Herald (NY Herald) 1856-61
[note: Maryland only state won by Know Nothings in 1856]
Need Jan-March 17, 1856, and Oct-December 1856
Feb-Apr, June-Dec 1857, except for some random
skipped Jan and Feb
March 1856
started at 17 Take testimony about Barnum’s bankruptcy fr the Mercury; Barnum held to a higher standard than other frauds. Personal Intellig has TW Whitley the artist sailing to Liverpool, to lecture on our emigration laws and other topics of a natl char in Britain, visit galleries. 18 The Fine Arts: NAD, opening anticipated by friends, hope it would improve, little evidence of advance in deficiencies, few lscape or hist of any real merit, lack of encouragment despite talent, wealthy prefer portraits to a natl school. See same faces everywhere. Promises longer review. Colossal port of Live Oak Geo Law at Wilmart’s repay visit, by WH Powell, of De Soto, one of his best, great breadth and force, striking, could not go into NAD because of its size, bu free here. Whole platform introd in acquducts, steamers, ferries, lcomotives, startling discrepancies. 25 trial of Matsell re nationality a farce, need proof of his competence not birth 27 advocate for public libraries. Uses Nigger worshippers a lot. Corresp fr Washington note ED Morgan and Prosper Wetmore and Judge Ingraham at Seward’s 30 reviews Francis’s biographical dictionary fr Appletons favorably. Finished month.
April 1856 mfilm
1 republicans are nigger worshippers, Millard Fillmore respectable 7 critical of Benj Silliman of Yale as abolitionist 10 Fourier's bday: celeb at Brisbane's residence, Stephen Pearl Andrews of estab on Broadway, and Andrew Jackson Davis, spirituaist, all looking to better time comin, socialist and free love, infidels, 'progress', p. 8 Henry Clapp jr at Fourierite celeb too, Brisbane proposed a monument to him with a granite base supporting 5 figures to represent five spenses interspersed with fruits and flowers, instrume nts of music, painting, andsculp, to induce man's material happiness, higher in spiral 3 more figs of intellectual passions and on top Unity the relig, most powerful element of soul crown the whole. Mrs AJ Davis called on for a speech. Clapp endorsed the monument, expressed anti slavery sentiments. A well known authoress proposed a toast to women's rights. 11 Praises Meagher's Irish News, will be superior to average Irish newspapers, Mitchel wanted common sense. Governor Clark is weak and vascillating 12 Wilson G Hunt is a Sewardite Whig, Gulian Verplanck is old line demo, Ed D Morgan nigger worshipper, Elijah Purdy soft shell Demo like Fernando Wood 13 Churchman banned women fr church choirs as tooo sensuous, leads to flirtations, now disapproves of women as sunday school teachers 13 excerpts Mirror on Geo Francis Train as representative of Young America/Anglo saxon race 14 approve ex Gov Hunt speech at Metrop hotel for Whig bday, love no Sewardism or hard or soft demo or allusion to Fillmore 16 very critical of Pierce as making too many concessions to abolitionists, trying to buy them with positions, lost the old guard who supported rights of the south 18 death of Geo G Foster in Phila, orig City Items man of NY rib, artistic skill, his gas light stories piquant but glarish, his infirmities more of head than heart 21 think Judge McLean of Ohio the Seward candidate. Pierce admin promised restoration of the "era of good feeling". Seward alliance trying for fusion, moderation, respectability and suppression of abolition to sweeten it 22 Pierce destroyed Demo party, helped by Marcy, bad foreign policy to not recognize demo govt in Nicaragua. So hard on Pierce bcause supports Buchanan. 25 whig party is a fossil, existed on union of money, manufacturing and commercial interests, plus internal improvements by genl govt, controlled national legislation, but failed to overthrow democracy. Chief merit of demo was small govt, whig devices aimed at gaining advantage of labor, appetite for neighboring territories, but demoralized and supported by knaves, nigger driving but negro worshippers an offshoot of Pierce democracy? Know nothings disorg.
April 26 1856 p. 4 (only proquest issue for April): Mon to Wash in Union square, foreigners surprised we don’t have more monuments, it’s because of the backwardness of the fine arts. But soon have magnif one at Wash towering above any similar Euro work, Crawford’s for Richmond will fie in artistic merits with foreign genius, ground alloc in Union sq for it, subscription support. managers need gd judgment, 1847 association got designs and money raised, what happened to that money?
Branch sends memo of his expenses for search for Matsell’s birthplace
Jumps to May 1, 1856, puffs Wikoff’s book a little, no NAD in May
2 obit for Ogden Hoffman, ex Atty Gen. 5 Very hostile to the Pierce administration. Rather than funding missionaries, the associations should fund parks, baths, libraries, laundries, schools and homes for poor of our own city. no NAD adv. 3 letter fr Robt D Hart in answer to question about what happened to funds of 1846 Wash Mon Assoc, charter Board of Trustees were Peter Cooper, EK Collins, JC Hart, Waddell, Calvin Pollard, James Phalan, Piatt, Hamilton Fish, Shepherd Knapp and others, , never collected more than $1600, went into Mechanics Bank where Knapp was Treasurer, funds expended on office, stationery, tickets purchased to vote on competition were mostly purchased on credit by gmen who submitted plans.
8 should exclude Chinese 10 symp to Walker and filibusters 11 Wm ross Wallace poem to Ogden Hfofman. Already for Buchanan. 14 Press Club doesn’t acknowl Herald as member of the Press, club system is a foreign humbug, growing out of vices of an effete aristo 15 fine arts: new printing process. A lot of Frank Leslie’s ads. 20 buddhism and xtianity can’t coexist in SF, must ban Chinese 21 like AV Stout of Shoe and Leather Bank, now city chamberlain
MAY 23 P1 FINE ARTS: Duss Gall continues to attract, excellent pics, fewer trashy ones than usual, Martyrdom of Huss noble, elevated in design, rich in coloring, boldness and breadth not alw in hist pics.
24 Know Nothings have fizzled 25 love Cozzens’ Sparrowgrass, also wrote under pseud Haywarde, pure hearty country air, genial humor, fit companion to Lotus Eating. Mostly appeared in Putnam’s. 26 mocks Post and other journals for backing adventurer and speculator Fremont when critical of Geo Law for same reasons as not a serious candidate 27 likes Boucicault’s new piece at Burton’s theater more than most of his. Pushing for an indep party, free fr nigger driving juggle of Demos at Cinti and nigger worshipping juggle at Phila. Think attack on Sumner is being exploited, bad, but Sumner was mean. Big ad for Bradys. 31 gives VPS at Sumner outrage meeting at Tabernacle, inclu Erastus Brooks
June 1, 1856
2 "presidential juggle" cliques at the convention. Prefer Geo Law to Seward, Pierce. Like Comonfort in Mexico. Pierce turned the demo party over to the south (secessionists). 5 stick to idea that Albion is organ of British interests in NY, was the organ of Sir Henry Bulwer, manager and proprietor wa Pres of St George's Soc 8 surveys the 11 English language dailies of the city on Buchanan's nomination, only 3 weaker ones endorse him. Geo Law anti-slavery know nothings, Sewardites, silve rgray Fillmore know nothings must fuse or Demos will win; Herald still supports pop sovereignty and Kansas Neb bill, but has been misapplied. Sumner attack a personal outrage, his speech was immoral though. Daily News is hard shell anti-Pierce democrat, happy about Buchanan. Express is Fillmore Know Nothing, Buchanan will carry out Pierce's policies, very hostile. Sun is Cuban filibuster, approves him. Day Book is a Pierce organ and would have preferred godlike Pierce, Evening Mirror is old line Whig and Know Nothing thinks Buchanan will be hard to beat, J of Commerce is Pierce admin organ, approves Buchanan. Trib is Sewardite and Fourierite, a good choice as not implicated in 1854, Times is the junior Seward organ, thinks he is not talented, Comm Adv is Silver Gray Whig, like Buchanan but think his foreign policy will be bad. Evening Post Van Buren free soil democrat, think Fillmore and Pierce were subservient to slaveholders, and Buchanan will be too. Courier and Enquirer is anti-Nebraska fusionist, Buchanan will be another Pierce in bowing to the south and worse as far as filibustering. 9 Herald itself seems to want a candidate to unite the Whigs as did Harrison or Taylor, no abstractions, just constitution and a popular man to oppose demo nigger driving, filibusterism 10 Know Nothing organ in city should relax about Pope and new doctrine of Immac Conception, Pope is same as catacombs and ruins of Pompeii, fossil remains witout consequence 12 City Council agreed to purchase full length of ex Gov Hunt by Elliott for $1000 for Gov rm, city hall. 13 support rights fo the south, but not agitators of school of Henry A Wise who control demo party, ultraism, Jeff Davis 16 has reviews of Keller's tableaux 20 Fremont ticket is better of the two. Union is safe with any of the parties. generally likes Miss Keene. 24 Geo Law retired to palace in Fifth Ave, a pic by Powell in his parlor as large as life, rrds bridge, steamships and all, a bust a little larger than life, maybe will run in 1860. John A Dix is going for Buchanan 27 Freeman's J supports Buchanan as thinks republicans tinctured with Know Nothingism
July 5 1856 p1 gives details of inaug of statue, bethune address, repeated on the 6th 1856, p1 inaug of Wash statue, public verdict entire approbation, faces West, about to speak, great ornament, genl effect highly impressive, Houdon bust p4 Fillmore is a secessionist. With Everett, Dix, Choate Winthrop Seward and Marcy are fossils. 7 Forney wants a demo paper in NY, Day Book and News too small, J of Commerce too dull, going to try to purchase the Times 10 support Fremont despite his anti-slavery, think he won't do anything practical, all indep papers support Fremont, Fillmore papers converting. p8 gives list of politics of the press: Buchanan journals include Cinti Courier, a Demo paper, irish American, Demo, J of Commerce, NY News Truth Teller, Staatszeitung, Criminalzeitung. Fremont papers: Abendzeitung, Staat Demo, Pionier, Neue Zeit, NJ Advertiser of Newark Whig, Cambro American indep, Cinti Commercial indep, C&E Whig, Cinti Gazette Whig, Indep relig, Post, Trib Times. Fillmore papers: Comm Adv Whig, Express Whig. 11 Courrier symp with demos but hasn't chosen a candidate, dislike Fillmore's Know Nothing tendencies, Fremont too sectional. Rrd interests want ED Morgan as governor, have big monopoly scheme in mind. Skipped after 12 to Aug 30 crit of Buchanan changing his mind too much on slavery; key diff betw two is Fremont won't admit KS as a slave state
Sept 1856
3 letter wanting Wood to run for mayor again signed by Wm B Asator, R Stuart Fletcher Harper Danl Drew etc p4 Webb and Brookses of Express slandering ea other's candidates, portraits done with smut and smoke. Lassalle ed of Courrier. 5 denies advocacy of Fremont has hurt circulation, 70,000 8 try to disting Herald fr black republicans who also support Fremont, nominee of various parties, support him for great conservative and reformatory purposes, Morgan and Draper belong to dangerous moneyed oligarchy, Greeley is indep. Post publishes ridic tirde betw Prof Weir of West Point and John Gray of this city, Weir appears to pry into priv relig affairs of Fremont, Gray says humbug, as long as he is xtian doesn't matter. Likes Dixon's Scalpel, Goodrich's autobio 10 old line whigs are grannies in flannel petticoats, rival women's rights conferences, ladies in pantaloons Sept 12 1856 Monuments in America: Our wash statue in Union square deserves praise, well managed, trick to monuments is to keep them out of the hands of the politicians. Hammatt Billings doing design for Pilgrim Fathers at Plymouth, statue of faith etc. Virginia ordered Wash for Crawford 13 Fillmore mtg is in Union Square 16 Evening State Register has article on 15th on Sunday papers of NYC and their politics, edited now by Scoville, racy spicy brisk and lively 19 crit of JOhn A King for Gov, respectable, competent but snobbish, ancestor worship, hostile to Fremont, won't support him 22 books reviews EGP Wilkins' My Wife's Mirror, highly successful at Laura Keene's 23 Geo Peabody allied with Corcoran in favor of Fillmore, versus Belmont and Jewish financiers working for Buchanan. Dix being attacked by admin, mistake to support Buchanan 26 Picayune in NY soetimes says a good thing, mocks John King 27 praise Joe Scoville for attacking puffing politician editors of Sunday papers. Support Wood agst Flagg and old fogies. 29 Stephen H Branch is in Cinti. Pierce responsible for southern Jacobin and secessionist Jeff Davis
1857
Jan
3 still critical of Erie rrd, still and alw controls legislature, exploits people. 5p2 The Fine Arts, unsigned letter to editor, municipal govt won't embrace art beyond portraits, no public gallery is disgrace, , chief cause of decline of historical and lscape ptg is reigning voluptuousness of our times, stockjobbing people enslaved by pleasures of grosser senses, in early days eminent ptrs, profs and gmen of fortune and tase contrib to nat acad, but has become effete, tawdry painted canvass set forth in importance of Dutch metal frames, artists in foreign lands, Vanderlyn Cole and Doughty all neglected, only port ptrs do ok thanks to vanity. artists in condition of poor shirt sewing girls, take work fr speculators in pics who frame them and proclaim orig by best Euroo masters. Need city gallery, as a standard of taste, plan for artist to study. 5 Pacific Rrd swindle 6p1 long review of Forrest, not natural but popular 8 Harper's Weekly is a failure, sorry and decided, to ability, tact, experience, taste, discrimination, only the engraver is good. 9 morality of the express: YMCA excluded it fr the rooms because of its conduct in the last election,don't want to apologize for Brothers Brooks, offensive to every right mindedman, disgraceful outrages, but Y is priggish hypocrisy, what about their morality and Edgar's? Express no worse than neighbors, Tribune as vile, financial operations of owners are not moral; Y ought to mind its own morality. Very hard on senator Preston for beating up Sumner. 12 like Forrest's Othello, engravings/galleries of royal family. Cosmo Art Assoc advertises, Palmer's bust of Spring at KNickerbocker office where subscriptions are received, CL Derby 16 long puff for Brady in context of complaint that would be connoisseurs depreciate Amer artists and lavish thous on Turner, Scheffer, Ingres, Brajekeer, neglect their own 22 Herald has been warring with Times; not symp to Simonton their reporter 25 critical of Matilda Heron's publicity, a vile bio and fulsome puffs, her ability overcame it 31 DA Oakey Hall labors for small polit clique
Jan 24 1857 p3 Art News, return of Kensett and Rossiter aid in making NAD an institu worthy of corporate efforts. TS Cummings old school gmen teaching. Much discontent among lscape ptrs of merit re neglect by town and country gmen, due to rage for foreign productions, artist skilled in hist and lscape visited returned millionaire with Ital lscapes disgrace cabin of his steamboats. Wm Hart fine, doing Scott. Huntington noble port of Verplanck, lscapes sold to priv gall of v few cultivated amateurs of art. Mentions Mrs EA Tryon and LMS in same sentence, lady artists, beauty of coloring and delicacy. Addison Richards known for his Southern scenery. Chas Elliott doing Col Kenny, of Central American affairs, filibustero, also doing Wm B Porter. JT Peele an Am artist in Eng. Mayor Wood sitting for his port. Kensett and Casilear next to ea other. Cafferty doing monks at devotions, sombre color, too ascetic. present fr the Fremont to the Fillmore Club as a frail memorial of their conversion fr heresy of Know Nothingism, is portrait of a boy blowing bubbles, no name of artist given, mediocre character. Nichols Am scenery. Edw White praised for hist ptgs close study of antique, classic severity even to vulgar eyes, noble specimen of old Ital masters mode of rendering a great subj, not tawdry nor sombre like young artists of perverted minds, NE first Tgiving worthy of his genius. Port of a Lady and Child of so much pretension, rebuke, callow knowl of propriety, prefer finery to harmony. Geo Inness, charming large lscape, like Page prone to experimenting, a genius, clever performance, but views in foreign countries by daubers preferred to sublime. Thom Hicks felicitious, taste and opulence. Cropsey close imitator of Cole, ptg for Cyrus Field and Oliphant. Palmer marbles an epoch in Am sculpt, unqualified praise fr connois and simple. Lang conspic in art as most aristo favorites of brit taste in palmy days of Lawrence, elab subjects, severe discipline, opulent amateur. Carpenter commissions for leading statesmen. Alanson Fisher copying Murillo. Durand charming.
