New York Times and Commercial Intelligencer (New York Times and Evening Star)
Times and Commercial Intelligencer 1838, 45 William St “Preserve and Regulate—Not Destroy”
Vol 1, no 1, March 14, 1838
Prospectus: strictly Democratic Republican, reject locofocos and expedients. At a mtg of the Demo Repubs, MMQuackenbos, Preserved Fish, Gideon Lee, Isaac Townsend, Saml Swartwout, resolutions attack faction of the party initiated by Fanny Wright and Robt Owen. Had been a friend to Van Buren but dislike SubTreasury scheme and his support for locofocos, proclaim themselves conservatives. Support Riker for Mayor, oppose Wright.
19 likes Knick. 29. Notices wood engraving of Last Supper fr Da Vinci, large, undoubted merit
April 1838
2 Gimber has beaut v correct likeness of Riker
20 M the Baltimore corresp for another paper is excerpted on Catlin’s Indian lectures, thinly attended in DC, vastly interesting tho, dresses himself in their costumes, anecdotes convey character, was one day ptg the portrait of a noble Indian when another savage and bitter enemy watched, accused him (3/4 portrait) of being half a man, shot that part of his face off in subseq duel, blamed Catlin etc.
defends Phenix Bank regularly
NY Times & Commercial Intelligencer, vol 1 no 1 Mar 14 1838, 45 Wm St. p. 1 prospectus: politics will be strictly Democratic Republican. but also conservative hewing to old principles, rejecting locofocos (favored Jackson and Van Buren, but not present course of administration). Allied with the City Hall Mtg of Jan 2, 1838, headed by MM Quackenbos, also Preserved Fish, Gideon Lee, Danl Jackson, Andrew Lockwood, Saml Swartout, Wm L Morris, Isaac Underhill
jumps to Mar 21 1838, then April 16, then Apr 20, p. 2 notes Catlin’s Indian lectures thinly attended in DC, typical of poor encouragement there for scince and arts. simple naïve manner, vs elaborate and imaginative, easy manner, piquancy and interesting. Relates anecdote of jealous chief watching Catlin paint another, accused sitter of being half a man (part of him missing fr the portrait). Also prefer to be ptd looking directly out.
Then May 29 1838
May 1838
15 support Forrest tho not wildly. 17 come out for Clay for pres and NP Tallmadge VP. 19 Robinson pubd another picture of Mdme Leconte, if not prosecuted yet, ought to be, for such an indecent fig
Likes Wallack, Hanington’s dioramas. 26 excerpts Star’s approval of the Mirror. Notices that Robinson has sent fine litho boat portraits and Miss Davenport
June 1838
Likes Miss Tree and Atwill’s music store as fashionable. Puffs Chas H Delavan’s store a lot.
11 Cherokee removal must be done, ought to do it humanely. 12 notices death of Michael Paff. Tallmadge presents a memorial for extending protection to authors of busts, casts etc as afforded to authors of books, engravings etc. 13 notices Gallery of Wool Pictures at Stuyvesant, lovers of novelty and fine arts, by Bolton and his family, includes portraits, copy after an orig by Opie, w/o needle or paint, advertise.
23 endorses Catherwood’s panoramas, Robinson’s litho port of Miss Missouri tolerably gd. Wm B Cozzens advert Am Hotel
July 1838
7 Shakespeare gives account of Forrest at Tabernacle on the 4th, very critical of him as a radical emphasizing reason rather than tradition. 11 likes Article on Amer Democracy in Demo Review.
Read thru the 14th, then skipped to
Sept 1838
1 praises Sunday Morning Atlas, and So Lit Mess. 2 notices regularly Mechanics Inst Fair, useful and ornamental, open etc. Dislikes romancer of Post (in prose, poetry ok). 8 At the Fair, notices Brooklyn fire engine #9 The American has cleverly done portrait of Red Jacket on it, while Williamsburg Engine #1 has prettily done port of GW leaning agst his horse; beaut model of the Parthenon, woman’s technique for cleaning old ptgs.
