Alexander Hamilton United States Custom House (New York, N.Y.) Search this
Type:
Notes
Photographs
Illustrated letters
Sketches
Poems
Place of publication, production, or execution:
United States
Physical Description:
0.6 Linear feet
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 9 series: Series 1: Biographical Information, circa 1825-1966 (Box 1-2; 4 folders) Series 2: Correspondence, 1819 - circa 1880s, circa 1960s (Box 1; 6 folders) Series 3: New York Customs House Commission File, circa 1837-1841 (Box 1; 1 folder) Series 4: Artwork, 1830 - circa 1840s (Box 1; 1 folder) Series 5: Writings and Notes, 1824 - circa 1890s (Box 1; 4 folders) Series 6: Financial Materials, 1838-1853 (Box 1; 2 folders) Series 7: Printed Material, 1848-1889, 1942 (Box 1; 4 folders) Series 8: Photographs, circa 1910s, circa 1930s (Box 1; 1 folder) Series 9: Plaster Cast, circa 1800s (Box 1; 1 folder)
Access Note / Rights:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Summary:
The papers of sculptor and architect John Frazee measure 0.6 linear feet, and date from 1819-1966, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1819-1893. These scattered papers contain documentation of Frazee's early career as a gravestone carver, his commission to design the New York Customs House, and his busts of John Jay, the Marquis De Lafayette, and other famous figures. There is also correspondence with family members, genealogical materials, sketches of Frazee monuments and stone engravings, poems and notes by Frazee, printed materials, a few financial documents, photographs of works of art, and a plaster cast of a medal.
Citation:
John Frazee papers, 1819-1966, bulk 1819-1893. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Additional Forms:
The papers of John Frazee in the Archives of American Art were digitized in 2010, and total 264 images.
Location of Originals:
Some correspondence included in this collection are photocopies of originals that remained with the donors.
Funding:
Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
Use Note:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Related Materials:
A few exhibition catalogs and printed materials microfilmed on reel 1103 were later transfered to The Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery Library.
Biography Note:
John Stark Frazee (1790-1854) worked as an sculptor and architect primarily in New York City. He is best known for his design of the New York Customs House and his busts of notable American public figures, including John Wells, John Jay, John Marshall, and Daniel Webster.
Born in Rahway, New Jersey in 1790, Frazee began his career as a bricklayer. He lost a young son in 1815 and carved a memorial sculpture to commemorate his son's life. In 1818 he started a marble workshop in New York City specializing in memorials and grave markers. Sadly, many of Frazee's monuments were completed for deceased family members including his first wife Jane and several children. His reputation grew and he was well known for tasteful, simple, and well-executed memorials. Frazee began to receive private commissions for monuments and cenotaphs throughout New York. Frazee did not have formal training and developed a realistic style of carving that was heavily influenced by the neoclassical style.
By the mid 1820s, Frazee began to receive public commissions to carve busts of famous Americans. His bust of John Wells is considered to be the first carved marble bust made by an American born sculptor. In 1831, he received a Congressional commission to sculpt a bust of John Jay. Later, Frazee sculpted busts of Chief Justice John Marshall, Daniel Webster and others for the Boston Athenaeum.
After achieving considerable recognition for his sculpting abilities, President John Tyler appointed Frazee as the designer of the New York Customs House. He oversaw construction from 1834-1840. It is likely that Frazee created many of the decorative sculptural elements within the building as well. John Frazee died in 1854 in Rhode Island.
Language Note:
English .
Provenance:
The John Frazee papers were donated by the sculptor's great granddaughter Marguerite Heath and grand niece Theresa Eliot in several increments between 1973-1978.
Digitization Note:
The papers of John Frazee in the Archives of American Art were digitized in 2010.The bulk of the papers have been scanned and total 264 images.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
Topic:
Architects -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
