck. Wm Wallace of KY poem, The artist’s grave. 14 Tasistro attacks Gliddon, P Benj attacks him; Tasistro connected with Judge Lynch family in NY 25 Snowden making exorbitant charges for city printing. Merc lib lectures objectionable, Emerson, Neal, Greeley too liberal. Supported revival of Peale Museum. 29 Roscoe letter agrees re lectures.
Feb 1 Dem Review improving
Mar 1843 1 Chapman one of our best engravers working with Morris on New Mirror, it advertises 7 Tammany Ball had portraits as dec too. Praises Dem Rev 18 Colman’s 25 Danforth’s engr of Dodge’s port of Jackson one of best 31 statuary at Peale’s of Saviour
April 1843 5 American joins Express in two cents cash 9 Willis also writing for national intelligencer 26 we see little said about forthcoming annual exhib of ptgs, time something was done abt it, in meantime advise lovers of fine arts to step in at Granite bldgs and see Huntington’s two pics fr Bunyan’s Pilrim’s progress, some exquis touches of the pencil. He is moving toward the Dems, as Tyler is not viable presidential candidate, and he is worried the Whigs will pick Clay. David Hale leads dog war. No ad for NAD. No Apr 29.
May 4, 1843 NAD crit—need to find the one in the 3rd May 8 1843 W writes that Herald humorous flings don’t impart info, says Sylvania has purchased domain in Pike county Penn and preparing it for settlers. Also has article on Millenium at Last, focuses just on Brisbane, Greeley, Wm Humbug Channing, says organizing society on the same principle as banking or manufacturing is absurd, when managers can do as they please with the property of stockholders May 12 1843 Grand Fourier Anniversary, Greeley, Godwin on politics, MacDaniel on rights of labor and bad effects of free competition. May 13 1843 Most Singular Meeting of the New Assoc for Regenerating Creation at the Croton Hall, Pres Whitley nasal voice. Godwin address: human society a vast wilderness of conflicting interests, neither Whigs nor Demos will help. Reporter gives Whitley’s speech as a series of fragments, warns press sneer at Fourierism, mention Swedenbog May 26 1843 advertisement for discourse on Sylvania Assoc by Whitley, President, seats free, at Croton Hall. Also Another Fourier Meeting Last Evening at National Hall (Godwin at this point is editing the Path Finder, defunct by Feb 1 1844)
May 1843: 2 p2 NAD trash, Leutze gem of coll, Durand good, Cole deficient, freeman and fink had faults. Park Benj there, and Marsh the poet 4 p2 NAD cont, TB Read v gd, Gray too, Havell mixed, E Rosseau defies all efforts to understand, CG Thompson clever of Mrs Seba Smith, Baker delightful, Pringle an insult to public taste, W Page best port in exhib, Flagg too old masters May 5 NAD cont, Doughty gd, Chapman not,Shaw stereotyped, Huntington excellent 8 p2 NAD cont, Ingham like Shaw, Waugh clever, Leutze Raleigh better than Columbus, Sully typical, Livingston feebleAudubon natural Sanderson promising, Shegogue terrible Cole unworthy proud of Allston 12 p1 NAD cont sculpture, paucity, defends Greenough 18 p1 corresp fr Rome, Crawford the only sculptor, exceeds Powers who only does busts, Terry best Am ptr, grand scriptural piece of Christ disputing, whole effect good, proud as artist and man, has 2 Knick portraits almost speak in annual NAD 27 Colman has Mount’s Fortune Teller 31 p1 NAD, other notices are stereotyped cant, dislikes a young lady, Powers mixed, Whitehorne coarse, Cole better, SA Mount discreidtable, WH Powell port of a Hoffman, lifelike. Not ardent admirer of Chapman.
June 1843 5 p2 more NAD, surprised not more animal ptgs, mention Clark, Wilson a bit flashy, Bolton carelessness, Ecce Homo by Page doesn’t please, no suffering. Hicks Ruth much praised, but no grounds. Comegys insane, Artists Dream deservedly admired. Cole bad, Durand tries to do too much, Cafferty good but unfinished 8 has engr of Bunker Hill monument, tons coverage. Wall st papers never sympathize with popular meetings, Poland Ireland etc. 14 engravings showing visit of Tyler to NY, inclu codfish aristo Jun 16 p1 more NAD Sanderson a caricature, Hoffin a travestie, Clonney amusing and clever, Loomis contemptible, WS Mount spirited and natural compos Artist showing his work, Wilson head, Bonfield, Gignoux has 13, could have been less, artist Rousseau has given his ptg a written explanation, Gamester ruined seeks vengeance, another paper has praised it. NYHS boring. 19 more engr of Bunker Hill inaug 27 Bennett to Europe
July 1843 4 Poe plagiarism 6 Rev Anthon one of those protesting ordination of Carey by Onderdonk for Puseyism, Onderdonk went ahead 8 Bowling Green ftn is terrible, a caricature of picturesque; prefer to have formal. Brooks’ letters fr Europe inflated style bigotry trash 12 Allston obit, soul of poet. Item abt Thom W Whitely, (Whitley) Sylvania Assoc. 15 Morse and NAD re Allston, wish he’d painted in Rotunda 20 Trib is attacking one of editors of Herald 24 a Rubens found in England. Seabury is on Onderdonk’s side (Churchman). Webb is anti-Pusey. Doane is ok with him. Herald symp to Carey. Jul 12 1843, corresp betw gmen of Custom House, all good Tyler men, and Thomas W Whitely, also in Custom hse, Pres of Sylvania assoc, on presenting the flag to them, grandiloquent.
Aug 1843 7 engr of Vanderlyn’s Marius admirable, spirit and accuracy, Apollo Assoc flourishing 8 p2 describes grandiose and Gothic plan of NY Wash monument association, JT Tallmadge, Grinnell, Robt Morris, Peter Cooper, John w Francis. 22 Van Loan dags 26 Duncombe did monument in Greenwood to Indian princess 29 American Art p2 Wash monument.
Sept 1843: 4 favors Young Demo who want Calhoun and Silas Wright, not Van Buren 30 Courier/Webb backing Anthon against Onderdonk. Weir’s national ptg advertising.
Oct 1: Chuzzlewit a gross burlesque, petty and malignant spite. Bennett says Rachel in Paris is powerful. Am Inst fair covered extensively.16 Sadd does Trumbull’s dec of indep engr. Van Loan’s dags. 17 p2 don’t like rainbow in Weir’s pic but otherwise great 21 Bennett praises Louis Phillipe 29 Eugene Sue read by those who denounce Herald’s immorality for going into streets etc
Nov 1843 5 calls Webb trial mysteries of NY 8 Tyler corresp is John Jones of White hse 11 flattering obit for Trumbull 18 really praise Amer Repub party, echo Herald’s principles (had good showing in recent election); praise Post’s Columbian Mag as aiming to be national, drive namby pamby out of the field, teach public to admire sterling productions of our own writers 20 identifies new party with Young America, has its own poets 22 crit of Geo Putnam and philos bent of Merc Lib lectures 23 more praise of Young Am and two factions of Merc Lib one opposed to these lectures 26 love Ole Bull 27 Robt Sutton a reporter at Wash now is at the Express. Rev Geo Cheever lecturing on Bunyan 29 chemical ptgs at Granite bldg burnt, public only just beginning to understand their value 30 critical of John Duer’s hypocrisy (vs Onderdonk); Trinity church’s wealth
Dec 1843 2 Bryant a good poet, terrible editor. 4 Benj and Tasistro sueing ea other for libel. True American newspaper to support new party, former whigs who supported Trib but disgusted them with fourierism. Courrier des Etats low vulgar mode of management in hands of clique of Parisian chiffoniers 8 p1 Dem Review happily severed rlshp with Brownson, like Hawthorne and agree with justice of the critique on the pics of Washington 9 angry at Courrier’s attack on Nat Am and Ole Bull 12 John Mumford and John McKeon (also supports Irish Repeal) supporting Cass, he’s done for 13 Clayton and McCracken’s pro Calhoun Gazette died 14 praise new Opera hse 15 Park Benj at Hebrew Benev dinner 17 well knew Clevenger, great artist, most amiable and accomplished man, sunk in despondency, Edw Everett wrote a poem to him—EE married well, should have given him a check instead, symp but no help 18 Dick’s magnif engr of Scott monument 20 splendid foreign ptgs auction 23 Fay Robinson only worked for them briefly, feelance 25 don’t admire Choate. Trib also anti Ole Bull. 31 Snowden of Ladies Comp and Park Benj in lawsuit. Satire of ball among aristo of tailors and grocers
Jan 25 1844 adv for lectures on Fourier and association, include Solyman Brown. Godwin’s lecture
Feb 1 1844 based on article in Dem Review on Problems of the Age
Herald on APS:
Jan 1844: 6 notes other papers copy their financial column, Eve Post just started one; Dem Rev and Hunt’s too, monthlies are nothing compared to newspapers despite their sneers. HD Robinson former ed of Comet, Free Enquirer, L’Estafette, NY Philos library. Hi character. 7 prospects of candidates for Presidents, see infinite deal about tariff, bank, sub treasury, hunkerism native Americanism, all thrown in eyes of people to deceive or lead astray, real q emerging, rising above the mists of prejudice and passion which had concealed it, like the Catskill Mtn House on a bright May morning. Clay and Van Buren. Dems trying to make a play for Irish, using Repeal Assoc. But stimulates the nativist voters. Tyler won’t support Van Buren. Merchants don’t like him either. 8 Clay is certain to win. 9 Praises Harper’s illus bible. 11 notices Lispenard Stewart’s card in reply to Webb in C&E, scolds Webb. Rev Wainwright v gmanly man, very, sect proverbial for turning up noses at brethren as low vulgar canting, know nothing of usages of drawing room, he is bigoted illiberal and exclusive. Potts is a controversialist. 12 Young America has scared Trib into trying to pretend liberality; corrupt selfish portions of old whig party recog in YA handwriting on the wall. Party hacks treated these movements with contempt, but it was under Seward that the causes of this movement originated, swelled into irresistible influence, that Hughes gave his Carroll Hall speech demanding compliance with sectarian party of foreigners of one nation; John McKeon of the locofocos did the same, so Demos went along with Hughes and Seward. Oppos to foreign influ not sole obj of YA< determined to effect reform, to obtain blessings of cheap just and wholesome govt. Has united all classes, success unavoidable. Trib tells them to stay in whig party, but whigs have been tried, and prove faithless, selfish 13 calls Potts Wainwright the Great Theological Cock Fight (satire fr Eve Post) 14 sort of amusing cartoon (Pomeroy’s trunk). Enoch E Camp a crime reporter. Notes new species of correspondence, the curious gossip in the national Intelligencer and other papers in the provinces under caption “New York Correspondence,” 5 dollars a column, puffing half a dozen oyster cellars every week. epistles smell of tobacco smoke, gas, and green room. Then gives a long excerpt, quantity of twaddle, nonsense, puerility,e gotism and bastard wit in precious epistle, prince of twaddlers, a perfect diarrhea of twaddle. Who is he? author of slip-slopperies. 