Stopped at the 12th, kind of skimmed a little. Oct 22 it's now $10/yr, pub by NT eldredge. Nov 19 notices Dunlap exhibition, finest ptgs of best modern artists, and an impt object in his history. Advertised.
Hates Ming’s levelling doctrines.
NY Times and Commercial Intelligencer for the Country, Nov 16, 1838
1839
1 contemptible editor of Polyanthos imprisoned for libel of Rev Hawks, and Germ Jew Heyer Christoler, owner of shop where sold, also arrested 8 continues slamming Dixon (bailed by Adelaide Miller) for ruining lives of Miss Missouri, Mrs Hamblin, and R Minturn. 14 renovated Franklin theatre with picts by Heilge. 15 praises enlarged Transcript. 17 puffs Corsair. Stopped at 21st, and skipped to Feb 2,4,5, then skipped to 18. 21 p.1 Sunrise on the Catskill, prefaced by line fr Byron. Stopped after 22, and skipped to March 18, 19 requested to notice gallery of ptgs in Barclay st including ptgs by Dubuffe, famous for his Adam and Eve of a few yrs ago, see ad. 27 Apollo Gallery ad.
April 1839
1 doesn’t admire Nick of the Woods 10 big ad for Wallack benefit at Natl theatre, Webb and many others. 12 notices Catherwood’s panos, 13 Willis’s Tortesa the Usurer with Wallack, extensive positive review. LP Clover advertises views of US. 20 p. 2 noticers JV Stout’s statue of Victoria at Stuyvesant, does infinite credit to young artist, striking originality, altogether unlike any other statue we have seen in severe and almost Quaker-like simplicity of design. No striving after effect, fairy like yet dignified fig without any trappings of rank, instinct with native nobility, drapery well cut half hiding and half revealing fine proportions of the person. Head and bust exquis, and features too classic for a likeness have sufficient resemblance. At once entitled him to a first place. 27 letter fr Morse re Daguerreotype. Notices new Robinson caricature.
May
16 calls Florida war a costly humbug. 23 notices handsome litho of Miss Clifton fr Robinson. 25 Apollo Gall still advertising, next show in Oct. No NAD ads?
June 1839
4 p. 2 don’t remember seeing among the many notices of the exhib at Clinton Hall, inflammatory, laudatory or damnatory, mention of miniatures, tho they are worth praise: Geo Hite no. 13 highly finished on ivory, will win golden opinions fr those qual to crit this beaut and delicate branch. Shumway 148 of Gideon Lee and lady are well ptd and strikingly faithful; 131 by Miss Ann Hall port of a lady is exceedingly well exec. Ports of 2 Children by Carl Weinedel 139 are gems, misty softness of his style peculiarly adapted to round lineless countenance of infancy. Miniature of Madonna 137 by Maston is also a sweet pict.
Of larger ptgs, as a whole, hi praise can’t be fairly awarded as an Exhib decidedly inferior to those of last year. However several brilliant exceptions, but as most have been crit and recrit, just name one we think possesses great merit and recd little commendation, The Wife of the Artist, 231 by F Alexander, doesn’t hang in v favorable posit and far fr being showy, but more than meets eye at first glance and will bear scrutiny
5 notices bust of Leggett at Fowler’s bears out his talent. Geo P Morris denies authoring Life in NY. 8 takes fr Comm Advert long description of Frelinghuysen’s installment at NYU. Notices Harry Franco’s Tale of the Great Panic, style simple and unpretending, despite tendency to locofocoism, reminds of Marryat. Notices Linnen’s full length port of H Clay, correct and beautiful likeness, at Clove 294 Broadway. CC Childs, printer, is in a new fire company.
10 notices Sully’s Victoria, unquestionably a fine picture, in England thought the best likeness, as a work of art will challenge the connoisseur. Throne and cloth well delineated, position and attitude of queen as she ascends well chosen and effective. Skilful composition not its least merit, face is rather pretty but v inanimate, beliefe her features are not soul-speaking but artist done her some injustice fr orig sketch, countenance far more expressive and intelligence. Defect a conseq of copying fr a copy, and fr a too elaborate finish. Could wish her ample robe of velvet out of the way as it entirely conceals contour of her person, Cinderella feet scarcely press steps exquis drawn and painted, arm and hand hang gracefully down side and beaut both in form and coloring, but hand is ill ddrawn and badly shaded. Fabric of train ptd so can’t tell it’s velvet and if sharp ridges in which it’s disposed were ptd green wld look v much like waves of a cross sea. Few blemishes tho nothing compared with striking excellencies. Sully deserves golden opinions.