Apr 30 1857 Fine Arts p2: NAD coming, private dinner affords gmen of fine forensic talent opp to exhib wonted taste for rich viands, whatever they think of art. recommend that artists in our turbulent city keep their movements indep of bustle of agitated world and its vanities, Durand, Huntington, Edw White, Louis Lang Colemena and afew others attest value of rigid obedince to this. Palmer marbles have not been over eulogized. watercolors not just showy pics in dazzling frames for houses, ones by Shattuck Hart Addison Richards nichols rival oils of Kensett, Casilear, Gignoux and sontag. Artists on heels of LMS, Mount, Edmonds and Weir.
May 1857
4 Beecher and other ministers disagree with Bellows. 5 Edwin Booth debut a triumph 7 critical of Saratoga and Newport. CD Stuart in the LEdger. 6 critical to Buchanan giving jobs to Herrick, Hart and Rynders, but likes Schell 8 hostile to Belmont. a Johnson did write for them while Bennett was in Europe recently. 13 describes events in 1834, city election, Gideon Lee mayor, but Whigs running man against demo nominee Cornelius W Lawrence, then a member of Congress. Whig dsiplay at masonic hall, includ parade of a miniature frigate, the Constitution, fights over it, whigs couldn't vote, brought in force, but when Constitution doubled Five Points got stoned, a riot, Mayor called out military. Man in claret colored coat, whig leader, captured the aresnal fr General ARcularius, man in claret colored coat was leader of the rioters. whig committee with NB Blunt investigated, excused them. But man in claret colored coat still working with Thurlow Weed to seize somethign, now the police--he is Simeon Draper, pres of Board of Police Commissioners. More on Newport and Saratoga monopolized by snobs, disgusting conduct, gamblers, roues, parvenues and demireps make up their society.
May 19 1857 p8 NAD: no mediocre ptgs in six galleries. Portraits predominate, Elliott bears palm, followed by Schlegel’s Frelinguysen and Lawrence, Colyer etc. Crayons of Van Buren and Bryant remarkable successes, but why couple Charles King with head of a donkey, as tho there was any affinity betw the two?
With lscapes, two classes comprise nearly whole exhib. When we speak of lscape we mean Cropsey, Rossiter, Kensett, Hicks, Durand Church and one or two others, all have progressed. Perhaps most striking Rossiter v red Indians spearing fish 5, foliage by Kensett 13, Herne Central Am, Church Andes of Ecuador, Durand Lake Hamlet, Cropsey white mtns, Casilear pretty Lake George, Autumn by Church, Esopus by Hart, Warwick by Cropsey, Rondell tc. Not many purely imaginative pieces, two hagars, White’s dramatic and touching, a respectable Thomas More by Irving and Carter battle, a grotesque piece by Rossiter intended for Eng market titled Modern Christianity, pretty by Hunt and Peele, Lazarus.
p.4 keeps referring to Wesley & Co, bankroll the Times, have money in Shoe and Leather bank.
20 happy re Cheever's church of the Puritans being divided, happy Tract Soc rejected Beecher and antislavery, dislikes the relig press, a financial panic is coming, as in 1837 21 supports Wood of course agst Albany in police/charter stuff; don't think constitution lets congress interfere with polygamy. 23 Pierce in town staying with Ham Fish in Stuyvesant square, not sasparilla 5th ave, he and Flagg and Marcy moving in with black republicans. Wikoff also in town.
May 24 1857 p. 5 NAD: List of honorary members has dead coloring, persons of no account in world of art. Honors ltd to but a few, in obedience to the exclusive principle which lies at the bottom of its constitution. Exclusiveness has had to yield to outside pressure, and variety and favoritism have triumphed. A crit anal would not fail to strike with wonder the censor. Review aims for truth, to remove mental errors and local impositions which taint and pervert the understanding, sabre of art philosophy in our progressive state must be used.
In subjective school, Lang, Healy Peele Rossiter an Leutze, imag and refined. In lscape, Chuirch has no equal, Andes of Ecuador worthy of Turner, luminous thru out, glory of sun diffused magically, while minutest detail wondrous hart. Hart brothers 13 pics, felicitous, a disting clergyman bought W Hart’s Age and Times of Macbeth a gem. Durand 6. Kensett not as gd at emotional effects as formerly, his White Mtn too often portrayed; he has whole tribe of imitators. Casilear 6 not as good as his earlier works. Cropsey also not as good. Coleman clever but not as beaut as last year. Many artist reprehensibly empirical, have bitten ea other, compositions sadly and saucily run counter to nature. Would be revealed as pernicious if compared to English master. Sonntag.
Letuze and Ed White, Rose of Alhambra and Summons accomplished light, White’s Tgiving, existence of genius of no common order. Gignoux 2 faithful, Hill brothers 15, fresh and natural. Peele’s Music of the Reeds mastery of beaut, one of best in exhib. Rossiter 9 pics, don’t like Primitive life (indians spearing) not happily composed. 220 Country Post Office and Modern Christianity, v humorous historical ptr. Portraits have sentimentality of Italian style. 24 Expulsion fr Eden by Havemeyer, Adam and Eve have animality of appalling dimensions, explains their fall, ungainly, uncomely, Jehovah cholorous and dolorous, angel with tail of embryo comet in his right hand, deficient in good breeding for sitting in front of Deity. vulgar to intro Omnipotence as a vulgar, decrepit old man is a specimen of folly and impiousness, Vatican allied with these abominable spectacles, reduced him to gross worn out substance.
June 1857
3 very down on Know Nothing managers, imbeciles 5 James Brooks moving toward demos, Erastus toward repubs
June 7 1857 p5 NAD: living and dead portraits, Huntington and Healy, Verplanck among best, severely true, mastery of air of majesty not often successfully delineated in republican portraiture. 480 Healy lady full length, without gaudy accessories, refined and artistic. Huntington has 8 pics. GA Baker has 12, mostly women and children. Elliott 8, Wadsworth best. Carpenter a pupil of Elliott and Thayer, Quakers good, Mrs Sinclair in operat costume, worthy of Gray. HP Gray 5, immense power and genius, used to regard him as imitator of Titian, not servile, his Hagar not as successful tho pathos and strikingly composed. Hicks 459 one port, most renowned dialectition on theor of art in Am, but falling off, vacillating betw poetic relig of ancient church and pure rationalism, no direction, Henry W Beecher not equal to his past efforts, shouldn’t try to acquire rep by giving temp notoriety to notorious personages. Great actor, this not favorable to his chara s a Reverend or his friend, the artist, his looks not of priestly sanctity, fruitless endeavor of great artists to give it to him, air of defiance and bonhomie more of man of the world. Bogle 7 pics , one for Board of Ed, one of Huntington. Mathews. Wm Page Roman Mother and Child, miss fine portraits, this pic doesn’t show profit in Rome, unlike Rossiter. Cafferty vigorous. Blondell pretty, like sweet poetic mode. Mrs MP Tryon, 41, fair artist, principle room. Brothers Mount, miss genre, not scared by clever LMS or Edmonds. Alanson Fisher resembles Elliott. Mrs Dassel credit. Santain master. Rowse, Colyer, Lawrence ephemeral reputation. Geo Hall Shakespere’s Reverie, drwg faulty, fervor for poetic. Port of gman 147 formidable likeness of a wellknown amateur, badly hung, misapplic of authority that is offensive.
Jun 24 1857 covers sale by Leeds of Powers statue at Merchants Exchange
July 1 1857. 2 gives story of Vernet being asked to do a ptg for Capitol. 3 Artists and Critics: day of oyster house critic is past, no more treats in subterranean cellars (tells artists they must pay him for a write up), worked for minor journals, fancy sketches, wholesale phrases. No longer need advance puffing. 4 p2 Clubs of NY: ca 1822 Sketch Club, Ingham, Bryant, Henry Sands, 21 still in it. 1836: union Club allowed foreigners after 7 years residence, must be over 25, the upper ten club, no talent without wealth, the codfish aristo, no foreigners unless titled. But at last mtg, old foy overthrown, hope will be more liberal. $100 initiation, $50 year. Gov King president. library shabby. Century Club mostly authors artists and patrons, taste for arts and belles lettres, 250 max members, initiation $40, $24 year, no games of chance. One of the club edits a journal in which members appear at times; Bryant, Verplanck and Durand most active. German Clubs too. p. 4 already v critical of Appleton’s Cyclopedia, portent of the end of the world, disturbance of the laws of the universe Jul 17 1857 letter fr Newark to Bennett p2 on American Art and Artists, sd on 2nd July read article on what govt pd for ptgs for Capitol, in context of trying to hire Vernet, Pierce never carried out order of congress to Hiram Powers for statue of Am, wanted him to send it to Am and have value decided on here not pay $25,000 in advance, Everett told Pierce Powers wants to do it, signed a Cincinnatian. p 4 editor comments on letter also notes Wm Barbee another sculp fr Cinti in Wash, may be even better (Coquette). great artists born not made, don't reproduce their ideas. When Powers’ gave Greek Slave, remarkable, pride led to overestimating its merits, raised an altar to it. But subsequently he has shown his lack of creative power, soft expression, general feebleness in all his works, whatever the subj, infant life and undeveloped womanhood with soft and effeminate lines sufficient to embody the little character they have will find him successful. But more voluptuous or virile fails. So have the immature proportions and characterless features fo the Greek Slave in all his later works, so have fallen in value, freq appear in auction marts. Two years ago in Florence saw studio of Barbee, true genius
Aug 7 1857 gives London Times’ review of Church’s Niagara, with opens with American tourists as greenest customers for Ital pic dealers, smoked canvass and wormeaten panels, Brit only learned recently that modern works are a safer investment. Church sign of a genuine Am school
Oct 20 1857 Fine arts in NY: NY behind world in art matters. Brit exhib very worthwhile, in rooms for NAD in Tenth st, close to grace church, on the outskirts of our Belgravia. Galleries too small for grand hist pics. a good deal of old fogyism about direction of the NAD. Best pics are Captain Rock re Irish character, Prince Henry. For preRaph, Holman Hunt Light of the World and Madox Brown King Lear, Hughes Ophelia, Leighton admirable. Herring animal ptgs etc. delicious rural scenery, dipped into book of nature, RuskinGeolog study. watercolors superb.
French Exhib all gd of school, Dubufe port of Eugenie capital and Rosa Bonheur, Meissonier’s Chess Players the best. Bonheur capital. Scheffer and Vernet. Horse Fair on exhib, rivals Herring and Landseer, not as overfed or ehtereal, superior in drwg and anat and no pretense, animals as they are, uncomposed. Wish would lower admission fee, Horse Fair should be free, commercial ventures.
Herald fr 19th c newspapers 1858 (and microfilm)
1858
January 1 have a necrological index, and chrono of city events. defends Lecompton (slave)constitution for KS. support picturesque lscape gardening in favor of levelling and grid. Sunday papers are all scurrilous, even relig ones, which have sectarian bigotry and low mean prejudice, esp Papist Feeman’s J and Puritan Indep. Observer and Churchman, snufflers among Presbyterians and Puseyites. Bonner’s Ledger and Frank Leslie’s and Harper’s better. Home J excellent. All have good sense, decency. 5 new city charter won’t let new mayor Tiemann do anything 6 Ten Governors election can’t decide betw Know Nothing and Republican. Tiemann elected by fused Americans and Republicans, but he is a democrat and crit of Metro Police bill, Central Park and city hall commissions, aim to give Repub offices, objects on grounds of democracy, tho wants to push work on city hall and central park forward to benefit laborers, but wants control of them taken out of hands of Commissioners appointed by black repub Legislature, and appointees made by Mayor and Aldermen as municipal works. Tax city for salaries of officers they don’t appoint, same condemnation of Metro Police bill. Like John Hamilton’s book on his father. 7 p8 notices Century Club literati and professional men had soiree for Twelfth Night 8 false symp for Oakey Hall and friends Dillon, McKeon of NY Trib, Post, Courier and others that supported Tiemann; Wood had run on municipal indep, but Repubs backed the laws he and Tiemann now objected to 9 approve of Buchanan’s condemnation of Walker and filibusters, tho thinks US involvement in Central Am govts will and should grow. full page on Tammany ball. Jan 11 Orestes Brownson giving lecture on Immac Concept sponsored by Hughes, will prove truth of doctrine; Herald seems a little mocking
Jan 12 1848 p4 Fine Arts: Mr Aspinwall’s Murillo: recently imported, on exhib Wms and Stevens, no hesitation in pronouncing it genuine, tho not as fine as in Louvre and Nat Gall, still glorious, has same character of treatment tone and phys. face of Virgin divine, enchants by beauty and softness. Accessories alm ident to Soult’s famous, not as transparent atmosph, inestimable value to arts of this country, he’s contrib to prog of Am art to level with foreign schools 13 fine arts: brady’s new gall in Wash 14 mad that the Sun is going to get the post office advert, Herald ciculates to a better class Jan 16 p4 FA: Mr Asp Murillo, exhib for benefit of charitable societies, daily paper obj to title, title is correct, gives citations, only authenticated orig Murillo here. support intl copyright. Jan 21 Thomas L Nichols and Mary Gove Nichols used to believe in free love, now have embraced Immac Conception 22 Edw Evertt on Wash at Acad of Music big eager intellig audience
Feb 1858
1 hostile to Tom Paine, freethinkers; takes Buchanan’s side agst Douglas 3 Herald and C&E support Louis Napoleon 4 Everett/Acad of Music/Merc Lib hostile to Herald p. 3 Cosmo Art Assoc Attached, in court on application of publishers of Emerson’s Mag and Putnam’s Monthly. Judge Sutherland. Panic of 1857 compelled assoc to postpone annual distrib until this March. Emerson’s wants an attachment agst their property, with Supreme Court, Appleton Oaksmith and Seba Smith vs Cosmo, have a contract with defendants, who promised to pay $1.56 for 905 copies of the mag in advance, haven’t paid anything tho mags have been furnished, nor have they paid $100 for their advertisement, Feb 1 1858 signed. Property includes Dusseldorf Gall, Greek Slave, 112 ptgs 5 takes fr Greeley an account of the gambling houses, Tiemann trying to close down. run a regular family market report, prices of potatoes etc 7 supports Collins line getting Congrss subsidy to compete with British, Lectures: compares Everett on Wash and Charity, , calm clear polished scholarly graceful Phidian statue curves, disting audience, versus Lola Montez at Hope Chapel, blythe sparkling undulating witty free restrained natural delivery graceful without orator’s study, the Hypatia of the 19th c, more cosmo audience, Everett’s relig audience finds her a wicked Bohemian. Jenkins a society corresp in Capitol. 8 High church fanatics moving against Sunday enjoyments of the poor. defends F Wood. Feb 9 p2 NYHS packed to hear Rev Dr Hawks on Old america’s msg to Young america, or Washington’s farewell address, duty of young to country, crtical of party spirit and sectional agitation as detrimental to union, need morality and religion 9 wants to send NY regiments to VA for inaug of Crawford statue of Wash. 12 very hostile to women’s rights and Lucy Stone 13 very hostile to clergy in Mexico; wants to absorb mex and cuba. Anti-Le Compton democrats like Bancroft are Douglas supporters (not Buchanan) 15 Staats Zeitung came out agst Nebraska 16 dog petition to not be taxed 16 critical of Bancroft as a historian and politician. critical of Legislature not picking Bryant as a regent for NYU, instead a compromise nativist/Republican Burrows. McMaster of Freemans J turning agst Buchanan because disappointed for charge to Rome. 24 special report on inaug of Crawford statue in Richmond, give crit fr GPR James Brit consul for port, from a letter, unmixed admiration, positions perfectly natural, calm power, no effort. Statue been interp wrong by many, in midst of battle, but no partic moment, Wash embalmed in memories, commanding alert, has spotted something in distance, military seat, not on a pure Arab like ajockey, more muscular, horse fit for such a man, compares well to Elgin marbles. Not many statues show horse really in action, mostly just paw ground or slowly advance, doesn’t mention Clark Mills, says VA has one of finest works in world. 26 Unitarians are pious infidels 28 p2 covers Remb Peale’s lec on Wash, lots of applause. p. 4 Need a paid fire dept. Fine Arts iN NY: Brit and Fr exhibs, coll of Belmont and Murillo of Aspinwall, quite a revival among artists and connoisseurs. Aspinwall provoked dispute as to subj and genuineness, since have heard of more Murillos, galleries still have humbug about the old masters.