15 newspaper projects: evening paper of small kind, akin to Boston Transcript, a small clique of lit gmen have projected it, shld not be surprised if GP Morris, NP Willis, GC Verplanck and other similar literati are involved, print it v beautifully, give air of refined gentility to all that may be said in it, avoid courts, just lit and fash gossip, which can only be interesting to a few. Also a new freetrade Calhoun paper with Duff Green backing it. Praises exhib of ptgs in Granite bldg, extraord merit, Amer gman coll, lscapes rich, copies fr Claude etc, views of No River, after Bartlett by eminent French artists. When millions comprehend principles of ptg, create a school of Am art, we have here a v just apppreciation of merit in ptg, and a species of deep and profound criticsims altogether separated fr the technical. Also notices exhib at Clinton Hall, for auction 16 John Mumford supports Cass. Sale of Gazette’s press, free trade Van Buren paper, rejected Van Buren then took up Erie rrd, then opposed it, then Calhoun, then Cass. Willis’ poems spirited, new style will be popular in Bowery. Winchester puffed 17 Collins of the steam line an Am Repub. has had series of portrait engr of criminals involved in trials. 18 Webster tied to New England interest in city, Curtis, the Collector, Hoffman the DA; NP Tallmadge the Conservative set which gained power with Tyler, got John L Graham as post master; the Clay interest out. Tyler failing to get support fr Whigs, turned to demos with Conservative support, almost got Geo D Strong to replace Curtis. Noah given a paper to help Tyler back into Demo, failed, so turned to Demo Rev. But all will support Clay. 21 Trinity church that corpulent and bloated religious incorporation, whose rich endowments and princely possessions offer a prize, half a million annually 24 defends Willis 27 praises new Columbian Mag, elegant, Post great tact and experience. Contents can’t approve, same old writers (Neal osgood Embury Paulding Stephens Hoffman and so on, same namby-pamby milk and water description, slip slop ideas, resemble old clo shop in Chatham st, tawdry misc coll of worn out garments and hackneyed ideas. 29 French clique attacked Ole Bull, diff clique opposing Mrs Sutton (Noah). Agree with Dickens that Griswold’s coll of Am poetry only admired by the dozen or so rhymers he included, a hodge podge injudicious Jim Grant sort of a collection; Dickens approves Bryant, Halleck, Emerson, Longfellow, but Sigourney abused, Morris not mentioned 30 C&E organ of Wall st whigs, Trib organ of country whigs, both are for Clay. Ad in C&E by RM Blatchford, for sale of assets of late Commercial Bank in C&E, names listed of its clique, Genl Morris among them. S De Witt Bloodgood lecture on Am lit at Mech Inst to 20 people, compilation of historical details. 31 In 1830 Noah and Bennett wrote antiBank aritcles in C&E, blames Noah not Webb for change of tone toward the bank. Cushman a better poet than Morris, Park Benj Lowell or Longfellow. Mike Walsh arrested again, can’t be helped unless he becomes owner of three banks or trader in oil, if a financier he is in little danger, if not he’ll be in prison
Feb 1 estab Herald for less than $500 2 Bragaldi at Palmo’s new opera house very good. Indian races disappear before Anglo Saxon like mists of morning before the rising sun, and if Africans given freedom, would be extinct by same process, can’t exist together without one absorbing the other, so slavery is benevolent. Letter publicity? re extending exhib of Cole’s pics, most beaut works yet produced, Mt Etna alone shld draw crowds, Voyage of Life 3 two old androtten factions in the field, Van Buren’s locofocos and Clay’s whigs. 4 Robt Dale Owen one of the ablest members fr the West 7 Russell Jarvis supports Cass. 8 If Clay elected and whig Congress, more fluctuations, inflations, bankruptcies and total ruin, stockjobbers happy. Merc Lib advertises. 11 reprints his engr of ball, as now a Fourierite free and easy joint stock fancy ball,a fancy sketch, with additional engr of attendees, downtown clerk et al 13 praise Morris and Willis. 15 young am ball at Park. 16 crit of Webster, rightly so in attacking Girard Coll will. Young Am will sweep away rotten corrupt bankrutp society, splendid ball, applaud cozzens. Merc Lib Assoc declining, narrow and exclusive syst of management, led to decline in subscriptions 17 crit of Postmaster Graham, capital for a genteel dinner party, bad for finance and post office 18 Grand Am Repub Ball at Repub theater, revolution in morals and manners, new regime of moral worth and respectability, patriotism everywhere, respectable middle classes, influential mechanics and artisans and store keepers far superior to so called fashionable society, not found in Broadway at theater or masquerade; no bankrupts, no corrupt financiers, etc, only national airs. Collins steam line stood by them during Moral war, don't care about commercial advert patronage 19 Ellis cameos 20 how many people in what jobs in Doggett jr’s directory of more than 26,000 names: 60 newspapers 207 painters 12 lithographers 58 periodicals 126 oyster saloons 109 engravers, 13 different kinds; 435 brokers, 31 diff kinds, mostly money 22 Willis Gaylord Clark literary remains advertises 23 liberty pole raised by Young Am on Wash birthday, Job Haskell and Wm B Cozzens and James Wood active. anti Am clique in London is Dickens, Foster lit ed of Examiner, Macready; Directors of failed No Amer Trust co include GD Strong, HH Leeds, John L Graham 26 rare opp to see orig Rosa Vernet etc at Apollo gallery neighborhood for free 27 suspicious that Moses Beach has management of publishing New Mirror, Morris and Willis doing as well as they can. Gives account of convention of friends of Association, includes Parke Godwin, Wm H Channing, Greeley, TW Whitley, Thomas Hicks, and others (GM Law) 28 p1 has letters fr NY identified as by NP Willis in Nat Intellig; Mirror has a very big ad, on p2 NY Letter writers, contrasts Willis with Jules Janin Smith in Boston Transcript, Willis letters rather amusing and some of v best puffs of shops, more profitable than poetry. Tasistro does this too. Lydia M Child’s the best. Channing the Fourierist spoke at Merc Lib, very transcendental on pauperism which doesn’t exist here. NY Illus news advertising, also the oil ptgs of W Franquinet
March 1844: 4 says the Fourier whig party meets at Broadway hse, might try to oppose James Harper of the nat Am, who’d be good, though likes the locofoco candidate Coddington too. Passover bread ad. 6 critical of Clay and his supporters, loafer and transcendentalist/Trib fourierists 8 oppose Erie rrd. don’t trust managers. Henry Wyckoff and Duff Green started a paper free trade and pro tyler, Wyckoff brought two or three London editors or writers to do lit work as well as genl editor, Duff Green dismissed and John Ryan of London presiding. Both poetry and ptg require an exalted state of civ, address themselves to the exception and not to the general rule, while music is liked by everybody 9 Seems to favor Cass, definitely doesn’t want clay to win. Park Benj having demolished the Harpers and Tasistro, not aiming at Morris and Willis 10 now favors annexing 11 Noah is penny a liner on some obscure Sunday paper, paragraphs for a sickly penny paper Sun 16 American crit of Express for publishing details fr police and court, express says newspaper shld publish all the news 17 praise Gansevort Melville’s speech at Demo rally against man worship of Clay and Tribune fustian. Women attend the rallies, up to a quarter of the audience 23 puffs old masters at Clinton Hall 26 lists those favoring Tyler as Anson Herrick, Frederick A Gay, Geo D Strong Wm G Wood etc (Strong connected with No Am Trust Co that went bust, along with JL Graham 27 Thorburn’s nursery has big ad. Herald wants Harper for Mayor 28 reviews old master Ptgs of Clinton Hall, rarely to be equalled, fr Cardinal Bonvisi of Lucca, best works, public imposed on by trashiest daubs, then discusses individ ptgs in detail 29 notes novel and interesting controversy springing up among connoisseur circles relative to merits beauty age char and authenticity, heretofore set of old women pic dealers have led public astray, but free press will guide to genius and truth 30 Tyler and son tied to Irish Repealers. proprietor of Clinton Hall ptgs wrote Herald in French, to rebut crit in some obscure journal of no circulation and elss character, the Republican. Concur with flattering notices of Columbian, gentility, etc
Apr 1 continue review of Clinton hall ptgs, Carracci etc. Onderdonk had been at odds with John Duer, over power over Trinity revenue, critical of Duer (supporter of the NY American, which opposes annexation, is dying). James W Hale of Courier and Lysander Spooner of J of Commerce arrested for post office violations 3 Watson was musical crit of New World who was hostile to Mrs Sutton. Clinton ptgs, we’ve been giving reviews of it, has been visited by artists connosiseurs and public, satisfaction despite puny efforts of empty and illegit critics who affect to know a great deal more, well worth seeing. For years past exhib of wroks of Am artists v diff style to old masters, interesting to contrast productions of old and new world. Luman Reed gallery trying to form nat Gall, seem to approve. 6 SB the Wash corresp says rumor Clay will have letter in favor of annex, to counteract influ of Nat Intellig, which is secretly more friendly to Webster. 10 thinks Tyler may have a chance 1844 Feb 27 1844, “Great Movement of the Fourierites,” account of friends of Association, includes Whitley and Hicks? it’s the call for a convention, celebrate Fourier, signed by Parke Godwin, WH Channing, Frederick Grain, Solyman Brown, TW Whitley Thom Hicks, Edw Strahan, GM Law. Herald dismisses it as a species of materialism that will destroy relig, morals and society as they are presently organized, can’t succeed.