13 notices Catlin’s magninf coll at Stuyvesant, advertises. 14 v crit of frauds perpetrated on Indians. 22 promotes Mercantile Lib assoc, wishes more practical lectures.
24 notes conflict betw Sully and St Geo society re right of property in portraits of Victoria settled by arbitration. Society argued copies would decrease value of portrait and they had copyright in commissioning subject. Sully argued he had same right of property as an author in his book, and tho the orig was theirs, the study fr which it was taken belonged to him and as it was his idea he had a right to take as many copies as he chose. Arbitrators sustained Sully, Society couldn’t obtain a copyright of an egr fr the pict, only the artist, ordered he be paid $500 for his ptg.
28 praises Inman’s port of Prosper Wetmore in the Mirror. Likes Am institute.
Skipped July-Aug (LOC volume)
September 1839
6 Apollo Gallery with Girondet’s Birth of Venus advert, also Catlin’s Indian Gall, Infernal Regions. Likes Mech Inst Fair. 18 notices Catlin’s exhib fr Com Adv. 26 hostile to locofoco New Era. 28 NY and Erie rrd attacked by locofocos
October
2 notices Catherwood’s pano 3 notices death of author and ptr Wm Dunlap,lamented by society, benefitted others 4likes JG Cogswell and Prof Henry of NY Review 8 Engraving of Henry Clay, after a bust modelled by Stout, the gifted young sculp whose statue of Queen Vic attracted so much attn, finest specimens of style of eng, faithful likeness. Aaron Levy has big ad too. 10 very hostile to Prosper Wetmore (had been allied with Cornelius W Lawrence at Bank of NY?). Puffs Audubon exhib at Lyceum. On the 11th notes Pres stayed at Globe Hotel, and that as per a letter in the Eve Post on the 10th, a split between moderate (banker) locofocos, Prosper Wetmore, Jesse Hoyt and co, and simon pures, Richard Adams Locke, who announces his connection with the paper has been dissolved similarly to Theron Rudd. Wetmore and John W Edmonds will do the editorial articles, Locke can’t act with these politicians. Locke broke the type!
16 praises Eve Signal’s debut 21 praises Bro Jon too, also the Mirror and its encouragement of native authors and artists, exquis engr fr Chapman’s Landing at Jamestown, a gem. 24 p. 1 praise Forrest. 26 likes John Q Adams’ poem book The Charter Oak. 28 loves Merc Lib Assoc, Hone. 30 notices pano of Bunker Hill
November 1839
1 p.2 The Apollo Gallery: coll of ptgs now exhib by Apollo Assoc of Native Artists at Gall 410 Broadway, more eminent Am ptrs than ever before gathered under one roof, very best of our most admired masters, equal to Royal Acad. Much pleased with a large and splendid pic by AJ Miller, which in his words represents procession of 3000 Snake Indians defiling before Sir Wm D Stewart etc. They advertise, as does West’s Christ Rejected and an exhib of Hiram Powers, inclu his Genl Jackson and Male and Female exquisite. 4 notices Robinson’s new caricatures, well conceived and exec, one founded on a paragraph in this paper, Specie Claws. 6 Locke’s New Era calls clerks counter jumpers 13 notices West’s Christ Rejected, far famed. 19 likes The Whig. 27 Greeley quitting Whig, will just do New Yorker, fine talent, judicious. Catllin going to London. 29 Corresp fr Washington, Senate has a vile ‘native American’ carpet, turmeric stars on a firmament the color of pickled cabbage, rough hewn burly fig surmounted with old gilt turkey cock rivetted to the gallery by a crowbar in his back, and holding in his claws the identical half dozen gilt harpoons that last winter threatened to transfix the Secretary for his taste. Peale’s noble pic of Father of his Country which was displaced for aforesaid turkey-cock etc still retains its appropriate position in the dusky angle of the gallery, where its noble lineaments are finely mellowed into total indistinctness. Most pleasing improvement is in the capitol library, a fine life sized port by elder Peale, head of Columbus and one of Cortes; library deluged with trashy novels. Chapman busy on his pic for Rotunda of Baptism, a beaut and poetical theme for the ptr, but is it at all approp for a coll of ptgs on national subjects?
