Pendleton's Lithography
Encyclopedia
Pendleton's Lithography (1825-1836) was a lithographic
print studio in 19th-century Boston
, Massachusetts
, established by brothers William S. Pendleton (1795-1879) and John B. Pendleton (1798-1866). Though relatively short-lived, in its time the firm was prolific, printing portraits, landscape views, sheet music covers, and numerous other illustrations. The Pendleton's work might be characterized by its generosity-- each print contains a maxima of visual information designed for graphic reproduction.
and Rembrandt Peale
in Philadelphia. On arrival in Boston, William Pendleton first worked as an engraver with Abel Bowen
.
The Pendleton brothers began their own shop in 1825, when William "acquired some lithographic materials from a merchant named Thaxter who had brought them to Boston from Europe but who did not know how to use them. W. S. Pendleton communicated with his brother, then in Europe, about the matter, and the latter on his return not only brought back considerable stone and other materials, but also what was more important several men familiar with the process." The Pendletons became "the pioneers of the lithographic art in Boston."
A number of artists worked for the Pendletons, including Fitz Henry Lane, John H. Bufford
, Seth Cheney
, Nathaniel Currier
, Thomas Edwards
, B.F. Nutting
, George Loring Brown
, Benjamin Champney
, Alexander Jackson Davis
, David Claypoole Johnston
, William Rimmer
, and John W. A. Scott
. Also "associated with the Pendleton workshop: Mary Jane Derby (later Peabody), Eliza Ann Farrar, Eliza Goodridge, Orra White Hitchcock, Louisa Davis Minot, Eliza Susan Quincy, Catherine Scollay, ... Margaret Snow (who married William S. Pendleton in 1831)," and probably Sophia Peabody.
In 1826 the brothers won "a silver medal for the best specimen of lithography" at the annual exhibition of the Franklin Institute
, Philadelphia. In addition to critical praise, the studio's work garnered public approval. Of a 1832 portrait of Andrew Jackson
, painted by Ralph E. W. Earl, and printed by Pendleton's, one newspaper notes: "We have received a lithographic engraving of Mr. Earle's picture of Gen. Jackson. ...The whole appears to be finely executed. The engraving is by Pendleton of Boston -- we have never seen any lithography equal to it."
The studio occupied successive addresses in Boston: Harvard Place (1825-1826); Graphic Court (1826-ca.1832); and finally Washington Street
(ca.1836).
In 1828, John Pendleton left Boston. William continued on until "July 1836 when ... [he] sold out to his bookkeeper, Thomas Moore. According to one historian, after William's departure the staff and operations of the business he'd established remained in place -- "for all practical purposes it was the Pendleton operation under a new name" -- until 1840 "when Moore in turn sold out to Benjamin W. Thayer
."
Lithography
Lithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface...
print studio in 19th-century Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, established by brothers William S. Pendleton (1795-1879) and John B. Pendleton (1798-1866). Though relatively short-lived, in its time the firm was prolific, printing portraits, landscape views, sheet music covers, and numerous other illustrations. The Pendleton's work might be characterized by its generosity-- each print contains a maxima of visual information designed for graphic reproduction.
History
Originally from New York, the Pendleton brothers at the outset of their professional lives were affiliated with Charles Willson PealeCharles Willson Peale
Charles Willson Peale was an American painter, soldier and naturalist. He is best remembered for his portrait paintings of leading figures of the American Revolution, as well as establishing one of the first museums....
and Rembrandt Peale
Rembrandt Peale
Rembrandt Peale was an American artist and museum keeper. A prolific portrait painter, he was especially acclaimed for his likenesses of presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson...
in Philadelphia. On arrival in Boston, William Pendleton first worked as an engraver with Abel Bowen
Abel Bowen
Abel Bowen was an engraver, publisher, and author in early 19th-century Boston, Massachusetts.-Biography:Bowen was born in New York in 1790. Arriving in Boston in 1812, Bowen worked as a printer for the Columbian Museum, at the time under the proprietorship of Abel's uncle, Daniel Bowen. In 1814...
.
The Pendleton brothers began their own shop in 1825, when William "acquired some lithographic materials from a merchant named Thaxter who had brought them to Boston from Europe but who did not know how to use them. W. S. Pendleton communicated with his brother, then in Europe, about the matter, and the latter on his return not only brought back considerable stone and other materials, but also what was more important several men familiar with the process." The Pendletons became "the pioneers of the lithographic art in Boston."
A number of artists worked for the Pendletons, including Fitz Henry Lane, John H. Bufford
John Henry Bufford
John Henry Bufford was a lithographer in 19th-century Boston, Massachusetts.-Biography:Bufford trained "in the Pendleton shop in Boston from 1829 to 1831." According to one historian, Bufford's work as a lithographer represented "a mediocre sort of craftmanship at best...
, Seth Cheney
Seth Wells Cheney
Seth Wells Cheney , American artist, a pioneer of crayon work in the United States.-Biography:He was the son of George Cheney and Electa Woodbridge. He received a public school education...