April 5 1844 Fourierism—Regeneration of the Whole World, Convention of the Friends of Association, Chas A Dana there, Geo Ripley, Frederick Grain, Solyman Brown, Godwin, Thos Hicks. Apr 7 1844 JR Smith painter at the Park objected to Fourierism at the meeting, a kid glove aristocracy that would seat working man at third table April 8 1844, Great Fourierite Festival at the Apollo Saloon, satire, fills first page, 72 disciples, inclu Geo Ripley, Frederick Grain, Greeley, Channing, Parke Godwin, Dana. Godwin spoke on Passaic Falls lscape telling him You are a free being! continues on second page. Wikoff and Bellows apologize for not attending, Hughes too. JR Smith, the painter at the Park, at the Fourier convention, accuses Fourierists of estab a kid glove aristo, Channing says no
May 3 1844, Sylvania is starving, humbug system May 6 1844 NAD review Hicks coloring bad,Shaw orig April 21 1845 Cranch too violent April 1845 29 NAD Matteson sugaring story well told, Hicks miserable, White dark, Selous fine sketch, Powers pretty, Edmonds, we have little feeling for this style, but amused, temperance folks object, White abominable, Cranch green goggles, Cafferty too;
LOC volume starts with Apr 11 1844 Ollapodiana is Willis Gaylord clark. Young Am or Reform party won city election, dooms Clay. long bio of Mayor elect Harper. Henry Wickoff libel. support Annex TX 20 Webster and Bryant and John W Edmonds (Van Buren men) trying to catch som of abolit votes for democrats by opposing annex. Clay trying to keep neutral. Tyler and Calhoun men in city unite, will prevent Van Buren fr nomination 22 O’Connell also refused to meet Wm Wallace poet of KY Apr 25 p2 NAD opened, improvement, few trashy ports Durand Livingston Ingham Inman 27 p1 NAD nothing as good as Leutze last year, HP Gray CG Thompson, Elliott’s Seward too formal, Boyle’s picture dealer expression well executed Cafferty Pringle unbelieveable storm. Solitary Oak Durand, never seen a design come nearer to nature than this, v highest praise for putting oak in center, bold novelty, grandeur and stillness, lights managed right. No figures is correct. Like Sully. p2 Columbian splendid Ingham’s Mrs Otis. 28 p3 has Clay’s letter on Texas annexation, p4 OPQ the Wash corresp says it is anti-Texas annexation. Repeated on p1 of the 29th., with text of the Treaty for doing so, “admirable letter” fr Clay qualified opinion, somewhat opposed, so many clauses exceptions and paragraphs, Clay and Van Buren will be going back and forth on it thru the election; only Brits and abollit really opposed 30 Van Buren’s letter shows he is with the people on TX
May 1 1844 p1 NAD cont, Winner Cafferty Wilson good, Inman bad, Cropsey? gets air wrong Audubon not good Rothemel noble attempt, Durand figure ptg not good, Gignoux Livingston Waugh good, CG Thompson and Birch not up to usual. Saxton artistical Ruth. p2 admire Upjohn’s Trinity 3 Frelinghuysen an abolitionist; Herald is in favor of annexing the continent 6 p1 NAD cont GL Brown exaggerated and overdone, Hicks coloring bad, Inman bad, Edmonds good, CF Weir character, Cropsey too many effects, Mooney good, GW Flagg merit, Stearns fr mysteries of Paris, difficult subject, Ingham too much of miniature, Shaw orig, J Thompson out of all taste, Durand admirable, Pine attitudinizing, Doughty Greenwood cemetery gem Wightman too much outline, Wotherspoon clever. Tasistro at the Park mtg in favor of TX. Herald is quite critical of Tyler now. 15 double sheet Stout involved in the Wickoff-Bennett-Ellsler affair, July 24 1841 Sun hostile to Ellsler, accused her of posing nude for Stout. Her agents in US were Belmont and John Duer. Courrier hostile to her. 16 Thomas P Kettell in Eve Post tried to claim credit for Herald’s money column. Bennett wrote them til summer of 1838 and after returning fr Europe, dictated them to Kettell, says Frederic Hudson, and backed by Enoch e Camp, working for him for past three years. James Alex Houston agrees, as does EW Hudson. Kettell left just a few weeks ago. puffs gallery of old ptgs in Chambers st, origials ancient and modern, a Corregio and Murillo and 21 22 pufs Clinton hall sale of ptgs. 24-25 hostilities with Bishop Hughes 25 ad by widow of Michael Paff for sale of orig ptgs by Vandyke Rembrandt and Correggio 26 NAD p1 cont, Shegogue no good. 31 think Polk is a contemptible candidate
June 3 Baillie’s caricature not much wit 6 Mowatt vile caricature of Webster. Hughes allying with Seward. War on apple women in park, crit of lack of reform of current city govt 14 puffs Paff’s ptgs 17 p1 Art and Artists in Wash fr Ariel, likes Persico. Supports the Ital opera agst the Sun.28 has nice lscape as scne of the murder, Polly Bodine 29 has Clay’s Raleigh speech, Whigs trying to make it his manifesto. 30 God didn't intend Sabbath to be legislated
July 12 symp to Joe Smith. not much re Onderdonk. 14 English of Aurora a violent repealer 15 Forbes nice lscape of West Hoboken murder 20 Eve post is organ of Theo Sedgwick clique 23 think Clay will win, Post unenthus re Polk 24 The cant of Criticism, puffs new mags, Mirror, Knick, Arcturus, Corsair New Yorker, all die, Columbian is latest prodigy, every paper calls Inman’s mag a perfect miracle, Inman a genius who wrote whole issue himself, literary loafer gets credit at cellars of Park row, where Sunday papers come from 25 stop police brutality to prostitutes 28 annexation a great pop movement which will overwhelm Clay
Aug: crit of Whig leaders. do big pictorial weeklies 22 praises John O’Sullivan but his new Demo paper will be dull flat and respectable. monument to capt Lawrence.25ish supports Young Israel
sept 4 says Clay letter in April was against annexation, by July 1st had no objection and by end of month was happy about it. so we don’t care if Clay or Polk gets elected, but prefer Clay. 10 Peter Cooper chaired a demo mtg. mocks Onderdonk’s brandy drinking. p2 Anelli’s end of the world notice, advertises. 12 p1 has account of sale of old masters Cardinal Fieschl 16 crit now of Harpers Nat Amer and their journal. Preserved Fish a dem, supported Tyler, Wm Wiswall and Wm Waterman 22 Webster trying to keep the abolition vote, 23 has engraving of Boston common when he gave speech
Oct 2 engr of Demo procession in Albany 4 has historical engravings (scenes fr colonial days) fr Frost’s pictorial history 6 Nat gall of ptgs opens tomorrow, Luman Reed, recherche exhib for many years 9 lots on Am Inst fair, hose co Live Oak 11 descrip of pano at Niblos. Nativism party reviving. 11 engr of Broadway exquisite, have been puffing Leopold de Meyer 16 James R Whiting investing in Bowery theater. Rev Hawks unfortunate in his personal life, vindicated by Episcop conference, Geo Washington Dixon published him. Whigs and natives unifying to try to elect Clay. 23 pano with mechanical figs. 25 denounce committee managing Am Inst as charlatans, don’t know what they do with their money, exploiting singers turning it into a competition with Barnum, continues on 26th that last few years managers turned it to private purposes and personal aggrandizement, intrigues mark distrib of prizes 29 WC Preston a warm friend of Clay’s assures he supports slavery. Loves Rev Hawks. 30 letters of compaint about the Am Inst prizes, treated with contempt by managers 31 engr of Whig procession at Park, portraits of Washington andClay
Nov 3 notice Brackett. Clay’s personal popularity low. C&E gone over to Nativists. 6 Whigs and Natives need to unite behind Scott if they’re going to win in 48 7 engr of Landing of the pilgrims (ship only); mtg of newsboys praising Herald and Sun, evening Express and Mirror 12 churches need to rid themselves of spirit of intolerance. sale of Clarke’s ptgs. Wikoff’s Republic (with Epes and John Sargent) failed. Express and Amer join C&E in Nativism 17 puff for Anelli 19 plan to start a permanent picture gallery, copies of Euro ptgs, approves of it 26 the licentiousness of the Harpers’ newspaper causes him to attack their house generally. 28 working class Demos (Aurora, Plebeian) like Calhoun and Polk; upper crust ones (News and Eve Post) like Van Buren and Silas Wright ‘cause abolitionist/anti-TX 29 Whig journals attacking Bancroft for plagiarism 30 p4 fr regular Wash correspondent, likes Greenough, Persico, and Levi’s statue of Jefferson
December 8 oyster cellar literati and Rev Pise on ok to have relig images in church, just like venerating Washington 11 Wm Marsh marine ptg 15 engr of NY Gall of FA, praises it, picks out a Flagg port of a lady, Ingham’s Lafayette and Day Dream, Durand’s Jackson, Morlands and engr of old masters 17 Potts and Pise engaged in controversy over religious images. Big Morris supporter now 21 Park Benj resigns fr New World, Prof Eames takes over. Distrib of 92 prizes of Am AU, Bryant presides, favorable notice. symp to Onderdonk. 25 critical of speakers at Tabernacle on New England anniversary, try to deify Puritans. Epes sargent now corresp for Nat Intellig. 31 Bloodgood and his penny paper attack Onderdonk, low church trying to get rid of high church. Doane supports him.
