Jury Duty, Icebergs, and Friendship: An Exploration

As the newest staff addition to the Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Division, I have made it a priority to get to know the vast number of collections I take part in stewarding. One of the ways I have been able to explore these collections is by taking a little bit of time in my day to click the “View a collection” link on NYPL’s Archives portal, which sends me to a random collections page. Little by little, I’ve been able to learn more about collections across the varied divisions of NYPL, and one of my favorites I’ve stumbled upon is a tiny collection of letters by artist Frederic Edwin Church. 

Church was an American painter in the 19th century who specialized in creating detailed panoramic views of vast landscapes. These lush, luminous paintings were such a sensation that his single painting exhibitions attracted thousands of visitors (one of them being a very enchanted Mark Twain). While he painted many landscapes depicting various scenes in New England, he became best known for paintings of places much further away. As much as these paintings captivated the public, Church would soon be dismissed by the 1900s and forgotten for some time. In the last 50 years, his work has been rediscovered and reevaluated, and his former estate, the Olana Historic Institute, preserves his legacy today.

One of his most famous works, The Icebergs (1861), took hundreds of sketches (done with bouts of seasickness!) and several studies during a voyage to Canada. By the time Church had decided to embark on what would become the final version of the large painting, it would take over six months to complete. One of the letters in his collection, addressed to “Winthrop,” details an all too familiar dilemma for anyone at the peak of focus on their priorities: jury duty. In the letter, he details how important it is that “Winthrop” should assist him in getting out of jury duty as the painting would be in need of “refreshed eyes” after “lay[ing] it by for the summer months”. 

After some cursory research, I discovered that “Winthrop” was likely Theodore Winthrop, a friend of Church who was a lawyer and aspiring author before joining the Union army. Winthrop would be one of the first Union casualties during the Civil War, and Church would go on to name one of his sons after him. After discovering that the Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Division also had a collection of Winthrop’s papers and journals, I didn’t hesitate to take a peek. Among his papers lay a fragment of a larger piece he wrote that shares the same name of another one of Church’s great paintings: The Heart of the Andes (1859). The full version of the essay, titled “A Companion to The Heart of the Andes” was a pamphlet included with admission to the single painting exhibit. It reads like a travel companion to the painting that guides the viewer through different sections, peppered with immense praise and affection for the artist. He concludes the essay saying:

I wasn’t able to find out if Winthrop was able to get Church out of jury duty, but I did think about how Church’s mission to depict the icebergs services us who live right now in a way he couldn’t have imagined. For the public of Church’s time, photographs were a brand new technology and paintings served as a way for folks to see places that were difficult to experience otherwise. For us in the present, we can see an entire bevy of photographs of icebergs instantaneously, and from anywhere with internet access. The icebergs off the coast of Canada may look a bit different now due to climate change and Church’s idealized vision of nature, but it still stands that his painting feels like it sees something worth savoring. Just reading the way he talks about his process in creating it in a desperate, last-minute plea to get out of jury duty made me see the painting and its subject from a new, more thoughtful perspective. 

The next time you find your way to requesting material for your latest research endeavor, take a little detour by clicking the “View a collection” randomizer. You may also traverse the Andes, feel the affectionate friendship between two burgeoning creatives, and fall in love with icebergs just like I did. 

The Icebergs (1861) is now my desktop wallpaper, serving as an everyday reminder of the fruits of my endless curiosity. 

Frederic Edwin Church and Theodore Winthrop, ca. 1860. Miscellaneous photographs collection, circa 1845-1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Frederic Edwin Church letters, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library.

Theodore Winthrop papers, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library.

The Manuscripts and Archives Division welcomes all researchers to explore the records of the New York World's Fair. Start by reading through the collection guide—or one of the published resources linked above. If you need help making an appointment, would like to speak to a librarian about your research, or have any questions about our collections, please email the Division at manuscripts@nypl.org.