A. G. Heaton
Encyclopedia
Augustus Goodyear Heaton (April 28, 1844 – October 11, 1930)
was an American artist
, author
and leading numismatist. He is best known for his painting The Recall of Columbus and among coin collectors for writing A Treatise on Coinage of the United States Branch Mints, which introduced numismatists to mint mark
s.
in the late 1870s; Paris
, France
in the early 1880s; Philadelphia (1884); Washington, D.C.
(1885); and then West Palm Beach, Florida
. In 1890, 1892 and 1930, he was in New Orleans where he gave art lectures and painted portraits of numerous prominent citizens.
with Peter F. Rothermel
, and was the first American student at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts
in Paris with Alexandre Cabenel and Leon Bonnat
. Heaton was also a teacher in Philadelphia at the Art Students League of New York
.
Most of Heaton's paintings are portraits, including Varina Davis
, second wife of President Jefferson Davis
, known as First Lady of the Confederate States of America (1892), Sculptor Chauncey Ives
(1883), Opera singer Emma Nevada
and Bishop Thomas Bowman
of Cornell College, Iowa. (1883). His most famous painting, however, and the one of which he was most proud, was The Recall of Columbus, painted in 1882 and copyrighted in 1891 as the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus
' landing approached. It was begun in his Paris studio and finished in Rome
in the studio of American sculptor Chauncey Ives
. The painting was sent to the U.S. Capitol in 1884 to be reviewed by the Joint Committee on the Library, purchased later that year for $3,000 and remains part of the United States Senate
Art and History Collection. In 1892, the painting was exhibited at the Columbian Historical Exposition in Madrid in 1892 and again in 1893 at the World's Columbian Exposition
in Chicago. Also in 1893, to mark the Chicago Exposition, was the release of the Columbian Issue
, a set of 16 commemorative stamps issued by the United States. The 50 cent stamp featured The Recall of Columbus bringing the painting to the attention of the general public.
Other works of note are The First Mission of Washington (1862), Columbia's Night Watch (1866), Bathing Hour at Trouville (1880) and The Promoters of the New Congressional Library (1888), which is a life sized group portrait composed of eighteen prominent statesmen. His Hardships of Emigration was also placed on a stamp for the Omaha Fair in 1898.
, governing from 1894 to 1899
. In 1893, he published his famous Treatise on Coinage of the United States Branch Mints, which revolutionized numismatics. Until its publication, collectors generally only collected by date. Heaton's Treatise, commonly referred to as just Mint Marks, showed that the coinage of the branch mints was often significantly more scarce and hence worth far more. In 1900, Heaton updated Mint Marks in the article, Late Coinage of the United States Mint, published in the The Numismatist. Heaton was a frequent contributor to The Numismatist, submitting both articles and poetry, including The Numismatist and the Burglar, published by The Numismatist in 1894 and later appeared in Heaton's book, Fancies and Thoughts in Verse. As a collector, he owned a complete collection of US $3 and $1 gold coins from all five mints where they were coined, one of only two such collections in existence.
was an American artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and leading numismatist. He is best known for his painting The Recall of Columbus and among coin collectors for writing A Treatise on Coinage of the United States Branch Mints, which introduced numismatists to mint mark
Mint mark
A mint mark is an inscription on a coin indicating the mint where the coin was produced.-History:Mint marks were first developed to locate a problem. If a coin was underweight, or overweight, the mint mark would immediately tell where the coin was minted, and the problem could be located and fixed...
s.
Personal life
Augustus Goodyear Heaton was born Augustus George Heaton in Philadelphia on April 28, 1844, to Augustus and Rosabella (née Crean) Heaton. Heaton married Adelaide Griswold in New York City on December 24, 1874 and had three children; Augustus (1875), Henry (1877) and Perry (1884) before divorcing in 1898 . Heaton lived in various locations: New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the late 1870s; Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in the early 1880s; Philadelphia (1884); Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
(1885); and then West Palm Beach, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. In 1890, 1892 and 1930, he was in New Orleans where he gave art lectures and painted portraits of numerous prominent citizens.
Art
Heaton was a student at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Artswith Peter F. Rothermel
Peter F. Rothermel
Peter Frederick Rothermel was an American painter.-Biography:Rothermel was born in Nescopeck, Pennsylvania in 1817, although some date his birth earlier, in 1813 or 1814. He had a common-school education, and studied land surveying. At age 20, he moved to Philadelphia and became a sign painter....
, and was the first American student at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The most famous is the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, now located on the left bank in Paris, across the Seine from the Louvre, in the 6th arrondissement. The school has a history spanning more than 350 years,...
in Paris with Alexandre Cabenel and Leon Bonnat
Léon Bonnat
Léon Joseph Florentin Bonnat was a French painter.He was born in Bayonne, but from 1846 to 1853 he lived in Madrid, where his father owned a bookshop. While tending his father's shop, he copied engravings of works by the Old Masters, developing a passion for drawing...
