In the mid-1850s, when the Philadelphia Academy of Music commissioned RUSSELL SMITH (1812-1896) to produce landscape drop curtains and scenery for its operas, Smith commented on his practice of working from his sketches, "I had a large collection of drawings and paintings, that I made abroad. I did not paint from engravings or other men's compositions, but used my own material and either copied or composed the scenes from my drawings. This is so unusual a custom with scene painters that they, even eminent ones, paint altogether from prints, and, often copy with crossed lines like engravers."* Smith's tiny portfolio, perhaps fashioned to fit his coat pocket, contains minutely observed and richly executed sketches from his trip to Europe in 1851 and 1852, including views of Scotland, England, Wales, and Italy.
* Russell Smith, unpublished autobiography. Smith Family Papers, Archives of American Art, microfilm roll 2036: 997-998, quoted in Ann Ferrante, "Early Photographic Images of the Smiths: A Family of Artists,"Archives of American Art Journal, 21 (1981): 20.
Russell Smith Portfolio of Sketches, c. 1851, 3 1/4 x 3 in.; Diary entries, c. 1851, 4 x 6 in. Smith Family Papers, Archives of American Art.
Description of the Smith Family Papers |
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|---|---|
| CREATOR: | Smith family (Philadelphia, Pa.) |
| TITLE: | Mary, Xanthus, and Russell Smith family papers, 1826-1954. |
| PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: | 5.0 linear ft. (on 7 microfilm reels) reels 2035-2040 and 2062 |
| BIO/HISTORICAL NOTE: | Family of artists; Philadelphia, Pa. area. Painters, Mary and Xanthus Smith, were the children of Russell Smith, a scenic and panoramic landscape painter. |
| SUMMARY: | Family papers of Mary (1842-1878), Xanthus (1839-1929), and Russell (1812-1896) Smith. |
| REELS 2035-2040: | Family correspondence; 27 volumes of writings and journals, 1826-ca. 1920, about art, science, European trips, personal thoughts, poetry, and Xanthus's service aboard the U.S.S. Wabash, Port Royal, South Carolina; unpublished autobiographies of Russell and Xanthus; a printed biography of Russell's daughter, Mary; sketches and sketchbooks; 10 volumes of cash books; travel receipts, and financial papers; lists of works of art scrapbooks; exhibition material; clippings; personal documents; memorabilia; and ephemera. Among the correspondents are: Susan B. Anthony, Edwin T. Booth, Jay Cooke, George Henry Corliss, Louisa Lane Drew, George Lambdin, James Reid Lambdin, John Neagle, Rembrandt Peale, William Trost Richards, Peter F. Rothermel, John Sartain, Samuel Sartain, Owen Wister, and Sarah B. Wister. |
| REEL 2062: | Photographs of the Smith family; and miscellaneous photographs. Photographers include Xanthus Smith, Clemon's Gallery, Philadelphia, Root Gallery, Philadelphia, and Van Loan & Ennis' Gallery, Philadelphia. |
| UNMICROFILMED: | Daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, and 17 glass negatives of the Smith family. |
| RESTRICTIONS: | Use of unmicrofilmed material requires an appointment and is limited to Washington, D.C. storage facility. Microfilmed material must be consulted on microfilm. |
| PROVENANCE: | Donated 1978-1979 by Franklin R. Smith, a descendant of Smith. |
| ADDITIONAL FORMS: | 35mm microfilm reels 2035-2040 and 2062 available for use at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. |
