Search Results

Creator:

Smith family  Search this

Subject:

Smith, Xanthus  Search this

Smith, Russell  Search this

Smith, Mary Russell  Search this

Smith, Mary Priscilla  Search this

Type:

Sketchbooks

Writings

Scrapbooks

Tintypes

Drawings

Daguerreotypes

Ambrotypes

Photographs

Sketches

Citation:

Russell, Xanthus, and Mary Smith family papers, 1793-1977, bulk 1826-1977. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Works of art  Search this

Painting, Modern -- 19th century -- Pensylvania  Search this

Landscape painting  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Theme:

Sketches & Sketchbooks  Search this

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)9434

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211632

AAA_collcode_smitfami

Theme:

Sketches & Sketchbooks

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211632

Creator:

Neagle, John, 1796-1865  Search this

Subject:

Sully, Thomas  Search this

Hart, Charles Henry  Search this

Citation:

John Neagle notebooks and account books, 1824-1861. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Theme:

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)9725

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212009

AAA_collcode_neagjona

Theme:

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_212009

Creator:

Lambdin, James Reid, 1807-1889  Search this

Subject:

Sartain, John  Search this

Artists' Fund Society  Search this

Columbian Society of Artists  Search this

National Art Association (Washington, D.C.)  Search this

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts  Search this

Peale's Museum (Philadelphia, Pa.)  Search this

Citation:

James Reid Lambdin collection, 1831-1896. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Art, American -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this

Art -- Exhibitions  Search this

Theme:

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)9731

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212022

AAA_collcode_lambjame

Theme:

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_212022

Creator:

Library Company of Philadelphia. Print Dept  Search this

Subject:

Richards, Frederick de Bourg  Search this

Sully, Thomas  Search this

Peale, Rembrandt  Search this

Moran, Edward  Search this

Moran, John  Search this

Richards, William Trost  Search this

Lewis, Edmund Darch  Search this

Wood, George Bacon  Search this

Williams, Isaac  Search this

Lambdin, James Reid  Search this

Waugh, Samuel Bell  Search this

Rothermel, Peter Frederick  Search this

Sartain family (Philadelphia, Pa.)  Search this

Sartain, John  Search this

Sartain, Samuel  Search this

Sartain, William  Search this

Sartain, Emily  Search this

Read, Thomas Buchanan  Search this

Eakins, Thomas  Search this

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts  Search this

Artists' Fund Society  Search this

James S. Earle & Son  Search this

Pennsylvania State Capitol (Harrisburg, Pa.)  Search this

United States Sanitary Commission  Search this

Great Central Fair for the U.S. Sanitary Commission (1864 : Philadelphia, Pa.)  Search this

Citation:

Library Company of Philadelphia Print Dept. photograph collection, [ca. 1850]-1890. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Photograph collections -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- Photographs  Search this

Photography -- Early works to 1900 -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- Photographs  Search this

Artists -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- Photographs  Search this

Theme:

Photography  Search this

Art organizations  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)10147

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)213118

AAA_collcode_librcomp

Theme:

Photography

Art organizations

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_213118

Creator:

Sartain family  Search this

Subject:

Cassatt, Mary  Search this

Daingerfield, Elliott  Search this

Eakins, Thomas  Search this

Sartain, Harriet  Search this

Swaine, William  Search this

Chivers, T. H. (Thomas Holley)  Search this

Sartain, Emily  Search this

Sartain, Henry  Search this

Sartain, John  Search this

Sartain, Paul  Search this

Sartain, Samuel  Search this

Sartain, William  Search this

United States Sanitary Commission. Great Sanitary Fair. Fine Art Gallery (1864 : Philadelphia, Pa.)  Search this

Art-Union of Philadelphia  Search this

National Art Association (Washington, D.C.)  Search this

Philadelphia Union of Associationists  Search this

Artists' Fund Society  Search this

Graphic Association of Philadelphia  Search this

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts  Search this

American Exhibition (1887 : London, England)  Search this

Centennial Exhibition (1876 : Philadelphia, Pa.)  Search this

Citation:

