The DeWitt Clinton
MakerMade by
William H. Brown
(American, 1808 - 1883)
Date1831
MediumSilhouette; cut paper, gold leaf, and gray paint on fabric mounted on archival paper with acrylic spacers in wood frame under glass
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (image height x width): 19 x 81 1/4in. (48.3 x 206.4cm)
Sheet (height x width): 19 1/2 x 81 1/4in. (49.5 x 206.4cm)
Frame (height x width x depth): 23 1/2 x 84 x 1 7/8in. (59.7 x 213.4 x 4.8cm)
ClassificationsGraphics
Credit LineGift of Dr. John L. Comstock
Object number1851.7.0
DescriptionAn early locomotive engine, seen in profile, is pulling three carriages behind it. The driver stands at the back of the engine, wearing a jacket and trousers and a peaked cap. Smoke issues from the smokestack at the front of the engine. The second carriage contains two barrels containing small sticks of lumber and an additional pile of lumber. Eight men, all seen in profile, are seated in the second carriage, six in the interior and two on the exterior. Seven men, all in profile, are seated in the third carriage, six in the interior and one on the exterior. All of these men wear top hats; two of them hold walking sticks or canes.
Label TextThe silhouette artist William Henry Brown was a passenger on the maiden run of the De Witt Clinton on the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad between Albany and Schenectady on 9 August 1831. He cut the silhouettes of the figures aboard on the same day. Brown later worked closely with the Kellogg brothers, who published a volume of his silhouette portraits in the 1840s. According to his biography, he gave his silhouette of the DeWitt Clinton to the Connecticut Historical Society in 1851.
NotesHistorical Note: William Henry Brown was a passenger on the maiden run of the De Witt Clinton on the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad between Albany and Schenectady on 9 August 1831. He cut the silhouettes of the figures aboard on the same day. Historical Note: The locomotive was named for DeWitt Clinton (1769-1828), Governor of New York between 1817-1823 and 1825-1828. He was a primary supporter of the construction of the Erie Canal, which was nicknamed "Clinton's Ditch".
Donor Note: Although the accession records lists Dr. John Lee Comstock as the donor of the silhouette, according to William Henry Brown's autobiography, he gave the silhouette to the Connecticut Historical Society himself. Possibly Comstock was acting as Brown's agent. (Finlay 1/12/2010)
Status
Not on view