LOC volume starts Jan 3 1845
Jan: anti the anti-renters.6 history of the Aurora, including Whitman. 11 agree with Raymond in C&E that Willis’ genteel libertinism is reprehensible 16 urges censorship of the Chatham for putting a brothel on stage 29 approves of Harper’s veto of turning Rotunda over to NY Gall of Fine Arts, city spending too high, no public allocation for private purposes 30 has turned a little agst Onderdonk as his son Henry has threatened a lawsuit
Feb 2 profile Capt Rynders 5 periodical lit is Miss Nancy namby pamby and unorig. 9 Willis and Raymond battling, Willis triumphant. 17 condemns again efforts to override Harper’s veto of giving the Rotunda to the gallery for a nominal sum, says it will open the door for more public expenditure 23 Plumbe’s likeness of Polk v faithful
Mar 2 reviews Poe’s lecture, very severe on male and female poets of the day, not sure how just 8 no seamstress union only indiv action is sucessful in US, will have full length port of Polk in weekly (had engr of his inauguration) 16 Plumbe’s dags as good or better than Anthony, Edwards. War with Mexico is coming. 25 pro Whig Selden for mayor, he’s opposed to nativism, but Dem Havemeyer’s election also a rebuke to it; enthus re Mowatt’s Fashion. 26 likes Cushman, severe on Forrest, Polk accepted an oil portrait of late Felix Grundy
April 23, 1845, NAD, no. 2, Talbot’s Falls of the Passaic has beauty and truth Apr 5 1845 Anelli’s end of the world back. 16 supports capital punishment 18 NAD opened, some advances but on the whole not equal to last year’s, more lscapes some really good, but ports as numerous and uninteresting as ever. Many ought not to have been accepted. 21 p2 NAD a tough critic, v hard on everyone, c Mayr’s Death of Abel a contemptible pretender, Blondell a failure, Clover no merit, CG Thompson has deformity, Pacetti ordinary Wenzler strangely real, makes us uncomfortable, Wilgus strong, Rossiter unlike anything in nature, Gray affectation Cropsey absence of air, Comstock coarse Jewett antithesis, Wier magnif frame, Shegogue not poetical or natural, Cranch too violent 22 p2 Union club is controlled by Webb, will have bad morals. NAD no2: Hunt weak, Cropsey shld study Claude, Winner abominable, Durand unmixed delight, shows thought. Freeman masterly drwg.23 p3 NAD no3: Flagg timid, Cole not stupid, CG Thompson poor, Alanson Fisher commonplace, Boyle not flattering, Ranney a lay figure, Talbot much beauty Shegogue Tom Thumbish, Clark a ghost of a horse 27 crit of Rev Cheever’s advocacy of Young Italy 28 p2 NAD cont: Le Clear a painted pun, Waldo & Jewett not tolerable, Winner bold, Williams detestable, Waugh defamation, Cole cabbage, Swainweak Waugh nice Miller timid 29p1 NAD: Cole inconsistent, Waugh sweet, Whitehorne a likeness Bolton a dog, Boyle exquisite Matteson sugaring story well told, Hicks miserable, White dark, Selous fine sketch, Powers pretty, Edmonds, we have little feeling for this style, but amused, temperance folks object, White abominable, Cranch green goggles, Cafferty too
May 1845 1 p.2 NAD: Terry good, Osgood too blue Huntington magnif Kensett excellent CR Spencer abominable Gignoux delightful Bazley weak Selons delicate Morton vile Pratt miserable 2 p2 NAD Kellogg much merit, Wotherspoon gold filings, Jenkins feeble but pretty, Huntington bad subj, Alvan Fisher well managed (fr Irving), Inman fairy landish, Matteson a caricature, Bolton unnatural, Jewett wrong, Fink bold, Powers commonplace, Ingham applaud smoothness, Durand leaves us wordless
May 3 p1 NAD: Cropsey delicate, Huntington degenerated, Edmonds new scholar arouses memories, Cranch bad, Durand shd do lscape not Bride, CL Elliott, bold, Matteson spirit of 76 well grouped, Selons clever, Van Zandt miserable JG Chapman agreeable Bolton natural, Ranney just failed (Washington battle) Talbot unique, Linden badly arranged, Elliott’s male heads better, Hicks creditable, Mount perfect, Inman Jacob Barker badly hung Wenzler powerful Durand lacks unity JR Bleeker v gd, Cole outshone by Durand, Herring ugh, Cropsey Talbot etc 7 likes the Amer Review’s expose of whig corruption May 4 p2 NAD: Church another sunset;Richards says it is a sunset, Darley bold, Engstrova crude, Bullard embryo, Wotherspoon sweet, Havell crude, Miller Ruth and Boaz a waste, Mayr Kitchen ball is worthy of its subject, Shaw peculiar merit, CE Wier unskilful, Hoskin not bad, Horn disgusting, Wallin a copy, Catherwood colored litho, Duvrie unique, Smith gd in theory, Gignoux raw, Brown abominable Clonney merit misapplied, Miss Mitchell creditable, Van Zandt queer Crawford exquisite execution, Connoisseur by Weir pleasant, Didier fiendish, Glass weak, Hill in a fit, Cummings skilful, Ary higgled, Horn dreadful, Innes sketch, Mount inferior to most, Shegogue a failure, Rothermel unnatural, Bogle blood, Powers don't like it, Mayr painful. Titian’s Venus advertising May 9 p1 NAD concludes: Havell a libel, Crandi cold, Williams a traitor, Miss Hall weak, Mrs Bogardus too, McDougal delicacy, Livingston dreadful, Shumway well ptd, Miss Wagner not happy, Lambdin best mini, Birch transparent water, Kneeland of Mapes delicacy, Duggan antedeluvian, knowl of anatomy, bust by HK Brown delicacy. Many unworthy works, severe, except for one or two the artists are strangers to us, critic’s task is to be critical. p.2 Neale litho May 11 p2 Titian may not be an orig, people stop to see it anyways. Emporium a milk and water paper has swallowed the New world. 12 Morse’s agent in NY Amos Kendall made his effort to estab the telegraph here unsuccessful. Slavery a benefit. 15 NYHS has a few indiv of hi attainments, but mostly small lawyers and physicians and v small parsons and nondescripts who twaddle and squeak. Dislike Rev tyng.20 p1 sale of Fesch gallery in Europe and prices of old masters 21 Plumbe’s. No NAD ad. 22 naked fiji girl engr. 27 Clinton hall sale of old masters 28 puffs Titian
June 14 mysteries of iniquity in whig magazine was a humbug
July 6 engr of 4th of July in Park, and a smashed up drinks booth 7p2 NAD: not improving, run by cliques 10 Parmelee was their Wash corresp for several years during the Tyler admin, wrote for Aurora after left Herald . C&E in 1842 changed its mind abt Webster, got funds and became advocate 25 NY Gall of FA to open soon 26 crit of Am Inst
Aug 3 engr of NY vs Iowa dandies; newsboy inclu as he is embryo dandy. Iowa dandy is alw ready for a fight. Willis and Thorburn mocked. 20 Tasistro and TN Parmelee Tyler men. more engravings—new Bowery, 27 Herald office 28 view of press room 29 compositors room 30 editorial room.
Sept 7 Strong and Magee (Macee?) doing a lot of their engr 11 party journals can’t represent (vast majority of) people’s opinions 17 publishers pay from a $1 to $20 to puff the magazines. p3 Wash corresp, mtg at Apollo Hall, James Hoban, Amos Kendall et al want a bronze Equestrian statue of Jackson, John O’Sullivan urged do it now, debate was on whether committee ought to be a mix of whig and demo, one workingman appointed but all demos, 6 editors 18 editor says ok to do statue to Jackson, but Clay is still alive(politically) p.3 Wash corresp, dislike the statue being a party maneuver 26 used to be close to Marcy when worked for C&E 28 praises Belmont, doesn’t believe duel; repeats? praise of Kuyper’s statue Coming from the Bath, one of the most beaut ever exhib here
Oct 6 Am Inst advertises, noticed. Still tons on religion and texts of sermons. 7 at fair busts of Wash and Franklin made of soap 8 admire Fremont’s narrative of west, pop enthus for Oregon and Calif 13 wants to reform Am Inst Wm H Channing is assist ed at Trib 15 Prosper Wetmore gave big dinner in Wash 17 John Van Buren a leader of Young Am? 19 engr fr Fremont of Ft Laramie, Chimney rock a map. very interested in China. puff Leo de Meyer 26 more lscapes fr Fremont 27 Dr Reese of public schools as bad as Hughes 30 Hart is Wash correspondent for Eve Post.
Nov 2 more Fremont engr. 4 gives Post not Inman credit for Columbian’s success, a little critical of the Knick 9 Leopold engr! 15 Matthew L Davis is Calm Observer for Nat Intellig 16 Corcoran wrong to defend himself in the News, it is not even as influential as Slamm’s paper 17 stats of NY population. no poems anymore. 23 clerks in Wash being forced to subscribe to the Jackson ‘statty’ 30 portrait of Ronge of Germany, author of 19thc reformation of the church
Dec 3 1845 mass of people will support Polk’s position 11 Peale’s Cof D advertising, and a Neorama, but no Am AU. They support Polk. Not sure yet if a Pacific rrd will pay. 18 Lester Tasistro Benjamin lame ducks of lit 21 cartoon of Star Police and p2 annual mtg of Am AU at Tabernacle, Bryant presiding, gives report but not names of winners 27 has been attacking the Germ opera at Palmos 28 engr of Owen’s New Lanark 29 Mr Clason of State Bank will have an interest in Fuller’s Mirror.
1846 Microfilm
Jan 1846
pro Leopold Meyer. 4 cartoon of member of congress fr Oregon hurrying to Wash, wants whole thing or none. Democracy split between Slamm Bang and Co of the Globe and Secret Circular clique of Sullivan’s News and Eve post, over spoils. Calhoun and Webster linked, cotton and manufacturing. 6 cornering of Erie rrd stock on Wall st is part of the Union club of stock jobbers, fashionable roues 8 pro City Reform, alderman Charlick (a Hunker maybe) exposed the natives 13 attacks choice philosophers of Eve Mirror for forcing Geo Morris out 18 The Bar and the Press: lawyers want more secrecy, greedy harpies, against this horrible class, the press stands as the hope and shield of the community by exposing vice in every form and holding up the respectable, the purse proud violater of he laws, to just public indignation, the opponent of wrong in high places, the wealthy seducer, the patronised violater. It is the great mass, the people, who support this press against the rich rogues who would oppress them. A clique attacks the press, allied to rich vice of the country. 19 the whole unbounded continent is ours. pro annexation 26 Dispatch is the only witty and readable Sunday paper. OPQ writes fr Vienna. Mirror blackmails. Houston now working for Union paper in DC. Chas McLachlan (theater and music critic?), Fuller and Clason (funder) of Mirror, accuse clason of blackmail, he is attacking Bennett personally 29 suing Noah for libel
Feb 1846
1 engr of sleighing scene in front of Astor house, by Avery 3 p1 sonnet in memory of Inman by caleb lyon p1, a pure northern light. effort to break up Trinity monopoly supported by low church and Courier, Sidney writes to Herald urging the money be distrib to all the Prot churches. Mirror and Express allies in blackmail system. Caleb Lyon hs poem fo Anglo Saxons going South, away for Mexico, for God and Washington 6 Yucatan indep. Foreign press: Schnell post has been banned in Germany, so democratic, the spanish paper is agent of merchants, Courrier is in interest of French dynasty, effort to start new French penny paper less hostile to demo institutions 8 Leopold at Tabernacle is great. cartoons of lawyers in courts as shysters, skinny, and amateur hamlet mocked at Palmo’s some weeks back 12 Anne Lynch poem to de Meyer 17 Bennett sending letters fr Wash 18 Gazette is merging with Times, latter a nativist paper. Times was formerly the Am Patriot.