March 1858
not a fan of Belmont? 4 matteson’s bribery included payments to J of Commerce, Tribune, Times, to support the tariff. John Dix and Van Buren support Buchanan on Kansas. Legislation of all northern states is under control of some moneyed corporation, a bank or railway, even Congress not indep, the Northern oligarcy of money, happier system than south? 5 Homestead Law will just benefit speculators. p. 8 is full page ad for Ledger 8 p4 More Lotteries under the rose: lottery dealers taken in hand by Mayor Tiemann not alone; what is the Cosmo Art Assoc 548 Broadway? a lottery like the old Art Assoc that was suppressed? Advertises tickets on shares, made $100,000 last year, but this year delays distrib of prizes until March. Should not police or DA turn attn to this concern? 10 p4 Cosmo AA: lottery gambling under guise of art assoc is only another phase of sin, efforts made to prove to us it’s legit enterprise, but cloven foot appears, taste for art a taste for gambling. If it’s really in interest of the public, shld refund subscribers their money. 11p8 model artists arrested, gives men’s names too 12 recommends reading Stephen H Branch’s document sent to Common Council, curious expose 13 Emerson’s and Putnam’s advertises 14 Wm O Webb a Tammany Demo, Lyon’s death at 49 15 Douglas is Demo anti-Lecompton 17 Belmont replacing James E Cooley on Central Park Commissioners 19 p5 Mtg of the Puritans for the enforcement of Sunday Laws, Rev De Witt, Hiram Ketchum, BF Butler, and Tallmadge Superintendent of police, but Butler argued impossible to enforce laws agst travel, fishing, Tallmadge sd newsboy nuisance must be stopped but ok with travel. Ketchum sd in Euro kings go theater on Sundays, loose laws tied to degrading govt, if relax Sunday laws will become slaves 21 crit of Tallmadge not putting a stop to Sunday amusements of criminals, only poor boys who sell newspapers 22 F Wood suing Greeley (and Dana, Fry, Ripley, Geo M Snow, FJ Ottarson, Bayard Taylor and others, for libel 23 Webb a lobbyist for McCormick (reapers), who want govt contracts. 26 Puritans pretend to have discovered that one quarter of Board of Ed are Cath, and one half the ward boards, and one third the teachers the same, terrible outcry, passing under control of Pope 27 support a new bankrupt law, like Picayune, mock Tiemann’s anti vice campaigns 28 crit of relig revivals going on as the wealthy showing off
April 1858
4 James T Brady lectures on women’s rights, says he can’t yet support suffrage, criticize him for it, settled and fixed opinion of civ that women have no rights outside the home. Brady does actually seem to support suffrage. Cites Judge Story too. Support a boss-style mayor. 7 p4 Exhib of ptg: success of Belmont in several thous dollars in to charity and equally profitable Aspinwall Murillo, started enterprising individuals, mostly old pics which draw better than new, hope proceedw ill be well distrib (to charity). If not, remember old pics are like old wine, you require to be a great connoisseur to enjoy them, and if you are not, they will gratify you less than any shilling print. Supports Lola agst competing lecturers 8 Biddy Bigelow of post. Likes DA James Whiting 10 long admiring bio of Benton 11 Progress of Cant: Atl monthly narrow bigoted hypocritical, mutual admiration society of Puritan Jenkinses, write up their own literary clique, use up the old matter and rejected articles fr late Putnam’s Monthly. Ledger is hostile to Trib 13 obit for Thom R Whitney. Consistently supports Ullman at the Opera. p.8 NAD: despite financial crisis, exhib equal or superior to any others. Gallery in Tenth st lately occupied by Belmont and English coll, six rooms, tastefully disposed, lscapes dominate more than portraits, catalog providential for those who otherwise would have to write under their ptg this is a horse, lists portraits of Judges Ingraham, Whiting, James T Brady etc. Lot of variety. Crowded private reception. NAD advertises. 14 Natl Art Assoc in Wash, no fear will become a close corp like RA, took a photo of whole group at Brady’s 14 women’s rights to blame for runaway matches (invokes Boker as making it fashionable), wants to choose her own husband, listen to Brady and Curtis. 15 Tons of stuff fr Ledger. Hostile to swindling gift enterprises. 18 Rev EH Chapin a feminist 20 crit of Appletons cyclopedia as paying poorly, plagiarzied data, bio deficient, omitted names, mediocre European reputations. p6 two or three years ago an error of over a million in accounts of Erie rrd, regular frauds in financiering Apr 24 p3 covers Lucy Stone on suffrage.NAD: professed art crits rejoicing over prolific char of present exhib, not prolific in quality. Except a few of acknowl merit, Durand, Kensett, Coleman, Elliott Huntington Tait and Gifford, crude efforts and commonplace conceptions. Academicians disgrace sign painters, fault that art hasn’t progressed lies with profession not public, don’t study anatomy, coloring, vulgar kind of conceptions. But clear bright lscapes of Kensett, soft floating Coleman, generally truthful Durand see pre eminence, but no intermediate scale of excellence. Hope galleries of Lennox, Belmont and Aspinwall will supply stimulant that govt coll do elsewhere. Willjust note a few ptgs: John Hows well harmonized, Trenton Falls by Hicks is gd tho done better. 15 Gray Cloak some merit, crude, vulgarized. James Hart clever, DMCarter, merit is distinct fr its subj, Gifford defective in coloring, Tait grouse capital, Brevoort persp admirable, Gifford brilliant, WH Beard Dream of the Past fine conception badly worked out. Saml Lawrence, accurate, fidelity. Carmiencke attractive. kensett beaut, conscientious. Lang Twelfth Night Procession merit. Huntington Christ, figs true scriptural spirit, why imitate conventionalities of the old masters. Tait spirited. Hubbard well, rich. Alfred Jones Regular Sucker, clever. Leutze pleasing. Durand gd, Healy portrait of Mrs Slidell, consid pretension, absence of taste in costume, Gifford like Turner. Edw White Luther at Home, pretentious but indiff, no value to connoisseur tho subj interesting. Calix remarkably good, superior to Am ptrs. Shattuck pleasing. Delessard, one fo the best bits in coll, artistic inspiration. Elliott’s port of Henry Bacon of St Louis Merc Lib, evidence of absence of correct taste, ridiculous pedantry (too many books?) TW Wood spirited. Casilear fine, Gignoux Dismal Swamp effective, Coleman evidences of genius
Branch’s Alligator advertises, has his bio, articles on Bennett, Webb, Matsell, Greeley, Bryant, S Draper, peter Cooper (second number of paper) Apr 1858 25 John W Francis Old New York, spirit and treatment of an old Knickerbocker, views thru a medium entirely inconsistent with our modern notions, Young Am will take exception to many of the positions, belong to another age and class of ideas, likely won’t be popular tho it is amusing. disapproves of subsidizing a Pacific rrd Apr 30 Appleton’s Cyclopedia an organ of Fourierism and free love, ed by Dana andRipley, don’t blame Appleton
April 1858
1 disapprove of Metro police resisting Tiemann’s reforms 2 critical of Fry’s Leonora at Ullman’s Acad of Music. have post office ad. 4 on James T Brady’s lectures on women’s rights, he gave both sides, is not himself ready to give the vote, mocks him for doing what he’s paid for. Women’s rights all in domestic sphere. links feminism with Fourierism free love etc. 5 need genl bankrupt law. need to give all the power in the city to the mayor, not indep depts, so can hold him responsible 6 Trib supports assassination (Nap). Defend Ullman fr oyster house critics old clique, succeeded agst Mayor Wood and admin at Wash (demos and black republicans), want to crush little Napoleon of the Opera, red republicans also agst him 7 p4 Exhib of ptg, success ofBelmont for charity and Aspinwall Murillo similar enterprises, mostly old pics, seem to draw better than new, hope profits will be as well distrib, if not, remember old pics if not a connoisseur gratify less thana shilling print 8 full page Ledger ad on front 8 Biddy Bigelow of Post 10 long bio of Benton, imperious, egotistical, much loved. Critical of charity balls at Cryst Pal. Support canal enlargement.11 Tribune is shrinking, only Bonner’s Ledger and Harper’s Weekly doing well, Harper’s mag had to retrench. Atl Mo consuming rejected articles fr Putnam’s is thorough failure, rabid and puerile. Progress of Cant, cant at Wash,r elig cant, musical cant abt Fry, Atl mo cant narrow bigoted hypocritical, mutual admiration society of Puritan Jenkinses, write up own petty clique 13 last page NAD, equal to any previous, pleasing tasteful celeb portraits of Whiting, Brady etc, lots of lscapes crush of crinoline 14 NY girls of 16 are as worldly as men of 30, no passion, mere pretty, fanciful, artistic, cold, calculating, and surprisingly clever pieces of mechanism. women’s rights has led to more runaway marriages 15 lots of poems on front page, inclu Wm Ross Wallace, Cobb—part of Ledger ad 15 Gov John King an imbecile.18 Crittenden, Bell are southern Know Nothings? Courrier hostile to Ullman. 20 as appleton’s cyclopedia proceeds, deficiencies become more apparent, lacks system, pay scale faulty; too many mediocre Euro reputations for a national bio 22 procession in honor of the (French) assassins, supported by Trib, Daily News, Day Book. NAD advertises. 23 p3 NAD: our professed art critics rejoicing, like quantity over quality. Except for Durand, Kensett, Coleman, Elliott, Huntington, Tait and Gifford, rarely seen such crude efforts andcommon place conceptions. NAD associates are sign painters, influ of Acad not up to its pretensions. artists don’t study, most have imperfect drawing, harsh coloring, vulgar conceptions. Redeemed by clear bright Kensett, soft floating Coleman, generally truthful Durand, skill, versus miserable daubs. art here stationary, not progressive, hope foreign galleries of Lennox, Belmont and Aspinwall will stimulate, in absence of national collections.
Recommend: John A Hows well ptd lsape, soft, harmonized. Thom Hicks Trenton Falls, gd but has done better. W O Stone some merit in concept of Gray Cloak but crude, vulgarized by accessories. James Hart lake clever. Carter haunted mtn certain merit, not in its subject, too subtantial for spectral effect. Gifford loch defective coloring.Tait grouse capital. Brevoort marshes admirable persp.gifford Genoa brilliant, Ital. WH Beard Dream of thePast, fine conception badly worked out, foregrd effects detract. Richardson pleasing. Saml Lawrence portrait like all his faithful. Carmiencke lake bright cheerful glowing attractive. Kensett newport beaut extreme care study of effects, also his Mt Washington fine, Genesee charming rich truthful. Lang Twelfth Night procession, merit in drwg coloring. Huntington Christ figs fine,t rue scriptural spirit, wants judg in accessories, imitates conventionalities of old masters.Love Tait’s Bear, spirited. Hubbard rich, Claude like. Alfred Jones a Regular Sucker, clever. Saml Lawrennce capital. Quail true to life. Gerry merit. Kensett Genesee happy. Leutze interior pleasing. Durand new hampshire gd, not his best. Healy lady is wife of Senator Slidell, consid pretension, bold, broad, lacks taste in arrang of costume. Gifford Nemi striking, Turner, need smoked glass to inspect it. Edw White Luther at home, pretentious but indifferent. Calix illus Gil Blas remarkable, fire, sentiment, grace, natural, our ptrs should study. de Nerly stands out fr mediocre, severe, pure ital stamp. Kensett newport glorious coast view, truthfulness. Shattuck autumn, pleasing. Delessard, a trifle, but one of best bits in coll, genuine artistic inspiration. Ellitot port of Bacon of Merc Lib, striking evidence of absence of correct taste among our port ptrs, too many books, pedantry. TW Wood Baltimore Newsvender, spirited,a dmirable. Casilear lake fine, great skill. Gignoux Dismal swamp, bold, effective, Gifford Maggiore new eauties. Coleman White mtns evid of genius, successful.
