Russell Smith's wife Mary Priscilla Wilson (d. 1874), and their two children Xanthus (1838-1929) and Mary (1842-1878) were all painters. XANTHUS SMITH studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Royal Academy in London. Though he primarily focused on landscapes and marine subjects, he also had an active career as a portrait painter. He spent summers in Maine and winters near Philadelphia. This sketch, dated September 9, 1920, shows Smith's bucolic view of the Maine seacoast.
Xanthus Smith Sketchbook, 1919-1920, 4 x 5: in. Landscape study, watercolor and gouache on paper, September 9, 1920. 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European trips, personal thoughts, poetry, and Xanthus's service aboard the U.S.S. Wabash, Port Royal, South Carolina; unpublished autobiographies of Russell and Xanthus; a printed biography of Russell's daughter, Mary; sketches and sketchbooks; 10 volumes of cash books; travel receipts,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. |