December 1839
9 changes header from Clay and Tallmadge for Pres to Harrison and Tyler, says on the 11th it’s a triumph of principles over men; notice Gouraud’s. 21 Robt C Winthrop at New Engl Soc anniv, very unsymp account of Meyer Levy being cowhided in Wall st. Locke is attacking Hoyt as a defaulter and attacks Custom House clique (Wetmore, Edmonds). 23 apologize for levity in Levy case. Love Vattemare. 24 lots on Pilgrim Fest.
NY Times & Commercial Intelligencer for the Country Mar 29 1839. Supports Henry Clay and N Tallmadge of NY for President.
Likes Mitchell’s Olympic, NY MIrror
then Jun 14, 1839 p. 3 notices Catlin’s Indian Gallery, magnificent. Advertisement.
1840
published now with Donald McLeod
Feb 20 Aaron Levy looking for a partner with capital for his store
Skimmed starting in March 20th about
April 1 thinks Wash Irving is too partisan in this Knickerbocker, better for Demo Rev
14 in full election mode has image of rolled up sleeve arm holding mallet, next to log cabin, appeal to laborers
16 “More Anon” writes in critical of violations of by laws at Am Inst mtg, financial reports presented. 17 Geo Hite has big ad Miniature Ptr changed location of his rooms. 24 notices free exhib of ptgs at Chambers st, sold by auction on Tues; More Anon writes again re how party not principle rules the Institute, effort to have a nominating committee put together a compromise ticket for offices defeated. 25 letter fr Hercules re Am Inst, crippled by mismanagement, clean stable.
By 1840, same motto as Times and Star, same Eldredge, office is 45 Wm St, same price, also pro Harrison
April 27 1840 p. 2. Copies fr NY Times, NAD: private examination of exhib, more productions of merit than in several yrs past. improvement of junior artists, amateurs, older brethren sustain their name.
genl complexion of exhib too warm, defect a serious one. grt strife for effect, thru medium hi coloring, bad taste, gft injustice to pictures rely on their truthfulness to nature for their gd reception. in quiet unpretending will be found true spirit and genius of an artist; I feel called on to speak for these retiring, modest essays, they being much in the same situation with a diffident mein, having the true inspiration for genius--yet for want of afriend, is compelled to givwe place to the self-satisfied, superficial dogmatist.
leading exhibs are Cole, Doughty, Fisher, Page, Huntington, Nuntz, Inman, Frothingham, Cumming, Shumway etc, not in order of merit. gem is Cole’s Notch, White Mtns, his Architect’s Dream a subj foreign to his talent; field of nature is his own. Page’s Roman Warrior, Wife and Child, finest effort of his pencil. Dean has improved. Mount trio of unique compositions fr low country life. lots of amateurs, those by Mr Edmonds in his usual gd style, Bleecker also v meritorious compositions. Cummings miniatures maintain hi reput, Shumaway some well drawn and truly executed
May 2, 1840 records Am Inst controversy over governance/funds
LOC volume for 1840 starts with July 1; I skipped July and August.
Senator Tallmadge suing Eve Post for libel. 29 August announce becoming an evening paper, and merging with Evening Star; had started out as a Jackson/Van Buren man, but Van Buren proved false to policies. New Name is NY Times and Evening Star, NT Eldredge still the only name on it.