Sartain family papers, 1795-1944. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Sartain's union magazine of literature and art  Search this

Engraving -- Printing -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this

Painting, American -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this

Theme:

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)10786

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)214427

AAA_collcode_sartfami

Theme:

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_214427

Creator:

Sill, Joseph, 1801-1854  Search this

Subject:

Audubon, John James  Search this

Audubon, Victor Gifford  Search this

Carey, Edward L.  Search this

Furness, William Henry  Search this

Hubard, William James  Search this

Huntington, Daniel  Search this

Lambdin, James Reid  Search this

Leutze, Emanuel  Search this

Morse, Samuel Finley Breese  Search this

Neagle, John  Search this

Page, William  Search this

Rothermel, Peter Frederick  Search this

Sartain, John  Search this

Saunders, George Lethbridge  Search this

Shaw, Joshua  Search this

Sully, Thomas  Search this

Watmough, Edward  Search this

Waugh, Samuel Bell  Search this

Weber, Paul  Search this

Weir, Robert Walter  Search this

Winner, W. E. (William E)  Search this

Artists' Fund Society  Search this

Art-Union of Philadelphia  Search this

National Academy of Design (U.S.)  Search this

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts  Search this

Citation:

Joseph Sill selected diaries, 1832-1854. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Art, American -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this

Art -- Collectors and collecting -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- Diaries  Search this

Theme:

Diaries  Search this

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)13482

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)214638

AAA_collcode_silljose

Theme:

Diaries

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_214638

Creator:

Historical Society of Pennsylvania  Search this

Subject:

Meredith, William M. (William Morris)  Search this

Peale, Rembrandt  Search this

Sully, Thomas  Search this

Artists' Fund Society  Search this

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts  Search this

Citation:

Selected art related documents from the Woodhouse collection in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, [1817-1843 and undated]. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Theme:

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)10913

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)214690

AAA_collcode_histsocp

Theme:

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_214690

Creator:

Artists' Fund Society of Philadelphia  Search this

Subject:

Sartain, John  Search this

Neagle, John  Search this

Citation:

Artists' Fund Society records, 1835-1855. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Theme:

Art organizations  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)10931

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)214708

AAA_collcode_artifund

Theme:

Art organizations

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_214708

Creator:

American Philosophical Society  Search this

Subject:

Rosenthal, Albert  Search this

Ord, George  Search this

Patterson, Robert M. (Robert Maskell)  Search this

Peale, Charles Willson  Search this

Peale, Franklin  Search this

Peale, Rembrandt  Search this

Peale, Titian Ramsay  Search this

Poinsett, Joel Roberts  Search this

Sully, Thomas  Search this

Vaughan, John  Search this

West, Benjamin  Search this

Adams, John Quincy  Search this

Audubon, Victor Gifford  Search this

Delaplaine, Joseph  Search this

Du Ponceau, Peter Stephen  Search this

Franklin, Benjamin  Search this

Fulton, Robert  Search this

Jefferson, Thomas  Search this

Kane, John K. (John Kintzing)  Search this

Lesley, J. P. (J. Peter)  Search this

Artists' Fund Society  Search this

Artists' and Amateurs' Association (Philadelphia, Pa.)  Search this

Columbian Society of Artists  Search this

Society of Artists of the United States  Search this

Citation:

American Philosophical Society selected records, 1784-1954. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Portraits -- Private collections -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this

Art, American  Search this

Theme:

Art organizations  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)10947

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)214725

AAA_collcode_amerphil

Theme:

Art organizations

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_214725

Creator:

Gay, Edward, 1837-1928  Search this

Gay, Duncan, 1865-1948  Search this

Subject:

Learned, Helen Gay  Search this

Gay, Ingovar  Search this

Gay, Martha Feary  Search this

Artists' Fund Society  Search this

Type:

Photographs

Sketches

Sketchbooks

Citation:

Edward Gay and Gay family papers, 1852-1983. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Landscape painting -- 20th century -- New York (State)  Search this

Landscape painting -- 19th century -- New York (State)  Search this

Landscape painters -- New York (State)  Search this

Theme:

Sketches & Sketchbooks  Search this

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)6597

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)215901

AAA_collcode_gayedwap

Theme:

Sketches & Sketchbooks

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_215901

Creator:

Smith family (Philadelphia, Pa.)  Search this

Names:

Smith, Mary Priscilla, 1819-1874  Search this

Smith, Mary Russell, 1842-1878  Search this

Smith, Russell, 1812-1896  Search this

Smith, Xanthus, 1839-1929  Search this

Extent:

5.12 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sketchbooks

Writings

Scrapbooks

Tintypes

Drawings

Daguerreotypes

Ambrotypes

Photographs

Sketches

Date:

1793-1977

bulk 1826-1977

Summary:

The Russell, Xanthus, and Mary Smith family papers comprise 5.12 linear feet and are dated 1793-1977, bulk 1826-1977. Correspondence, writings, artwork, financial records, printed material, miscellaneous items and photographs provide documentation of the lives and works of painter, illustrator and poet, Russell Smith, and his son, painter Xanthus Smith, and scattered documentation of the lives of his wife, painter and educator Mary Priscilla Smith, and daughter and painter Mary Russell Smith.

Scope and Content Note:

The Russell, Xanthus, and Mary Smith family papers comprise 5.12 linear feet and are dated 1793-1977, bulk 1826-1977. Correspondence, writings, artwork, financial records, printed material, miscellaneous items and photographs provide documentation of the lives and works of painter, illustrator and poet, Russell Smith, and his son, painter Xanthus Smith, and scattered documentation of the lives of his wife, painter and educator Mary Priscilla Smith, and daughter and painter Mary Russell Smith.

Family papers include correspondence, writings, printed material, and miscellaneous items. Correspondence, the bulk of which is comprised of letters to and from Russell and Xanthus Smith, covers both personal and professional matters. Among the correspondents are family, friends, colleagues, and arts organizations. Writings, printed material, and miscellaneous items in this series refer either to the entire Smith family or multiple individuals. Miscellaneous items also concern Horace Binder, father-in-law of Xanthus Smith.

The Russell Smith papers are comprised of biographical information, writings, artwork, and financial records. Biographical information includes some personal documents such as passports and marriage certificates. Among Russell Smith's writings are an autobiography, transcripts of correspondence, and notes. Artwork consists of loose pages and sketch books containing sketches and drawings in pencil, ink, and watercolor. His financial records are cash books recording professional and personal expenses, and receipts and memorabilia from the family's 1851-1852 travels in Europe. The printed material consists of loose clippings and a scrapbook of clippings from Philadelphia newspapers, as well as a small number of exhibition catalogs.

The Xanthus Smith papers consist of biographical information, artwork, financial records, and printed material. Among the writings are his unpublished autobiography, biographies of his father and sister, impressions of the Centennial art exhibition, journals, notes, and poems. Artwork consists of loose sketches in pencil and ink, and sketchbooks containing sketches and finished drawings in pencil and ink, some colored with gouache or watercolor washes. Financial records are cash books recording personal and professional expenses. Printed material includes clippings and a scrapbook.

The Mary Smith papers consist of writings, sketches, and printed material. The papers of her mother, Mary Priscilla Smith, are comprised of writings and printed material.

Photographs are of people, artwork, and miscellaneous subjects. People represented are Russell and Mary Priscilla Smith, their children Xanthus and Mary Smith, and several other relatives including Xanthus's wife and Russell's sister, granddaughter, and uncle. Photographs include ambrotypes, daguerreotypes, and tintypes, along with glass negatives and a small number of original prints. Copy prints have been produced from the glass negatives and other cased photographs. Photographs of artwork are of paintings by Russell Smith, Xanthus Smith, and other artists.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 6 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Smith Family Papers, 1793-1977 (Box 1; 0.9 linear ft.)