Edw Everett is the Apostle of Union. 24 Stephen Branch’s Alligator advertises. 25 John W Francis, Old New York, work of an old Knickerbocker, afraid Young Amerca will take exception with positions advanced. Don’t support the Pacific rrd bill. 27 anti-slavery Indep weekly is supplanting rotten Tribune, Beecher and Cheever conrib, commanding posit among anti slavery 30 Appleton’s shouldn’t have let Dana and Ripley edit their cyclopedia, vehicle for Fourierism free love and infidelity
May 1858
1 Central Park given to black republicans by Legislature, 7 of 11 commissioners are republicans, prizewinning plans selected by strict party vote. Herald is a metropolitan paper, for the city’s residents, not the rural gullible served by Trib etc 4 mocks NY Observer’s hypocrisy. 5 Tiemann was a democrat, chosen as such by repubs in order to defeat Wood, who was outright fraudulent. Backing Tiemann were Democrats A Flagg, Henry Erben and Peter Cooper 7 Mayor arresting mock auction shops. Alligator issue no 4 has the Harpers, Tallmadge and Noyes, Kingsland, Ten Governors, Connolly. Crows over 8 pages of Bonner’s Ledger ads. 10 annual mtgs have all the cupidity of old Romish priests and fanaticism of Germ reformers, meet in NYC to raise money 15 circ betw 60-70,ooo a day, Eve post betw 4-9000 day. Dana and Ripley now have charge of Trib. 17 consecration of church of Immac Concept, Hughes explained ceremony legitimate, doctrine too 18 morning edition which is not online had Herbert obit 19 Central Park: site chosen in 1856, Mayor Wood, and another Demo commissioners, also Irving and Bancroft, Veile as engineer and his plan accepted 1857. black repubs in Leg appointed new commission, one of their adherents superintendent, not an engineer, tho retained Veile. Advertised for plans, their appointee’s was chosen, varies little fr previous. Only demo who voted for new plan was recently chosen commission president. Now have removed Veile for another non engineer and created other offices. 21 House struck out money for continuing work on Capitol, censure on bad taste already displayed. James Harper signed petition agst crying papers on Sunday, tho his weekly one of culprits. Thomas C Fields one of Central Park commissioners complaining abt partisanship, Viele a demo who hired demos, Olmstead known to be a strong repub, a Commissioner threatened laborers not tov ote for Wood 26 old fogies alw want to fuss, avoid a muss 28 JN Reynolds was at some point President of American party 30 woodcuts of how the Atlantic cable will be laid 31 list their objections to Olmstead’s plan, only Belmont and Dillon perhaps know anything about public parks, most of black repub majroity don’t even live in city
May 1858
1 BH Jarvis was Clerk of the Common Pleas for several years, left young wife and children, his replacement is Nathaniel Jarvis jr, his deputy. Black republicans turning Park to polit account, 7 of 11 of commissioners are republicans, plans selected for prizes by party vote. expenditures will be prostituted like the canals. Weekly journalism: ten years ago pop style was nincompoop order of lit for silly women and children, then a class devoted to Five Points lit, then antislavery weeklies like Trib. circulate more in country than city. Herald is fairly critical of Stephen Douglas. Fernando Wood open abt fraud. city reform party of know nothings and republicans, Tiemann, Flagg, Erben Peter Cooper were reformers. Ledger has 8 page ads. 14 Central Park commission advertises display of plans. 15 Dana and Ripley control the Trib now, their encyclopedia kin to French infidels 18 Frank forester suicide, strong British feeling, hated Buchanan, anti-slavery, wrote for Appleton’s cyclopedia 19 Central Park, Wood as mayor and street commissioner in 1856, plus experts, Wash Irving and Beo Bancroft, Veile as engineer, when black repubs got Leg they apptd new commssion, new superintendent who is not an engineer, ignored previous plan, design of their appointee the superintendent adopted, only demo who voted for it has been chosen as pres of commission and got rid of old engineer (in an earlier article laid out how city contracts were made to plunder city treasury) 22 Thom C Fields denounces Central Park commission 23 complaint agst Atlantic Telegraph Co monopoly, but complainants not disinterested. Benj Wood, Fernando’s bro, is in lottery business, one reason why Tiemann attacking them so hard 26 JN Reynolds of NY paid to lobby in Dc for tariff law of 57, in 56 he was inveterate Fillmore Know Nothing. writer Bliss also received a fee. DM Stone commercial ed of J of Commerce, a free trade puritanical demo of Wall st order, also got money to influ legislation. Webb also asked for money to support it. (“free wool” equals bribes) 30 front page story on the Atlantic telegrapj with engr.
June 1858
1 Crittenden and other Know Nothing Jack o lantern party are trying to start a People’s Party, humbug and cant. Fillmore and his dark lantern also scheming. 3 asks what happened to the money in Trib’s Irish rebellion fund (Repeal; bogus Young Ireland, Kansas fund, and free wool 6 p2 long obit for Bartholomew, a sculptor. Disapproves of Greeley, Hoe, and James Harper attacking newsboys, above such snivelling and drivelling xtianity, grannies and Puritans. 7 publish Belmont and Dillon card objecting to Central Park plan, their suggested modifications rejected by Olmsted; has been regularly supporting Belmont 12 if newsboys put down, put down all street cries. Opening wedge of Puritanical laws, obnoxious and ineffective 14 supports Genl Gaines’ widow agst Congressional reformers 16 defends anti-clericalism, not anti-religion. Hoe denies signing call agst newsboys, Peter Cooper is on it tho 22 Webb sticks with Seward, Greeley looking for someone else. Eve Post poets belong to soft demo of Fremont party, free traders, so don’t want Crittenden or Bell or any protective tariff man. Crittenden and Bell dinner inviters are Luther Bradish, Simeon Draper, Greeley, Raymond, both Brooks, so Seward Republicans, Webster whigs, Fremont men and Fillmore Know Nothings all together. 25 pro-telegraph. xtian intelligencer at war with Trib. Finished month.
Don’t have July-November 1858 (skipped July and most of August on mfilm)
August 20 1858: lots on canal celebrations. Know Nothing party is dead, Crittenden its last gasp via "People's Party," mentions JT Headley as leading movement to fuse with Republicans along with anti-Lecompton demos. 21 support municipal reform (Tiemann its leader?, but not the old managers of the movement 22 story on street ballads of the city, many Ethiopian, Stephen O Fosterpolitical songs, swill milk, Park rioters, loafers, news boys and Herald, John Dean's marriage (coachman), satirical mostly 25 very critical of riotous picnics, dead rabbits and ruffians who attack quiet parties 26 compares Brigham Young to HW Beecher and spiritualists 27support Buchanan for president 28 Greeley and Erastus Brooks agree on fusing anti slavery and anti popery 30 reviews Chas F Briggs and Augustus MAverick's story of the Great Atlantic Cable, editors of th eNY Times, dedicated to Cyrus W Field, utterly unreliable, didn't see any of it, Field never gave permission for the dedication, gives wrong credit for machinery, take content fr the Herald without acknowledgment even tho had been crit of Herald's coverage
Sept 1858
2 Bishop Doane spoke at Trinity for cable celebration, lots on the various transparencies and decorations, flags of all nations 5 dislike Forney. ought to hire more men to work on the Park 9 Gov King is incompetent. Amer party derived chief strength fr silver gray whigs and hard shell demos, after Demo party scattered by vacillating Pierce, but many returned under Buchanan, rest went to Repubs 11 expulsion of Frank Leslie fr municipal dinner at Metropolitan hotel for cable, was not invited, Committee ordered removal because obnoxious for comments and caricatures in swill milk controversy with certain members of the Board (Alderman Thomas MCSpedon suing Leslie for libel) 12 covers a philanthropic convention in Utica with AJ Davis, who argues that evil is due to parentage, free love. hate Orasmus Matteson. 19 approve John Mullaly's account of cable only authentic one 21 critical of the English re the cable, try to pretend it's not an American enterprise 24 critical of Belmont, jewish, bought a fine gallery of ptgs while at the Hague, don't send him to Spain. Big defender of Field and the cable.. Hostile to Stephen Douglas (as opponent of Buchanan for Demo nomination; being supported by Tammany) 28 critical of Judge Edmonds who chaired repub mtg at Cooper 30 Chas A Dana, Fourierite philos, trying for fusion, ignores suffering whites
Oct 1858
1 1854: 319,223 enigrants to port of NY, but fell to around 136,000 next year and stayed around there 3 support Am inst.fair. dueling relic of barbarous age, like prize fights, code of honor no more respect than rules of the ring. Lots on Cryst Pal fire. Support Ullman and Piccolomini 10 suggests Am Inst is mismanaged, lists complaints, miserable corporation, imbeciles, ignorance. Tyng, Anthon and Canfield of Episcopal church edit Port Churchman, attack Doane once again, as too liberal 11 standing accusation in Europe that Amer people were mean, but our politicians have mean motives, Genl Scott an exception, like him as a national candidate, not being promoted by Sewards 12 Flagg as comptroller is incompetent. Like Lola Montes (she is anti-clerical) 21 anti-Rothschilds. 22 lots on the prizefight 23 has had the post office advertising for some time. still pro expansion of US 28 Ledger ad features poetic portraits 30 stopped here, and skipped to Nov 12
Nov 1858
12 Harper's debasing the lit rep of the nation by issuing a work on prostitution, obscene, and Times and Trib help them. Praise Bonner's patriotic movement instead to hire Everett. 13 NOtice American Union, org trying to replace Am Inst.
Nov 15 1858 p4 Literary Scribes and Phariseees, Curious Movements in the Newspaper world, a remarkable age, age of progress we are told, human race called on to be ameliortated, revised, improved, cultivated polished and refined at lowest possible price. No one can read whole bk by AJ Davis. An enterprising Bohemian, who has had shame of seeing a great many of his schemes blow up, lately estab a journal to record all the developments in free love, niggers, farms, dinners, spirits, etc, world verging towards entire social harmony, perfect freedom and thorough equality. But progress of the age is arrested, special organ failed for money.
But supply of philanthropy and obscenity doled out daily by Trib and Times and Deacon harper, pious publishers interceded for wretch who printed Venus Miscellany, surprised Harpers amiable hebdomadal and sugarcoated monthly shld have issued History of Prostitution or Free love, as bad as any of the obscene school, and Times puffs it, Trib quotes it, so does Booby Brooks to sell papers. Yet they are contemptuous of Bonner, while they print disgusting details of vice, Bonner hires ornate and classic Everett
17 Know Nothings precipitated from 1852 dissolution of polit parties, accelerated by Kanssas Neb bill, got opposition majority to Pierce in House and State, but not a united opposition. Henry Wise in VA an old line whig defeated them in 1855 have sunk since then, Geo Law faction went over to the Republicans, but Fillmore's campaign ensured Buchanan's electionHope enuf left to block a Seward nominee.. Dana and cohorts want poetry to be sectional, anti-slavery, political, hostile to his collection of poems Dana edited and to the Amer Cyclopedia. A war with Courrier des Etats Unis over Ullman and Piccolomini. 20 Published last week I didn't see it a table analyzing the ruling classes of NU, brothel keepers thieves and loafers, oligarchy of 15,000, primary system controlled by scum 21 cover Mortara abduction case, result of relig and temporal power combining, not catholicism per se. support paid fire depts. notices gift of Venezuela commissioners of better portrait of Simon Bolivar to city hall. stopped at 25th and skipped to Dec 4
Dec 3 1858 p5 Am Art late Wm Ranney, none of his gifts to foreign inspiration, genius of Am soil, racy of its peculiarities, no trace of imitation in his works to conventional models of the old world, freshness and orig differing fr Landseer Cooper and de Dreux as prairie differs fr moorland or Lombardy. graphic truthfulness illus Western life. private worth endeared him. NAD his pics plus those by other artists, to be auctioned, James T Brady will deliver address prob on 8th, all money to widow
Dec 6 lots of sermons on keeping bible in the schools, Cheever wants it kept in. 14 Forney used to be allied with Wikoff, sent him to Herald, where Bennett tried to help him in the Cabinet, now he's mad at Bennett/Buchanan 16 issues 100,000 sheets a day. earlier had brief coverage of Lenox donation of Nineveh to NYHS. 18 Sickles thinking of duel with Gideon J Tucker 23 Ranney sale $10,000, generous, hi artistic feeling of the profession, noble spirit among Am artists, desire to found something like a national rep 24 Great Republic MOnthly Oaksmith & co, first issue, healthy matuity, generally well written, best wood engravers, appreciate popular ttastes. Cosmo Art J valuable periodical, present number one of best, first rate illus. Lots of Derby & Jackson books. Frank Goodrich's Derby and Jackson women of beauty and heroism, likes it. Autocrat of the Breakfast Table delightful. Redfield's edition of Poe magnif, illus by Darley, Cropsey, Duggan and others. Jonas P Levy writing to Cass on behalf of Mortara case, Cass won't do anything officially 25 McElrath, formerly financer of Trib, having broken down in mining, banking, stockjobbing and other speculations, is starting weekly Century, not clear which Century. Roberts of Boston is doing the Constellation, he was mixed up in Forney, Forrest, Jamieson divorce case. John Mullally (who wrote Cable book) formerly of Herald is starting a new Catholic journal. Critical of Geo Saunders (formerly of Demo Rev) 25 cites Hawthorne on the problems of the consular system 30 critical of NYear's orgies
Jan 1859
