Archives of American Art

Benjamin West collection from the Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.westbenc
Creators:
West, Benjamin, 1738-1820
Dates:
1775-1819
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
1 Item
partial microfilm reel
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
Papers and drawings selected from collections at Swarthmore College's Friends Historical Library, mainly regarding West's life and painting activities in England. Included are: 15 letters between West and various individuals refering to his paintings, requesting to see his collection and business matters; hand drawn diagrams for King's Chapel at Windsor Castle designating the placement, subjects and measurements for a cycle of paintings; account lists kept by Mrs. West documenting daily expenditures and various social engagements; and 212 drawings of religious and classical subjects, as well as landsape, figural and animal studies.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Painter Born in Pennsylvania, moved to London, where his studio became a center for expatriate Americans.

Administration

Existence and Location of Copies
35mm microfilm reel 4233 available at Archives of American Art offices, through interlibrary loan, at the Free Library of Philadelphia, and at the Friends Historical Library at Swarthmore College.
Existence and Location of Originals
Originals in: Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Microfilmed in 1989 as part of AAA's Philadelphia Arts Documentation Project. The papers are from several collections at Friends Historical Library.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Expatriate painters -- England Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- United States Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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