Series 2: Russell Smith Papers, 1805-1954 (Boxes 1-2; 1.2 linear ft.)

Series 3: Xanthus Smith Papers, 1850-1953 (Boxes 3-4; 1.9 linear ft.)

Series 4: Mary Smith Papers, 1852-1877 (Box 5; 4 folders)

Series 5: Mary Priscilla Smith Papers, 1839-1874 (21 folders)

Series 6: Photographs, circa 1845-1934 (Box 6-7, MGP 3, Black Cabinet; 0.9 linear ft.)

Microfilm reel numbers and frames are referenced at folder headings in parenthesis when known. Glass plate negatives are housed separately and closed to researchers.

Biographical Note:

Russell Smith (1812-1896) was a native of Glasgow, Scotland whose family came to the United States in 1819 and settled near Pittsburgh. The Smith children were educated at home, and Russell showed an early interest in art. His first formal training in portraiture and landscape painting was in Pittsburgh under James Reid Lambdin. Around 1827, Smith began painting backdrops for theaters and within 6 years had achieved a national reputation for his theatrical painting. In 1835 he moved to Philadelphia to paint for the Walnut Street Theater, and soon received commissions to paint for theaters in Boston and Washington. Around this time, he also began writing poetry. Even while engaged in theatrical work, Smith continued to paint landscapes which were exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Artists' Fund Society of Philadelphia as early as 1834.

Russell Smith married Mary Priscilla Wilson, a flower painter and teacher of French and drawing, in 1838. By the 1840s, in addition to painting landscapes and theatrical backdrops, Smith was advertising his services as an "illustrator for lectures on various branches of natural science painted in distemper." He accompanied the scientific expeditions of geologists William Barton Rogers and Henry Darwin Rogers to Virginia and the Susquehanna and Juniata River valleys of Pennsylvania in 1844 and 1845 as an illustrator. During this period, Smith also traveled extensively in New Hampshire and upstate New York for summer painting expeditions. The Smiths traveled to Europe with their two children in 1851-1852, touring Wales, Scotland, Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands, London, and Paris. Smith visited major museums and private collections, as well as architectural attractions, making sketches and keeping detailed notes of the trip.

Smith continued painting landscapes well into old age, even though his long out of fashion works were rejected with increasing frequency by the juries of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He died in 1896.

Born in Milestown, Pennsylvania in 1819, Mary Priscilla Smith (1819-1874) studied at a female seminary in Germantown, Pennsylvania operated by noted educator William Russell (Russell Smith's uncle) in Germantown, Pennsylvania, and at Charles Picot's school in Philadelphia. She eventually became a teacher of French, drawing, and painting at the Picot school, and later taught at a school established by William Russell in Philadelphia.

At her husband's urging, Mary Priscilla Smith, already an accomplished flower painter, began painting figures and landscapes, and participated in exhibitions of the Artists' Fund Society exhibitions. After becoming a mother, she painted very little but taught her children, Xanthus and Mary, to draw and paint. Mary Priscilla Smith died in 1874.

Xanthus Smith (1839-1929) was born in Philadelphia and was educated at home. During the family's European tour of 1851-1852 he saw a wide variety of art and, upon returning home, began painting with enthusiasm. Around 1858 he enrolled in a cast drawing class at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

At the start of the Civil War Xanthus Smith enlisted in the Navy, where he served as clerk to the commander of a flagship guarding Port Royal, South Carolina. He began producing detailed drawings of the ships both for official purposes and his own enjoyment. After the war, he continued painting ships and exhibited many of these paintings at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Further commissions of Civil War subjects followed, and Xanthus Smith was soon recognized as the foremost painter of Civil War naval battle scenes.

In the 1880s, Xanthus Smith began painting European landscapes, probably based on his father's sketches made during their 1851-1852 tour of Europe. By the 1900s, he was concentrating on portraiture and figure subjects, and continued painting well into old age. His final years were spent in an unsuccessful attempt to publish his autobiography, "An Unvarnished Tale." Xanthus Smith died in 1929.

