Items "From Diary of J. W. Barber" pasted onto paper: a sketch of Lorenzo Dow, "Preaching on the steps of the South Portico of the State House at New Haven, Conn. June 30th 1832," an illustration from a wood engraving of the "Hudson Co. Court House & Jail Hudson City New Jersey," said to be "the last engraving done by Dr. [Alexander] Anderson" and "published in 1868 by J. W. Barber," and a receipt of 1868 acknowledging that Anderson "Rec.d from Mr. John W. Barber Seven dollars in full for engraving Rahway cut."
On the obverse are two newspaper clippings (one, undated, about "the venerable artist and patriot, Nathaniel Jocelyn" and another of 1853 entitled, "The Bible vs. Tradition!!") as well as an undated illustration from a wood engraving of a large institutional building. On another sheet are pasted a verse, which is said to be a "Fac-Simile of the hand-writing of Dr. Watts," and an illustration from an etching entitled, "Our Grandmothers Kitchen," said to have been "designed in 1867 by John W. Barber, then in his 70th year."
Biographical / Historical:
Engraver (of both copper and wood), topographical draftsman, and historian. Born February 2, 1798 in East Windsor, Conn.; apprenticed to Abner Reed, engraver; operated his own engraving business in New Haven; studied history and traveled the eastern U.S., gathering information for the books which he wrote and then illustrated with his engravings; died in New Haven on June 22, 1885.
Provenance:
These pages were found in a book purchased by the Detroit Institute of Arts, which subsequently gave them to the Archives of American Art.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
