Joseph Dwight Strong
Encyclopedia
Joseph Dwight Strong, Jr. (1853–1899) was an artist
from the United States
.
.
The son of a minister, his childhood was spent in Honolulu with his family for a few years before moving to Oakland, California
in 1859. He later enrolled at the California School of Design. Residents of Oakland, California raised funds to send Strong to Munich
for four years of further study under Carl von Piloty and Alexander Wagner. He was also an early photographer. There are photos of Berkeley
attributed to Strong.
After his return in 1877, Strong briefly shared a house in Monterey, California
with his sister Elizabeth, but was soon back in the San Francisco area where he was much sought after as a portraitist. In 1879 he married Isobel Osbourne, the daughter of Fanny Vandegrift
and step daughter of the writer Robert Louis Stevenson
. Stevenson described Joseph in The Silverado Squatters
as a great omelet maker.
The couple traveled to the Kingdom of Hawaii
in 1882, where they lived for several years. In 1886, King David Kalākaua
appointed Strong governmental artist on the expedition to Samoa
headed by John Edward Bush
aboard the Kaimiloa. His child, Austin Strong (who became a playwright) was born there (a second son was born to the Strongs, but he died before his first birthday).
When Stevenson, his wife, Fanny (Strong's mother-in-law), and Isobel's brother, Lloyd Osbourne
, came to visit in Hawaii, Strong was invited to go island hopping in the South Pacific. His wife and young son were sent to Australia while he travelled with Stevenson. Once the Stevensons were settled in Vailima, Samoa, Strong and his wife joined them there in 1891.
Strong had an affair with a Samoan
girl which resulted in his divorce from Isobel and his rejection by Stevenson. His son Austin was legally adopted by Stevenson. Many of the diaries and letters which Stevenson and his family published after the divorce were edited to remove all reference to Joseph Strong, and several photographs were destroyed or altered. In 1895, Strong returned to San Francisco. He died on April 5, 1899.
The Honolulu Academy of Arts
, the Oakland Museum of California
, and the Peabody Essex Museum
(Salem, Massachusetts) are among the public collections holding work by Joseph Dwight Strong.
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...
from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Life
Joseph Dwight Strong was born September 15, 1853 in ConnecticutConnecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
.
The son of a minister, his childhood was spent in Honolulu with his family for a few years before moving to Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
in 1859. He later enrolled at the California School of Design. Residents of Oakland, California raised funds to send Strong to Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
for four years of further study under Carl von Piloty and Alexander Wagner. He was also an early photographer. There are photos of Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
attributed to Strong.
After his return in 1877, Strong briefly shared a house in Monterey, California
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
with his sister Elizabeth, but was soon back in the San Francisco area where he was much sought after as a portraitist. In 1879 he married Isobel Osbourne, the daughter of Fanny Vandegrift
Fanny Vandegrift
Frances Matilda Van de Grift Osbourne Stevenson was the wife of Robert Louis Stevenson and mother of Isobel and Lloyd Osbourne.-Early life:...
and step daughter of the writer Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
. Stevenson described Joseph in The Silverado Squatters
The Silverado Squatters
The Silverado Squatters is Robert Louis Stevenson's travel memoir of his two-month honeymoon trip with Fanny Vandegrift to Napa Valley, California in the late spring and early summer of 1880....
as a great omelet maker.
The couple traveled to the Kingdom of Hawaii
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
in 1882, where they lived for several years. In 1886, King David Kalākaua
Kalakaua
Kalākaua, born David Laamea Kamanakapuu Mahinulani Nalaiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua and sometimes called The Merrie Monarch , was the last reigning king of the Kingdom of Hawaii...
appointed Strong governmental artist on the expedition to Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
headed by John Edward Bush
John Edward Bush
John Edward Bush was a politician and newspaper publisher in the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Early life:John Edward Bush was born in Honolulu on February 15, 1842 ....
aboard the Kaimiloa. His child, Austin Strong (who became a playwright) was born there (a second son was born to the Strongs, but he died before his first birthday).
When Stevenson, his wife, Fanny (Strong's mother-in-law), and Isobel's brother, Lloyd Osbourne
Lloyd Osbourne
Samuel Lloyd Osbourne was an American author and the stepson of Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson with whom he would co-author three books and provide input and ideas on others.-Early life:...
, came to visit in Hawaii, Strong was invited to go island hopping in the South Pacific. His wife and young son were sent to Australia while he travelled with Stevenson. Once the Stevensons were settled in Vailima, Samoa, Strong and his wife joined them there in 1891.
Strong had an affair with a Samoan
Samoans
The Samoan people are a Polynesian ethnic group of the Samoan Islands, sharing genetics, language, history and culture. Due to colonialism, the home islands are politically and geographically divided between the country of Samoa, official name Independent State of Samoa ; and American Samoa, an...
girl which resulted in his divorce from Isobel and his rejection by Stevenson. His son Austin was legally adopted by Stevenson. Many of the diaries and letters which Stevenson and his family published after the divorce were edited to remove all reference to Joseph Strong, and several photographs were destroyed or altered. In 1895, Strong returned to San Francisco. He died on April 5, 1899.
The Honolulu Academy of Arts
Honolulu Academy of Arts
The Honolulu Academy of Arts is an art museum in Honolulu in the state of Hawaii. Since its founding in 1922 by Anna Rice Cooke and opening April 8, 1927, its collections have grown to over 40,000 works of art.-Description:...
, the Oakland Museum of California
Oakland Museum of California
Oakland Museum of California or Oakland Museum is a museum dedicated to the art, history, and natural science of California located in Oakland, California....
, and the Peabody Essex Museum
Peabody Essex Museum
The Peabody Essex Museum , originally the Peabody Museum of Salem and the Essex Institute, in Salem, Massachusetts is the oldest continuously operating museum in the United States, and holds one of the major collections of Asian art in the US; its total holdings include about 1.3 million pieces, as...
(Salem, Massachusetts) are among the public collections holding work by Joseph Dwight Strong.