Mary Russell Smith (1842-1878) was born near Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. Her mother provided her with instruction in flower painting and she sketched animals and insects independently. At age fourteen Mary Smith completed her first oil painting and by 1858 had begun compiling a list of her completed pictures. She was encouraged by her parents to pursue a career as a professional artist. From 1859-1869, and in 1876 and 1878, Mary Smith exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. She also participated in exhibitions at the National Academy of Design in New York, and in the 1876 Centennial Exhibition held in Philadelphia.

From early childhood, Mary Smith enjoyed raising poultry, and chickens became her favorite painting subject. Her paintings of chickens were popular with Philadelphia art collectors, and sought after in England.

Always sickly, Mary Smith died of gastric fever in 1878. At her request, Russell Smith established the Mary Smith Prize, awarded annually by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, for the best painting exhibited by a woman resident of Philadelphia.

Provenance:

The Smith family papers were donated to the Archives of American Art in 1978 and 1979 by Franklin R. Smith, a family descendent.

Restrictions:

The collection is partially microfilmed. Use of material not microfilmed requires an appointment.

Rights:

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.

Occupation:

Educators -- Pennsylvania  Search this

Painters -- Pennsylvania  Search this

Illustrators -- Pennsylvania  Search this

Poets -- Pennsylvania  Search this

Topic:

Works of art  Search this

Painting, Modern -- 19th century -- Pensylvania  Search this

Landscape painting  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sketchbooks

Writings

Scrapbooks

Tintypes

Drawings

Daguerreotypes

Ambrotypes

Photographs

Sketches

Citation:

Smith family papers, 1793-1977, bulk 1826-1977. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Glass plate negatives in this collection were digitized in 2019 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.

Identifier:

AAA.smitfami

See more items in:

Russell, Xanthus, and Mary Smith family papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9b2e5c68c-39d1-4cbc-afb7-9d2eff30ac80

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-smitfami

Creator:

Lay, Oliver Ingraham, 1845-1890  Search this

Lay, Charles Downing, 1877-1956  Search this

Names:

Bridges, Fidelia, 1834-1923  Search this

Lay, Laura Gill  Search this

Lay, Marian Wait  Search this

Extent:

10.54 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Landscape drawings

Diaries

Scrapbooks

Sketchbooks

Sketches

Date:

1789-2000

bulk 1870-1996

Summary:

The Oliver Ingraham Lay, Charles Downing Lay, and Lay Family Papers measure 10.54 linear feet and date from 1789 through 2000, with the bulk of the material dating from circa 1870-1996. The collection presents an overview of the personal lives and careers of painter, Oliver Ingraham Lay and his son, landscape architect, Charles Downing Lay. In addition, there are the papers of Lay family members and friends, including those of the Marian Wait Lay family (wife of Oliver Ingraham Lay) and of the Laura Gill Lay family (wife of Charles Downing Lay). Also found are the papers of the landscape and nature painter Fidelia Bridges. The collection consists of biographical material, correspondence, diaries, writings and notes, scrapbooks, family business records, exhibition files, printed material, as well as original artwork, sketches, a sketchbook, landscape designs, and photographs.

Scope and Contents:

The Oliver Ingraham Lay, Charles Downing Lay, and Lay Family Papers measure 10.54 linear feet and date from 1789 through 2000, with the bulk of the material dating from circa 1870-1996. The collection presents an overview of the personal lives and careers of painter, Oliver Ingraham Lay and his son, landscape architect, Charles Downing Lay. In addition, there are the papers of Lay family members and friends, including those of the Marian Wait Lay family (wife of Oliver Ingraham Lay) and of the Laura Gill Lay family (wife of Charles Downing Lay). Also found are the papers of the landscape and nature painter Fidelia Bridges. The collection consists of biographical material, correspondence, diaries, writings and notes, scrapbooks, family business records, exhibition files, printed material, as well as original artwork, sketches, a sketchbook, landscape designs, and photographs.