March 1846
1 engr of acrobats at Park 3poem critical of Grace Church’s pomp and façade. Pro Mott, still covering his clinic. support anti-seduction legislation. new city charter flawed. 8 Sunday cartoon is anti-British, pro Polk, p. 2 has cut of new Grace church by JA Read. support married women’s property rights. 15 big engr of Corpus Christi camp of army of occupation. anti-clerical. Trib wants negro suffrage 22 engr has One of the b’hoys holding a whole watermelon, up ot 54 40. 28 engr of wreck of Henry Clay
April 1846
4 NAD opens Monday next at Society Lib, many complaints last yr of most deserving ptgs badly hung, hope more judicious, or will be accused of partiality. JG Chapman, NAD has an ad. 5 weird engr of historical costume? of prep for emigration to oregon of old revolutionary patriot and his daughter at the far west 6 Mickle the Dem nominee for mayor is a nativist, a tobacco merchant, Whig WB Cozzens determined to run despite Whigs nominating someone else 7 p.1 letter fr Cinti unsigned 9 wants war with Mexico. Park Benjamin, used to quarrel with Tasistro, did him injustice 10 NAD don't want types of the old masters, diff standards of beauty so unjust to estab an arbitrary one. v crit of Cropsey, nowhere near as gd as last year, lacks strength so eye wanders. p.2 loves Webster’s speech. 11 reform party (whigs) lost city election by factions 12 cartoon engr shows demos sending street sweeper out to blow dust into eyes of public trying for reform 13 Dr Bacon, formerly an ed at Courier, and auth of Mysteries of Iniquity in Am Review, cut Webb up in letter in Trib for abusing Webster over Ashburton then in a secret deal switching to support him. Herald admires Webster. 12 mock Hallock of Commerce for opposing dancing 14 city election is a juggle. Park Benjamin attacking CE Lester re Powers, think he will need to apologize again, they had liked Lester’s book, but Powers denies it 15 DF Read designer and JA read engraver do cartoon of NY politicians studying the Herald returns on the election, four classes, office seekers, street sweepers, apple women apprehensive about natives, hogs 20 p. 1 NAD: far superior to any year, TP Rossiter too ambitiious, like JH Beard’s quaint Mill boy, mention his NO Carolina Emigrants was bought for $700, but too great symp in that betw leaden color and family, Gignoux versatile. publishes Lester’s defense, Bacon suggests Webster’s friends bought back favor of Courier after it attacked him while Tyler’s secty state 21 p2 NAD:quite critical of GW Flagg, eyes too big; like Edw White, Ranney, Cole’s picnic one of his best tho oak seems hurriedly ptd, like Ital sunset, prefer nature viewed thru his poetic imag, no actual scene realizes beauty he finds, not thrilled with Cross in wilderness fr Hemans or Lago. Elliott has finest head in 185 (not his Rev Taylor, where accessories are too crudely colored), except maybe one by Huntington, reminds us of Page’s Lowell, equal to Inman, his portrait of LG Clark excellent and Dr Stone too. 24 Native Americans are Ketchum, Shepard Knapp, Prall 26 Harper’s pious but sell Eugene Sue 29 Herald supplement p1 NAD: JT Peele gd except for orange girl gross features, same model as Seamstress. Ingham peculiar, Thayer head by Elliott Geo Inness lscape composition young but proming wants clearness not ptd fr nature. Page gmen at head of profession, this not to our liking. Jesse Talbot recollections progress, sky his weak point, often sameness of effect, interested in the series he has been engaged on. LeClear good beginning, Whitehorne has 13 portraits, had 17 in 1842, none good, like Waldo and Jewett, Cafferty progress. Huntington Alms giving purchased by Art Union, like all his, it’s beaut, love Mercy’s dream and Christiana, ought to be in Rotunda, only met him recently
May 1846
2 credits Bishop Hughes for starting the nativist movement 3 p1 engr of entombment of Christ at French church in canal st. poem critical of road going thru Trinity churchyard 7 Capt Rynders could stop the crit of the blackmail journals if he paid them off (Mirror and Express?). 9 ought to get rid of militia fines and let officers fund their own oyster suppers 10 hard to see engr of May Day in NY, everything in disorder 12 Brisbane publishes reply to Courier’s attacks on Fourierism as unxtian. War with Mexico. Deluge of war coverage. 14 city ed trip to 5 points, darkies Almack’s visited by Dickens GW Dixon spoke at nativists mtg to recruit for army. 21 covers big pro war mtg, Stephen Whitney, Ham Fish, P Wetmore, Hone, Varian, Brady just abt everyone 22 give ext and int views of Trinity, praises Upjohn et al 24 want to expose clique of newsp music critics. Relig and Art: luxuriant Trinity want to wed relig and art, Grace church next in outlay, rich magnificence suitable for showy monarch of the old world to worship in state, downy cushioned pew, should thirst for show succeed, relig will meet a check fatal to its true interests, Christ sought not the downy couch or the taste of the age. (rather mixed msgs, had praised craftsmanship of stained glass window). Fred Hudson will be editor when Bennett sails on Jun 19, 26 engr of Mex soldier as half Indian half negro 30 engr of the b’hoys drilling for Mexico
June 1846
4 death of Gansevoort Melville, bro of Herman, lots trying to replace him, recommend NP Willis, (secty of Am legation in London), has been trying to get an office of the kind for some time, we owe no partic favors to him, for even while we were serving him, showed a great deal of meanness towards us many times, yet we can afford to be magnanimous 5 letter critical of aristocratic abuses and nepotism of west point, esp amid all the glorifying going on since the war; Webb, King and Denman got relatives in too (Bennett later disagrees at length, says it’s oyster celler literati and sausage demo who complain) 6 long defense of Webster (and Tyler) 11 crit of Scott and Worth for insubord. In libel trial of Bacon and Webb, James F Otis supports Webb, Hale attacks him as having bad character (Hale just as bad), Webb asked for money but no one gave it to him. 13 Globe et al complaining bcause Polk giving shipbuilding to Whigs (Roberts?) 16 notices Jewish chronicle. 24 Taylor for pres. has covered Ming putting together Hickory regiment. critical of a classical education. symp to Mormons, share repub principles
July 1846
4th is NAD’s last day, worth visting. stopped after the 5th. Will skip to Sept.
Sept 1846
14 engr of amalgamation in NY, goodlooking Julia Day, arrested for being in a disreputable house, married to a black man 17 love Lester’s Sam Houston bio 18 praise fr City Intellig for AT Stewart’s new store, includes apts for its 100+clerks 20 engr of state fair 21 Bennett now in the Alps (so missed his letters from London and France) 24 Forrest getting a mixed review in Richelieu 26 engr of ext and int of Stewart’s store. 28 engr of world map showing our balance of trade and balance of power, points to the pacific, we are in center of the world, designed to support Whitney’s rrd scheme 29 shows Flannelly’s Greenwood cemetery monument to a ship pilot. praise Robt Owen
Oct 1846
2 Caleb Lyon sonnet to Mrs Polk. 3 caricature of Leopold de Meyer. 4 Has engr and bio of Sivori. Onderdonk victory, he’ll get pd. 5 Am Inst puff. Public offices in the city, Rotunda in the Park now known as Gall of FA does not attract admiring thousands, evident city cld have made much better use of it. Location is bad, society shld pay for good hall in Broadway, only lost strangers see it now, nor is space suited for exhib of art, but would be gd offices. A great deal sd at the time about vast benefit to inhab of our city in having this temple of the arts to aid in forming and maturing their tastes, but no sooner are premises secured, than sign put up asking for money so not open to citizens, and extravagant charge for what may be seen, while managers get it for free. 6 Govt deals too harshly with Indians. 7 Am Inst fair positively reviewed, Westervelt spoke. Letter fr the Fine Arts on Gall of FA, refutes Herald, trustees had to spend a lot to refurbish it, more people have come than when it was in NAD rooms, 15-20,000, will add new attractions. Thom Dunn English running as Demo for Fifth district 9 describes Empire club mtgs 11 Progressive Democracy: new spirit in polit parties, knows no bounds, pushing us on 12 engr of Zach Taylor, only true likeness, fr artist in Army 19 Henri Picard able, joins Masson at Franco Americain 20 Siamese twins in music and politics, morning and evening paper, same critic slams Sivori, only one. take up cause of women workers getting low wages, 3 cents an umbrella. 21 cut of Jack the junkman. not agrarians, but low wages for women leads to prostitution, pinching poverty. Missing fr 26-31.
