Sunday Morning News
Sunday Morning News, LOC, volume 1, number 1, May 17, 1835, Samuel Jenks Smith, 11 Wall st, $3/yr
devoted to Lit, Polit Info, Comm Intellig, etc. NYPL mfilm
May 17 p. 2 describes enterprise, don’t wish to offend or shock even prejudices, nothing inconsistent with morality, literal interp of Sabbath kill the spirit, defend virtue in columns of a newspaper, like a Sunday school, same objects and means. Notes prize for comedy at American theatre. Praises spirited Morning Herald. ! excerpts fr Forrest’s letter fr Paris in the Mirror of yesterday.
May 24 Beranger poems. Have known Ogden Hoffman since boyhood, delicate sense of honor. As a polished, educated and free people, we have natural and artificial advantages, can point out some of our ornaments, elegancies and higher attributes, in the Fine Arts, West, leslie Newton etc found richer harvest in euro, but have Vanderlyn, Inman, Tully (Sully) Cole, Doughty, Mount, Weir and others in Ptg, and Greenough and Powers etc in sculpt. Among writers lists Judge Hall of Cinti and Mrs Ellet of NY as well as usual suspects. Now quarreling with Herald, calls it the Courier’s Baby, bcause Herald called it the Morning Humbug. Disagree with Eve Post, Mrs Butler’s journal has no redeeming traits; Arcade Baths have depicted her reclining full length with a mint jelp raised to her lips, coarse s atire but ludicrous. Likes NY Mirror.
June 7; June 14 very critical of attack on Attree, police reporter for C&E. June 21 shall be detached from party, approving of none, impartial, avoid all questions with a party tinge. Theatrical chitchat: Mrs Chapman’s port by Marchant, sd a capital likeness, has been placed in NAD. Likes Hamblin, defends him agst the Park and Spirit of the Times. Anti blue laws. June 28 Texas and Mexico will to Panam prob become part of our great empire.
July 5 p. 1 notices Titian’s Venus now exhib in London, cites Atlas in its praise, a portrait not a goddess. Stop criminal emigrants fr Euro. July 12, 19, notices death of Willoughby Lynde of NY Transcript, also the choice coll of ptgs at Saunders’ Washington Divan Gall, unincumbered with usual trash and lumber, nothing but what is excellent and rare, undoubted originals of Salvator Rosa, Poussin, Guido, Titian, Breughel, Leo etc. July 26 critical of judges not bein impartial in their charges to juries. Mr Herbert the author (Am Monthly Mag) is British, not American. Sickened and disgusted by inveteracy with which the NY Mirror is assailed by scribe of Comm Advert, loses no opp to carp and rail at that paper, to bring his pop gun to bear on very periodical fr which a few months ago he derived his bread. No more amiable and kindhearted man than Col Morris, how can this eprson have become his foe? Jealous of his circulation? Notices Endicott.
August 9, 16, Mirror and Courier, C&E recently has attack on Col Geo P Morris and NY Mirror tone of unsparing sarcasm, can’t allow its claims of impartiality and justice. Issue is Dr McKenzie, ed of Liverpool J, naming M among literati of America. Don’t know rlnshp between Morris and McKenzie, but Morris is entitled to higher consideration. Knew him as a journeyman printer, tact and judgment in selecting materials for his journal, deserves praise, can't disparage Willis as namby pamby or plagiarist, a stupid accusation, and to regret it is not adorned more by Paulding is evidence of imbecility. Praises Willis too. Aug 23 condemns all riots. Defends Commodore Jesse D Elliott agst C&E, NY Times, Eve Post. Aug 30 anti slavery and temperance both humbugs. Give the Moon hoax.
September puffs Hannnington, likes John Clare. 13, 20. Reply to latest C&E attack in controversy over Morris and Mirror, that Morris is as gd as any of the Courier clique, even tho educated in a printing office rather than Oxford or Cambridge; of Price he was an assistant in our office for a time, but what he wrote was approved by us. A Friend to the Persecuted writs in defending the Park actors fr abuse of Eve Post, calling one a parched pea on a hot shovel, but complaint actually turns into extended mockery of Park actors vs Placide. P. 3 notices copies of Correggio and Raphael at Clinton Hall. 27 will try not to abuse criticism as when hal fa dozen form a league to write each other up and rivals down. Like the Token, pub by Freeman Hunt & co, whose publications they’ve several times noticed. Review Washington Divan gallery of ptgs, a Rubens Magdalen before repentance, Claude is noble, ages gone by, Moreland’s Dog Fight brings back boyish days, Garrick a great actor, Murillo deep thinking Galileo, coarseness in it enhances its value (confusing him with Velazquez?), Mulhlenberg, Ga Saunders, Sibyl Wouvermons, so naturla and so distinct, etc. Launitz andFrazee bust of Marshall advertised, had earlier had a black bordered notice of his death.