September 1840
3 Matsell a locofoco, pro registering voters 4 notice Am Inst 5 crit of Calhoun; excerpts fr Knick on NY native sculptor, Kneeland, companion with Crawford, Astor bought one of his groups. 9 Herald is malignant. 15 critical of John Smith Jr of Arkansas in Eve Post. 16 notice pano of Rome, v crit of bank locofocos, Silas Wright, Fernando Wood, Hoyt, Wetmore
October
1 seem to be and have been at odds with the NY American, who called them disreputable and a recent convert to Whig principles. 4 notices Sunday Mercury. 6 Mechanics Institute joining forces with Am Inst for the Fair. 7 notice Apollo Assoc., no institu more worthy of encouragement, new exhib superior to any previous one. They advertise, as does Clark’s gallery of Ital ptgs.9 classes Orestes Brownson’s startling doctrines with Van Buren and the locofocos 10 p. 1 critical of the Knickerbocker for publishing a British negative review of Ingraham’s Quadroon, which he thinks is good, and omitted the censure on Hoffman’s novel, writing in its favor an original crit. Unfair. 15 approve Noah, late of Eve Star, becoming a judge.
Mostly election stuff, very vigorous in denouncing recorder, defending Grinnell et al in Glentworth bribery case, sensationalist style.
November
Has had wooducts in advert columns of log cabins and of Genl Harrison. 12 hate F Wood. Would like evening schools. 17 notice monument to Scott, Steel the sculp of colossal statue inside Gothic tower 27 While JQ Adams was here the Express says he sat to Marchant, 17 Park pl, has taken the bes pic of Harrison we’ve seen, also Clay, Rev Beecher, John jacob Astor, late Chas Hammond, Genl Jackson. 25 really hates Wood; Alfred E Baker pled guilty to indictment for libeling Pierce Flandon by publishing litho caricatures of him and his family, had affidavits fr highly respectable indivs, no intent to do it, but Lockwood remonstrated with you, you said you’d been paid; would not say who furnished him with the likenesses for the caricatures, gave hiim highest penalty under law, destroyed the stone 28 notices the various art galleries advertising.
New York Times and Evening Star, NT Eldredge, 47 Wm St, $3 per annum
Nov 6, 1840, p. 2 ad for Bust of Harrison, no artist named, at his rooms in Granite Bldg; ad for Catherwood’s panoramas
Dec 11, 1840. praises Philip Hone
Dec 12 1840 p. 2 New year’s present a well exec miniature Mdme Guillet’s 233 Broadway, delicacy fidelity esp successful likeness children. Likes Geo D Strong’s Limnings in the Thoroughfares in Knick.
December 1840
3 p. 2 Corresp **** fr DC, beaut ptg of Baptism of Poca by Chapman just completed in Rotunda, don’t profess eye of an artist, or correct judge of niceties of criticism, but if great merit of ptg consists inf idelity with which it reps the mental pic, if a faithful copy of nature, wherein ease and grace are so portrayed that spec forgets he is gazing ona work of art and fancies himself mingling in scenes of bygone days, if this is perfection of limner’s art, extrav praise for admirable ptg.
Gives critic faulting Apelles for not having tint of nature, bird pecked, which is better judge?
Native princess lightly and symmetrically beaut, face sweet features gracefully blended love, tenderness, relig awe, kneeling, venerable clergy, beatu turned shoulders, Rolf’s manly form a little bent toward his future bride, her sister half reclining with infant in wonder, Gov et al form a group, pictque figs of lords of forest and pale faced brethren, exact replica of chapel
In gazing on it the imag is carried back, observer fancies himself an actor, mere handful of Euros opposed skill and science to force of whole nations of warlike savages, a lovely being casing aside usages for bosom of civilized society, this step in binding savage foe in friendship to infant colony
Capt Levy’s munificent present of the old brazen statue of Jefferson, (which Calhoun says looks no more like the “apostle of democracy” than he does,) still lumbers up the rotunda of the capitol. It gives me pleasure to say that it will soon be removed to make room for the noble statue of W. A gd statue of Jefferson would be an ornament to any part of the capital, but this brass affair, with the pile of books under the tail of the coat, is an insult to the memory of that statesman, and a present worthy only of the donor.
December 4 p. 2 From’76 letter to ed, Statue of Jefferson, Washington corresp had unmerited attack on this statue presented to Congress and char and motives of donor. Several causes united when it was presented to produce some ill will and asperity. There were some persons then as now who never admired the char of Jefferson, and never would willingly have allowed his statue to be placed in the Capitol. Those who claimed to be admirers of the fine arts, pretended to find great fault with this statue, plus donor an ardent friend of Jackson.