November 1846
3 engr of the election, five parties in the feld 12 nice view of Monterey 16 caricature of black abolit. 19 Bennett letter fr Europe, most despotic govts putting in steam trains fastest 27 City Intellig notices national ptgs at Gothic hall of battles 23 Webster tinctured with federalism’s anglophilia/anti-americanism, City intellig says Vanderlyn still on exhib, he’s hard up
December 1846
3 p1 engr of fashionable church going in NY, new series of city sketches 4 great Webster speech in Phila, stupendous 8 Bennett letter, we have no real friends in Euro govt, or lit class, want downfall of republic 10 love Polk’s msg 12 Caleb Lyon, their poet, is transl Hafiz, has a poem dedic to Mayor Mickle 14 City Intellig again urges anyone with taste should go to Vanderlyn, creditable to artist and country 17 recommends JJ Audubon new book, also WH Herbert, mocks water cure 21 will start publishing Bennett letter and Mrs. Bennett on the 22nd, for instru and amusement of our lady readers, directed to a lady of this city, developing her impressions of the tour, “Random Notes from Abroad”. Bennett: Euro ready for convulsion, every pop impulse is repressed by bayonets, newsp press is corrupt, insolent, enslaved, an Inquisition on free thought. Cervantes in DC also doing profiles of the cabinet, inclu James Buchanan 22 signs her letters HAB, she’s inquired into educ not fashion/music, genius Rousseau, likes gyms 23 HAB fashionable modistes cheat foreigners 24 HAB loved Fanny Elssler. Leopold de Meyer admired here, she likes him better than Liszt who is incomprehensible, Berlioz has four hundred instruments. Opera Comique has gd music, middle classes, jews 27 description of contents of pictorial herald
1847
1847: while Bennett was in Paris wrote letters on the fine arts, inclu artists in Europe, as did Mrs Bennett, who liked works of ancient art, but Mr advanced interests of modern art, wrote didn’t admire v old ptgs, like v old wines that old connoisseurs talk of , old humbugs got up by old old humbus to humbug the young humbugs. Man’s works are progressive, art shld not stay the same
July 11 1847 p.1 Herald Euro corresp fr OPQ, Greek Slave highly valued by most skillful Florence artists, Greenough on a group will do justice to hi rep
Oct 20 1847 p1 grand celeb of laying cornersotne of Wash Monument, illustrations
January 1847 microfilm
Shipping yards include Westervelt, WH Brown, WH Colyer, WH Webb, have their chronology of the year 5 engr of Society Library (an advertiser), ionic columns, quite temple carree, new bldg. Series of engravings on sleighing., on 14th shows an accident 28 Bennett letter (maybe MRs) , midnight supper after concert lacks NY’s stewed oysters; women wore diamonds and lace, otherwise simple dresses, few young people; the Faubourg nobility avoid the court though, dilapidated blood in all countries 29 Herald has been vigorously supporting NY Pilots, Prosper Wetmore on Chamber of Commerce opposed them
February 1847
1 NY pilots are example of capital brought into antagonism with labor, wants to crush honest men. Dix in Senate supports pilots (and repeal of 1837 bill) 3 corporations have no souls, nurseries of mischief and disorder 14 engr of reading news fr Mexico. Christy’s minstrels supporting the Irish Relief fund 20 Wash monument, applying for recharter, for it to succeed need wealthy men and some way of getting their names in the monument 24 Bennett’s letter fr Europe, a new age is bursting upon civiliz, fine false sentiment while wretched starve 25 Bennett letter, Paris press editorial columns are regularly sold to highest bidder, theatrical financial or political, must pay for notices, but more egalitarian than in Britain 26 Hasty notes of Travel by Mrs JGB on going to court 27 Bennett letters fr Euro, critical of Fourierists, lank petticoats, religion not popular, just sentimental. Americans in Paris form a society of their own, some get into French circles, not at the ministry, are servile to the old French nobility. Doughty and Catlin here for some time, Doughty doing splendid Tioga scene for the king, autumn, one of our greatest. Catlin enthus and amiable, hired by king to do sketches of La Salle, chats with king. 28 engr of famine in Ireland
March 1847
1 Bennett letter 2 Mrs JGB letter, English women are inveterate sketchers 7 illustrating Gliddon’s lectures on Egypt, hierog as shorthand 13 support Polk fervently, but quite critical of huge paws (tammany, dirty streets party) in city 19 have proof of nativist party resurrection at American hall? still in the graveyard 20 NAD exhib coming, last year one of the finest in variety and execution. vast diff betw port and hist ptg too little recognized, a gd port doesn’t constitute art, don’t swallow a toad to become the possessor of a jewel 24 Mrs JGB going to Rome without hubby; most Americans here stick to their own society, hard to get into gd Fr society and tolerable society is so very intolerable. It is the destruction of a young man or girl to come to Euro, spoils them for domestic life, become disgusted with every thing Am, future happiness destroyed, ought to be proud of a country where a third isn’t starving 25 Bennett 26 Bennett says Jews (race of Rothschilds) dislike America, as do financial classes 27 HAB (mrs B) letter 29 Bennett letter, a volcano is going to erupt in Europe, only Russia and US settled and satisfactory to the people
April 1847
Rossiter and NAD advertise. support West point. 13 Engr shows flag hoisted above fortifications at Vera Cruz after victory, 29 March. 14 give Robt Owens speech, with mocking headline Problem of the Age Solved 14 Whigs won city election with Brady on city reform q 18 disagrees that National Reformers helped win Whig mayor, instead it was nativists who threw it 20 p2 NAD: Rothermel typical, color glowing, effective, deficient in natural truthfulness, Prescott’s Cortez, theatrical and studied, old school of novelists. GC Mason ok. Edw H May port, all his uniformly good, did head of Tuckerman, taste and judg, boldness and vigor. 4 portrait not at all to our liking, 5 more than ordinarily gd, JW Glass fine pic, Cromwell sober low tone, better than we expected fr him. C Curtis adv. j Bogle clever Calhoun. 24 and 29 lscape pair by Durand, faithful, noble, not as gd as last yr, but finest of the yr. Elliott ex Gov Bouck, not following in steps of Inman, best full length ver in this country, city gets a prize. Rossiter’s grand pic closing, well worth seeing, 21 engr of emigrants departing Liverpool, most not so destitute, have some capital, are going west, folly for prejudiced persons to cry out agst them will earn a livelihood. 23 Bennett letter 24 Mrs JGB letter, sick on boat to Genoa, male attendants cut her laces. church is rich, people are starving. Pope wont sanction railways. women not as pretty as some would make you believe,b ut veil pleasing effect. 27 Shamrock has two column poem re Ireland, female poet. Bennett mixed on Lola Montes. p2 Mrs JGB, letters fr Italy: loves Florence, duomo (is she writing now to her husband? he hates antiquities, she loves them), Michelangelo, Dante, Canova of Alfieri, a poet who loved married women, lower order of people must have gd taste with fine ptgs and statuary in all the churches 29 Bennett;s letter, went to Louvre, 2000 people at 10 am of all ages and sexes and costumes waiting to get in, Doughty went with him, submitted autumn picture, many women artists, artists ran to seek their ptgs. 3000 artists in the metropolis, 4000 works submitted. many works rejected sd to be equal to those admitted, Vernet condemned the judges, foreign artists have no great chance. Sm committee of ptrs, sculp, literateurs and lawyers decide, artists in coterie are patronised by govt, many eminent refuse to send. Like Vernet’s portrait of the kings, not many portraits, Doughty in abominable light, in sculp, visited rms of Persico in Montmartre and saw beaut work, equal to Medici or Canova Venus, an Eve with dove and dog, voluptuous, unconscious, girlish delight. Mrs B agrees that proportions of Medici venus neck is too long, not here. I admire mod art far beyond ancient, but many old ptgs like old wines, humbugs gotten up by old humbugs to humbug the young humbus. I am a perfect infidel in the superiority of ancient art, man and his works are progressive, monkeys and works are the same.
May 1847
2 engr of moving day in NY. Letter fr Italy JGB, she is writing to JGB, admires Murillo’s virgin and child and holy fam at Pitti but really loved one of a baby, prefer Canova Venus to Medici, more natural proportions, and Medici Venus neck too long for symmetry and feet too, tho won’t do for me to condemn the admiration of ages. cold, wishes for her sables. 4 Bennett: Bancroft well liked here 5 Mrs JGB apologizes for abusing Medici Venus, guide took her to wrong statue, went back next morning, sat and wept, cant help it when see beaut art, modesty and simplicity, enclose sketch. then goes to wax anatomy in museum, just like life, some faint, a great wonder. banditti tried to grab her, she fired on them 6 brief neutral on Forrest. war forced on us. 11? Robt Owen farewell address 12 Bennett: Us doesn’t have Euro shackles of antiquity. No room for Channing’s speech to Associationists. 13 Luis’ great pics, hist of Mex campaign, young artist, pano views of whole campaign fr officer sketches 19 Bennett: Euro has gorgeous lux and arts, but full of corruption, relig mere form, good sense in chains, industrious class have no mouth, only a finger pointing to another age 20 Mrs JGB: Naples bay not as gd as NY, Mr Polk the ambassador Is much liked here, handsome 22 Bennett on social classes, need gold and brass to succeed there, brass to support oneself agst the wti and sarcasem of those who eat your suppers 24 engr of monument in Trinity yard to James Lawrence, designed by Upjohn. like Omoo. 25 Bennett letter: Doughty on way home, superb lscapes, mentions Harding is there 28 view of main plaza in city of mexico, weird way in which the landscapes follow the conquests 31 approve a free academy, Boston ahead on this
June 1847
I haven’t seen anything on the Art-Union in ’46 or ’47. 6 p2 almost whole page given over to new Odd Fellows hall, James W Barker a grand marshal. WH Hannington a brother, did a transparency. Franklin Joseph Ottarson a brother. cut of the exterior, has a dome, looks severe 15 Doughty’s copies of old masters in the Louvre, highest order, should contact him in NY Dispensary adjoining Huntington 20 Lament of a Wall st Broker, money is my god, p. 2 notes fr abroad, Mrs B: just come fr Powers’ studio and seen his Greek Slave, Amer will have a treat, his fisher boy also magnif ut Slave masterpiece, turn of limbs, hands chained, most beaut thing. Intro’d to Kellogg, painting of Circassian woman v beaut. Apollo Belvedere is better than Medici venus, grandeur and dignity, but Powers’ Greek Slave exceeds all I have seen. 25 cut of James Polk, visiting the city, rather heroic looking in the bust, Mrs JGB says present Pope is liberal, well loved 27 Mr B says Mrs won’t return with him, but travel and corresp 30 terrible popular insurrection in Paris will disturb the govt as in 1830
July 1847 microfilm
3 more on Doughty, great merit, rep in Paris, truthfulness, softness, pleasing mellow aspect, absenceof intrusive would be “bold touches” and gaudy coloring, gives address.
then 7, has engr of Young Am celeb the 4th, with pic of new state arsenal looking like a castle, and fireworks scene; mention Wash mon assoc laying cornerstone in Hamilton square. 8 Euro Artist Assoc selling at auction large invoice of fine oil ptgs 11 has engr of Genl Taylor’s simple camp in Mexico. 17 Sunday Dispatch advertises.
skipped to August 6 1847 (really didn’t look at July)
7 Atwood’s port Gen Taylor at Lafarge bldg, worth a visit, correct likeness, fulll length, with sombrero and old brown coat. 9 Mrs JGB letter in London, Paris is favorite, London is dull 12 puffs Atwood again 18 Greek slave in customs 23 engr of digging sewers, blocking people’s passage, ep fat and well to do. Bennett says dangerous conditions in England, aristo won’t reform elections 27 grand fancy ball at Newport included RM Staigg, artist. 28 Silas Wright too assoc with Van Buren/abolit to be Demo candidate, engr on 29th of Church of Annunciation for Seabury, very Gothic
Sept 1847
2 long critical of Forrest as Gladiator, not first rank, showy but unrelieved by quiet passages, just ranting. Like John Dix in Senate, he’s resigning 7 praises Forrest in Othello. notices litho of Buena Vista by Eaton. Design for Wash Mon by Wm Ballard, not followed regular orders or combinations, an American design, stable and durable, solid base with three diminishing sections on top, with shaft rising, niches for statues of Wash and generals, plain and substantial 8 attacks Forrest in Metamora 10 native americans intolerant, bigoted 11 somewhat nicer to Forrest as Richelieu, engr of aquaduct in Mex 13 Greek Slave: pleasure of seeing, add tribute of praise, expected a perfect specimen and not disappointed, female form no ligament omitted, reverie of admiration, saw chest heave, hard to believe inanimate, no whisper fr any of the lady and gmen there, admire genius of our countryman, presence of something more than mortal, desired not intrude into reverence. Ladies should mark waist, not forced by stays and braces out of shape, rpoportionably large, as theirs should be, if didn’t try to improve on nature. 5-600 people seeing it per day. 22 MrsJGB admires Pope, supports agst Austria and france. IOOF mtgs 24 p1 theater crit goes to Colyer’s models, chaste and pure, did not stay til the end, accurate personif 27 CL of L (Caleb Lyons) ode to Greek Slave, immortal Powers, mocking, different types view her, she is a Mdme Vestris, cod fish gentry unseemly town says lower limbs too small, city father says beats black Jefferson in the City Hall! maiden millionaire connoisseur Carolinian never saw a slave so white, Abigail would love to lace her, authoress, Yankee, the sincere don’t say anything 29 advocates compromise on slavery
Oct 1847
8 unreadable engr of Am Inst fair, with giant pumpkin in the foreground and a card press, seem to like it 11 policy of new ads at least every two weeks 16 bidding for pews at new Gothic church of Annunciation from $5 to $500 20 p1 kind of joking account of cornerstone of Wash mon, with engravings. 27 want a common Tgiving day. as one fig ina ptd group, no matter how welle xec, needs all rest to be done well to give full value, so in opera 31 Collyer’s.