Oct 4 1835
Lists pictures and artists in Magnolia (HW Herbert) as he did for the Token. Notices Mech Inst and Am Inst fairs. 11 Gives description of Hanington’s Lunar Discoveries at Hanington as well as the others, with an illustration, sublime and irresistibly facetious, effulgent lights. 18 Dr McKenzie of Liverpool J writes Evening Star to vindicate himself agst John Inman, subeditor of Comm Advert, inserted during absence of Col Stone. John Inman’s char is well known, bad manners the subj of remark. McKenzie a staunch friend of the US. Defends Columbia agst charge in New Yorker of being an aristocratical institution. Disapprove of spirit of reform that attacks everything time-honored. Praises Native American Democrat, new daily penny, foes to foreign intrigue, lovers of our country, protectors of our countrymen’s rights. Thom’s exhib of sculpture: wit and humor can be expr in stone as well as dignity, beauty and strength, moment of joy finely developed, smiling, self complacency, pot valiancy, embodied every thought in Sir Walter’s description, has read nature with great intensity. New Spanish paper too.
Oct 25 more agst insanity or desire of notoriety re John Inman, drags us intoa personal contest, scorn his ingratitude and betrayal. Lots of coverage of Am Inst fair, inclu fire engine for Company no 4, full length likeness of Red Jacket by Weir, decorations cost $1300. Oil ptg by Wm S Barnard. Hanington transparencies, Endicott litho press, 4 columns.
Nov 1 Likes WJ Snelling the editor.Mirror is not abolitionist. 8 Mech Inst gets 3 columns. 15 Coleridge no abolitionist. Defends Lyman Beecher. P. 3 Mtg in favor of TX at Tammany, includes John L Graham, Geo D Strong, PM Wetmore, Henry Wyckoff, Alex Ming, JJ Mapes, Chas Ferris, and others, notices Richardson’s lscape gallery, advertising. 22 p. 3 even longer description of Richardson’s, says we judge a pic as we do musick and acting, by the effect produced on our senses. Know there are principles of art, and their test is truth, but we speak as we think, the plain truth. Richardson’s are true to nature, ptd beautifully, splendidly framed, a man of genius, feeling for his art, no one who looks at them will see the necessity ofo ur artists going abroad and then filling their canvass with baronial castles, strange peasantry, and foreign lscape, even though it be Italian. Ptgs to be disposed of by lottery. Free in meantime. 29.critical of Miss Martineau, but likes Hemans, Sigourney and Ellet. Lots of theater coverage.
December 6
Seems to believe in Joice Heth. Poem to Hamblin. Likes Dr channing if no slavery. 13 likes McDonald Clarke’s poetry. Another notice of Richardson’s 20 p. 2 woodcut of fire scene at Merchants Exchange. 27 praises firemen, attacks Graham the diet guy. Another view of the fire. More on Richardson and also Ormsby who he has mentioned his engravings before, lscapes true to nature, no gaudy colors to catch the eye of the multitude and offend the real connoisseur, artists loud in their praises, far superior to any mod lscapes
1836 Sunday morning News
January
3 DC corresp loves Clay. P. 2 praises Henry Robinson’s litho of fire, with portraits of disting, inclu Col Webb. 10 take firemens side agst Purdy 17, 24 Editorial difficulties, or Wall St Warfare. Need MacDonald Clarke to write an epic in the mock-heroick. C&E or Big Bear of Wall st and super religious J of Commerce, expose fo mendacity, vulgarity and depravity, a pole cat vs rattlesnake. Condemns Sun for taking aC&E Express. Herald is a Hawk & Buzzard concern, personality and scurrility, attacking C&E, got beaten. 31
Feb 7, 14, 21 hates dogs. Praises the Aboriginal Portfolio. 28 disapproves of strikes. Sorry Richardson is leaving for New Orleans
March
7 portrait of Fieschi, assassin of L Philipe. P. 3 notcies T Chambers originals sale of ptgs, creditable examples, also ones by masters. 13, 20 p.1 has long account of diversity of thoroughfare of fashion of Broadway, variety of people you meet, leads you to Colman’s store and its variety of art, prints changed every week, walls covered with ptgs and portfolios of engr, orig of Corregio, copies, etc. Paulding shows slaves in south are happy.