starts at the 5th. p.5 lists works of art at the capitol, no real commentary 6 Know NOthings are republicans. 7 traducers of transatlantic cable are friends of a rival enterprise 7 approves of state Senator Brandreth 10 most of page 3 is Cosmo Art Assoc distrib of premiums 11 has been promoting Genl Wool as presidential candidate since 1853. agree city reform charter needs strong mayor system. Mag Lit in the sere and yellow leaf: appetite for lit pabulum, read chiefly for amusement or current events in newspaper. Putnam's failed because it took to negroes. Mutual Admiration society in Boston estab weak Atlantic, dreary,, expansive and watery, devoted to glorif of New England and its clique's common places, pretentious, promises to elevate us poor, ignorant misguided people and pay $3 to fall asleep over their monthly. Tremendous puffs, with a grand operatic chorus of self glorification. Only pop mag in NY is Harper's, pleasant but light. Best is in our weeklies. 13 Wall street is the greatest gambling hell in the world, croupiers are Jacob Littles 14 p1 Fine Arts: arts have improved, but city has done nothing for them, leaders are obscure or vomited forth fr gambling hells or grogshops, no hist pics, or has Nat Acad respected interests of the public.Hope to have a public gallery some day, in meantime go to tenth st or Dodworth's, and Artists monthly Reunions, intense rivalry. Used to just be Cole, Doughty andDurand, now Cole alone retains his rep, others surpassed by Church So Am lscapes, an idealist and manipulator, Niag most faithful of all his works; kensett less orig and variety, more fidelity than the younger ptrs, New Englsnad specialist. Coleman unequalled, two Harts hi rank, Shattuck cabinet lscape ptr, Gignoux far more effective Niagara than Church, for an English gman. Geo Hall not inferior in still life to those in Belmont collection. Anticipated joint venture of Huntington, Hicks, Rossiter and Brown on four great pics not likely to appear. Genre ptrs Bewllows, Blauvelt, Cafferty Blondell and Thom, Rossiter briliant and charming. Liberal prices paid. Tenth st has also Hays, Nichols, Brevoort Gifford Osgood, Folingsby great master in port. Stanton's Clay is painfully ungainly. 15 new club, the NY Athenaeum, supposed to have a more liberal spirit, liberal professions, merchants too, $50 entry and $25 annual. Chas L King of Columbia is President. We generally oppose clubs and their exclusiveness, tentatively endorse this one, if it can avoid domination of cliques, class prejudices and personal hostilities 16 supported Fremont, lost because of Seward and Fillmore on his back; Buchanan saved the Demos. 17 critical of Lola MOntes and Barnum, her escort 18 Kansas Nebraska bill was pro slavery, and reduced demo party to a shuffling minority; demos have deserted Buchanan 19 sort of hopes old whigs will revive 22 p5 Artists Reunion in Studio bldg Tenth st, pictorial desert, except for Hayes hunting scenes, a couple small lscapes by Casilear and Gifford with truth and simplicity, not much. gifford feeble in Windsor castle, not enough details, just a hasty sketch. W Hart bad taste show large ptg already seen, his small pics delight. Osgood feeble cupid, McEntee clever novelties in his peculiar line and morbid taste, an artist as well as a ptr. Gignoux mtn view, success. no single noble pic, tyros and puny display, just occas for mutal congratulation. Durand and Waldo and the whilom autocrat of the defunct Art Union present. 25 hostile to Mazzini and ultra republicans, just destructive, Young Italy was vain and empty headed, bloodshed for personal fame, but this war will be more serious, involve all Europe. Buchanan greatest since Jackson. 26 lots on Burns 27 Chevalier Webb wrathful over Cuba 28 foolish southern code of honor. likes Casali's Eco, liberal. 29 likes new Catholic organ the Metropolitan Record, will be progressive, Bishop has repudiated Freeman's Journal and its scandalous conduct 30 p8 on code of honor and duello in Congress
Feb 1859
1 Aminadab Sleek of J of Commerce, pretends to support Buchanan 2 p1 Fine Arts all on Brady's gallery of the Great departed 3 Florence corresp says Powers exquis fig of Washington as mason, also his Jeff and Franklin for capitol, mentions Hart on Clay, A Galt's Jefferson will be eminent. running MRs EDEN Southworth's Hidden Hand (part of Ledger ad I think) 6 still hoping a third party in 1860 will stop it being a sectional election, Know Nothing's bigotry disgusted, but under Union organiz and with Genl Scott might get the election into the house. Genio C Scott letter to editor re game laws. New Englander descendants of puritans are extremists. prefer homestead bill to giving all the land to rrd speculators, but it's still agrarianism 9 p4 cost of a new NY daily $300,000, for bldg, presses, editors, reporters, correspondnts, maybe half a million. 10 F Wood has purchased Daily News, allied with Henry Wise of VA agst Tammany. critical of liberalizing divorce laws 13 crit of effectiveness of Sunday laws 14 obit for Campbell P White, in congress 1829 to 1835, decided stand on national bank, perish commerce perish trade excitement, Grace church. 16 continues to have a lot on revolution in Haiti. Continues critical of lectures, Massa Greeley, would-be guides, select topics on which they are uninformed, he only knows about getting up funds for causes that then disappear, but lectures on soils. Park Benjamin should lecture on literary infanticide, art and mystery of killing offnewspapers. 19 Wise and Wood kill Know Nothingism. Want a Scott and Everett, or Crittenden and John Bell ticket 20 Sabbath Committee of self sanctified spiritual dictators. dont let Euro send us their depraved as immig. new journal L'Empire Francaise, but residents here not enthus re second empire 21 Times and Trib attacking Bennett's wife and son 22 mocks Dana and Ripley writing articles $2 a page for Appleton's cyclopedia. Haitian exiles a sign of integrated society when black repubs in charge 27 love Buchanan. 28 he vetoes land grant bill
March 1859
1 symp to Sickles. 4 immig leads to national prosperity. Times and Post defend the seducer (Key) in order to attack Sickles 6 more against lecturing, its bores have obtained notoriety, impudence, ok for provinces, but ltierary dishwater here, arrant humbugs and literary charlatans--basically an attack on the People's Lectures, with Greeley; preacher who broke the 7th comandment in Boston speaking on the Powers of the Republic (tried for adultery), theatrical Count, a metropolitan editor on Fashionable society (park Benjamin), an Ital prof onSicilian politics and perfidious Albion 13 critical of Mayor Tiemann unclean streets 18 death of Mike Walsh, had spent evening with Geo Wilkes, Wm Wilson ex Alderman, visited Hone house other bars. bio: b in Ireland, dad had mahogany yard, then furniture store. Learned lithog business, went to New Orleans, his Spartan Band was to counterbalance Unionists, most demo joined, started a weekly Knickerbocker only lived a month. July 1843 started Subterrandan, united 1844 with Working Man's Advocate. Libel suits did not intimidate him inclu Levi Slamm, on release fr prison said 50,000 in city hall park. 1846 Tammany ticket to state assembly 14th ward, then 1847 as indep and beat demo nominee. 1852 elected to Congress fr 4th district, defeated in 1854. 1855 mission to Russia for a shipbuilder and for Pierce. 1858 visited Mexico for filibusters. Since then has worked for the press. 20 p4 notice of Leeds auction at NAD, second night on Thursday, better prices, Winterhalter's Florinde boubhgt by WH Webb. A Durrie NE lwinter $165. Wm Niblo bought a Moses. $100 for a Boughton, Muller's Primavera $400, Casilear lscape $290 v fine, Cole's Prometheus $375, W Hart, Mignot, F Edmonds flute player $125, Ehninger Arecelare Artem $200, Hays rossiter, Kensett $275 Dismal Swamp Gignoux $330 Church's trib to Cole $510 MTn view Durand $345 successful 21 constantly promoting Washington Heights where Bennett bought a house p.5 Funeral of Mike Walsh included pallbearers Fernando Wood, James T Brady, ex Alderman AJ Williamson 23 Board of Ten Governors meets at Rotunda 25 ex Gov WAshington Hunt addresses old line Whigs at HOpe chapel on political signs of the times, Hiram Ketchum chair of mtg, also Luther Bradish, Shepherd Knapp, J Philips Phoenix Fred A Talmadge, James Harper, John W Francis, James W Beekman; Herald hopes this will be the third party, minus Know Nothings
April 1859 still two cents
support Buchanan agst filibusters and southern demo enemies. 7 Tasistro letter very hostile to Pierce’s foreign policy in the Americas, but loves Edw Everett, thought Pierce and Marcy were weak re foreign interfence in the Americas. Defends Sickles. 13 likes Major Thorpe, Frank Leslie’s. Wm M Hunt lithos of Newport RI, amateur. Forrest represented by Van Buren suing NP Willis for libel. 15 new registry law carried entirely by republican and American votes, demos saying unconstitutional barrier to suffrage, Herald agrees it wont serve any good purpose, this bill is farce and humbug 17 in dissolution of demos, Republicans adopting Jefferson as great apostle. New bill for Alvany and Susquehannah rrd subsidy a robbery of the people, a money speculation, people should not make up the losses of speculators, several yrs ago 3 million voted to Erie rrd by benev legislature, bad precedent. 18 supports addition to Central Park 26 Wm M Tweed is an odd fellow 27 lots on odd fellows. 28 excerpts long article fr Leader on the Herald, positive. 28 down on Douglas because doesn’t like squatter sovereignty, wants Congress to be able to introduce slavery into territories 30 Notes on a trip to some of the southern states. Current wages for painters are $1.75 (per day), want $2, are on strike with many other trades. Glad Church’s pic is moving to Tenth st Studio building and natural light, doesn’t need gas light (Heart of Andes). corresp in Rome praises Cushman, Stebbins and Hosmer.
May 1859
3 mentions the movement to emigrate intellig and educ negroes to Haiti, McCune and Downing the oysterman involved, see thru hypocrisy of abolitionists, don’t actually encourage them to rise. 4 Still critical of Ten Governors and their expenditures. Harper’s weekly has big ads, 5 cents. ex NY Gov Hunt is old line Whig 7 Bryant and others attacking Wikoff for getting a place fr the admin, Gurowski being attacked by Trib, where he used to work, but the editors’ book speculation with the Appletons (the cyclopedia) got him fired. NY as it is column. 8 p5 NAD: inferior to former years, except for Negro Life at the South, not half doz remarkable efforts. leading exhib repro old ideas and forms, complacent indolence, one is type of the rest, has commercial advantage, weakens force of artist’s conception. Gifford repeats scorching sunlight effects, Colman slavish to cobalt blue and purple of autumn, Casilear prudish and puritan elab with painful degree of carefulness, Kensett coddles nature in her sentimental aspects. Public wants this indiv of style, not adapted to the subj. Rubbish on walls (machine and clock paintings), are half of some 800, genius doesn’t wish to associate with them, esp when best places allotted to crude, or Gifford’s hung so hi or low as to neutralize them. NAD shld be demo, but exclude those who don’t know basics.
JA Oertel drawings spirited, no conventionality, German school. Rowse. Kieffer’s Spring wld disgrace a signpost. Geo Hall Don Quixote some merit, no reflected light, but like it better than Elliott’s or Thom’s, no conception of his character; Thom gives him face of an idiot and Elliott a madman. Ansdale merit, Sonntag lifeless and leaden, Colman indistinct. James Hart charming, Tait natural ducks, Sellstedt pretentious not truthful, Healy’s port of artist spirited, Negro life the gem, conveys all the eccentricities, enjoyments and poetry, such as it is, harmonizes separate groups wth their indep interest. JG Brown happy conception, right sentiment, Newell clever, McEntee snow done with a blue rag, Elliott ex Gov Throop, marvellous reality, like Cheeseman, EH May Dying Brigand is oble, Lang ambitious Cenci but too stage like, cleverly ptd. Shattuck brilliant, even grander is Gifford’s Mansfield mtn, v diff done by Jerome Thompson, tame as a cold atmosphere can make it. Boughton clever, Casilear charming, Pasmore in best style of Eng mod art, sketchy. Cropsey Twilight all his peculiarities, artistic but won’t please general visitors. TP Rossiter mistake in the backgrd. TB Read Oberon not a success in color. 315 Light and Shade (Geo Fish) a failure.
Generally supports city’s autonomy from Albany’s interventions. fairly symp to Mormons. 16 death of Humboldt, no mention of politics 17 Leader is soft shell, under management of city clerk John Clancy, antagonist to Daily News which is champion of the hard shell. Softs want Horatio Seymour as pres candidate, hards want Dickinson 18 like Disraeli. 26 WGA Fuller in chess club giving award to Paul Morphy 27 urges Pope to move to NYC, bring with him his sculp and ptgs, lists quite a few, will inspire a new school of art, why shouldn’t we beat Old World in fine arts, archbishop hughes can be his successor, live near Bennett in Washington heights
June 1859
anti-sabbatarian. JT Headley and Booby Erastus Brooks are behind Fillmore. 5 ceremony for Paul Morphy absurd, John van Buren and Fuller (of the Express) made themselves ridiculous, should honor Downing the oyster man too 13 aid to Italy fund includes Edw Everett, Gajani, Geo Sanders, Mrs JGB, Brumidi, Freschi, Shepherd Knapp, WH Aspinwall 17 says card of Strakosch yesterday (at Academy of Music) exposed the Murray Hill circle (Grinnells, Astors, Minturns, Beekmans, Bogerts, Coopers, Pells, Hoffmans, Morgans, leRoys) who want credit for being philanthropic without work or risk. Board of Ed requiring Prot bible to be read in schools, will restart relig bigotry. 18 Mazzini is a red republican, class of fanatical and impractical minds, infidels, think Louis Nap a despot 21 critical of dog laws, need to make dogs property, profitable to take dogs that have committed no crime, need a registry law 24 women’s rights in theater: Laura Keene a manager, Mrs Florence has equal share with Wallack at their theater, buildig a theater for talented Agnes Boucicault, National theater taken by Miss Bell Carr. 27 system of city to encourage, with view of protecting fr hydrophobia, of paying bounty for dogs, is cruel and demoralizing, every rowdy bloodthirsty fellow old enough to handle a stick steals and trades, young lads too, mean revenge, present system an abomination 30 George Jones (Count Joannes), invited to NY by Tiemann, J W Gerard and Edw Forrest, to play Hamlet, at Niblo’s, mocks him extensively
July 2 1859 p5 Fine Arts The Companion Niagaras:
When Church exhib, unprofessional visitors impressed with its fidelity and grandeur. Elaboration of its details, breadth of effect, qualities previously deemed so inconsistent with ea other that artists indisposed to concede transcendent merits, held that Church a patient student, but mind incapable of idealization, essential to great art. Public assigned it a foremost rank, confirmed by Heart of the Andes, which has quality that artists could not or would not see in his Niagara. Can imitate and invent.
moonlight view of cataract by Gignoux admired by profession and public as alm as remarkable as Church, effects in entire contrast, bold and vigorous handling and depth. Church has hardness, Gignoux softness and richness. Church most truthful and Gignoux most artistic by an arbitrary standard. Both at Wms and Stevens.
Van Beest marine view at Weston’s best marine ptr, regatta of NY Yacht club, indiv of his protraits, atmosphere. Intl Art Assoc new additions, Achenbach, Duss school life and action, etc
Jul 17 1859 notes foreign appreciation of Heart of the Andes
July 24 1859 p4 wise men of modern Athens decided to accept Powers’ statue of Danl Webster and voted thanks to Sumner for his 4th of July abolit harangue, so can pronounce country safe. Thankful the patriotic Bostonians “in the cotton trade and sugar line” have agreed to split the diff on the nigger q by putting up the statue of Webster on one hand, and vote of thanks on the other for abolit sentiments of Sumner. why not, wasn’t Bunker Hill mon topped off with patriotic and fascinating legs of Fanny Ellsler?
Aug 3 1859, p. 1 Calls Plymouth Rock the Blarney stone of America, 1853 the first time the anniv commemorated worthily with address by Edw Everett, Pilgrim Soc started bldg a monument in 1850. p4 critical of all this monument erecting, a bit
Sept 18, 19 1859 p. 8 gives Everett’s oration at Webster statue inaug
Oct 10 1859 p4 Fine Arts Down East: Bostonians like Greeks of old given to statue worship, by illus dead celebrities they render themselves famous. But fall short of Athenian models in ideas.
A couple of years since inaug great deal of fuss a statue of Franklin, a doubtful compliment. When set up statue of Webster in their shabby little State House, done in such a manner that the tribute was rendered equally equivocal. Indoors or out, consigned to present pied de terre, as a sort of refuge for the destitute. To be sure celeb by stereotyped oration by standing Demosthenes of Bay state, but evident our modern Athenians influ more by vanity than reverence or love for art.
now Gov Banks recomm erection Horace Mann, Wendell Phillips will be orator, won’t be surprised to find Bostonian statue-worshippers rushing, by and by, into opp extreme as iconoclasts, natural for them to demolish Webster and Franklin, destroy symbols of true faith and restore effigies of their false gods.
