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Hiram Powers papers, 1819-1953, bulk 1835-1883

Creator:
Powers, Hiram, 1805-1873  Search this
Subject:
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett  Search this
Atlee, Samuel Yorke  Search this
Astor, William B. (William Backhouse)  Search this
Adams, John Quincy  Search this
Webster, Daniel  Search this
Healy, G.P.A. (George Peter Alexander)  Search this
Peabody, George  Search this
Powers, Preston  Search this
Powers, Longworth  Search this
Story, William Wetmore  Search this
Sartain, John  Search this
Trollope, Francis  Search this
Taylor, Bayard  Search this
Bryant, William Cullen  Search this
Calhoun, John C. (John Caldwell)  Search this
Crawford, Thomas  Search this
Dix, John A. (John Adams)  Search this
Durand, Asher Brown  Search this
Everett, Edward  Search this
Fuller, Charles Francis  Search this
Gray, Henry Peters  Search this
Greeley, Horace  Search this
Jackson, Andrew  Search this
Kinney, E. Clementine  Search this
Kinney, William  Search this
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth  Search this
Marsh, George Perkins  Search this
Morse, Samuel Finley Breese  Search this
Type:
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Writings
Drawings
Poetry
Citation:
Hiram Powers papers, 1819-1953, bulk 1835-1883. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Sculptors -- Italy -- Florence  Search this
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)7255
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209405
AAA_collcode_powehira
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209405
Online Media:

Robert C. Graham collection of artists' letters, 1783-1935, bulk 1804-1877

Creator:
Graham, Robert Claverhouse, 1913-1994  Search this
Subject:
Peale, Rembrandt  Search this
Trumbull, John  Search this
West, Benjamin  Search this
Morse, Samuel Finley Breese  Search this
Healy, G.P.A. (George Peter Alexander)  Search this
Sargent, John Singer  Search this
Sully, Thomas  Search this
Doughty, Thomas  Search this
Huntington, Daniel  Search this
Inman, Henry  Search this
Leutze, Emanuel  Search this
Type:
Letters
Citation:
Robert C. Graham collection of artists' letters, 1783-1935, bulk 1804-1877. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Artists' writings  Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)5810
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)208650
AAA_collcode_grahrobe
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_208650
Online Media:

Hiram Powers papers

Creator:
Powers, Hiram, 1805-1873  Search this
Names:
Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848  Search this
Astor, William B. (William Backhouse), 1792-1875  Search this
Atlee, Samuel Yorke, b. 1808  Search this
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett, 1806-1861  Search this
Bryant, William Cullen, 1794-1878  Search this
Calhoun, John C. (John Caldwell), 1782-1850  Search this
Crawford, Thomas, 1813 or 14-1857  Search this
Dix, John A. (John Adams), 1798-1879  Search this
Durand, Asher Brown, 1796-1886  Search this
Everett, Edward, 1794-1865  Search this
Fuller, Charles Francis  Search this
Gray, Henry Peters, 1819-1877  Search this
Greeley, Horace, 1811-1872  Search this
Healy, G.P.A. (George Peter Alexander), 1813-1894  Search this
Jackson, Andrew, 1767-1845  Search this
Kinney, E. Clementine  Search this
Kinney, William  Search this
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 1807-1882  Search this
Marsh, George Perkins, 1801-1882  Search this
Morse, Samuel Finley Breese, 1791-1872  Search this
Peabody, George, 1795-1869  Search this
Powers, Longworth, 1835-1904  Search this
Powers, Preston, 1842 or 1843-1904  Search this
Sartain, John, 1808-1897  Search this
Story, William Wetmore, 1819-1895  Search this
Taylor, Bayard, 1825-1878  Search this
Trollope, Francis  Search this
Webster, Daniel, 1782-1852  Search this
Extent:
12.4 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Writings
Drawings
Poetry
Date:
1819-1953
bulk 1835-1883
Summary:
The papers of sculptor Hiram Powers measure 12.4 linear feet and date from 1819 to 1953, with the bulk of the material dating from 1835 to 1883. Over two-thirds of the collection consists of Powers' correspondence with business associates, purchasers of his artwork, and numerous friends in the United States and Florence, Italy. Of note is Powers' "Studio Memorandum," from 1841 to 1845, which contains dated notations of letters written, receipts and expenditures, business contacts, works in progress, commissions and price quotations for work, comments on problems encountered during studio work, and other notes. Additional papers include scattered biographical material, financial and legal records, printed materials, photographs of Powers, his family, artwork, as well as an extensive collection of carte de visite and cabinet card portraits of many notable figures. Also found is a small amount of artwork by Powers and others, a scrapbook, and two autograph and memorabilia albums.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of sculptor Hiram Powers measure 12.4 linear feet and date from 1819 to 1953, with the bulk of the material dating from 1835 to 1883. Over two-thirds of the collection consists of Powers' correspondence, which is particularly rich in documenting his artwork, methodology, and his interaction with business associates, purchasers of his artwork, and his numerous friends in the United States and Florence, Italy. Other papers include scattered biographical material, writings by Powers and others, financial and legal records, news clippings and printed items, photographs of Powers, his family, artwork, as well as an extensive collection of carte de visite and cabinet card portraits of many notable figures. Also found is a small amount of artwork by Powers and others, a scrapbook, and two autograph and memorabilia albums.