27 defends sale of their paper by boys on Sundays, under attack by J of Commerce. Covers militia; Morris’ Washington Greys etc
April 3 moving to Beekman and Nassau, Enlarging. 10 notices West’s magnif and sublime Death on the Pale Horse coming to NY. Support Mirror raising price, like penny Transcript, avoids vulgarity slang and personal abuse of its penny cotemporaries, likes New Yorker too. Reynolds port ptg ad, De Rose too, H Robinson ad, Lockwood mini ptr; Notices that at city charter election, Cornelius Lawrence nominated by regular demos, Alex Ming by antimonopoly or locofocos, and Native Am party nominated Saml FB Morse of NAD, likes principles of new penny paper Amer Patriot, p. 4 GH Stout engraving?
17 defends actors the Woods; notice Saunders (of Divan) selling his pics, Robinson litho of Helen Jewett. Davy Crockett is dead, bravely at Alamo; Yankee Hill successful in the South. Cornelius Lawrence mayor, gives other results with Whigs in italics. 24
May 1 1836 very friendly to transcript. 8 notice Frazee and Luanitz commission.
Skipped ahead—March 26, 1836, p. 1 The Fine Arts, long praise of Colman’s store on Broadway, enjoy all the splendid faces on the street, , crowds before the windows, upstairs to saloon, said to be undoubted orig of Corregio’s attitutde of fig etc copy of Raphael, books Mar 27 J of Commerce organ of fanaticism. has engr of Fieschi for the trial. Apr 17 Sale of Ptgs of Saunders at Washington Divan, proprietor an artist himself, fine bargains, partic noticed a Rusysdael, Vernoese and Gainsborough, Turner etc May 1 Theo Fay story, notices celeb ptr Delacroix dooing Shakespeare and Byron. Missing May 8 and 16. May 22 p.1 NAD review: Durand, Page, Dunlap, Inman, Cole. hates dogs. May 29:p.1 has review of NAD continued from the 22nd, Inman, Mount, Chapman, Wier Casilear. Is giving the whole trial of Robinson and the brothel, call him an unfortunate young man, Ladd is artist who did their profile portrait. June 12 notices West’s death on pale horse. Hanington.
Skipped to Sept 18, 25 praise new ed of McDonald Clarke’s poems. Hamblin generous to Fay, Cooper, shld help him in wake of fire. New Era ed by RA Locke of Sun and J Price of the Transcript guarantee its prosperity. Celeb ptgs by Boudet well worth a visit. Film skips to Oct 2. 16 big fan of Am Inst.. film skips fr Oct 23 to Nov 6, then I skipped to Dec 4, praises Leggett’s Plain Dealer 18 like Genl Scott and Miss Tree
1837
I skipped Jan. Feb 26 Hamblin’s attack on Bennett all the Herald’s fault for abusing him. Urges boycott. Mar 5 notes Chambers sale of ptgs, choice, modern, Arcade baths, a number of his sea pieces, fidelity force and skill, frigates, wrecks, packets, copies of old masters too. Colman litho of Tree, hannington. Mar 19 approve of bill to protect rights of women. Praise Jarvis the younger beaut specimens of port ptg, son of famous artist Mar 26 thrilling pic in Colman’s of polish noble sleighing. like Willis, Express calls splendid pics of Adam and Eve in Acad of Arts copies, but are the originals. Dislikes commod Elliott. likes Geo Hill. Apr 9 ptgs at Arcade Baths free Apr 16 Maria Monk an impostor. Blame Florida war on Cass, to Sun’s displeasure. Writes about cries of NY April 30 p2 NAD fr accomplished Italian, LT, Bennett Shaw Cole Huntington Ingham Inman Spencer Page Durand Marchant Mayr.