Oct and NOv: page’s Venus advertises.
Oct 5 1859 p8 Fine Arts: Wm Page’s last work, Venus guiding Aeneas and Trojans to the Latin shore, now at Duss, heard thru Euro corresp, hi expectations. rich and pure tone, but conception and drwg does not please us. aimst at a medieval style, but short of beauty and grandeur of medieval inspirations. Betw types of Titian and Correggio and Page a dist so insurmountable that wonder at his boldness to imitate. Edw White fine Washington resigning command on exhib, compos merits unquestionable, harmony all can be desired. One defect, except for Wash, the individuality of all other personages so generalized and similar, falls short of grand hsit tableau.
Church’s Heart back, except Greek Slave, no greater sensation in Europe. Faed engr effective (this is for Cosmo?)
Oct 12 1859 p6: has long column critical of judicial decision in favor of Sunday laws, counter to separation of church and state, principle of civil and relig freedom. A Grand Chance for the Truly Pious: certaing dpeople who keep consciences and morals of the masses in order, rigid scrutiny of small matters, arrest of street walkers, or suppression of newsboys, p7 suggest a great opp for them at Duss Gall, where a ptg of unmistakably immoral tendencies on exhib. More dangerous in a moral pov because in a gallery, as notwithstanding the artistic merit, its tendency is same as books and pics seized in Frankfort st some time since. Revenue officers have seized foreign pics not so dangerous as this of Page’s. Hope leaders of moral and relig sentiment of metro won’t lose this opp of disting themselves, and proving that charge of straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel, is without foundatiion. Same page has paragraphs on Venus of the duss Gall, attendance large, for a long time the rush of virtuosos a this arcadian retreat never been so great, Page’s Venus. Unusual number of ladies, seemed to delight in classic vicinity of beaut production.Such glances were cast upon Venus! A great many pretended that they did not care, but would slowly approach. Who will say after this that NY is deficient in taste for the fine arts?
blames Seward for defeat of Genl Scott and destruction of whig party in 1852, and for defeat of Fremont in 1856
Oct 14 1859 Fine Arts: Magnif Heart of the Andes on exhib, Rossiter’s gall in 38th stt open free, tickets at printsellers. James Robb sale.
Oct 18 1859 p6 very hostile to Onderdonk being reinstated, a foul blot on xtianity. If his unchaste and libidinous conduct no offense, clergymen might as well at once ornament their churches with pictures and statues, after the style of the Venus, at which many of them take a stolen peep occasionally, in the Duss Gall
p6 Art in the Metropolis: our connoisseurs claim acumen equal to first Euro authorities, public exhib of best foreign and native living masters alw to be seen, Am artists approved in europe, we are more catholic and liberal than the Parisians, who rejected Page’s Venus. Clergy who rain brimstone and torments on wicked boys, throng gall where nude pic of Goddess of Love and recommend it, aesthetic perceptions so fine as to elevate us, what is indecent in Paris is quite the correct thing in NY. Disting living artists Bonheur Vernet Frere Troyon Meissonier Landseer Millais Hunt and Stanfield fully appreciated. So new responsibilities, must judge strange new pics from elevated crit standpoint. They assume a highly impt public posit, like candidates for the Presidency, must be thoroughly and delib weighted, and if wanting give place to better. Must not be ina hurry in deciding on merits of any pic or sculp or artist, have dignity to sustain as chief artistic city. This will bring abt a diversity of opinion which is alw entertaining and gives the Paris crits their peculiar crispness and piquancy. The mystery re new artists at the Acad not yet cleared up, no public verdict, nor on Page’s Venus
Weds Oct 19 New Phase in Relig Morals p6: more crit of Onderdonk, upper classes and clergy who support Sunday laws, in a city where nude effigy of Goddess of Love enshrined in public places, where females and clergy are among her most admiring votaries, less sinful than picnic on Sunday
Nov 1 1859 Pictures and the Parsons: Page’s venus moved to NAD in Tenth st, pretended by connoisseurs that it was badly placed and lighted in the Duss gall, its excellencies being in a measure veiled. We were of opinion that it shld never have been exhib at all, but some thicker veil than the clair-obscure might have been employed to protect unsuspectiving visitors fr contact. Those that seek out such things cld have gratified their prurient curiosity, but curtains would have served to disting willfully prying fr those visiting other features. Idea of mischief of this ptg fr numerous ads in newsp of exhib of similar nude works, Venuses of every form and size, fr Hottentot to Medici type, either gratuitously or at a small charge in diff parts of the city. The lovers of la belle nature and art can alike gtatify their tastes. Thanks to the correct moral judg of the directors of our pub galleries, arrived at that adv stage of connoisseurship which, as in doomed cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, content with no other subj than those minister to most depraved and sensual appetitites. In 4 weeks Page at Duss, about $5000 taken at the doors, so 20,000 visitors, 3/4s who came for this pic. In Tenth Gall, in assoc with works of the highest order of merit, will prob draw still larger number. Fruitful source of tempt and mischief allowed to take its course uninterrupted by a word of remonstrance or warning fr pulpit. Parsons who wage determined war agst innocent Sabbath recreations were to launch their thunders agst pictorial incentives to immorality, fulfill more legit the duties of their calling.
Nov 2 1859 p5 Venus and the Duss Gall—Another Card fr the Director. Reason for its removal to NAD was because perhaps thanks to Herald’s critiques a class of visitors attended the gall not to view art but to view pic of char that would pander to their baser passions, manner on leaving expressed disappointment, not immodest, it’s a take in. Plus daily journals announced at drinking saloon in Broadway the Venus on a half shell with other unsophist pics were on free exhib, so out of respectto artist, determined to close. Correct figure for exhib is $3,010.12. New pic is Wm Sonntag’s Dream of Italy.
November 9, 1859 p. 2 Fine Art Items, Church, Bonheur, Powers GW, Page’s Venus, Rossiter, French art
Nov 13 1859 Harper’s Ferry Outbreak, fr Frederick County Union, a white man arrested in Carroll county MD, with wagon and provisions and a colored mana nd woman en route for a free state. Woman is supposed to be a slave of Clark Mills, of Washington, and her husb is owned in Prince George’s county but was hired in Washington. White man is sd to have resided in Washington for the last two years, probably he will be sent to VA to answer charge of attempting to run of Colonel Lee’s slaves. Negro woman says she was brought fr the college in Wash, white man identified as one who took Col Lee’s black last spring
Nov 21 1859 p5 Powell just compl for Schaus p. 5 pic of national interest, Wash receiving mom’s blessing, force and simplicty, no unnecessary accessories, fidelity to Stuart’s portrait, dignity and emotion of veneration, Mrs Wash happy, holy expression, will be engraved.
nationalism has given hi position that’s undeserved to several Am sculptures, disagreeable to run counter to pop impressions, truth shld not be concealed. Pleasant to find failure of one eminent artist redeemed by success of another. Palmer’s White Captive chaste conception, delicate, keeps story, triumph of mind over matter. Sonntag’s Dream of Italy hasn’t been done justice, full of peotic sentiment, sometimes too much glowing tint, but gd atmospheric effects, fancy shld be given full play. Home of Wash by Rossiter and Mignot at NAD, Lafaytte’s visit, character of two illus men conveyed forcibly, in easier and animated light than stiff contemp portraits, domestic circle.
Nov 27 1859 p4 American Successes in Art Our Intellectual Progress: proud compete with foreign rivals, rapid devt in quarter of a century without educational training of any sort, not true in Italy, France or Engl, slavish admiration for antique checked all efforts at orig and indep of thought. Ptrs and sculp have same contempt for conventionalities of art that our statesmen and merchants do, give promptings of their own genius, so conceptions not strangeld in birth by fetters of Euro prejudices on art. Never more struck with this than visit to Palmer White Captive at Schaus, artistic triumph, not surpassed by any mod sculptor, sentiment chasteness beauty all aesthetic features of Greek ideal, while conveys story. Those who admired in Powers Greek Slave the feeble sentiment artist’s skill of manip invested with so much softness, will comprehend its defects when see Palmer, more original, Powers mediocre imitation. Palmer never out of the coutnry,s tudent of nature. Barbee on his footsteps, saw his work in Florence a few years ago.
Dec 1 1859 p6 Am Art and Artists: Church, Page, Rossiter and Mignot, Palmer profound sensation. Am art has been free fr humbling itself before royal or noble patronage, class privileges, free to appeal to masses. Allston, Cole, Church, Rossiter Powell, Crawford, palmer, Barbee, Central Park. Really a long puff of Palmer. Art only flourishes under free indep united prosperous democracies, triumphs of mechanics, will rival best. But must fear internal dissensions that left Greece Rome and Italian city states to tender mercies of foreign mercenaries and priests, may be our fate, agitators only care about slavery
merchants in sugar and cotton trade have card for Havemeyer as mayor, a gman who was father of anti slavery sentiment in state since 1847 and 48, same spirit that killed the whigs is now killing the demo party, Tammany has endorsed him. As if they’d said we admire the nigger more than stocks or bonds or trade or profit and don’t care a jot whether NY be destroyed.
Dec 2 1859 p4 Metro art exhibs, Palmer first exhib at Duss little attn but talked about by connoisseurs, must educ people to statuary as more ideal than ptg, but his greatest work White Captive has been visited by 3000 in a fortnight, increased every day. Success also at Page’s Venus, Church’s Andes, Central Park. Am people not too practical to appreciate art
Dec 5 1859 p6 Fine Art exhibs: fashionable people should go back to see pictures and statues they’ve seen, White Captive, Barbee’s Coquette, Church’s Andes, study with real relig art feeling, and cultivated mind may drink in highest form of esthetic enjoyment, humblest and most illiterate experience thrill of admiration at true genius, public mind without them would run altogether to niggers and dollars.
Dec 6 1859 City Politics by DH Craig of AP, describing the party hq, Old Line Whig hq is just Hiram Ketchum (who may come out for Havemeyer of Tammany) leaving just Genl Tallmadge. Pewter Mug is demo.
Dec 7 1859 Fine Arts: Artists Reception Assoc nominates for election Gifford, Leutze, E Johngson, Dix, Bristol, E White, Brevoort, Oertel, CG Thompson, Powell, Carmiencke, Kittell Wust Thom L Thompson, Van Beest. Brooklyn sketch club. Gignoux, W Hart, Church made nearly $20,000 on Heart of Andes, plus engravings $9000 and more.
Dec 14 1859 we resemble Renaissance Florence, so raptures over White Captive must praise Hamilton Fish, or admiring Heart of the Andes, appreciate merchant who paid $10,000 for it, Barbee’s statue sold, should sell his other one (the point of th epuff) to enviable in NY
Dec 23 1859 Barbee’s statue fully equal to Greek Slave auctioned by Leeds, bought by Cosmo Art Assoc, Henry Derby bought it for Cosmo at $2750
Dec 30 1859 p5 Fine Arts, liked Mignot and Rossiter’s Home of Wash, notices Barbee statue at Derby’s Dusseldorf, , Cosmo AJ will sketch his life. Waugh’s Italia good for juveniles
Herald 1860 LOC bound volume (and 1861)
Jan: fairly supportive of Mayor Wood; Republican reign of terror (John Brown) 15 Paris corresp mentions Fagnani. Seward pardoned Webb for dueling, as a personal and political friend 21 big front page Cosmo Art Assoc ad 26 would endorse Douglas of Illinois for pres, but he hasn't supported the president (who is their first choice for nominee); one of their Wash corresp is a Republican. 30 notice inaug of Mills wash statue, Simms speaking
Feb: Nat Dem and Union League advertise; Waugh’s pano of Italy. 2 sale of Kane’s pano for $200 5 p5 sale at Leeds, Church’s ptg of NewEngland scenery withdrawn didn’t reach price, Rothermel 6 Laura Keene’s and the Ledger have big front page ads 13 praise Central Park, not partisan in work 14 p6 Page’s Venus in the provinces, done a good business, Boston let it into Athaenaum, but at Phila not permitted at Academy. Puritans said not indecent or impure, artist patronized by first men in Boston, Quakers took opposite view. Provincial editors generally praise it. Will be lucrative in Chicago. 17 sale of native artist David Richards’ Boy and Butterfly at Merchants Exchange, auctioned $410 to F L Talcott o Pearl st 18 support Italian movement agst priestcraft and kingcraft; big mtg with Appleton, Beecher, Belmont Ham Fish, Rev Gawjs Havemeyer, Ketchum Chas King Robt Minturn Morse, Saml Osgood Genl Scott Tuckerman Segwick Peter Cooper. Gen Scott and 7th Reg of NY invited to Wash statue inaug. John Saxe poem. 19 p4 praise plans for statue’s inaug, shows progress of fine arts, brilliant successes of our native sculptors, Palmer Barbee Ackers and others newer, now abundant patronage for native genius, wealthy merchants and connoisseurs compete, even politicians have taste for it, State leg and large cities 22 p5 review history of order for Wash equestrian statue (orig meant to be in toga and by a foreign artist), gives bio of Mills, calls his Lafayette square statue a triumph of art. First came to attn for bust of Calhoun fr Carolina marble, admired by all, spent months studying horses and riders, will rival Bonheur 23 describes inaug in detail across front page 26 Wash corresp says inaug was botched 28 anti-sabbatarian, 29 critique of Lincoln’s speech at Cooper Union, no diff than Greeley
March: 10 p3 Art Commission recommends $167,000 for statuary and pictures for the Capitol, pref to Am artists, embellishments of a purely national character, not complimentary about ancient subjects chosen for walls of committee rooms, competition is the way to do it 14 p2 long Fine Arts column, on Cosmo Art Assoc, Derby, other sales, approves Art Commission report. Central Park controlled by Repubs, but shld continue anyway. Lots on shoemakers strike in Lynn, MA. 22 p2 Schwartze, an Am artist, at Goupil’s Pilgrim Fathers celeb public worship, compos sentiment and drwg superior to general average of hist pics by our native artists, Pastor Brewster a study, fine Rembrandt effect of sunshine, other figs alm equally carefully elaborated, deep devotional feeling,c oloring and texture, one of the best of its class ever exhib here. love Rabbi Raphall. never mention the Sun anymore. crit of barnum, Niblo better. Giant humbug of human equality 27 p10. 29 Worth monument, too many pennies 28 NY Journalism A New Specialty: journalism an exact science, dailies are a tourist site like Central Park or Worth monument, but wonderful personage, the able editor, appears only in his articles, sometimes a masterpiece of rigmarole, fearfully and wonderfully written in the incomprehensible school, may be drunk
April 1860: 1 Thomas Hamilton Anglo African 48 Beekman st, 5 papers for colored americans, Principia, Golden Rule Nat Anti slav standard. 3 p7 praises Powell’s portrait of Irving, adapts dag successfully, for Knoedler; cover Irving celeb extensively 6 Paulding obit 7 unrivalled Anna Jameson art crit obit; Theo Parker letter fr Rome on exporting $1 million last year in fine arts, but useful trades neglected 13 Duss gallery and Whitlock’sgallery advertise p7 NAD opens, not a poor pic on the walls, all fresh, modern, interesting subjects, living men who represent the spirit of the age. Public weary of mouldy pics of two hundred years ago, valuable as relics, . 668 works by 266 artists, many from the interior, and by women, not many abroad, Emille Saintin has 15 Huntington 10 Dellesarde and Elliot 7, Hill Gignoux Gifford Stone Jerome Launt Thomson and others. p 10 Mayor Wood caned 16 Joel T Hart statue of Henry Clay inaug, lots of coverage 17 Wikoff of the Herald. 18 Tasistro and NAD advertise. defend Morse’s patent. 21 friendly to Col FW Lander. 23 Powell’s portrait Irving advert 24 NAD 2nd notice (?): lscapes best, genre worth attn, little history, Leutze Defeat of braddock most striking but not equal to his others, meretricious, prefers his Elizabeth and Lang’s, masterly. hanging committee continues partiality, spoke of it last year. fine crayons, Hays’ Wood Duck slovenly. Geo Inness example of value of objective lscape ptg, not subjective compositions. Durand charming if inauthentic, Gifford objectionale, Hart meretricious, Gignoux literal rendering. Huntington Lady best of female ports, Oertel in Scheffer mode, only 1 Healy, 7 good Elliots, his port of Brady great delicacy, Haws is novelty, gem, Hubbard no sky, Bellows deserving, reality, Delessard art in lscape, Mignot fastidious, GL Brown Bay of Naples well wrought, all the abandon of this artist. Ergen careless drwg, Lazarus beaut, WH Beard, lively and well ptd, sentiment well expressed, Whitredge prefer his Amer scenery, J Thompson imitating Kensett and Casilear. Suydam drawing the elephant v clever, WS Hazeltine, admirable, Carter inartistic, CG Thompson, influ of old masters. Nuvell clever, Eastman Johnson 5 fine ptgs, mating is gem of genre, tenderly told, Wust fine, Leighton pretentious, May noble, Sontag has 4, one of which forcibly expresses the irrepressible conflict in the stormy scenes. Peele among the best, Blauvelt clever shows gman napping over a Herald, Bierstadt grand manner but want of care. Boucicault.
