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Archives of American Art
Benjamin West selected papers from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Summary
- Collection ID:
- AAA.westbenj3
- Creators:
-
West, Benjamin, 1738-1820
- Dates:
-
1755-1819
- Languages:
-
English.
- Physical Description:
-
5 Itemspartial microfilm reels
- Repository:
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
REEL P20 (fr.679): Memorandum by Anne M. Smith, 1855 Mar. 27, concerning Benjamin West's "Death of Socrates" and "View of Conestoga Creek."
Scope and Contents
REEL P23 (fr. 85, 108-157, 218-233): Portrait of West engraved by H. Meyer (?), from an original by T. Lawrence for the British Gathering of Contemporary Portraits, published by T. Cadell and W. Lavier, London, April 15, 1815; estate papers, 1814-1819, relating to Hannah West; card of admission for Mrs. Holland to see "Elgin Marbles" at Burlington House, May 1814; letters from West to George Dillwyn, John Singleton Copley, Peter Thomson, George William West, Mr. Rawle, Joseph Wharton, James Northcote, Sarah Robeson, and to the American Academy of the Fine Arts, about his portrait of Sir Thomas Lawrence, undated and 1772-1819; a letter to Mrs. West from Henry Sulger, Aug. 15, 1774, about West's picture of Christ; and an extract of a letter from Elizabeth West to Dr. Edwards, Jan. 7, 1798, reporting the death of her nephew.
Scope and Contents
REEL P24 (fr.34-38) : Biographical sketches of West, circa 1805, from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's "Quaker Scrapbook," v. 2.
Scope and Contents
REELS P24 (fr. 527-627) & P25 (fr. 465-541): Correspondence, speeches, financial statements, catalogs, etc., of Benjamin West, 1788-1819, compiled by John Galt for his volume on "The Life, Studies, and Works of Benjamin West, Esq.", published in 1820.
Scope and Contents
REEL P25: Sketchbooks, 1790-1807; travelling expenses, 1807; account books and financial papers, 1790-1804 and 1810-1811; and a list of subscribers to the print of "The Death of Lord Nelson."
Scope and Contents
REEL 4560: Papers relating to West from HSP's Gilpin Collection (Collection (#704), including an account book with London Banker, 1790-1804, and 1810-1811; and a sketchbook and loose drawings, 1755-1819.
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 reels P20, P23-P25 & 4560 available for use at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
Existence and Location of Originals
Originals in: Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Material on reel P25 microfilmed by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania for the Archives of American Art, 1955. Material on reel 4560 lent for microfilming in 1991 by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania as part of AAA's Philadelphia Arts Documentation Project. [Account book and one sketchbook are filmed on both reels].
Using the Collection
Conditions Governing Access
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Conditions Governing Use
Reel 4560: Authorization to publish, quote or reproduce requires written permission from Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Terms of Use
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.
Keywords
| Keyword Terms | Keyword Types | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Expatriate painters -- England | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Sketchbooks | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Painters -- United States | Occupation | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Lawrence, Thomas, Sir, 1769-1830 | Personal Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Smith, Anne M. H. | Personal Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Galt, John, 1779-1839 | Personal Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Copley, John Singleton, 1738-1815 | Personal Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| West, Elizabeth Shewell | Personal Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Dillwyn, George, 1738-1820 | Personal Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Northcote, James, 1746-1831 | Personal Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Archives of American Art
750 9th Street, NW
Victor Building, Suite 2200
Washington, D.C. 20001
https://www.aaa.si.edu/services/questions