May 7 Frelinghuysen came up with plan of killing dogs. May 14 p. 2 Herald low contemptible, hope everyone will refuse to speak to him etc, gives account of Haggerty libel suit agst Bennett. May 21 sketch of Hon Silas Wright. Frederick West writes for Transcript, but an ‘understrapper’ of the ed of Herald too? June 18 ridic attack on Willis in Courier, he’s witty, genius, has heart
July 2,9 mixed review of Martineau society in America; incorrect that Geo P Morris hired English editor of an abusive paper under foreign influence as an assistant editor, Denman was appointed by someone else to staff.
I skipped to September; Aug 27 1837: John Howard Payne hired as editor. love Webster and the School for Scandal. Sept 3: native genius in west, young sculp at Cinti, discovered by Mr Thomas of Evening Post, stonecutter of tombstones, Clevenger, busts of Harrison and Judge Burnett, Clay . We hear great accounts fr best judges of pics of Dubufe at Stuyvesant Inst. Merc Lib Assoc lectures ought to be of a general nature, no party prejudices. Praise Mirror’s port of Bryant. 17 defends Webb as good guy. 24 Catlin, advert too; not thrilled with Wise
Oct 1 summarizes Catlin’s lectures, should feel proud, our shameless policy is withering this race, hypocritical pity, delightful to meet spirit like Catlin. many yrs ago when struggling for eminence got a commission fr city govt excited unfriendly feelings among his competitors, abuse, as Dunlap’s book gives evidence. Seen as a favorite, left to go do savages, won honors. Specialized in buffalo, disappearing, Wallack hiring Douglas Jerrold to write plays for him? Oct 8 likes E Tree’s port in Albion Oct 15 Sun in context of I Pray’s new book of poems says we are a personal friend of his, can’t underst Sunday Morning News tirade agst him, sd they were trash. Natl pic fr France, Courrier des Etats Unis recommends Etex pic in Barclay st, has been treated ill by envious for bold novelties in his style but they have recommended hi to connoisseurs. Style of Michelangelo’s Last Judgment, a great alleg pic of great men of US, Washington raises up with clemency an Indian prisoner, Lafayette, Franklin, Jefferson, Indian women move toward civ, etc Christ on a throne in the sky receives the men. Haven’t seen it, but Etex considers us a more imaginative and less merely utilitarian people than we are supposed, certain prejudices in us adverse to confusion of times and characters, and worthies of this world in the mysteries of the world to come. Such license indiscreet and out of taste or keeping; spectators disposed to laugh. Catlin, Mrs Osgood. 22 Rice as Jim Crow is great. 29 p.1 Alleg ptg in Barclay st, mentioned this strange affair in our paper, have been to see it, may be we have no taste, but can’t agree with those who praise it either for execution or design. It is a great thing, in one way, a great mass of canvass and of absurdity. With deference to better instructed, about equal to magnif specimens of fine arts which appear over Tammany Hall and Niblo’s but won’t charge these last with any resemblance in their style of conception; NY designs not blasphemous. To place Deity with Wash in powdered wig and Thom Jefferson in rosy locks, with Cooper, Irving, A Jackson and Marin Van Buren, tea party visit in heaven, serves for asylum. Hamblin has betrayed us by coming to terms with Bennett.
Nov 5 hates Bennett, Trumbull moving to New Haven, distinguished, celebrated, ought to be acknowledged Nov 19 polit writing in Demo Rev is crude in thought and vicious in style, no contest with No American. congressional sketches disfig by affectation and bad taste, biased, except they like sketch of Wise. Continues weekly attacks on Herald. Dec 3 attacks Channing as abolit. Horatio S Bartlett is editor fo Sun. Stopped after Dec 10th.
1838
I skipped January. Feb 4: no right of petition, gag resolution is ok. Aristides writes him regularly approving of his attack on Bennett, Robinson caricature, Catlin’s Osceola Feb 18 Wash Spy of Courier accused member of Congress of corruption 25 charter Oak of John Adams
March 1838 4 cilley has only himself to blame. Herald and J of Commerce take advantage to attack Courier. 11 seems reconciled with Hamblin. Catlin’s Osceola. Mar 25 in Faneuil hall is one ofStuart’s best Washingtons, on Corchester heights, pose gives effect to noble full length, uncovered head revels full majesty of coutenance, smoke puts him in full and imposing relief, copy avail
April 1 friends with Saml Woodworth, our brother typo.
