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  2. James D. Smillie and Smillie family papers, 1853-1957
  3. Series 1:James David Smillie papers, 1853-1917

James D. Smillie and Smillie family papers, 1853-1957

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Series 1:James David Smillie papers, 1853-1917
4.5 Linear feet
Boxes 1-7

The James David Smillie papers consist of correspondence, personal business records, 45 daily diaries spanning 1865-1909, a scrapbook of clippings, printed materials, and artwork.
The series is arranged as 6 subseries.
  • 1.1: Correspondence, 1850-1905
  • 1.2: Personal Business Records, 1863-1909
  • 1.3: Diaries, 1865-1909
  • 1.4: Scrapbook, circa 1850s-1900
  • 1.5: Printed Material, 1865-1917
  • 1.6: Artwork, circa 1879
This series has been scanned in its entirety.

1.1:Correspondence, 1850-1905

The bulk of this subseries is comprised of correspondence with artists and colleagues including Albert Bierstadt, Frederick Stuart Church, Samuel Coleman, Charles Henry Hart, and Eastman Johnson. There are three pieces of personal correspondence to his wife, Anna, and from his father and uncle, Charles Smillie.
DescriptionContainer
Bierstadt, Albert, circa 1863-1869
1
1
Bierstadt, Edward, 1863
1
2
Church, Frederick Stuart, 1878 or 1879
1
3
Colman, Samuel, 1871-1906
1
4
Curtis, George M., 1886
1
5
Ehninger, John Whetton, 1882
Includes printed material from Tom Cobb for the Saratoga Humane Society.
1
6
Haden, Francis Seymour, circa 1890s
1
7
Hart, Charles Henry, 1884
1
8
Hitchcock, Ripley, circa 1890
1
9
Hogarth and Sons, 1882
1
10
Huntington, Daniel B., 1850-1885
1
11
Jenkins, Will, 1902
1
12
Johnson, Eastman, 1886
1
13
Lossing, Bevden (?), 1883
1
14
Mathers, Frank Jewell, 1905
Art Editor of the Evening Post, includes clippings.
1
15
Smillie, Anna Cook, 1853
1
16
Smillie, Charles F., 1893
1
17
Smillie, James, 1875
1
18
Tait, A. T., 1898
1
19
Waters, M. G., 1901
1
20
Miscellaneous Outgoing Letters, circa 1902
1
21

1.2:Personal Business Records, 1863-1909

Scattered business records include an agreement between Albert Bierstadt and James D. Smillie concerning the engraving of Forest Glen, donations, loans, and sales records, and a list of works in the Smillie collection.
DescriptionContainer
Agreement, 1863 May 6
1
22
Donation Records, 1908-1909
1
23
Loans and Sales Records, 1882
1
24
Smillie Collection Lists, 1901
1
25

