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Catalog Data

Creator:
Hart, Charles Henry, 1847-1918  Search this
Names:
Anshutz, Thomas Pollock, 1851-1912  Search this
Audubon, John James, 1785-1851  Search this
Chase, William Merritt, 1849-1916  Search this
Church, Frederic Edwin, 1826-1900  Search this
Copley, John Singleton, 1738-1815  Search this
Cox, Kenyon, 1856-1919  Search this
Eakins, Thomas, 1844-1916  Search this
McEntee, Jervis, 1828-1891  Search this
Morse, Samuel Finley Breese, 1791-1872  Search this
Peale, Charles Willson, 1741-1827  Search this
Peale, Raphaelle, 1774-1825  Search this
Peale, Rembrandt, 1778-1860  Search this
Peale, Rubens, 1784-1865  Search this
Peale, Titian Ramsay, 1799-1885  Search this
Smillie, James David, 1833-1909  Search this
Stuart, Gilbert, 1755-1828  Search this
Sully, Thomas, 1783-1872  Search this
Thayer, Abbott Handerson, 1849-1921  Search this
Vanderlyn, John, 1775-1852  Search this
Vedder, Elihu, 1836-1923  Search this
Ward, John Quincy Adams, 1830-1910  Search this
West, Benjamin, 1738-1820  Search this
Whistler, James McNeill, 1834-1903  Search this
Extent:
1.71 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1731-1918
Summary:
The Charles Henry Hart autograph collection dates from 1731-1917 and measures 1.71 linear feet comprised of 232 letters, portrait prints, and other documents signed by American artists. There is a .01 linear foot (6 items) unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2021 that includes a letter from Winslow Homer to Mr. Clarke, November 28, 1892; typed and annotated lists of autographs of artists in the collections of Charles Henry Hart; handwritten note about English painter and engraver, John Keyse Sherwin, undated; handwritten note regarding Gennearino Persico, miniature artist, July 18, 1826.
Scope and Contents:
The Charles Henry Hart autograph collection dates from 1731-1917 and measures 1.71 linear feet comprised of 232 letters, portrait prints, and other documents signed by American artists. There is a .01 linear foot (6 items) unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2021 that includes a letter from Winslow Homer to Mr. Clarke, November 28, 1892; typed and annotated lists of autographs of artists in the collections of Charles Henry Hart; handwritten note about English painter and engraver, John Keyse Sherwin, undated; handwritten note regarding Gennearino Persico, miniature artist, July 18, 1826. Originally titled by Hart as "The History of Art in America as Told in a Remarkable Collection of Autograph Letters and Documents of Celebrated American Artists of the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Century," the collection includes letters and other items signed by Thomas Anshutz, John J. Audubon, William Merritt Chase, Frederic Edwin Church, John Singleton Copley, Kenyon Cox, Thomas Eakins, Jervis McEntee, Samuel F.B. Morse, Charles Willson Peale, Raphaelle Peale, Rembrandt Peale, Rubens Peale, Titian Peale, James Daivd Smillie, Gilbert Stuart, Thomas Sully, Abbott Handerson Thayer, John Vanderlyn, Elihu Vedder, John Quincy Adams Ward, Benjamin West, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, and many others.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in 2 series. Missing Title Series 1: Charles Henry Hart autograph collection, 1731-1917 (226 items; Box 1-5) Series 2: Unprocessed Addition, 1826-1892 and undated (6 items; MMS folder 6)
Biographical / Historical:
Charles Henry Hart (1847-1918) was a historian, lawyer, writer, and director, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 1882-1904. Widely, he published on the subject of 18th and 19th century portraiture in the United States.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds the personal papers of Charles Henry Hart, dating from 1774-1930, bulk 1888-1918. Papers of Charles Henry Hart, 1888-1894, are also located at The New York Public Library Archives & Manuscripts.
Provenance:
The Charles Henry Hart autograph collection was donated to the Archives of American Art in 1954 as an anonymous gift. It is assumed that Hart assembled the letters. Original collation was two letterbooks entitled "The History of Art in America as Told in a Remarkable Collection of Autograph Letters and Documents of Celebrated American Artists of the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Century." Additional six items donated in 2021 by Ty West, who found the compiled material among his grandfather-in-law's belongings.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' 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.
Topic:
Autographs -- Collections  Search this
Artists -- United States -- Portraits  Search this
Autographs -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
Artists -- United States -- Autographs  Search this
Citation:
Charles Henry Hart autograph collection, 1731-1918. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.hartchar
See more items in:
Charles Henry Hart autograph collection
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw912c4422c-cbb9-4889-838e-46e6976b6dca
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-hartchar