The extensive correspondence files illustrate the interaction between the Lays' and their extended circle of family members and friends, offering a view of the social and cultural milieu of a cross section of New England and New York gentry, from the mid-nineteenth through the early twentieth centuries. The papers also provide a resource to study the work of Oliver Ingraham Lay and of Charles Downing Lay through original drawings, sketches, and landscape designs.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 3 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Oliver Ingraham Lay and Marian Wait Lay Papers, 1789-1955 (4.2 linear ft.; Boxes 1-5, OV 11)

Series 2: Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay Papers, 1864-1993 (4.2 linear ft.; Boxes 5-9, OV 12-13)

Series 3: Fidelia Bridges Papers, 1857-2000 (1.4 linear ft.; Boxes 9-10)

Biographical / Historical:

Oliver Ingraham Lay (1845-1890) was a painter of portraits and genre scenes. Charles Downing Lay (1898-1956) was a landscape planner, architect, and painter.

Born in 1845 in New York City, Oliver Ingraham Lay studied under the painter Thomas Hicks (1823-1890) and attended the Cooper Institute and the National Academy of Design. Best-known for his portraiture, Lay's subjects included socially and politically prominent individuals, as well as artists, actors, and friends, such as Fidelia Bridges and Edwin Booth, among others. In 1876, Lay was elected to membership to the National Academy of Design and the Artists' Fund Society; in 1887 he became a member of the Century Association. Lay was married to Marian Wait, the niece of the pre-eminent pomologist, Charles Downing (1802-1885) and landscape gardener and rural architect, Andrew Jackson Downing (1815-1852).

Oliver's son, Charles Downing Lay was born in Newburgh, New York in 1898. He attended the School of Architecture at Columbia University from 1896-1900 and earned a Bachelor of Science from Harvard University's School of Landscape Architecture in 1902. That same year, Lay established a landscape practice in New York City; he also served as Landscape Architect for the City of New York from 1911-1912. In 1904, he married Laura Brown Gill.

In addition to his public work projects, he received numerous commissions for private homes and estates in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Lay, along with Henry V. Hubbard and Robert Wheelwright founded the professional magazine, Landscape Architecture where he served as publisher, editor, and contributor. He was a consulting architect to the 1939 New York World's Fair. In 1948, he established the Housatonic Valley Planning Association.

Oliver and Charles's lifelong friend, Fidelia Bridges (1834-1923) was born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1834. Orphaned in her youth, she supported herself as a mother's helper in the Quaker household of the Salem merchant, William A. Brown. In the mid-1850s, after Brown had moved to Brooklyn, New York, Fidelia Bridges joined the family, where she took on the role of governess to Brown's daughters. Around this time, she met Oliver Ingraham Lay.

In the 1860s, Bridges studied art at the studio of William Trost Richards (1833-1905) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1867, Bridges, along with a group of young women artists that included Anne Whitney (1821-1915) left for Rome to pursue her artistic training. Upon her return, Bridges set up a studio in New York City. In the early 1890s, Fidelia settled permanently in Canaan, Connecticut.

Bridges, influenced by the Pre-Raphaelite school, depicted landscapes and nature scenes with detailed renderings of birds, meadows, and wildflowers. In addition, Bridges sold her artwork commercially; in the mid-1870s, Louis Prang and Company produced her chromolithographic designs on greeting cards and calendars. Bridges also illustrated magazines and books.

Related Materials:

A small collection of Oliver Ingraham Lay papers were loaned for microfilming and are available on reel 801. The originals are at the New-York Historical Society. The bulk of Charles Downing Lay's papers, 1898-1956 reside in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.

Provenance:

George C. Lay, grandson of portrait painter Oliver Lay and the son of Charles Downing Lay donated the Oliver Ingraham Lay, Charles Downing Lay, and Lay Family Papers to the Archives of American Art in 2002.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. Research Center.