Biographical material consists of documents for honors conferred on Powers, price lists and inventories of his artwork, papers regarding his death, including a translation of his will, and ephemera, such as his studio cap.

The bulk of the collection consists of Powers' correspondence with family, friends, business associates, and others, documenting his career as an artist and his personal life after he and his family moved to Florence, Italy, in 1837. Almost all of the letters have typed unconfirmed transcriptions completed by volunteers at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Besides details of his studio work and business dealings, his letters often discuss his views on aesthetics, American politics, slavery and the Civil War, and Spiritualism. Notable correspondence is with William B. Astor, Edward Everett, Samuel York Atlee, William and E. Clementine Kinney, George P. Marsh, George Peabody, Presidents Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams, William Cullen Bryant, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, John C. Calhoun, Thomas Crawford, John A. Dix, Asher Durand, Charles Francis Fuller, Henry Peters Gray, Horace Greeley, George P. A. Healy, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Samuel F. B. Morse, W. W. Story, John Sartain, Frances Trollope, and Daniel Webster.

Writings by Powers include his "Studio Memorandum," a journal-type notebook he kept from 1841 to 1845, which contains dated notations of letters written, receipts and expenditures, business contacts, works in progress, commissions and price quotations for work, comments on problems encountered during studio work, and other notes. Additional writings include poetry and autobiographical essays and instructions for handling his sculptures. Writings by others include poetry, most of which was written in praise of Powers' artwork. Of note are handwritten transcripts of poems by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Bayard Taylor, and John Quincy Adams. Also found here are short writings about Powers and his artwork.

Scattered financial and legal records in this collection include patent documents for tools invented by Powers, legal agreements, account statements, and bills and receipts. Printed material consists of news clippings, two booklets, an art association brochure, and an exhibition catalog for works by Powers.

This collection contains photographs of Hiram Powers, his family, friends, notable public figures, and artwork. Many of the photographs were taken by his son, Longworth Powers, who had a private photography studio in Florence. Included are portraits of Powers and his family, as well as a collection of 267 carte de visite and cabinet card portraits of artists, performers, politicians, writers, scientists, and other public figures, many of whom were friends with the Powers family. Other photographs depict Woodstock, Vermont, the marble quarry at Carrara, Italy, and artwork by Hiram and Preston Powers. Also found here is a photograph album kept by Louisa Powers.

Artwork consists of three drawings by Hiram Powers, including a caricature of Miner Kellogg. Also found in this collection is a scrapbook containing news clippings regarding the American tour of the sculpture Greek Slave, an autograph album belonging to Louisa Powers, and an album containing pencil drawings by Preston Powers and dried flowers collected on travels.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 8 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1841-1927 (Box 1, 15; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1819-1883 (Box 1-10; 9.0 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings, 1827-1887 (Box 10; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 4: Financial and Legal Records, circa 1840s-1892, 1915 (Box 10, OV 17; 8 folders)

Series 5: Printed Material, circa 1845-1953 (Box 10; 5 folders)

Series 6: Photographs, circa 1860s-1900, 1927, 1932, early 1950s (Box 10-13, 16, OV 17; 1.8 linear feet)

Series 7: Artwork, 1860, mid-1800s (Box 11; 4 folders)

Series 8: Scrapbooks and Albums, 1847-1876 (Box 14; 3 folders)
Biographical Note:
American sculptor Hiram Powers (1805-1873) was born in Woodstock, Vermont, and lived and worked briefly in Washington, D.C. and Boston, before settling permanently in Florence, Italy. Powers is known for portrait busts of prominent American politicians and his idealized neo-classical sculptures, most notably the Greek Slave.