Nov 1847
2 John Van Buren is the Barnum of the Barnburners, gives his speech on p 1. 3 p2 Art and Artists: agreeable lounge in bright evenings and beaut mornings is Greek Slave at Society Library, delicious lineaments, 60,000 visit, more would in other cities, great wonder of the age, rival to antique, young woman full of health and life and innocence, mysterious air of grief and softness, throws spectator into pleasing transports of delight and compassion. Medici Venus is a matron, cites Mrs JGB, this opinion was told in agreement with greatest artists. Demeanor of beholders, quiet, silent as at a prayer mtg, not as connoisseurs in Italy 4? Whigs win city elections. 5 Note literary battle betw Hoffman and Griswold and Headley, demo that they have been the self appointed critics and and self constituted judges and jury and puffers of their own writings and productions. Sale of foreign ptgs: young students in Euro hired by wholesale speculators to copy ancient masters, give them an antique tinge, and they are advertised here like figs or bonnets, while our best and noblest sons languish in discouragement 10 admire Pope 11 speech of Van Buren at Herkimer, urge readers to laugh at his speech, a rich gem (they are hostile). critical of legislating morality, drives women to get abortions. Always are annoyed with Cave Johnson over the post office. 22 at Collyer’s Greek Slave is encored 23 will go along with delicious fancy that troupe at Astor place opera is equal to anything in Paris or London, a brilliant opening 26 C&E is organ of Genl Scott whigs (a Wall st financier behind it, recently returned fr Europe and started an indep house). Webster will side with Scott. 27 Astor place opera attendance dropped, just subscribers 28 p2 different theaters, Olympic for newsboys printers devils flyboys and feeders, no females. Bowery is big, strong men and independent women, Chatham for sailors. Fine Arts, Powers has his hands full with the slave trade, lots of orders, one of most beaut productions of the age. Some silly crit on its characteristics, but all of hi order of mind give it the palm, unless one prefers the Fisher Boy. In our estimation we rank it even superior to Greek Slave, saw it in his studio. Slave is peculiar, beaut melanchol char, heavenly abstraction of sorrow, fills eyes with tears, while fisherboy has ecstatic and dleightful effect on the mind. 29 Opera house has rescinded its rules of exclusion (of deadheads), object to letting canaille of press, cellars, barroom, hotels, must wear white kid gloves and appear like a gman (maybe sarcastic whole thing?) 30 advertise for correspondents, $2-$10, or more, domestic or foreign, if it is used
Dec 1847
1 first page given over to diff reviews of new Opera house. love Agassiz. would like to write a history of the Rothschilds. 11 Rothschilds thru paper money system control the money market 16 p2 The Art Union: we receive complaints every day in respect to its mismanagement by present officers, according to best info we can obtain, greater portion of subscriber money thrown away on inferior artists, ought to be an investigation 22 don’t care if Matsell is English, not doing good enough job. covers new Engl society mtg 25 p1 covers AU distrib. Calhoun backers support Taylor 28 Fine Arts: Greek slave still in Society lib rms, has kicked upa revolution, at Pinteux’s Odeon, beaut women or models have been personating sculpture, gave account yesterday and today in theat intellig and police news. Imitators of Collyer everywhere, but Pinteaux most beauty and msucle, on Sundays. Will end like masquerades (aldermen and police went in to make arrests) 29 orig Greek Slave still has most refined audience 30 will stop giving editorial notices of advertisers
NY Herald 2 cents 1848 online
have instituted policy of new ads every day
Jan 1848: C&E was friendly to Scott for pres but now comes out for Taylor and calls for a nomination mtg at the Tabernacle. Herald agrees, but also like demo Genl Worth, in favor of annexing Mexico, and enemy to Van Burenites
-Gov Young also hostile to Clay, will support Worth; Herald thinks Young is trashy and silly like the Trib, prefer Fillmore.Calhoun opposes annexing Mexico, but Herald thinks would be ok. Herald gives up Worth pretty fast. Thinks Taylor should run as Independent candidate.
blackwoods hostile to the age. 14 Greeley attended Nat Reform mtg
Sunday papers have engravings on first page. 19 hope law agst adultery in Albany will pass and twothirds of legislature will be sent to penitentiary 20 announces civil and criminal suit agst Williamson and Burns for Sunday paper libels on wife and family. Previous libeler of Mrs Bennett convicted, but nominally punished because of weak judges, one who is now a weak member of commerce, one a custom house officer, and another under prosecution. Re controversy betw Webb and Greeley, support Webb as a Taylor advocate, but his ideas of a gman as a creature who only inhabits the Union club is wrong, and Greeley is more of a gman 21 Tammany met to consider resolution to publish meetings in Herald, Sun and True Sun, instead of Eve Post and Globe, which have small circulations, but it was negatived thanks to Rynders and Theo Sedgwick and Alderman Purser, equally disting emienent and talented persons
22 Herald claims it nominated Taylor before any other journal, Mirror an organ of a cab full of half witted individ, J of Commerce influ among democ and locofoco merchants, C&E influ among whig merchants, financiers, bankers, swindlers and spec of Wall st, True Sun old maids cooks and seamstresses; all hate ea other. 27 joke fr John Donkey that they’ve taken the Greek Slave to Washington, hope abolitionists are on the alert. 31 p4 Wash letter says Greek Slave is at Odeon, Mrs madison and Mrs Polk visited, and following Kellogg came Collyer at the Odd Fellows hall. W writes fr Washington that the Greek slave is visited as tho she were a princess, who had rendered the State some service, go in to the Odeon, view on every side, endeavor to find fault, bu t no point upon which to hang a valid objection. anat, attitude, expression and execution all of a piece of unblemished beauty.
Feb 2 crit of Webster as espousing Toryism re Dorr. Model Artists degenerating fr Palmo’s or Pinteux’s, now cost only 4 or 5 cents, inviting newsboys loafers and ragamuffins to see them in any low grog shop, shouldn’t be tolerated. started soon after arrival of Powers statue of the Greek slave, looked on by all classes as a work of art, but mass have no predilection for cold marble, exhib of living men and women in a semi transparent drapery take remarkably well. 3 The Doctor, corresp in Washington, says went to see Collyer at Odd Fellows hall tableaux of Model Artistses, number of ladies present, would have been unexceptionable except Greek Slave, young girl personating character was a pretty figure, but her fine proportions were deteriorated in contrast with the superhuman symmetry of the statue. Presumed understood that a lady may look upon a piece of marble a posteriori, without flinching in presence of bald headed men, but a living breathing woman is another case. but rational enjoyment, elev above brute, to leave exhib with higher opinion of beauty of human nature, and as an old bachelor a source of info, will be persuaded to repent the error of their ways, look for a living model. pipe-laying or Wall st clique of the Whigs want Taylor, but those like J of Commerce who want Taylor are hostile to that clique 4 Opera and Criticism, fash society composed of vast quantity of ethnic groups and origins, one clique trying to oust the other fr the dignified posit of critics, leaders, clquers and censors of opera, music and oysters (Gaillardet and Trobriand in Courrier denounce Am tastes in music; Wikoff may write a riposte) 9 NY Observer pub expose of Fourierism; Herald happy to discredit Trib faction of Whigs as immoral and irrelig, but not concerned abt Godwin 14 p3 Amateur writes fr Cinti that Western AU, whether directors have sound judgment and liberal policy, not sure, do have self complacency. Have purchased Beard’s Poor rlns to be engr, his standing as an artist, no one will deny, but this pic resembles Landseer too much and won’t elevate public taste. Didn’t go about selection fairly, engraver shld have been western too. A dead rat conspic in orig pic gone missing. Fairly hostile to exclusiveness of Astor Place opera house. Would like the demos to nominate Taylor. Model artists are a perversion. No black borders for JQ Adams.
In circulation war with Trib, didn’t count the Sunday Herald, but still beat them.
March 1848 Express til now has been v abolitionist, but suddenly is favoring southern polit doctrines. Keeps up drums agst model artists, says there is one for colored artists in Laurens st, rowdies rioting, mayor and authorities need to put them down. 8 Recorder Scott on Art and Lit, bold and novel stand toward utter demoralization certain theatres and spectacles have exhib, shows influ of trashy lit of the day on generation, fr most respectable and pious publishers, Recorder alludes to model artists, followed in quiet and classical footsteps of beaut Greek Slave, but become nightly exhib of almost naked white and colored, exceeds Sodom and Gomorrah, but to Mayor and city no law or power to regulate or reform them. Ought to indict as nuisances. 14 p2 Garbielle the Statuaire, admirable caricatures, Philip Garbeille perpetuating several gd jokes, in plaster, to exhib at reopening of Astor Pl Opera hse, many eminent and conspic men of NY, several donkeys already moulded, irresistible talent and perf accuracy, ought to be encouraged. His masterpiece port of Genl Taylor counterfeited shamefully, hope those who cheated him will have to pay damages. work of an artist, whether ptg statue etc are his own, as a bk belongs to its author, a child to his father 18 Natl Police Gazette ably conducted 20 engr p1 of reading La Patrie in France by torchlight 24 glad suppression of model artists, got started in Paris and London etc under control of police, but took longer here, but should separate them fr exhib of higher ranks of the fine arts, Grk Sl of Powers preceded them, many fastidious denounced that sublime and etherial work without cause or reason. Next Collyer, which were beaut and propriety. Then licentious—attneded by hypocrites, ex mayors ex aldermen ex bankers ex clergymen.