Rights:

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.

Occupation:

Landscape painters  Search this

Painters -- Connecticut  Search this

Topic:

Landscape architects  Search this

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Photographs  Search this

Genre/Form:

Landscape drawings

Diaries

Scrapbooks

Sketchbooks

Sketches

Citation:

Oliver Ingraham Lay, Charles Downing Lay, and Lay Family Papers, 1789-2000, bulk 1870-1996. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Glass plate negatives in this collection were digitized in 2019 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.

Identifier:

AAA.layoliv

See more items in:

Oliver Ingraham Lay, Charles Downing Lay, and Lay Family papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9780ed009-4555-40ed-af1c-252ed725d5aa

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-layoliv

Creator:

Artists' Fund Society of Philadelphia  Search this

Type:

Printed Materials

Date:

1880 June 21 - July 4

Citation:

Artists' Fund Society of Philadelphia. The Arkell Collection, 1880 June 21 - July 4. Edward Gay and Gay family papers, 1852-1983. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Record number:

(DSI-AAA)9065

See more items in:

Edward Gay and Gay family papers, 1852-1983

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_item_9065

Creator:

Gay, Edward, 1837-1928  Search this

Gay, Duncan, 1865-1948  Search this

Names:

Artists' Fund Society  Search this

Gay, Ingovar  Search this

Gay, Martha Feary  Search this

Learned, Helen Gay  Search this

Extent:

2.6 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Sketches

Sketchbooks

Date:

1852-1983

Summary:

The papers of Edward Gay and the Gay family measure 2.6 linear feet and date from 1852 to 1983. Found within the papers are biographical materials on Edward and Duncan Gay; personal correspondence from Edward Gay, his wife Martha Feary Gay, and other family members; artwork by Edward and Duncan Gay; writings; printed materials; and photographs of Edward and Duncan Gay, their family, and their work.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of Edward Gay and the Gay family measure 2.6 linear feet and date from 1852 to 1983. Found within the papers are biographical materials on Edward and Duncan Gay; personal correspondence from Edward Gay, his wife Martha Feary Gay, and other family members; artwork by Edward and Duncan Gay; writings; printed materials; and photographic materials of Edward and Duncan Gay, their family, and their work.

Papers of Edward Gay include legal documents; family and business correspondence, including correspondence from fellow artists; writings, including reminiscences by Martha Gay; printed materials; artwork, including one sketchbook; a small selection of business papers related to the Artists' Fund Society; and photographs of Edward and Martha Gay, their homes, and Gay's artwork.

Papers of Duncan Gay include biographical materials; family correspondence; printed material; artwork, including three sketchbooks and sketches of house plans; and photographic materials of Duncan Gay, his travels, and his artwork.

Gay family papers consist primarily of correspondence to Ingovar Gay and Helen Gay Learned, and photographs of the Gay family, extended family members, and friends.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 3 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Edward Gay Papers, 1852-1983 (0.8 linear feet; Box 1, OV 4-5)

Series 2: Duncan Gay Papers, 1870-1983 (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)

Series 3: Gay Family Papers, 1888-1970 (1.3 linear feet; Boxes 2-3)

Biographical / Historical:

Landscape painter Edward Gay (1837-1928) lived and worked in Mount Vernon and Cragsmoor, New York and was known for his works depicting the local countryside of upstate New York and the Hudson River Valley.

Born in Mullingar, Ireland to Richard and Ellen Gay, his family immigrated to Albany, New York in 1848. After showing an early affinity for art, Gay began his studies in the studio of local landscape painters William and James Hart. Under the Harts' advisement, Gay traveled to Karlsruhe, Germany in 1862 to continue his studies with Johann Wilhelm Schirmer and Karl Friedrich Lessing. After returning to America in 1864, Gay married the art critic Martha Feary and lived for a short time in New York City before moving his family to Mount Vernon and eventually purchasing a home there in 1870. He exhibited in museums and galleries throughout America and painted murals for public libraries in Mount Vernon and Bronxville, New York. Gay was a member of the National Academy of Design, New York Artists' Fund Society, and Lotus Club, and was a recipient of the National Academy's George Inness Gold Medal and the Society of American Artists' Shaw Prize.