The second youngest of nine children, Powers moved with his family to Cincinnati, Ohio in 1817. When he was 18 he began working in a factory that repaired watches and organs, and he later worked in the mechanical department of Dorfeuille's Western Museum. There, he developed his interest in sculpture and received a commission to create wax figures for a tableau of Dante's Inferno. In 1825 he studied with the Prussian sculptor Frederick Eckstein, who taught him how to model clay and make plaster casts. His early commissions for portrait busts caught the attention of Nicholas Longworth, who became his first patron and funded his travel to Washington, DC, in 1834. While in Washington, Powers completed portrait busts of several prominent politicians, including President Andrew Jackson. He also briefly worked on several commissions in Boston. In 1837, thanks to the patronage of Colonel John S. Preston, he and his family moved to Florence, Italy. He intended to live there for only a few years, but remained there for the rest of his life.

Powers set up a studio in Florence with several assistants, and continued to work on portrait bust commissions. He and his family were active members of the intellectual community of American and English émigrés, such as Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Horatio Greenough, the Trollope family, and many others. His studio was also a frequent stop on tourists' visits to Florence. In 1839 Powers began working on idealized sculptures in the Neo-classical style, based on history, mythology, and religion. Perhaps most famous of these are Greek Slave and Fisher Boy. Completed in 1845, Greek Slave was exhibited in London and toured the United States. The sculpture received wide attention from the press for its depiction of female nudity and its philosophical significance, and established Powers' international success as a sculptor.

During his career Powers received private and government commissions for portrait busts and ideal sculptures, and sold many replicas of his work. He also invented improved tools for use in his studio, which were patented in the United States, and he developed a special finishing process for marble from the Carrara quarry. He maintained friendships with many Americans through extensive correspondence, and openly expressed his views on the Civil War and the abolition of slavery. Powers' son Longworth had a photography and sculpture studio nearby, and his son Preston, also a sculptor, took over many of Hiram Powers' remaining projects at the time of his death in 1873.
Related Material:
Additional Hiram Powers papers are available at the Winterthur Museum.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds materials lent for microfilming. Reel D117 contains "The Sculpture of Hiram Powers," by Paul B. Metzler. Reels 815-818 includes a "Collection of Letters from Old Residents of Cincinnati to Hiram Powers," compiled by Clara Louise Dentler. Reels 1102-1103 are comprised of an unpublished manuscript entitled "White Marble: The Life and Letters of Hiram Powers, Sculptor," by Clara Louise Dentler. Lent materials were returned to the lenders and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
The Hiram Powers papers were purchased by the Smithsonian American Art Museum in 1967 from Christina Seeber, great-granddaughter of Hiram Powers which was subsequenlty transferred to the Archives of American Art in 1984. The Cincinnati Historical Society and Ohio State University also lent the Archives omaterials for microfilming in 1974.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers 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.
Topic:
Sculptors -- Italy -- Florence  Search this
Genre/Form:
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Writings
Drawings
Poetry
Citation:
Hiram Powers papers, 1819-1953, bulk 1835-1883. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.powehira
See more items in:
Hiram Powers papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw90ad32f84-2619-4144-9600-0e9de7d6372d
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-powehira
Online Media:

Robert C. Graham collection of artists' letters

Creator:
Graham, Robert Claverhouse, 1913-1994  Search this
Names:
Doughty, Thomas, 1793-1856  Search this
Healy, G.P.A. (George Peter Alexander), 1813-1894  Search this
Huntington, Daniel, 1816-1906  Search this
Inman, Henry, 1801-1846  Search this
Leutze, Emanuel, 1816-1868  Search this
Morse, Samuel Finley Breese, 1791-1872  Search this
Peale, Rembrandt, 1778-1860  Search this
Sargent, John Singer, 1856-1925  Search this
Sully, Thomas, 1783-1872  Search this
Trumbull, John, 1756-1843  Search this
West, Benjamin, 1738-1820  Search this
Extent:
0.2 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Letters
Date:
1783-1935
bulk 1804-1877
Summary:
The Robert C. Graham collection of artists' letters measure 0.2 linear feet and dates from 1783 to 1935, with the bulk of the letters dating from 1804 to 1877. Graham, an art dealer and collector, compiled the unrelated letters of several late eighteenth-century and nineteenth-century painters such as Thomas Biddle, Thomas Doughty, G. P. A. Healy, Daniel Huntington, Henry Inman, Emanuel Leutze, Samuel F. B. Morse, Rembrandt Peale, John Singer Sargent, Thomas Sully, John Trumbull, Benjamin West, and others.
Scope and Content Note:
The Robert C. Graham collection of artists' letters measure 0.2 linear feet dates from 1783 to 1935, with the bulk of the letters dating from 1804 to 1877. Graham, an art dealer and collector, compiled the unrelated letters of several late eighteenth-century and nineteenth-century painters such as Thomas Doughty, G. P. A. Healy, Daniel Huntington, Henry Inman, Emanuel Leutze, Samuel F. B. Morse, Rembrandt Peale, John Singer Sargent, Thomas Sully, John Trumbull, Benjamin West, and others.
Arrangement:
Folders are arranged alphabetically by the author of the letter. Multiple letters within folders are arranged chronologically.
Biographical Note:
Robert Claverhouse Graham (1913-1994) was the director of the Graham Gallery in New York City. He and his brother James were fourth generation owners of the gallery which specialized in nineteenth- and twentieth-century American art.
Related Material:
Related material found in the Archives includes the recording and transcript of a 1976 interview of Robert Claverhouse Graham conducted by Paul Cummings for the Archives of American Art. The Archives also holds numerous collections of papers related to or created by the artists who wrote these letters.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 1961 by Robert C. Graham.
Restrictions:
The collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website.
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 -- 19th century  Search this
Topic:
Artists' writings  Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Genre/Form:
Letters
Citation:
Robert C. Graham collection of artists' letters, 1783-1935. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.grahrobe
See more items in:
Robert C. Graham collection of artists' letters
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw911e25e88-866b-4208-914f-c84d57760495
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-grahrobe
Online Media:

G.P.A. (George Peter Alexander) Healy, 1813-1894 [Folder]

Contents:
Folder(s) may include exhibition announcements, newspaper and/or magazine clippings, press releases, brochures, reviews, invitations, illustrations, resumes, artist's statements, exhibition catalogs.
Topic:
Artists  Search this
Location:
Art & Artist files at the Smithsonian American Art Museum/ National Portrait Gallery Library
Data source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:SILAF_54316

Frederick S. Voss research material on George Peter Alexander Healy

Researcher:
Voss, Frederick S.  Search this
Artist:
Healy, G.P.A. (George Peter Alexander), 1813-1894  Search this
Extent:
5 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1980-2007
bulk 1998-2003
Summary:
Research material gathered by Frederick S. Voss regarding portrait painter G. P. A. (George Peter Alexander) Healy (1813-1894), including correspondence with museums, historical soceities, and librarys, articles about Healy and his sitters, as well as photocopied correspondence and manuscripts written by Healy.
Scope and Contents:
These papers are the research materials of Frederick Voss on the subject of American portrait painter G. P. A. (George Peter Alexander) Healy. The research material was compiled by Voss for a possible exhibition, and the article "Webster Replying to Hayne: George Healy and the Economics of History Painting" featured in American Art, 2001. The research material contains correspondence, biographical information on Healy, notes, writings, printed material, and photographs of artwork. Correspondence contains information on the current locations of Healy's portraits. Printed material includes articles written about Healy, sitters in Healy's portraits, as well as contemporary painters of Healy's time. There is much biographical information about Healy, files are arranged based on Healy's residences, throughout American and England, shown through timelines created by Voss. The collection also includes a full listing of Healy's portraits throughout his lifetime.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as two series:

Series 1: Files

Series 2: Binders

The files are arranged according to the creator's, Frederick Voss, organization.
Biographical / Historical:
Frederick s. Voss was the senior historian and curator of the Time Magazine covers collection at the National Portrait Gallery from 1971 - 2004. He is the author of several books: Majestic Wrath: A Pictorial life of Frederick Douglas, 1995; Hemingway: A write in His time, 1999; and Portraits of the Presidents: The National Portrait Gallery, 2000. Voss conducted significant research into the life and works of G. P. A. (George Peter Alexander) Healy (July 15, 1813 - June 24, 1894), American portrait painter.
Provenance:
Acquired from Frederick S. Voss.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Rights:
The Frederick S. Voss research material is owned by the Catalog of American Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, and is available for use by researchers. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Occupation:
Portrait painters  Search this
Citation:
Frederick S. Voss research material on G.P.A. Healy, 1980-2007, bulk 1998-2003. Catalog of American Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NPG.CAP.00003
See more items in:
Frederick S. Voss research material on George Peter Alexander Healy
Archival Repository:
National Portrait Gallery
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sp90e125d60-3685-4c51-9fa1-0df8707b272e
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-npg-cap-00003

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