1.3:Diaries, 1865-1909

There are forty-five volumes of daily diaries in which Smillie describes his paintings, drawings and prints, and references over 200 artists with whom he was acquainted. Loose items originally filed within the diaries include letters, notes, sketches, a silhouette, calling cards, receipts, printed material, and a photo of Smillie, among many other items.
See Appendix for a list of artists mentioned in the diaries from Series 1.3.
DescriptionContainer
Daily Diary, 1865
1
26
Daily Diary, 1866
1
27
Daily Diary, 1867
1
28
Daily Diary, 1868
1
29
Daily Diary, 1869
1
30
Daily Diary, 1870
1
31
Daily Diary, 1871
1
32
Daily Diary, 1872
1
33
Daily Diary, 1873
1
34
Daily Diary, 1874
1
35
Daily Diary, 1875
1
36
Daily Diary, 1876
2
1
Daily Diary, 1877
2
2
Daily Diary, 1878
2
3
Daily Diary, 1879
2
4
Daily Diary, 1880
2
5
Daily Diary, 1881
2
6
Daily Diary, 1882
2
7
Daily Diary, 1883
2
8
Daily Diary, 1884
2
9
Daily Diary, 1885
2
10
Daily Diary, 1886
2
11
Daily Diary, 1887
2
12
Daily Diary, 1888
3
1
Daily Diary, 1889
3
2
Daily Diary, 1890
3
3
Daily Diary, 1891
3
4
Daily Diary, 1892
3
5
Daily Diary, 1893
3
6
Daily Diary, 1894
3
7
Daily Diary, 1895
3
8
Daily Diary, 1896
3
9
Daily Diary, 1897
3
10
Daily Diary, 1898
3
11
Daily Diary, 1899
3
12
Daily Diary, 1900
4
1
Daily Diary, 1901
4
2
Daily Diary, 1902
4
3
Daily Diary, 1903
4
4
Daily Diary, 1904
4
5
Daily Diary, 1905
4
6
Daily Diary, 1906
4
7
Daily Diary, 1907
4
8
Daily Diary, 1908
4
9
Daily Diary, 1909
4
10
Materials Tucked into Diaries
Biographical Sketches and Writings, 1897-1909
4
11
Ephemera, 1865-1880
4
12
Addresses and Notes, 1897-1909
4
13
Calendar Fragments, 1881-1896
4
14
Financial Statements, Lists of Expenses, 1865-1880
4
15
Price Lists, Bills, 1881-1896
4
16
Insurance Documents, 1865-1880
4
17
Loan Agreements, 1865-1880
4
18
Receipts, 1897-1909
4
19
Prescriptions, 1865-1880
4
20
Prescriptions, 1881-1896
4
21
Prescriptions, 1897-1909
4
22
Rental Payments, 1865-1880
4
23
Voting Tallies for National Academy of Design, 1881-1896
4
24
Correspondence, 1865-1880
4
25
Correspondence, 1881-1896
4
26
Lists of Works of Art, 1865-1880
4
27
Lists of Works of Art, 1897-1909
4
28
Note, Found in Pocket of Uncle, 1865-1880
4
29
Writings, 1865-1880
4
30
Writings, 1881-1886
4
31
Notes, 1881-1896
4
32
Business Cards, 1865-1880
4
33
Business Cards, 1881-1896
4
34
Business Cards, 1897-1909
4
35
Calling Cards, 1865-1880
4
36
Calling Cards, 1881-1896
4
37
Calling Cards, 1897-1909
4
38
Clippings, 1865-1880
4
39
Clippings, 1881-1896
4
40
Clippings, 1897-1909
4
41
Admission Tickets, 1865-1880
4
42
Admission Tickets, 1897-1909
4
43
Playbills and Invitations, 1881-1896
4
44
Playbills, 1897-1909
4
45
Miscellaneous Printed Material, 1865-1880
4
46
Sketches and Silhouettes, 1865-1880
4
47
Sketches, 1881-1896
4
48
Sketches, Landscape Sketch for a House, 1881-1896
4
49
Photographs, 1864-1880
Photographs of James David Smillie and William J. Turrell.
4
50

1.4:Scrapbook, circa 1850s-1900

The scrapbook contains clippings, publications with etchings, and reproductions of prints. Although not all are labeled, many of the clippings were written by or concern James D. Smillie.
DescriptionContainer
Scrapbook of Clippings and Reproductions of Works of Art, circa 1850s-1900
7
1

1.5:Printed Material, 1865-1917

Found are scattered printed materials including exhibition catalogs for James D. Smillie, clippings, reproductions of works of art, and miscellanous art publications. Of note are advertisement circulars for engravings of Abraham Lincoln by William E. Marhsall and of President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation Before the Cabinet by F. B. Carpenter. Also found is a publishing proposal for a work by Bierstadt.
DescriptionContainer
Exhibition Catalog (fragment), 1909
5
1
Exhibition Catalog, 1910
5
2
Clipping, 1901-1905, 1866
5
3-5
Reproductions of Works of Art, circa 1860s
Oversized material housed in Box 6, Folder 4
5
6
Publishing Proposal, circa 1865
For Picture of the Rocky Mountains by Albert Bierstadt.
5
7
Advertisement, 1866
William E. Marshall's line engraving to Abraham Lincoln.
5
8
Advertisement, circa 1866
F. B. Carpenter's President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation Before the Cabinet.
5
9
Art Publications, 1885-1917
Oversized material housed in Box 6, Folder 4
5
10
Oversized Reproductions of Works of Art scanned with Box 5, Folder 6, circa 1860s
6
4
Oversized Art Publications scanned with Box 5, Folder 10, 1885-1917
6
4

1.6:Artwork, circa 1879

Found is one etching by James D. Smillie entitled Up the Hill.
DescriptionContainer
Etching, Up the Hill, circa 1879
5
11

Make a Request

  • To request an appointment to view materials, make your selections using the checkboxes and click the "Reading Room" button. Please note, you will receive the full box.
  • To request reproductions, make your selections using the checkboxes and click the "Reproduction" button.