April 1838 8 has engr of burning of royal exchange, London, p1 and on p2 have graphic of recent locofoco mtg in the Park, collection of loafers, convicts, Slamm, drunks, butler his engraver has letter responding to Bennett in April 15 issue, p.3 April 15 p1 poem suggested by seeing portrait of infant son of J Phalen ptd after its decease by Giovanni Thompson, written by KAW, hand of art, lets me see you now though I didn't when you were alive, a dream of loveliness. (also has poem titled All Must Fade) loves Henry W Herbert. Admires Webster. 22 editor of the Boston post says editor of SMorn News is under the table p2 a looker on in Washington praises Catlin’s lectures there, says Osceola's dress is elab effeminate showiness, also on p. 1 a letter fr Catlin on Osceola, an exhib of ptgs by Cooke and Fisher of Boston, raffle went well. Whig General Committee rebuked Evening Star. 29 engr of Great Western steam ship, p. 2 NAD opened, lscapes effective in color but in defiance of subject. 31 port of old gman reading is ptd with vigor and decision characteristic of old man himself, and management of light and shae admirable
May 1838 6 praises our hardworking engravers. Admire Am Mo Mag and Robt H morris the new recorder. 13 Demo Rev improving, p. 2 Mrs J Guillet miniatures at NAD p2 NAD conversing with a friend how to best promote art of ptg, suggest our universities have profs of ptg, and scholarships there, for who doubts a hi educ and partic a classical educ is requisite for a artist? would raise art in public estimation, prizes stimulate genius and hi cultivation of mind, ensure patrons with fellow young men at the universities who would acquire taste. true principles of art better understood, more correct aim, artists no longer have to vie with upholsterers in finery. Unmeaning trickeries, a miserable substitute for lack of sentiment and poetical feeling, no longer endured. Merely meretricious and ornamental artists would be seen for having no brains. Epes Sargeant taking over at Mirror. The Age is agreeable. 20 hostile to ed of J of Commerce 27 p1 a poet WW . critical of Edw Forrest. Baker's litho 8 Wall st of Miss Davenport is better than Robinson's in fidelity
June 3 Despises David Hale. only comments on Robinson’s lithos of actresses, not politics. mentions watercolors in France and England. Are a neutral paper. 17 profile of Macready, Miss Missouri dead, sis of Jos Clifton, all her mother’s fault, sister too; defends Hamblin, accuses Polyanthos of helping kill her.
July 1 cartoon of Alderman DeForrest cutting up (by Scratch and Butler engr) the Sunday Morning News for publishing on Sunday, suggests he’s going after New Era, New Yorker and Daily Whig next, abolitionism a female hovering in backgrd. Supports public baths. Attacks the crying of newspapers on Sundays. magnif Catherwood panos. 8 Commer Advert wants to suppress Sunday papers, Eve Star supportive. Supports SPCA. Truth Teller is scurrilous. July 15 Comm Adv is miserably puritanical and pretending; Hamblin had bribed Spirit of the Times, but now they call him notorious 22 Sun, C&E, and Star defending Hamblin. Big Chas H Delavan ad.
Aug 5 p2 J Herring known for Nat Gall of Portraits abt to open the Apollo, depository of valuable prints, pgs etc ancient and modern, engaged in giving employment to our artists and enrich Apollo, keep the flame of liberty burning, excite interest in Am history, happy result of genius and enterprise. Aug 19 engraving of the giraffe. promotes Am Inst. Likes Stephens' Incidents of Travel. Hail new Sunday Morning Atlas. Aug 26 Miss Clifton is gifted
Sept 1838: 2 p.1, Amer artists in England fr London Athenaeum, Osgood, Healy, Doughty, Sully. Sept 9 first page turned over to pictures of the Cornoation. 23 has a series on City Nuisances p.2 The presentation of the mayor’s portrait: had it ptd by JH Shegogue,77 Franklin st, presented at his residence in Liberty, splendid ptg, nearly full length, admirable likeness. taken in the act of addressing an assembly, hand resting on public documents, denoting his official character. caught the likeness, highly wrought and finished composition, but not overstepped the modesty of nature.” places him hi in ranks of profession, talented well-educated and enthus, will run a noble race with competitors, native fr south, student of Vanderlyn, studied artists in native land. then gives speeches of the alderman presenting the portrait (artist has talent which in future day will hope to add his name to Sully and allston)and Clark’s response, glad to encourage native artists, hope its his passport to fame and fortune. Shegogue remarked felt highly flattered.