May 1 p. 5 Boker’s will disinherits his daughter, name obliterated, worth nearly $2 million. p8 promotes Powell’s Irving again. Buchanan should sweep the traitors out of office. Baltimore convention those who advocate squatter sovereignty; most of the south will vote for the Richmond convention candidate, and Republicans. 11 death of Goodrich, Peter Parley. 15 praise new cheaper edition of Audubon 17 F Wm Walker is Wash corresp for Express 19 very hard on Lincoln p. 7 Fine Arts: Thorpe’s Niagara and Page’s venus 20 wants big welcome for Prince of Wales 24 p10 details of a Leeds sale of old masters and modern, a Queen Vic by Landseer with provenance for $550, Elliott’s Edwin Forrest (a drwg?) $75, Leutze for $125. 25 long obit of Wm C Preston 26 p6 editorial crit of tariff on foreign art. OB Matteson an abolit. 29 Theo Parker obit, tried to destroy Union 30 seems to like Sam Houston as a nominee 31 homestead bill a repub trick to get German vote
June: 2 C&E denies Lincoln is an abolitionist 9 old masters 19 JP Beaumont old masters sale 14 Japanese embassy artist is sketching us 15 Pierce imbecile policy of Kansas Nebraska act, Greeley took advantage to start Repub party, become indep press 20 decorations for japanese ball, Wm T Beers, statues of seasons nymphs and forest goddesses, transparencies and devices 23 think Lincoln will win, Dems self destruct 24 p4 foreign appreciation of Am art: just crit of Church in the London Times, recog superiority of our lscape ptrs, and Athanaeum echoes it in review of Cropsey’s Autumn, manly straightforward ignore ridic whims of old masters, could add that it is because Am mind is progressive, refuses to be trammelled by systems. Repubs use Sunday laws to oppress working man. 26 describe Ball, scenic copy of Church’s Horse Shoe Falls, 600 feet of canvass, perfect deception
July 1860: 2 crit of Bishop Hughes asking money for Pope 8 Miss Stebbins and Miss Cushman arrive with busts ordered by Hecksher. supports Demos and Wood. 21 Paris corresp says Cobden praises Am sculpture. Herald leaning toward Breckinridge. Very hostile to the Common Council/aldermen. Boucicaut created a revolution while he was here. Negro slavery is good and proper. 30 Prince of Wales and the Parsons: Churchman will be seized on by pious old fogies of Trinity as new idol, to be worshipped with mammon, who has heretofore alm monopolized devotions of that resp, wealthy and v devout community. Shouldn’t be received under relig guise as head of Church of England, but priv indiv
Aug: 4 News fr National Capitol, Special Wash Dispatch, Senator Wilson insults Bell and Everett party, Wilson bad taste, sent into Senate by Know Nothings of Massachusetts and hobnobs with Garrison, and Garrison said in a speech that if Wilson said out loud what he whispers in my ear, the Webster statue would not disgrace the square in front of the State House a single day. nonstop Prince of Wales. doesn’t want British citizens to hold a separate reception. 14 p5 frauds of picture dealers, French and Germ masters multiplying same pics, copies passing as orig with vouchers, Merle and Frere, Meissonier Plassan. Connoisseurs rarely admit to the fraud, embarassed. 15 approves of mercantile aristo org banquet for Prince 22 Jenkins Family of the Fifth Ave prepping to receive the Prince of Wales, ecstacies of chief of adulatory tribe, Henry Jenkins Raymond (Henry Raymond Jenkins), but will be excceeded by Jenkinses of Fifth ave. 25 p3 burglaries in 5th ave, empty mansions, pictures stolen and destroyed, burglars leave note saying if you want your pictures left alone, fill up your wine cellar. hostile to Times coverage of the Prince.
Sept: 11 p. 10 Inaug of Perry monument in Cleveland with oration by Geo Bancroft, banquet for Prince will be Oct 12. sept 12 p3 fine arts: praises Brown’s view of bay of NY, Palmer planning 1 100 ft high bronze Geo Wash for Central Park, Clover and McDonald Clarke, Hicks ptg Lincoln, Clover, Powers a group, James G Bennett owns a Van Beest marine, Eastman Johnson doing a Yankee companion to Negro Life, Jared Thompson doing Raphall, Church Gifford LM Spencer meritorious, pic fr life, [ptg referred to is A Privileged Character at Snedecor's gallery, not for sale; advertises] etc. Seem to not object to Wall st banker Jacob Barker. TD Rice obit. 23 Perry Statue at Cleveland, letter to the editor, as an eminent arbiter of public justice agst intrigue and wrong, I appeal to you, I am sculp of Perry statue but my name ignored and Walcutt given credit due me, I offered to model a fig but refused, but did entire chiseling, result exceeds his model. Cleveland press biased because Walcutt gave editors busts and medallions of themselves, no intellig man would believe that great sculptors only worked in clay and plaster like Walcutt, I claim execution in marble as my just due. Hope haven’t been ignored because Irish. 25 angry at Tammany, praises Forrest’s return
oct 5 1860 Prince at Capitol showed great interest in hist ptgs in Rotunda p. 10
Oct 18 1860 p6 69th Irish Regiment and Prince of Wales; Metro Record, Archbishop Hughes’ organ, resolutions of regiment refusing order of Genl Sandford to parade for reception of Prince, as Am govt and people opposed to monarchies, and should assist all revolutionists of Euro to overthrow existing dynasties, and as govt of England behaved badly to Irish, can insult Prince. Small potatoes, Irish Am cits have no right to drag their own quarrels into this country, revenge for ancestral wrongs. Old fogies were in charge of the ball.
new alliance now betw Brit and US
Oct 20 1860 p3 Fine Arts, David Richards Bashful Girl for prominent merchant, natural and sweet, was among works of art in apts of Prince of Wales in Fifth Ave hotel, gives long bio of Richards
October 22 1860 Perry Statue at Cleveland, letter to the editor, re issue of the 23rd, letter fr man employed by me to work on Walcutt’s Perry as cutters, misleading, calls himself the sculptor. Why not other cutter, both were at work for us. Who is sculp of Greek Slave if cutter is entitled to fame? Powers does not cut. Who is sculptor of Crawford’s Liberty? Clark Mills reproduces it. Whose name shall we sub for Palmer’s when we speak of his White Captive or Indian Girl? Same for Canova, Houdon, Clark Mills, HK Brown etc. Walcutt is perfectly master of the chisel, and finishes his own work in marble. O’Brien says he was studying in Rome when enterprise was projected and was asked to do it, incorrect, he was here, and not the sculptor. Signed T Jones and Sons, contractors for statues and monuments, Cleveland, oct 1860
Nov 2 1860 uses Prince of Wales ball (for old fogies) to attack Peter Cooper, should show the accounts for it, sd to be v pious, benev, patriotic and honest
Nov 4 1860 Fine Arts p5 Brevoort Murillo if not sold will go to Euro, also at Goupils mod Fr school and some choice pics by Am artists, Kensett, Casilear, Cropsey Tait and Hall, Emma Stebbins statuettes and bust of Cushman equally satisf specimens of Am genius. Powell Lake Erie, Harding, Jarves, Rossiter commemorating Prince of Wales fr life. Cosmo Assoc engr by John Rogers fr Duss ptg, best they’ve done yet/ Gignoux
Nov 14 1860 Fine Arts p5: Dubufe Tempt and Expul at Goupil’s, fine but Tempt has too much conventionality of treatment. DeHaas. W Hart. church Heart of the Andes more money. Van Lerius Cinderella at Schaus, highly finished. Hays. GL Brown’s fine pic Bay and City of NY presented to Prince of Wales, noticed this pic earlier.
Nov 24 1860 p6 Fine Ats in NY, new galleries, foreign pics, Derby fine marble structure, French and Flemish at Goupil’s. Can study history of art, chronolog arranged, and peculiarities of mod schools. German schl at Intl Art Assoc, and printsellers collections, Cinderella of Van Lerius. Patronage of foreign works benefitting native art, competition an incentive, our ptrs of merit making money. Church, Kensett, Durand, Huntington Elliott and Gignoux enjoy social positions as enviable as leading Euro artists. Aggregate amount earned yearly by NY ptrs not less than $300,000. Private schools for art increase, mercantile aristo now underst gd pic is greater evidence of taste and cultiv than furniture. But NAD little interest, holds exhib in dingy rms in Tenth st, to occupy its walls equiv to entombment. Elliott’s lesson last season should shame them, need a new bldg.
Dec 30 1860 p3 NY on Foot: Fifth Ave hotel is middle ground in politics, leader in fashion, Prince of Wales and Senator Douglas. NY Hotel for southern states and Cuba, Slidell Gwin Benjamin, aristocratic crowd chewing tobacco. Metropolitan is hq for Gov ED Morgan and satellites. St Nicholas is for sporting men, Albany Regency, Parmelee, Church and all other joints of serpent that has strangled demo life in the Empire state. Astor House, great Seward repub hq, conserv hostelry of old fashioned, Simeon Draper, Moses Grinnell Blatchford, James Bowen, Oakey Hall gliesting with prizes, Gen Leavenworth. Stevens house is for British
NY Herald Lib Congress Bound volume from the Vault, two cents
Jan 3, 1861 starts
Jan 10 attacks Chevalier Webb for his Puritanical piety; like Beecher who wished Cromwell was alive to lead them. Jan 14 p. 5 Acad of Music bldg in Brooklyn, strictly Gothic, applicability for a theater doubted, but got its appropriation as a church for Beecher. Moorish arrangements inteiror, genl effect admirable, as viewed fr the entrance takes us back to the middle ages. After the many archit incongruities of which we have been guilty in our public bldgs, in the desire to create an indep style for ourselves, a retrograd emovement of this kind may not be of advantage to us. Scenery: 12 sets, all get praised, ptd by Hannibal Calyo, one of the most talented of our scenic artists, who also did work at NY Acad of Music. Architect Leopold Eidlitz
Jan 18 p. 8 Fine Arts, notices Leutze’s ptg of Calvert on exhib at Derby Inst,, Cinderella being replaced by Germ emigrants at Schaus; and Brooklyn artists renamed Art Assoc fee $5 pd by members, officers Gignoux, Oertel, FA Chapman, J Williamson, exhib will be in new opera house
Jan 24 Fine Arts Brady’s photo of the Prince of Wales—long puff. 26 p. 4 rreal origins of secession are the Puritans, offers revisionist history of them, debunking New Engl society orators.
Maintains hostility to Webb for urging fight with the South.
Feb 1861
2 p. 4 Fine Arts: Church grandest effort, Icebergs, such richness of thought and feeling! Such an overflowing of grotesque and fantastic sentiment! So gorgeous in intense delicacy of color! Mortal hand wrought a fitting homestead for the naiads et al of old Rosicrucian philosophers.
TL Smith winter scene exquis poetic feeling, village street, Palmer superb female busts, lives in memory, caverns of his skull seem full of the graces. Huntington’s long expected pic of Webster, Irving and Bryant—Webster’s head is grand as the old Apostles like Correggio’s St Paul, Bryant’s an oak crowned Druid, Irving’s only belongs to modern days.
Warren, Richards, Gifford’s new pics full fo golden sunlight of true genius, Wm Hart’s best at Goupil’s, Eastman Johnson in Maine sketching for pendant for Old Kentucky Home, real N Engl life. American Van Dyke, Elliott, vigorous and truthful. Williamson’s western scenes, E Gay’s Mtn Stream willb e in this year’s exhib, Moore of Tenth street buldg, fancy and genial invention. Launt Thompson’s Hunter one of best of his designs, backwoods knight, dulcinea is gain, truest type of Am Forest Life and in vigor unsurpassed by any cotemp.
James Hart’s Summer’s day in New Engl, as if fr an open window, overflowing sentiment, felt not described, elms are princes, homesome interest, triumphs of his wildest forest lscapes make it surprising he can do Arcadia of Christian civ. Oertel’s cattle admired, Innes laboring on his fine effect in color, Kensett rare seaside gem, Durand as active as ever, all his things may well be termed An Old Man’s Memmories and are luminous with past study.
Fr exhib will be sold. Cosmo Art Assoc. Ritchie engr of Gen Jackson fr DM Carter.
Wl Barney, Rondel a sort of Lambinet, a sportsman.
GL Brown, Mt Wash at Sunrise, grandeur and brilliancy, orig method, companion to bay and City of NY and will be exhib in London, foregrd photoraphically true, mineral and trees, every point sketched fr nature, wild tangled rowth, autumn foliage a lonelye deserted Salv Rosaish effect, mtn stream struggles, lscape of a dream.
Feb 8 p. 2 letter to the editor fr Hardware “I am much pleased with your daily expose of the various impositions which the people have to suffer” including his opposition to the tariff. Praises Wykoff. P. 8 reviews sale of French-Flemish gallery at Goupil’s, John T Johhnson’s purchases, left unsold Knaus Christening and Troyon. High prices paid.