, Nathaniel Currier
Nathaniel Currier
Nathaniel Currier was an American lithographer, who headed the company Currier & Ives with James Ives.-Early years:...
, Thomas Edwards
Thomas Edwards (artist)
Thomas Edwards was an artist in 19th-century Boston, Massachusetts, specializing in portraits. Born in London and trained at the Royal Academy, he worked in Boston in the 1820s-1850s, and in Worcester in the 1860s.-Biography:...
, B.F. Nutting
Benjamin F. Nutting
Benjamin Franklin Nutting was an artist in Boston, Massachusetts in the 19th-century. He taught drawing in local schools, and published do-it-yourself drawing instruction materials...
, George Loring Brown
George Loring Brown
George Loring Brown was an American landscape painter. He was born in Boston and first studied wood engraving under Alonzo Hartwell and worked as an illustrator. He studied painting with Washington Allston, but soon went to Europe, residing principally in Italy for years...
, Benjamin Champney
Benjamin Champney
Benjamin Champney was a painter whose name has become synonymous with White Mountain art of the 19th century. He began his training as a lithographer under celebrated marine artist Fitz Henry Lane at Pendleton's Lithography shop in Boston...
, Alexander Jackson Davis
Alexander Jackson Davis
Alexander Jackson Davis, or A. J. Davis , was one of the most successful and influential American architects of his generation, in particular his association with the Gothic Revival style....
, David Claypoole Johnston
David Claypoole Johnston
David Claypoole Johnston was an 19th-century American cartoonist, printmaker, painter and actor from Boston, Massachusetts...
, William Rimmer
William Rimmer
William Rimmer was an American artist born in Liverpool, England. He was the son of a French refugee, who emigrated to Nova Scotia, where he was joined by his wife and child in 1818, and who in 1826 moved to Boston, where he earned a living as a shoemaker...
, and John W. A. Scott
John W. A. Scott
John White Allen Scott or John W.A. Scott was an artist in Boston, Massachusetts, in the 19th century. He worked for Pendleton's Lithography early in his career. In the 1840s he started a lithography business in partnership with Fitz Hugh Lane . Around 1852 he kept a studio in Boston's Tremont...
. Also "associated with the Pendleton workshop: Mary Jane Derby (later Peabody), Eliza Ann Farrar, Eliza Goodridge, Orra White Hitchcock, Louisa Davis Minot, Eliza Susan Quincy, Catherine Scollay, ... Margaret Snow (who married William S. Pendleton in 1831)," and probably Sophia Peabody.
In 1826 the brothers won "a silver medal for the best specimen of lithography" at the annual exhibition of the Franklin Institute
Franklin Institute
The Franklin Institute is a museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the oldest centers of science education and development in the United States, dating to 1824. The Institute also houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial.-History:On February 5, 1824, Samuel Vaughn Merrick and...
, Philadelphia. In addition to critical praise, the studio's work garnered public approval. Of a 1832 portrait of Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
, painted by Ralph E. W. Earl, and printed by Pendleton's, one newspaper notes: "We have received a lithographic engraving of Mr. Earle's picture of Gen. Jackson. ...The whole appears to be finely executed. The engraving is by Pendleton of Boston -- we have never seen any lithography equal to it."
The studio occupied successive addresses in Boston: Harvard Place (1825-1826); Graphic Court (1826-ca.1832); and finally Washington Street
Washington Street (Boston)
Washington Street is a street originating in downtown Boston, Massachusetts that extends southwestward to the Massachusetts-Rhode Island state line. The majority of it was built as the Norfolk and Bristol Turnpike in the early nineteenth century...
(ca.1836).
In 1828, John Pendleton left Boston. William continued on until "July 1836 when ... [he] sold out to his bookkeeper, Thomas Moore. According to one historian, after William's departure the staff and operations of the business he'd established remained in place -- "for all practical purposes it was the Pendleton operation under a new name" -- until 1840 "when Moore in turn sold out to Benjamin W. Thayer
B.W. Thayer & Co.
B.W. Thayer & Co. was a lithographic printing studio owned by Benjamin W. Thayer in Boston, Massachusetts in the 1840s-1850s. Clients included music publisher William H. Oakes.-External links:* * . Flickr.* . Keffer Collection of Sheet Music....
."
Works illustrated by Pendleton's Lith.
- Boston medical and surgical journal, v.1, no.1, Feb. 19, 1828. Google books
Works about Pendleton's Lith.
- David Tatham. The Pendleton-Moore Shop: Lithographic Artists in Boston, 1825-1840. Old-Time New England. Volume: 62 Number: 226 Issue: Fall, 1971.
- Georgia Brady Bumgardner. Political Portraiture: Two Prints of Andrew Jackson. American Art Journal, Vol. 18, No. 4 (Autumn, 1986), pp. 84-95.
External links
- University of Pennsylvania. Keffer Collection of Sheet Music.
- New York Public Library. Works by Pendleton's Lithography
- Library of Congress. Prints & Photographs Division. Works by Pendleton's Lithography.
- Boston Athenaeum. Works by Pendleton's Lithography.