April 1848 1 John Nugent (Galviensis, I think) imprisoned by Senate for refusing to reveal his sources 3 NAD opens, fash lounge for 5 or 6 weeks, number v choice ptgs, some middling, gd many execrable. Need correct and indep crit for ptg to progress, offer fr $3-10 a column for crits on exhib, according to quality and character and require crits as fast as possible, money to be pd on publication. May do the same for good musical crits too. Gives SG Goodrich on events in France. 6 Gaillardet supported Louis Philippe until the revolution; has been abusing the Herald for the last 8 years
7 p2 NAD review: Rossiter mother and child, hi in merit, attracts attn, suggestive and appropriated beauty, truthfully drawn, graceful groupingcoloring excellent, no effect other than nature, a rectifying study to those in a florid style. Almost as meritorious is brown blonde and brunette, really good flesh, artless happy composure. Wm Fisher blind pilgrim magnif. Gignoux Winter, novel, fitting wildness, icy banks and deep green hue, few sea birds, much power thruout nice discrim and tutored taste. Church’s river of the water of life not etherial enuf for an alleg, fr Bunyan, too much wearisome foliage, river insignif, ptg as sketch of an actual place deserves praise more than title. JT Peale Peele Rustic toilet, enchanting, puts flowers on looking in well, fresh and life like. Gignoux Indian pass noble, higher and higher rise the rocks. Grunewald woods on fire, much skill and close observation, all is tortured with heat. WmBrown milking time, imitates Poussin, aims for antique but is dull. Hudson sombre. Morghen Marine, all is terrific, emblem the frailty, looks for doom.C Mayr blind harper, unqual praise, historic delin of char, clear coloring and harmony, seraphic child. Duggan’s Origin of the Harp fr ocean by a siren, beaut form, radiant, disport. Cole Prometheus, elements of grand conception. Audubons effective, fortell a storm. Clough fresh, abject raggedness and noble bearing. Mount’s Loss and Gain well conceived, laughable anguish vivid
Apr 8 Greek Slave at Burton’s chaste, satire on Fourier coming
Apr 15 p1 NAD: Whitehorne’s late Gov Wright, largest in the acad, Gov as large as life and may be larger, or at any rate larger in some parts thru the want of drawing. legs clumsy, position stiff, outlines hard and irony, in the chinese style, great pains pencilling the carpet, more at home than on the human figure. fleecy clouds look like board for cleaning brushes, not a masterpiece. TA Richards lowlands, well toned, gd keeping, hand of a master. Cleveland, view of road fr salem, too much of blue bag appearnce. GH Hansell portrait miserably ptd, not one redeming pt. Audubon puss exceedingly happy to the life. HP Gray port, style of ptg aimed after old masters, whole pic bears appearance of having been wshed with dirty water, and dirt dried on. Flesh cold and hard, no relief, drwg poor, style decidedly bad. E Mooney ex Mayor Mickle one of best in exhib bold masterly such gd keeping, great effect, expression almost life itself, one of best ptrs of age. Elliott Texan Hunter, to casual observer looks well, but like most who dojust head and shoulders, fails in drwg of whole fig, stiff, leg wooden, foreshortening of horse wrong. Surprised artists don't do more crits of ea other, help keep out daubs.
unhappy Demos helped Fourier Whigs elect Gov Young
29 p4 visit to studio of Garbeille in Duane st, new novel and orig in his molds and caricature statuettes, diff than in engravings, as ludicrous in clay as on paper, not unnatural, personific of inmost feeling and habit, tangible char in look attitude and expression, marked individ, don't offend, just ridiculously faithful, a Hogarth. Admired his White, musical crit of C&E, personif of petit meutre, redolent of self admiration and conscious of superior excellence. bust of Gaillardet, in brown study on his friend and benefactor Louis Philippe, arch grin. His bust of Bennett, pensive, laments follies of mankind, may be too severe. de Trobriand pleasing,liberality and repub symp of music crit of Courrier. Genl Taylor.
May 3 long satire fr John Donkey, which seems symp to Herald 10 mocks Cornelius Mathews at the Bowery 25 Express, True Sun and miserable thing the Mirror hostile to Gen Scott, just office beggars. Goupil and Vibert new gallery, most celeb artists, Dead christ by Ari Scheffer, Delaroche, Muller etc, will also do prints after Am ptrs, spirited pic by Mount belonging to Mrs Gideon Lee to annual subscribers. Garbeille has new caricature of Taylor as Cincinnatus. in a lawsuit with Bishop Hughes (Chas O’Conor representing).
June 4 Mdme Augusta has same form as Powers Greek Slave, motions as chaste and graceful as would be those of that statue if it were capable of performing, beaut and perf danseuse rivals Elssler 12 lists as Barnburner papers Evening Post, Globe and as Hunker True Sun Truth Teller, Staats Zeitung 14 Calhoun, Van Buren, Clay, parties have been advancing their personal interests, all the old timber must go down the stream—and new trees, fresh fr the forest, take their places. 16 Fine Arts in NY not v healthy condition, have one or two academies but fear their management under control of little cliques of people who discourage young genius to concentrate chief patronage on a few old hands. 22 C Edw Lester greeted with enthus. hostile to imbecile Polk. 27 Casali’s Awakening of Italy, dedicated to Mrs JG Bennett of NY Herald just pub by Hall & Son soul stirring, with alleg litho by Davignon of Pope Pius on frontispiece. Comm Adv, C&E, J of Commerce represent British views toward France, that they want a monarchy 30 puffs Goupil and Garbeille.
July hates dogs. 3 Art in Athens, Boston journals groaning under beaut crits, ascribing statue to highest effort of xtian genius, xtian art, xtian imag, deserves praise. In Cinti, Collyer’s living Greek Slaves, have been permitted by city govt to give exhibs. Diff betw athens of the west and east in re taste in fine arts? skipped fr July 5 to
Sept 1848 1 (Aug is missing, as is Oct-Dec!). 10 p2 polka is low Hungarian camp dance, disgrace to a wigwam, parallels history of model artists. Greek Slave pure and ethereal ought to have been the last exhib of that kind, but Collyer followed and led to vulgar gross and obscene exhibs in theaters and ballrooms of higher classes. Likes Chanfrau’s new local play. 13 assistant editors and reporters, police, law, court, city item, commercial and financial, market, ship, shorthand and misc. one does exclusively election results. Have three translators. Wash corresp Felix likes the Smithsonian bldg 22 long eval of Forrest, mixed, will be competition with Macready. Defends Cass fr the Express. Whig papers except the Trib are English in opinion not liberal American, hostile to Irish, Italy, France, expansion etc.
Oct 1848 NYPL mfilm
2 sublime genius of Fry, a mere spectator, an agent for parties behind the curtain, whole thing a speculation like Wall st. Arrival of Macready as much excitement as Louis Philippe, proud monarch, Forrest's success at Broadway has brought out some critical inquiries to investig the peculiarities of his style and eccentricities of his school, Macready will be examined too by Forrest's ardent friends. 3 pub Unwritten history of the Mex War, long reply in C&E 10 p1 covers great Free Soil mtg, Van Buren spoke 13 Polk has been sound and patriotic in his measures, implementation less good 14 Whig nominations, Phoenix is quiet and respectable, James Brooks up to nomination of Taylor opposed him, favor his nomination as he is a miserable editor, not sure how he will get the Irish to vote for him 19 hostile to Brooks election, took it from Greeley
23 p2 mtg of the NY press at Stoneall's hotel to uphold dignity of their profession, called to order JC Whitehead of Herald and TW Meighan secty of Sunday Age, Otis of the Express, Simonton of Age, STanley of Nat Police Gazette. Later a mtg with Edw Downes Conner as chair, critical of Burton's NY in Slices, MC Stanley also there. DR Lee, J Bangs of Globe Mc Kellar of Comm Adv, Western of Sunday Times, Wm Connolly of Sun, McMillan of Express, John Vance of Sun, Geo O'Doherty and Alfred E Baker and Thos Hooper of Herald, R Moran of True Sun, Darcy of Herald, Wallis of Herald, C Pond Sunday Age, Hamilton of Herald, Holden of HOlden's, Finn of True Sun, Nugent Revoiil Dowling and Palmer of Herald.
Lee and Bangs claimed whole thing was got up by HErald reporters
30 letter defends DC Wash monument 31 wishes success to revolutionary journals in NY, includ D'Arcy McGee's Nation, also French Span and Germ ones
November 1848
Truffi, one of the Ital opera actresses, publishes a card of complaint, Fry gets his critics (C&E) to attack his actresses. 5 also RT of Courrier is one of Fry's critics, artists to be lashed by penny a liners into doing what Fry wants 6 Geo P Morris marching with Demos, mocks his military title, gives titles to Jo Scoville, , Joseph Elliott foreman of the Herald, , E Camp WHC Waddell, LB Shepard, JR Moran (reporter?) all given ranks 7 Brooks has a rat printing press at Express. Geo Law benevolent. Beach's Sun blasts Vanderbilt over battery enlargement. 14 Law, Aspinwall and Stephens all involved in Panama and Pacific steamship service. Comm Adv is special organ of Webster. Grinnell, Maxwell Webb and Co of Wall st wanted Scott, not Taylor 26 comment on Forrest and Macready in Phila, agree a London clique of Foster, Dickens and Macready wrote Forrest down, and Americans generally, but no excuse for Forrest's style which is ungntlemanly. both in private life are correct, both are insolent to lower members of the drama, have diff styles of acting. Only indep critic who liked Fry (rest were oyster critics in special white kid gloves and moustaches) was Trobriand at Courrier, but he abandoned the field. McElrath of Trib like Beach would profit fr enlarging the battery because of land they own. 29 Macready threatens lawsuit, they're both on same level
Dec 1848
1 at war with Trib and C&E over Fry and his artists (who have cards in the Herald) 3 Fry laughed at in the opera house; giraffe of critic at C&E, and clique of polka dancers and job critics for Courrier, won't trouble with small fry of Trib, Mirror, etc 4 on Fry 5 Herald police reporter Alfred E Baker accused of taking blackmail to suppress news of Cooley's lottery, another Marcus Tullius Cicero Stanly of Police Gazette under Wilkes, accused HF Cooley of selling lottery tickets. RG White in C&E says stopped being music critic in April of 1848, nor has he written on music for other papers, nor is he with the C&E any more (though he is connected with Fry's opera) 10 praise Polk, Whig journals are mean and sneaking 16 fight betw Coit and Dr Alex T Watson at the Opera, Coit being chair of committee of subscribers, Watson's statement--Coit confused his Watsons. 19 Forrest prize of $3000 for an Amer tragedy, only chose a second prize. Express average circulation is 3500 a day. 20 Emmett says Irish relief fund has invested its money, disapprove of it holding it indefnitely 23 p1 Pilgrim celebration with Moses Grinnell, Fessenden, Simeon Draper, Chas A Stetson, George Curtis. Am AU distrib at the Tabernacle, beaut and fash ladies, Wetmore read address, Fred Coe the report. 29 Fry murdered Rossini 30 Herald under attack by 5 NY dailies
Then Proquest jumps fr Sept 30 1848 to April 2, 1849