. Heaton was also a teacher in Philadelphia at the Art Students League of New York
Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
.
Varina Howell
Varina Banks Howell Davis was an American author who was best known as the First Lady of the Confederate States of America, second wife of President Jefferson Davis.-Childhood:...
, second wife of President Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
, known as First Lady of the Confederate States of America (1892), Sculptor Chauncey Ives
Chauncey Ives
Chauncey Bradley Ives was a prolific American sculptor who worked primarily in the Neo-classic style. His best known works are the marble statues of Jonathan Trumbull and Roger Sherman enshrined in the National Statuary Hall Collection.-Early years:Ives was born in Hamden, Connecticut and at the...
(1883), Opera singer Emma Nevada
Emma Nevada
Emma Nevada was an American operatic soprano particularly known for her performances in operas by Bellini and Donizetti and the French composers Ambroise Thomas, Charles Gounod, and Léo Delibes...
and Bishop Thomas Bowman
Thomas Bowman (Methodist Episcopal Bishop)
Thomas Bowman was an American Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, elected in 1872. He was born 15 July 1817 at Berwick, Pennsylvania....
of Cornell College, Iowa. (1883). His most famous painting, however, and the one of which he was most proud, was The Recall of Columbus, painted in 1882 and copyrighted in 1891 as the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
' landing approached. It was begun in his Paris studio and finished in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in the studio of American sculptor Chauncey Ives
Chauncey Ives
Chauncey Bradley Ives was a prolific American sculptor who worked primarily in the Neo-classic style. His best known works are the marble statues of Jonathan Trumbull and Roger Sherman enshrined in the National Statuary Hall Collection.-Early years:Ives was born in Hamden, Connecticut and at the...
. The painting was sent to the U.S. Capitol in 1884 to be reviewed by the Joint Committee on the Library, purchased later that year for $3,000 and remains part of the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Art and History Collection. In 1892, the painting was exhibited at the Columbian Historical Exposition in Madrid in 1892 and again in 1893 at the World's Columbian Exposition
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
in Chicago. Also in 1893, to mark the Chicago Exposition, was the release of the Columbian Issue
Columbian Issue
The Columbian Issue, often simply called the Columbians, is a set of 16 postage stamps issued by the United States to mark the 1893 World Columbian Exposition held in Chicago...
, a set of 16 commemorative stamps issued by the United States. The 50 cent stamp featured The Recall of Columbus bringing the painting to the attention of the general public.
Other works of note are The First Mission of Washington (1862), Columbia's Night Watch (1866), Bathing Hour at Trouville (1880) and The Promoters of the New Congressional Library (1888), which is a life sized group portrait composed of eighteen prominent statesmen. His Hardships of Emigration was also placed on a stamp for the Omaha Fair in 1898.
Numismatics
A. G. Heaton was the third president of the American Numismatic AssociationAmerican Numismatic Association
The American Numismatic Association was founded in 1891 by Dr. George F. Heath in Chicago, Illinois. The ANA was formed to advance the knowledge of numismatics along educational, historical and scientific lines, as well as enhance interest in the hobby.The ANA national headquarters and museum is...
, governing from 1894 to 1899
. In 1893, he published his famous Treatise on Coinage of the United States Branch Mints, which revolutionized numismatics. Until its publication, collectors generally only collected by date. Heaton's Treatise, commonly referred to as just Mint Marks, showed that the coinage of the branch mints was often significantly more scarce and hence worth far more. In 1900, Heaton updated Mint Marks in the article, Late Coinage of the United States Mint, published in the The Numismatist. Heaton was a frequent contributor to The Numismatist, submitting both articles and poetry, including The Numismatist and the Burglar, published by The Numismatist in 1894 and later appeared in Heaton's book, Fancies and Thoughts in Verse. As a collector, he owned a complete collection of US $3 and $1 gold coins from all five mints where they were coined, one of only two such collections in existence.
Publications and articles
- 1882 - Memories of Italy
- 1893 - A Treatise on Coinage of the United States Branch Mints
- 1895 - A Tour Among the Coin Dealers, appeared in The Numismatist
- 1900 - The Heart of David, The Psalmist King
- 1903 - Poems" by John Henry Boner (Illustrations by Heaton)
- 1903 - Stolen From a Duchy's Throne" by Leland Dolph Cox (Illustrations by Heaton)
- 1904 - Fancies and Thoughts in Verse
- 1906 - Yellowstone Letters
- 1915 - Study Rewarded
- 1925 - The Nutshell
- 1926 - The Marseillaise
- 1929 - Color; a Treatise: A Treatise