Duncan Gay (1865-1948), Edward Gay's eldest son, was also an artist. Duncan worked as a draftsman and designer for Louis Comfort Tiffany, where he remained employed prior to becoming a self-employed artist and stained glass designer.

Provenance:

The papers were donated in separate accessions beginning in 1959 by Edward Gay's daughter, Dorothy Gay Gordon. Additional materials on Edward Gay were donated by Gay's grandson, Richard G. Coker, in 1974. From 1983 to 1995, materials on Edward and Duncan Gay and the Gay family were donated by Susanne G. Linville, Duncan Gay's daughter.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Rights:

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.

Occupation:

Painters -- New York (State)  Search this

Topic:

Landscape painting -- 20th century -- New York (State)  Search this

Landscape painting -- 19th century -- New York (State)  Search this

Landscape painters -- New York (State)  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Sketches

Sketchbooks

Citation:

Edward Gay and Gay family papers, 1852-1983. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for digitization of the Edward Gay and Gay Family Papers was made possible by a gift from Edward Gay's descendants Gay Fort Boswell, Wickie Fort Bridgforth, Melanie Fort Christian, Caleb Fort, Edward Fort, Hamlet Fort, James Fort, William Fort, Claudia Fort Heath, Jack Linville, and Jim Linville, in memory of Daniel Wilkins Fort

Identifier:

AAA.gayedwap

See more items in:

Edward Gay and Gay family papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9a4fe1aa3-8043-4eba-99a4-d05ff49c2d7f

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-gayedwap

Artist:

Carlin, J.  Search this

Type:

Paintings

Exhibition Catalogs

Date:

1876

Topic:

Occupation--Beggar  Search this

State of Being--Disabled--Blind  Search this

Figure  Search this

State of Being--Evil--Danger  Search this

Control number:

AECI 06270155

Data Source:

Pre-1877 Art Exhibition Catalogue Index

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_aeci_111394

Artist:

Ferris, Stephen J.  Search this

Type:

Paintings

Exhibition Catalogs

Date:

1876

Topic:

Performing Arts--Music--Harp  Search this

Figure male  Search this

State of Being--Disabled--Blind  Search this

Control number:

AECI 01710715

Data Source:

Pre-1877 Art Exhibition Catalogue Index

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_aeci_34304

Artist:

Pistorius  Search this

Type:

Drawings

Exhibition Catalogs

Date:

1876

Topic:

Occupation--Beggar  Search this

Performing Arts--Music--Fiddle  Search this

Figure male  Search this

State of Being--Disabled--Blind  Search this

Control number:

AECI 04560238

Data Source:

Pre-1877 Art Exhibition Catalogue Index

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_aeci_90217

Artist:

Roybet, F.  Search this

Type:

Paintings

Exhibition Catalogs

Date:

1876

Topic:

Performing Arts--Circus--Clown  Search this

Figure  Search this

Control number:

AECI 04910177

Data Source:

Pre-1877 Art Exhibition Catalogue Index

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_aeci_94856

Artist:

Ferris, S. J.  Search this

Type:

Paintings

Exhibition Catalogs

Date:

1876

Topic:

State of Being--Other--Imprisonment  Search this

Figure(s) In Interior--Civic  Search this

Architecture--Civic--Prison  Search this

Control number:

AECI 06480008

Data Source:

Pre-1877 Art Exhibition Catalogue Index

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_aeci_113682

Artist:

Trotter, N. H.  Search this

Type:

Paintings

Exhibition Catalogs

Date:

1876

Topic:

Figure group  Search this

State of Being--Other--Imprisonment  Search this

Control number:

AECI 08040160

Data Source:

Pre-1877 Art Exhibition Catalogue Index

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_aeci_121264