Scope and Contents

Selected Sartain family papers from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the Moore College of Art, including correspondence, printed material, photographs, sketchbooks, writings, minutes of meetings and other organizational records, and memorabilia.

Scope and Contents

REEL 2727: Correspondence, mostly among the Sartain family: Emily writes to her father of her European travels with Mary Cassatt; letters from Elliott Dangerfield; correspondence of John Sartain, including letters from the poet Thomas Chivers; correspondence of William, Henry, Samuel, Harriet Judd, and Paul Sartain; receipts of John and Samuel, and undated genealogical notes.

Scope and Contents

REEL 4235: Photographs; scrapbooks; unpublished manuscripts; and correspondence of John, Emily, William, Samuel, and 12 letters from family friend and fellow artist, Thomas Eakins.

Scope and Contents

REEL P28 (fr. 337-581): Rembrandt Peale's manuscript "Notes of the Painting Room," subtitled "Art is Long and Life is Short." 215 p. + 24 p. index.

Scope and Contents

REELS 4562-4565 [filmed previously on reels P19-P20, P24, and P27-P28]: Included are: Emily Sartain correspondence and miscellaneous items, 1895-1923; Harriet Judd Sartain correspondence and biographical sketch, 1854-1887; Henry Sartain letters, 1862-1863; Samuel Sartain correspondence, 1850-1872, including letters to John Sartain while in London on business for his father, printed matter, copyrights and certificates and records of the Art-Union of Philadelphia (AUP), 1852-1885, including catalogs of prizes, an inventory of the AUP property, 1855, and printed reports; obituary for Susanna Swaine (John Sartain's mother); John Swaine's letterbook, 1834-1837; William Sartain letters, 1862-1919, n.d., many written while living in Paris, printed matter, photographs, and sketchbook; John Sartain genealogical information, letterpress books, 1869-1871 and 1887, concerning his Philadelphia and London exhibitions, work and business, correspondence, 1845-189?, financial information, lists of works of art, memberships and certificates, lectures and writings, a sketchbook, and printed material.

Scope and Contents

Also included are manuscript material and printed matter; scrapbooks containing clippings and a few letters; untitled commonplace books which were probably compiled by Harriet or Emily Sartain; John Sartain's records pertaining to the Artists' Fund Society, 1838-1846; Great Sanitary Fair, 1864; Centennial Exposition, 1876, including the Report of the Art Department, and memorabilia; the American Exhibition, London England, 1887; Sartain's Magazine expense book, 1849-1855; minutes of the Graphic Association of Philadelphia, 1849-1855; minutes of the Philadelphia Union of Associationists, 1847-1855; proceedings of the National Art Association second annual convention, held at the Smithsonian Institution, Jan. 11-14, 1859; and minutes of the meeting of the subscribers of the [Christian] Schussele picture fund.

Biographical / Historical

Family of engravers and painters; Philadelphia, Pa. John Sartain came to U.S. from England in 1830 and established himself firmly in the Philadelphia artistic community. He was director of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts for 23 years and served as chief of the art dept. for the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia and the 1887 American Exhibition in London. Four of his eight children became artists, William, Emily, Samuel and Harriet.