Oct 7 Daily Whig crit of Federalists 14 has attack on utilitarian Unitarians 21 praises Fine orig ptg at Pine’s Phoenix coffee house; Hanington’s stained glass at Am Inst fair beaut 28 Catlin’s rich treasure should be the basis for a national museum, an Indian gallery of artifacts too, get sluggish and mongrel Mexicans to part with their antiquities too, natural history, foreign materials too, plus all our earliest specimens in art of ptg, mechanical inventions etc. Love the Star.
I skipped November. Nov 25: Dunlap exhib at Stuyvesant I, benefit for him; Combe’s phreno lecture. December: lists premiums for Am inst fair, include Miss AC Drake for transparent ptg, Thom Storey for line engr. also in fine arts categ are transparent shades, other winners for oil include Alanson Fisher for portrait, Wm Brown’s Farmer’s boy, Wm Miller for miniature, PH Reason 35 Thompson for drwgs in ink, Chas Shaw for lscape in watercolor et al Sarony, J Pringle for Storm at Sea. p2 Herald says only good Sunday paper is Atlas—Morning News is organ of Wall st scoundrels. Dec 23 Signor Bragaldi eminent fr Acad of FA in Florence is acting prof in dept of drwg and ptg in Univ of NY, archit design
Reel 2 Sun Morn News NYPL Jan 1839-Feb 1840
1839
I skipped most of January.Jan 27 1839: Endicott’s litho of Mrs Gibbs some well exec, other an injustice. Praises Tasistro highly and Expositor. Feb: 3 editorial on gang oppressing the paper, John Labagh alderman, 11 respectable women, Ward, Deforest,all relig opponents. But more malicious James W Girard, p.3 The Apollo, assoc to encourage native artists, committee not artists entrusted with the fund, won’t interfere with private purchasers, worthy of patronage. Likes NY Lit Gazette ed James Aldrich. 17 Geo Dixon a vile tool. Loves Clay’s speech on abolition. 24 praises DA Whiting
March 3 fr Daily Whig, very few successful at ptg ports, we intended to notice DR Barker, but Daily Whig did it for us, steadily improved. v hostile to JQ Adams 10, 17 has genre ptg like illustrations for story of The Old Clock 24 likes JF Clarke’s western messenger. Notices Corsair, organ of gay world.
April: 7 supported reformers in Trinity church election. debtors prison in Hall of Justice is bad, have been in the habit of sending bundle of newspapers every Monday to prisoners, but packages aren’t being delivered; filthy, miasma, loathsome. 14 Life in NY by an English gman known in lit circles. anti-Mrs Gove tho had noticed her originally. 24 A Allan, City Sketches, Juno, or the Autobiography of a dog. p.2 Don’t doubt mr Minturn’s purity. will Rev Hawkes withdraw his case? hope not. He is becoming nativist. Bowery theater rebuilt, ptgs and decorations by one of best artists in country, an American, J Lehr, highly creditable, congregation of muses, wreaths, arms of states, portraits of heroes and statesmen, Phoenix. Calvin Pollard architect. 28 letter fr SFB Morse on dag
May 5 1839:p.2 NAD: Hunt, Ingham, Watson, Dickinson,Weir, Oddie, Mooney, Sully, Doughty, Browere, Eastman. Condemns both sides of NYU argument. May 12 p.2 NAD (and on same xerox Amer /sculptors Greenough Powers Clevenger; also Dubufe gallery) Frothingham, Selous, Huntington, Mount, Bradley, Cooper, Fink, Page, Clover, Wilgus, Inman, Edmonds, Ingham, Durand.
19 CFD writes stories for them. p. 2 NAD: Mr H Inman has thrown down his pencil and taken up the quill to defend this institution, endeavors to tell the conductors of the press what they ought and what they ought not to do, when they write abt ptgs. Inman is a v fair ptr, but he should not step fr the legit bounds of his prof to instruct critics, for men who have educ themselves with an eye to be of public utility, prob know what is proper quite as well as aptr whose whole admiration of the press, for aught we know, has been created by some friendly remarks abt his works in times gone, and who is nettled by a little ridicule, as tho the fate of art in this country depended upon its suppression. The justice of the remarks in many papers is what troubles Inman, and not the playful satire of the critic. Notices approvingly new Sunday Morning Visiter.
