Gideon Nye
Encyclopedia
Gideon Nye was an American diplomat, art collector, and a merchant in the East India and China trade
, known both for his art collection and for his writings on China.
He was born in North Fairhaven
, MA (now Achushnet
), in 1812. He died in Canton
, China, January 25, 1888.
, the founder of the Nye family, who settled in Sandwich, Mass., in 1637. He was an eldest child. His father, Gideon Nye, was born in 1786 and died in 1875. His mother, Sylvia S. Hathaway, was born in 1790, and died in 1883. Mr Nye was married in 1846, to Mary E. Washburn, who died in New York in 1870. Their only child was a daughter, born in Paris, France in 1846, Ellen E. Washburn. She died in Brooklyn, NY, in 1860.
, and as a corresponding member of the American Geographical Society
.
He was known as one of the oldest foreign residents of Canton, having spent 55 years in that city since his arrival in 1831. Upon his death, "The flags of the consulates, custom house and foreign ships in port were at half mast two days in token of public esteem and sorrow."
. The paintings were considered important American artistic treasures of the time.
, based on his acquaintance with both Chinese people and foreigners living in China.
Old China Trade
The Old China Trade was the name given to the early commerce between the Qing Empire and the United States under the Canton System, spanning from shortly after the end of the American Revolutionary War in 1783 to the Treaty of Wanghsia in 1844...
, known both for his art collection and for his writings on China.
He was born in North Fairhaven
Fairhaven, Massachusetts
Fairhaven is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located on the south coast of Massachusetts where the Acushnet River flows into Buzzards Bay, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean...
, MA (now Achushnet
Acushnet, Massachusetts
Acushnet is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,303 at the 2010 census.- History :Acushnet was first settled in 1659. It has been included as a part of three separate towns throughout its history. It was formerly the northeastern section of the town of...
), in 1812. He died in Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, China, January 25, 1888.
Career
Nye went to China in 1831, where he worked for various companies in East Indian/Chinese trade. In 1843 he opened the House of Nye, Parkin & Co. In 1851 the firm name changed to Nye Brothers & Co. and operated until 1856. Nye Brothers suffered a collapse in 1856 after over-investing during a down market.Family
Gideon Nye, known as Gideon Nye, Jr., was a 7th generation descendant of Benjamin NyeBenjamin Nye Homestead
Benjamin Nye Homestead is a historic house museum at 85 Old County Road in Sandwich, Massachusetts. The home features 18th century furnishings, and is open for tours from June through October....
, the founder of the Nye family, who settled in Sandwich, Mass., in 1637. He was an eldest child. His father, Gideon Nye, was born in 1786 and died in 1875. His mother, Sylvia S. Hathaway, was born in 1790, and died in 1883. Mr Nye was married in 1846, to Mary E. Washburn, who died in New York in 1870. Their only child was a daughter, born in Paris, France in 1846, Ellen E. Washburn. She died in Brooklyn, NY, in 1860.
Prominent resident of Canton, China
Mr. Nye was a merchant in China for over fifty years. He was the American Vice Consul at Canton for the last ten years of his life. He was a scholarly man with a reputation for integrity, active as a Vice President of the Medical Missionary SocietyMedical Missionary Society of China
The Medical Missionary Society in China was a Protestant medical missionary society established in Canton, China, in 1838. The first work of the society was to support the ophthalmic hospital in Canton run by Dr. Peter Parker, a medical missionary of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign...
, and as a corresponding member of the American Geographical Society
American Geographical Society
The American Geographical Society is an organization of professional geographers, founded in 1851 in New York City. Most fellows of the society are Americans, but among them have always been a significant number of fellows from around the world...
.
He was known as one of the oldest foreign residents of Canton, having spent 55 years in that city since his arrival in 1831. Upon his death, "The flags of the consulates, custom house and foreign ships in port were at half mast two days in token of public esteem and sorrow."
Art collection
Nye purchased a large collection of valuable paintings in England between 1845–1850, which were exhibited in New York. Attempts were made to keep his collection intact, but it was dispersed to locations such as the Metropolitan Museum of ArtMetropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
. The paintings were considered important American artistic treasures of the time.
Books and writings on the Opium Wars
Nye published many books and pamphlets as an eye witness to the events which led up to the Opium WarsOpium Wars
The Opium Wars, also known as the Anglo-Chinese Wars, divided into the First Opium War from 1839 to 1842 and the Second Opium War from 1856 to 1860, were the climax of disputes over trade and diplomatic relations between China under the Qing Dynasty and the British Empire...
, based on his acquaintance with both Chinese people and foreigners living in China.
External links
- Catalogue of the pictures of Nye's collection
- Nye and Formosa, passage from Americans in Eastern Asia
- Court case involving Nye Bros. & Co, tea, 1859