Genl Paez Venezuelan consul to US.
19 praises Robt Dale Owen despite his spiritualism for his viewpts on the govt in Indiana leg
21 p.1 Lincoln in crush at City hall received ultitude beside Houdon’s bronze statue of immortal GW, interesting incident, hope he will be a second Washington
22p. 8 reception of Brooklyn Art Assoc, members ltd to 200, coll of pics of some of our best artists, Church, Durand, Page, Shattuck, Sone, Gifford, De Haas, Mignot, the two Harts, Whittredge, Cropsey, Carpenter, Powel, Nichols Le Clear, JG Brown, Williamson and many others. Piece de resistance was Gignoux’s imense latest production, Alleghany in VA, Indian Summer, gets foliage and atmosphere right, distinctive, Nature delights more in harmony than in contrast, tone recalls nature as we admire her, sky full of light, masterly plateau of rock overhangs still lake, eye conducted thru vista of autumnal foliage, fleecy clouds reflect warm light, exquis middle distance, better even than his Niagara pictures, 8 by 6 feet. Will go to Paris exhib.
Leutze admirable Mdme Lafayette rejoining her husband, sentiments tell whole story as truly as history, fine comprehension of delicacy of flesh tints, pearly half shadows, correct drwg, management of chiarascuro.
All most successful.
Feb 23 p. 5 Fine Arts: reception of artists at Dodworth’s, all the vogue, glad to have seen some of our leading names in world of art better represented. Amongst htose most admired a female head Huntington, so spiritually treated perhaps a dream of the artist, and similar worksby Lang, Stone and Baker. E Johnson interior, with all the vigor of the Fr school. Thom Hicks sm pic simplicity and delicacy of sentiment, Kensett, two Harts, Bierstadt, Hubbard, Hazeltine and Gray attracts attn.
Mentions De Haas, his Newport purchased by Belmont. Gifford Katerskill Clove, twilight, amber and gold, coloring and effects gorgeous in the extreme, v diff from his gloomy atmospheres previous. Change of hues fr pale to deep as shadows go to night truly grand and solemn, sturdy trees clever.
Hubbard charming Mist on Mtn, delicacy, tenderness. Church Icebergsice in its majesty, cold. Mignot with unpoetical Jersey, little gem on Passaic, soft sunny dancing repose tender natural. His Jersey campagna also given richness and refulgence of So Am.
Shattuck tenderness and delicacy of foliage sunset, deep storm just gathering, deer alarmed. Hazeltine also Jersey, Willow Swamp, great minuteness and fidelity, well andled. Rouse, Whittredge. Lang Queen of Scots, grouping extremely gd, figs well drawn, tone subdued, one of his most impressive. Kensett coast soft dreamy sentiment tender so famous. Bristol in Florida, fidelity, steamer going up river, live oaks with moss, poetical melancholy. Jerome Thompson immense canvas using up, four large pics, bold rural life, Old Oaken bucket one of his best, Misty morning clever, bull might have been left out.
Leup ports attract attn, character, clever color and flesh tints, women. Rawstone clever young.
Page’s Venus advertises.
March 1861
2 Fine Arts p. 7 Artists mentioned inclu GL Brown, Page strange in efect curious in color withal a fascinating composition, Shepherd’s Rest, Gignoux, Dix, Whittrege, Rogers, Cropsey, ritchie, GW Flagg, Stanley, Kyle, Dr Stone, Geo Hall, McEntie, Boughton, Nehlig novel Cuban subjects, Delisard, Wmson silvery tone of Doughty, pictque graceful, Benson, Wm Hart his best, Mignot, Huntington Madonna, Grey, Shattuck great truthfulness without belonging to class of stunning effects so much the rage, reminds us of Cole and Veron, Hekking, Loup, Randel, Healy, Hicks, Tait, Gifford’s Clove of Katerskill sunset gives a rave, uncommon pic, color, q v new rold, auriferous splendor, truest genius, eminently American unlike our poets who intro yew trees in church yards when they won’t grow in nurseries
Wants to let south secede rather than a “coercion” policy.
March 10 p.1 Cinderella by Van Lerius back at Schaus, Brooklyn Art Assoc next reception in April, must bear in mind that theirs is an art and not an artists’ assoc, not intended to be made an advertising medium for local talent but the promotion of interests of art generally, will be successful, but artists of NY must be placed on equal footing with those of Brooklyn
March 20 p. 6 Fine Arts: NAD
Private View last night, usually issue 2-3 thous tickets, elite crush, but this time just exhibitors and a few connoisseurs (200 hundred), without a solitary feminine form. But opp to actualy see works, 577, favorably compare with any previous year. Pics attracted most attn were Gifford, Huntington, Jerome Thompson, Mignot, Durand, Darley, de haas, Ingham, Leutze and Jaintin.
Louis Lang advert for his historical ptg of Queen of Scots at Goupil’s but I don’t see NAD
March 22 p. 5 Fine Arts: NAD
Safe to predict that hanging comm will consign all really worthlooking at to dark corners, while mediocrity usurps places of honor. Galleries too cold. A third of the artworks might have been advatageously omittted, but on the whole the exhib better than last year. Fewer works of great pretension,b ut more evid of conscientous application, and increase in fig and hist compositions,d ue to pop of modern Fr school, find a ready market, duty of the Morill tariff on foreign pics benefit Americans producing in this class, but will lose works of inestimable educ value. This review just covers first gallery.
Mathew Wilson lady, pleasing, sweetness, delicate. A Saintin, Gman, beaut exec in watercolor of one of the male pets of society. Pendant to the last exquis tinted, almost equal to those at Goupil’s.
Raising of Jairus’ Daughter Ehninger, large chalk compos, sweetly treated, wants breadth essential to subj, females beaut drawn,
Henry Congdon designs for St John’s I Brooklyn, son of one of most disting connoisseurs, glad to see his talnet,
Mrs HM Field, young Jewess and ideal head, exceedingly clever, poetry of feeling, fine drwg.
G Thorndyke, Stile at Sunnyside and his Newport effective but for the mannerism of tone that pervades them, a salmon tint may be among those ever varying aspects of nature, we object to its saturating with its sickly light a whole lscape.
View of Florence and Avernus, Rollin Hilton, have same fault, dominating hue in this case a muddy green, in which sky lscape and bldgs lose distinctive features, affectations more to be depreciated for Thorndike and Hilton have more legitimate means of distinguishing themselves.
NB Kittell lady, clearly and forcibly ptd, one of the best ports.
FH De Haas English Channel and Jersey, bears out already expr opinion, bold, vigorous, evidences of genius in conception and manner of treatment, hung in wretched light.
A Wust, Mt desert foggy, some gd points but feeble in coloring and leaves eye unsatisfied as to detail.
A Plageman, After stormy night, ambitious but exec falls short of effect aimed at, like his other marines better.
Rendzvous Frank Howland, broadly ptd, sentiment and force.
EW Nichols White Mtns feeble in drwg and coloring.
Wm Hunt, Port of Mrs Hunt and Port of WS Thayer truthful masterly handling.
Darley spirited.
Mar 26 p. 7 Fine Arts: WH Powell’s Victory of Perry for Capitol in Ohio, life size, fr Mackenzie’s bio, an alarmed negro, Perry freedom and unstudied eleg of its attitude a correct idea of him, refined features contrast with broad ones of crew, all studies fr navy yard and distincty types in their way, individuality mparts a separate interest, excitement of the scene, story complete in all its details, battle itself with its shiftinc incidents and emotions, more credible than any attempted by Am artist, if ptd with same truthfulness of design of cartoon, will rank with best compos of French and Germ schools.
Notices Lang’s Queen of Scots, fautlts in persp and drwg, but still worth seeing
Also attacks J of Commerce for first starting abolitionism in city
Lincoln admin is imbecilic.
30 NAD is advertising
31 p. 5 Fine Arts: NAD (copy in bad shape)
Old Oaken Bucket Jerome Thompson, one of those rural subj that at present engage so much attn of our artists, has been successful in its treatment, but pic nevertheless wanting in precision of drawing and depth
D Huntington Shawangunk, harmonious tone, fine atmosph effects, rocks however too formal and uniform in color, detracts fr merit of pic. His Saco river genl treatment is gd,e except trees rather too sketchy,
Virginia Granbery, Sept Fruits, exceedingly clever, her fruit and flowers among best in exhib.
HP Gray Gman admirably drawn, harmonious in sober tones.
Durand, Genesee Oaks, elab study of trees, pale green which predominates and want of depth in shadows mar the effect.
Geo Baker Lady, finely handled, remarkable purity of color.
Gifford Lake Highlands, brilliant but exagg in tone.
Master Henry Brevoort, W Oliver Stone,c harmingly, happiest efforts ofpop ptr. His study of a head is exquis but coloring unlike usual delicate handling.
Husking E Johnson, somewhat like Mount in genl treatment and grouping, but not the full brush and richness of color in his other pics.
Gifford Twilight in Catskills, bold effect and happy departure fr his conventional sunsets, reflection of light on stream, some v skilful handling, more than ordinary success.
Child A Wenzler, seems to compete with Ingham for substitution of wax for flesh tints.
RW Hubbard, Artists Brook NO Conway, v pleasing tone, correct souvenir.
High Jack Game, Le Clear, v spirited compos, grays introd with excellent effect.
The Papers—portraits, E Johnson, full of vigor and strenght of coloring, light finely managed.
Jervis McEntee, Deserted Homestead, little sketch expresses more perhaps than wld have in a large canvass as effect ? by being concentrated, dark outline of abandoned hse on cold sky v impressive, speaks of desolation.
J Williamson, Lilacs, bids fair to succeed Hall.
E Bowers, Played Out, orig idea masterly treated.
Sad thoughts, Eugene Benson, pleasing, subdued and refined.
Star of the East, FE Church, a poetical conception, but a v small contrib fr so eminent an artist, duty of leading ptrs to give eclat to annual exhibs, yet many send some unimpt work or not represented at all. In ports miss greatest name of all Chas Elliott, while in lscape none by Gignoux or James Hart
Shower at Sunset Shattuck, sky v tenderly treated, excellent specimen of him
Tennessee Riv TA Richards, weak in drwg and coloring
Platt Riv Indians, Alb Bierstadt, an effective pic.
WS Haseltine, Willow Swamp, in his best style, trees detach finely agst dark sky, water too metallic, but full of freshness.
JG Brown, Point of Joke not visible, charming little episode of a nsow storm.
Casilear Swiss scenery, not been happy in this effort, few of char of Swiss scenery.
Kensett Highlands, delicacy vigor clearness of tone, capital.
Edwin White Landing of Huguenots, effective compos, benefits fr his sojournin Euro tho no partic school reflected.
W Page, Dolce far Niente, qualities of a hi order in this, as treatement and grouping of figs, in expression, local tone of flesh and costumes everyone will recog Roman peasantry, but who will recog the Campagna in atmosph of ultramarine in which all enveloped?
Mdme Lafayette etc Leutze, succewssfuly treated, head of L finely ptd, flesh tones in others v pure, a little more variety in hair and costumes of women wld have improved it.
Westphalian Cottage, Whittredge, capital interior, v gd in color, advise him to paint more of same class of subjs.
Lscape Durand, beaut compos, ptd with great deal of care, but so pale and cold effect is not pleasing.
Gems for Market, Frank Howland, Circassian beauties to slave market, scope for poetic feeling and strenght of coloring, one of the v best if not best of this year’s exhib, ptrs shld study its qualities.
Adoption of Constitution JH Stearns, his most successful pic, fine traits of color in it, grouping well studied, but drwg not alw gd.
Indian Summer J McEntee, some well ptd trees and gd atmosph effects, but his last year’s version more successful in treatment.
Morning Venice Regis de Trobirand, combo of qual surprising in amateur, accuracy of drwg and persp, morning atmosph evident to one’s senses in cool neutral tones in sky and water.
Gman FB Carpenter head v finely modelled, if flesh little less crude one of the best.
Error in catalog re marble, right title is Storm on a Lee Shore. Artist a midshipman.
Possibly more reviews in April.
Mar 20 1861p5 Fine Arts:NAD
private view, a general reception for 2-3000, elite of metropolis male and female. Just 200 exhib and art connoisseurs, no women. Easier to see walls. Nearly 600, as good as any year. Gifford, Huntington, Jerome Thompson Mignot Durand Darley de Haas Ingham Leutze Jalatin noticed
Mar 22 1861 NAD p5: predictable that hanging comm will consign all worth looking at to dark corners, mediocrity usurps places of honor. Could have omitted a third of the art. Fewer works of great pretension, but more conscientious applic and study. More fig and hist, thanks to popularity of mod French school finding a ready market. Duty of Morrill tariff on foreign pics will benefit by market, but will lose education. Saintin 23 Gman port of male pet of society. Ehninger wants breadth. Congdon son of disting connoisseurs. Mrs HM Field Young Jewess clever, poetry. Thorndyke mannerism of tone, salmon tint. Hilton too, tone is muddy green. Kittell one of best portraits. De Haasbold vigorous evid of genius. West Foggy morning, feeble. Plageman ok. Frank Howland braod, sentiment and force. EW Nichols feeble. WM Hunt truthful and masterly. Darley spirited.
Mar 31 1861 NAD p. 5: Old Oaken Bucket Jerome Thompson, rural subj v popular, wants precision, but successful. Huntington harmonious lscape. Virginia Granbery clever, best fruit. Gray luminous. Durand Oaks, pale green predom. Geo Baker fine. gifford brilliant, but exagg in tone. WO Stone Master Harry Brevoort charming. Eastman Johnson Husking, like Mount in genl treatment and grouping, not as rich as his others. Gifford Twilight in Catskills, happy departure fr his conventional sunsets, one of his best. Wenzler competes wit Ingham for wax flesh. Hubbard pleasing. LeClear spirited compos. Papers, eastman Johnson, vigor, strength. McEntee deserted homestead, expresses more than in a large canvas, speaks of desolation. Williamson bids to succeed Hall in still life. Bowers orig idea, masterly. Eugene Benson pleasing, refined, FE Church Star of the East poetical conception, but wish more, no Elliott or Gignoux or James Hart either. Shattuck, tender. TA Richards weak. Bierstadt effective. Haseltine in best style. JG Brown charming. Casilear not happy. Kensett capital. Edw White Landing of the Huguenots, effective compos, has benefitted fr Europe. W Page Dolce Far Niente Ital peasants, treatment and grouping hi order, expression and local tone of flesh and costume are peasantry, but atmosphere of ultramarine is not Campagna. Leutze, Mdme Lfayette, successful. whittredge capital. Durand pale and cold. f Howland Gems for the Market, Circassian beauties poetic feeling and coloring, one of best in exhib. Stearns Adoption of the Constitution, grouping well studied, most successful pic. McEntee not as gd as last yr. Regis de Trobriand amateur, creditable. Carpenter fine, a little crude. Error in title of Plageman’s ptg, he was a midshipman.