We have many noble statues in the country, but only this one of bronze. It was cast in Paris by celebrated sculptor David, a perfect specimen of the art, striking in resemblance and simple in costume and position, It cost the donor $10,000, and his admiration of the char and principles of J were sole motives induced him to present that statue to the people, and as one of the people, I will not consent to have it thrown among the old lumber. It far excels anything we have of marble, and tho it may be convenient for those who alw hated Jefferson to abuse the statue, yet his name and char will endure longer than his statue.
Dec 5 Wash corresp likes to look at Hogarth and Audubon in Lib of Congress; support Grinnell agst the Herald, Era and Eve Post; support Hiram Ketchum agst the Catholics; anti-butchers’ “monopoly”, praise Arcturus, Duyckinck is an esteemed friend, senior editor
12 Mrs Guillet’s miniatures and 16 Hite’s. Covers Merc Lib lectures, and the election tickets advertise. 29 Visit to Colman’s bkstore for xmas presents, notes portfolios of engravings of Euro locales. 31p. 1 long praise and description of Hogarth’s Harlot’s Progress, moral prints, coll of LOC
New York Times and Evening Star NYPL NT Eldredge, Preserve and Regulate, Not Destroy, $3/yr, NT Eldredge, 47 William st
Reel starts Mar 1, 1841 (skipped Jan-Feb 1841 on prior reel)
1,2,3 New World has same slogan as Universe happy abt Harrison 4 NAD advertising 5 6 8 9 Orestes Brownson’s lecture on reform spirit, need to recognize rights of minority 11 12 kids who infest Wall st selling pencils etc are really thieves and shld be arrested as vagrants or put to trades 16,17,18 19 John O Sargent, late assistant editor of Courier and Enquirer, retired, he’s not light or amusing but powerful and vigorous political writer 19 20 22 Tredwell daguerreotypes ad 24 25 covers Restell 26 27 29 30 hostile to Recorder Morris 31
April 1 1841 2 Phoenix for Mayor Daniel O”Connell is a beggar. 3 Colman sent litho likeness of Harrison fr orig ptg by Franquinet, capital likeness, also has Clay Van Buren and others 5 black for Harrison 6 7 8 still black borders 13 14 praises Durand’s bank note printing 15 notices start up of Trib, praises him 16 17 19 Wm H Butler dageuerreotypes 20 22 23 recd fr Apollo Assoc splendid engr fr a ptg by White of Charleston of a passage in Am hist. New World likeness of Bryant good 24 26 don’t see NAD ad 27 Masonic Hall being refurbished in Gothic by Jefferson Berrian 29 30 praises steel engravings of the Mirror
May 3 (missing the 1st) 4 liked Stephens lecture on antiquities of Central America 5 6 7 8 10 p. 2 gratified by visit to Brackett’s group Binding of Satan, Broadway and Chambers. Apocalypse, embodied in most spiritual sense, Evil prostrated with broken spear before divine power, ruged form writhes with impotent hatred and demoniac revenge rages in his countenance, once beautiful. angel bends over sever in youthful beauty with no triumph or exultation but calm consciousness of majesty of good. exquis beauty and grace finely contrasted by powerfully developed muscles of adversary. Pyramidal form, illuminated by artificial light as if fr the bottomless pit.Thousands wasted in useless and tasteless display, hope gmen of wealth will engage artist to execute in marble. Possesses elevated powers of conception, can acquire the rest, will stand hi among future poetic sculptors of America. Don’t see ad yet. 11 12 13 14 missing 15 NY Mirror glad Noah is a judge 17 18 enlarges 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 puffs auction of old master splendid oil ptgs Wilkins & Rollins 27 29 31
June 1 1841 2 3 5 praises HE Riell for showing old masters, a novelty in our city, original view of Amsterdam etc 7 8 The Great French Paintings, historical American subjects by Lauri, Isabey, magnificent, large dimensions, Lyceum superb stopped at June 13, reel ends July 31