Early American Prints and Drawings on Display at The New York Public Library

From Revolution to Republic in Prints and Drawings on view from March 9, 2007 to July 7, 2007

The Apotheosis of Washington, ca. 1785. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs, Print Collection.

Firsthand visual testimonies of major battles and scenes of the early revolutionary period--a number of them by British and American soldiers who participated in the incidents they depicted--including the battles of Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill; and a variety of George Washington portraits, ranging from formal portraits to allegories, mourning pictures, and textiles, are featured in a two-part exhibition of prints and drawings from the revolutionary era.

From Revolution to Republic in Prints and Drawings, featuring stunning colored engravings, etchings, watercolors, and pen and ink drawings among many other items, is on view at The New York Public Library's Humanities and Social Sciences Library at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street from March 9, 2007 to July 7, 2007.

This free exhibition of nearly one hundred items is organized in two sections: Dawn of the American Revolution, 1768 - 1776 and Selections from the C.W. McAlpin Collection, and is an illuminating examination of the portrayals of current events of the period and also of the rich visual art forms prevalent during that time. The exhibition draws primarily from the Phelps Stokes, Emmet, Eno and C.W. McAlpin collections, all part of the Print Collection of The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs, and from the Spencer Collection.

Dawn of the American Revolution, 1768 - 1776

Printmaking in America expanded during the Revolutionary War to fulfill the increasing needs for visual reportage of current events and easily distributable political propaganda. This section of the exhibition features primarily eyewitness accounts of significant early conflicts between the American colonies and Great Britain, including the Boston Massacre; the battles of Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, and Long Island; and the British capture of forts Washington and Lee. Many images were created by British and American soldiers who participated in these events, and historians continue to rely on them to corroborate written accounts of the period and to construct more comprehensive narratives about the American Revolution. Drawn primarily from the Print Collection's outstanding holdings of American historical prints, it includes such treasures as Paul Revere's colored engraving A View of Part of the Town of Boston in New England and Brittish [sic] Ships of War Landing Their Troops! 1768 (1774), Henry Pelham's The Fruits of Arbitrary Power, or the Bloody Massacre (1770), and Amos Doolittle's engravings of the Battles of Lexington and Concord (1775).

Selections from the C.W. McAlpin Collection

Charles Williston McAlpin's collection of 1,700 portraits of George Washington came to the Library as a gift in 1942. While many pieces in the collection were created to adorn the walls of public and private buildings, others served as currency, bonds, labels, calendars, upholstery, and book and magazine illustrations, depicting Washington in the roles of commander in chief of the Continental Army, first president of the United States, private citizen, and mourned hero. Items on display include a number of prints based on paintings by prominent artists of Washington's time, such as Charles Willson Peale, John Trumbull, and Gilbert Stuart; more obscure works such as a 1783 cartoon of "Mrs. General Washington" striking a thirteen-strand whip at Britannia; and two 18 th -century printed textiles. The popularity of depictions of George Washington originated during the Revolutionary War, as his fame spread throughout the American colonies and Europe, and increased during his tenure as president. Washington's death prompted another surge of printed portraits and tributes, and various events during the subsequent two centuries prompted further production of his likenesses, and interest in collecting them. At the time of his death in 1942, McAlpin had assembled one of the most complete collections of Washington portraits in the country.

From Revolution to Republic in Prints and Drawings is part of a series of continuing exhibitions that draw from the Library's collections to examine issues in American history and the tradition of printmaking.

About The Print Collection

The most accessible print room in New York City, the Print Collection of The New York Public Library encompasses a specialized reference collection of over 15,000 volumes on the history of prints and printmakers; artist clipping files; and a collection of close to 200,000 original prints, ranging from woodcuts, engravings, etchings, lithographs and screen prints to digital prints, covering the history of the art in the West from the 15th century to the present, and Japanese prints from the 10th century to the present. The collection also includes illustrated books, artists' books, and a small collection of drawings.

The Print Collection is a comprehensive collection of original works of art on paper, organized by printmaker. Among the collection's strengths are its holdings of 19th- and 20th-century American prints, with a particular focus on New York artists, and 18th- and 19th-century Japanese color woodcuts.

Of special note are the Avery Collection, comprised of approximately 18,000 primarily 19th-century prints donated in 1900 by Samuel Putnam Avery; a significant survey of 18th- and 19th-century American and European political cartoons and caricature; a rich collection of American historical prints, including The Phelps Stokes Collection, and the Eno Collection of New York City views; as well as the continually growing holdings of contemporary prints.

About The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library was created in 1895 with the consolidation of the private libraries of John Jacob Astor and James Lenox with the Samuel Jones Tilden Trust. The Library provides free and open access to its physical and electronic collections and information, as well as to its services. It comprises four research centers - The Humanities and Social Sciences Library; The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts; the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; and the Science, Industry and Business Library - and 86 Branch Libraries in Manhattan, Staten Island, and the Bronx. Research and circulating collections combined total more than 50 million items. In addition, each year the Library presents thousands of exhibitions and public programs, which include classes in technology, literacy, and English as a second language. The New York Public Library serves over 15 million patrons who come through its doors annually and another 21 million users internationally, who access collections and services through its website, http://www.nypl.org/.

This exhibition has been made possible through the continuing generosity of Miriam and Ira D. Wallach.

From Revolution to Republic in Prints and Drawings will be on view from March 9 through July 7, 2007 in the Print and Stokes Galleries at The New York Public Library's Humanities and Social Sciences Library, located at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan. Exhibition hours are Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sundays, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Mondays, and holidays. Admission is free. For more information, call 212-592-7730 or visit http://www.nypl.org/.

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Contact :             Jennifer Lam   212.592.7708           

JL:01.27.07:nypl011