26 has an MF Tupper poem, F Pettrich, talented sculp of Wash abt to execute for that city staue of GW in white marble, $5000, model is sd to be v fine. p2 under lit notices says Robinson has new litho engr of Miss Clifton and Mdme Lecompte, fr N Sarony, lad without rival, best we’ve seen fr an Amer pubisher. Likes the Whip and Expositor. Lomas of the Transcript industrious.
June 1839 2 Gazette is anti-crying in streets on Sundays. 9 runs series on libel law. p. 2 Mrs Miller the Cyprian, the Spirit of the Times, the corsair and the New Yorker, versus the Mirror. these journals and their conductors—who are a clique in themselves—have formed a conspiracy to put down Gen Morris of Mirror. new Yorker is frank and honest in his growls, others more sinister and designing, both malignant and spiteful. Morris has denied doing Life in NY, no one can disbelieve him. They are conspiring because of a wicked old hag. Major Noah has spoken out, but we will be more explicit. Spirit of the Times has been sustained by Mrs Miller, of a brothel, and ea received from her $500, silver goblet and champagne for their attacks on Bowery theater manager. pro-copyright law. 16, 30 Catlin.
July 7 1839 City Sketches A Clerk’s Tale. 28 destruction of Stout’s statue, a noble work of art, intends to sue for damages Aug 4 has an Isaac Pray poem, Robinson caricature of Mrs Clinton cutting a smooth faced old gman, JJ Adams Charter Oak great, Catlin. Likes Mrs Osgood. skimmed September, though he had a pro-Amistad letter. October: 6 Lewis Tappan wholly deceitful, Garrison et al agree Oct 13 p.1 Edouart’s gallery of silhouettes 411 Broadway, no charge, better worth inspec than many an expensive humbug. Ingenious, variety and truth of expression, moonlight effect even surpasses painting, as in Hermitage scene. His curious pictorial hair work. unique inventor, Mosaics of hair, effect of finest engr. Audubon drwgs wonderful. great sale of oil ptgs in Barclay st puff, ptgs bear signatures, have certificates. Likes Wallack. Scenery by Bengough at Niblos will astonish with scenic effects. Oct 27 Haningtons stained glass drew attn of everyone at Am Inst fair. Nov 2 1839 West’s splendid pic Christ rejected at Stuyvesant I, eye never tired with truthfulness of coloring, grandeur of design. Skips to 24th,p2 exhib of drwgs by Mons Alexandre (Vattemare), Eve Star likes them, choice gems from various artists. The Arts: visited Apollo gall, much delighted, not surpassed by any exhib of modern ptgs now open in NY, transcendent excellence, bust of Major Noah by Mr Bracket, v young artist fr Cinti, truthfulness and beauty, will become preeminent. Dec 1 1839, Dec 8 p.2 The Apollo: some friends commended it, we visited, most agreeably surprised by regard for comfort of visitors, spacious ballroom with ceiling in Ital style, ladies and gmens parlors and dressing rm, saloon on Canal st, walls and the ladies parlor hung with valuable ptgs by many artists of celebrity, intellectual repast to connoisseur and lover of FA. propriety and decorum, Geo Alker proprietor. 15 likes Metropolitan mag. p.3 Greenough’s statue of GW for Capitol is described in letter fr Florence, huge, coarse grained marble, great dignity and force, serene majesty of countenance fr bets model familiar to every American, worthy of good fame of the artist 22 birth control (Restell) is against god, p.3 Eve post says monument to Leggett bu Frazee, obelisk with bust in bas relief
1840
Jan 5, 12 Chas F Hoffman will take over lit dept of New Yorker for three months while ed is absent, and genl intellig by James C Watts 19 puffs Euro ptgs in Granite bldg, too freq the refuse of the London sales rooms brought ver and puffed as most eminent, but sellers of hi respectability and intrinsic merits of the pics, esp in lscape by English 26 war over Daguerreotypes betw Gouraud and Seager, backs Seager
Feb 1840 2,9 likes JQ Adams latest letter on slavery. (publish out of same office as Paul Pry) 16 (last issue in the reel) influence of the Penny press on intellect and morals of urchin population, turns them fr loafers to Soc for diffusion of Useful knowl, cash system future capitalists, get to sit in pit at Mitchell’s