Archives of American Art

Longacre family papers

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.longlong
Creators:
Longacre family
Dates:
[ca. 1810]-1952
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
9 Microfilm reels
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
Correspondence, biographical and genealogical information, poems, notes, diaries, artwork, sketchbooks, photographs, business papers and printed material relating to the Longacre family, especially James Barton Longacre and Andrew Longacre.
Scope and Contents
REEL P1-P2: Correspondence and papers of James Barton Longacre, 1819-1857, mostly concerned with his position as engraver of the U.S. Mint, Philadelphia, and his publication THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY OF DISTINGUISHED AMERICANS. Letters include correspondence with Asher B. Durand, James Herring, John Neagle, Thomas Sully and George Catlin. Additional material includes diaries, sketches and designs for coinage, a biography, autobiographical notes, and printed material.
Scope and Contents
REEL 986: Five sketchbooks, ca.1861-1894, of Reverend Andrew Longacre. Sketches depict landscapes, interiors, and monogram designs made in the United States, Europe, North Africa and the Near East. In addition there is a memoranda book kept by Longacre, ca. 1890.
Scope and Contents
REELS 1046-1048: Letters, including: correspondence between James and his wife; between James and Andrew during the Civil War; and Lydia Longacre's letters from Europe, 1899-1900; and letters from Theodore Bolton to Mrs. James M. Longacre about including James in his book, EARLY AMERICAN PORTRAIT DRAUGHTSMEN IN CRAYONS. Also included are biographical notes on James; an autobiography of Andrew; poetry and writings by James; accounts of a trip to Egypt by Andrew; financial documents relating to James; artwork; designs for coins and sketchbooks by James, Andrew and Lydia and material relating to an engraving of Charles Carroll by James.
Scope and Contents
REELS 1083 & 1050: Genealogical information on the Stiles and Longacre families; letters from Andrew to his father, James Barton Longacre, and his sister, Sallie, and other family members and friends; a copy of James Barton's 1825 diary; poems and compositions by Andrew; financial and business papers, 1898-1918; 28 photographs depicting portraits of James and Andrew, Lydia E. Longacre and her miniature paintings.
Scope and Contents
REEL 3091: Two engravings by James after paintings by Benjamin West and a letter from Augusta M. Longacre to Bolton regarding Bolton's biography of James.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Artists; Philadelphia and New York. James Barton Longacre was an engraver and portrait painter. Chief engraver at the U.S. Mint, Philadelphia, from 1844-1869. His engravings and portraits illustrate several books including THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY OF DISTINGUISHED AMERICANS, and BIOGRAPHY OF THE SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. His son, Andrew Longacre was an engraver, watercolorist, and Methodist minister. His daughter, Lydia Longacre was a miniature painter, pupil of the Art Students League of New York, under Chase and Mowbray, and under Whistler in Paris.

Administration

Existence and Location of Originals
Reels P1-P2: Originals in the Library Company of Philadelphia Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Existence and Location of Originals
Reel 986: Originals returned to the lender, Mr. Fred Longacre, after microfilming.
Existence and Location of Originals
Letters (1922) from Theodore Bolton to Mrs. James M. Longacre, reels 1046-1047: Originals returned to the lender, Mrs. Andrew Longacre, after microfilming.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Material on reels P1-P2 lent for microfilming by the Library Company of Philadelphia; Material on reel 986 lent 1975 by Fred Longacre; material on reels 1050 and 1083 lent 1975-1976 by Mrs. Andrew Longacre who also donated the material on reels 1046-1048 in 1982; material on reel 3091 donated 1981 by the NMAA-PG Library.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
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.

More Information

Other Finding Aids

Other Finding Aids
Microfilm reels P1-P2: Transcripts and abstracts avaiable in Archives of American Art's Washington, D.C. office.


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Coin design -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Engraving, American -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Portrait painting, American Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Portrait prints, American Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Egypt -- description and travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sketchbooks Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Stipple engravers Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Miniature painters -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Engravers -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Portrait painters -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bolton, Theodore, b. 1889 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Catlin, George, 1796-1872 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Durand, Asher Brown, 1796-1886 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Herring, James, 1794-1867 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Neagle, John, 1796-1865 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sully, Thomas, 1783-1872 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Longacre, Andrew, 1831-1906 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Longacre, Augusta M. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Longacre, James Barton, 1794-1869 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Longacre, Lydia E. (Lydia Eastwick), 1870-1951 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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