1884 C.H. Zink congressional dated. The artist and teacher Henry Grant Plumb was born in Sherburne, New York, located in a rural and beautiful area of central New York State whose economy was devoted to agriculture and transportation by the Chenango Canal and a railroad (both now defunct). A small town with a population of around 2,000, Henrys parents Isaac and Catherine Grant Plumb were prosperous and leading citizens of the town and surrounding Chenango County. Isaac owned a business devoted to furniture, picture frames, and undertaking and served for many years in prominent positions in town and county government, even holding office in Albany as a state representative for one term. Henrys love for art was manifested at a young age as a group of small drawings confidently signed and dated bear testimony. His family was extremely close and supportive of his artistic tendencies especially since his father was a chair maker by trade and an amateur musician. Henry was the youngest of three children; his eldest sibling, Isaac, Jr., was a Civil War hero who served with Colonel Nelson Miles and General Francis Barlow, rising rapidly from private to captain in his three years of service, finally losing his life on July 4, 1864 in a Washington, DC hospital. Henrys immediate elder, a sister named Anna, was a pianist who married a Sherburne boy who became a successful merchant in the boot and shoe trade. Formative in Henrys early years was the family friendship with genre artist Tompkins H. Matteson (1813-1884), a Sherburne resident who was nationally known for his historical and literary paintings. Matteson and Isaac Plumb were closely allied in town politics and community service, actively organizing and serving in leadership positions with the fire company, water board, school board, and local government. Matteson also served in Albany as a state representative for one term. Although we do not yet know if Matteson gave Plumb lessons, and Matteson is not mentioned in Plumbs biographical listings, we do know that Matteson offered art lessons in his studio and works by Henry show his influence in depicting multiple figures engaged in rural pursuits such as ice skating, hunting, and hop picking. Moreover, Matteson painted the three Plumb childrens portraits. In 1864, Henry Plumb moved to New York City, becoming an apprentice in the engraving and lithography trade. Starting as an errand boy, he rapidly rose to become an artist in Hatch & Co, one of the countrys leading firms. Concurrently, he studied art first with sculptor Ernst Plassmann, then at the new Cooper Union Free Night School of Science and Art, and lastly at the National Academy of Design. In 1872, he was hired away from Hatch & Co. by the Boston engraving and lithography firm of J. H. Bufford & Co,, where Winslow Homer had begun his career in the mid-1850s. In September 1874, Henry embarked on the adventure of a lifetime, voyaging to Paris by way of London, and enrolling in the world-famous Ecole des Beaux-Arts to study drawing and painting. His parents paid most if not all of his expenses for four years, a remarkably supportive arrangement for that time. At the Ecole, his teachers were the internationally-famous Orientalist painter Jean-Léon Gérôme and the military painter Adolph Yvon. He succeeded in the infamous Concours des Places, a multi-day examination given to students who aspired to enter Yvons evening drawing class. Only one in three aspirants were successful and many more famous American artists were not successful and hence pursued studies at alternative art schools in Paris. Plumb also studied in the independent atelier of Carolus Duran, John Singer Sargents mentor. His illustrated letters of this period narrate and depict his experiences and adventures in the classroom, city neighborhoods, and the French countryside, a remarkable rediscovery. Written accounts by American artists including Will H. Low and Abbott Thayer are known, but Plumbs are the first extensively illustrated letters by an American artist to be found. His letters enable us to ascertain the artists humor, resilience, sense of adventure, and warmth toward his fellow man. Among his friends were the better-known American artists Abbott H. Thayer and J. Scott Hartley. Plumb travelled during the summers to the art colonies at Pont-Aven and Moret-sur-Loing, with an extended trip through Switzerland to Italy, to view the art and architectural masterpieces of that country. The latter trip he recorded in illustrated letters, watercolors, and three pocket sketchbook. Returning home late in 1878, Plumb established a successful career in New York City, serving as a drawing teacher at Cooper Union for many years while maintaining an active schedule of painting, drawing, and exhibiting, both in New York City and throughout the Northeast United States. Venues included the prestigious National Academy of Design, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the American Watercolor Society. Prominent patrons including Thomas B. Clarke and members of the Havemeyer and Mellon families purchased his art from these exhibitions. Plumb joined the well-known Salmagundi Club and actively participated in their social and artistic events, during fifty years of membership. His art included watercolors, oils, drawings, and prints with a wide range of themes. Photographs of his work tell us that he essayed with equal vigor and competence portraiture, landscape, animal, and genre scenes. He had a playful sense of humor and enjoyed depicting cats, mice, and farm animals in charming, often funny predicaments. Some of his art was probably done with commercial purposes in mind, after all it was the so-called Golden Age of Illustration. Plumbs two children with his wife Mary Witte, Margaret and Henry, Jr., were often the subjects for his art. Plumb returned each summer to Sherburne, setting up his studio in the barn behind the Plumb homestead and painting the rural subjects surrounding him as well as portraits of friends and family in the area. Please ask specific questions on details, condition, and shipping prior to bidding, ALL ITEMS ARE SOLD AS IS, and bidder will be responsible for payment. We box and ship what we can to keep costs low, and use USPS and UPS. Large items, extremely fragile, and high value items will be packed by UPS. Quotes available on request
1884 C.H. Zink congressional dated. The artist and teacher Henry Grant Plumb was born in Sherburne, New York, located in a rural and beautiful area of central New York State whose economy was devoted to agriculture and transportation by the Chenango Canal and a railroad (both now defunct). A small town with a population of around 2,000, Henrys parents Isaac and Catherine Grant Plumb were prosperous and leading citizens of the town and surrounding Chenango County. Isaac owned a business devoted to furniture, picture frames, and undertaking and served for many years in prominent positions in town and county government, even holding office in Albany as a state representative for one term. Henrys love for art was manifested at a young age as a group of small drawings confidently signed and dated bear testimony. His family was extremely close and supportive of his artistic tendencies especially since his father was a chair maker by trade and an amateur musician. Henry was the youngest of three children; his eldest sibling, Isaac, Jr., was a Civil War hero who served with Colonel Nelson Miles and General Francis Barlow, rising rapidly from private to captain in his three years of service, finally losing his life on July 4, 1864 in a Washington, DC hospital. Henrys immediate elder, a sister named Anna, was a pianist who married a Sherburne boy who became a successful merchant in the boot and shoe trade. Formative in Henrys early years was the family friendship with genre artist Tompkins H. Matteson (1813-1884), a Sherburne resident who was nationally known for his historical and literary paintings. Matteson and Isaac Plumb were closely allied in town politics and community service, actively organizing and serving in leadership positions with the fire company, water board, school board, and local government. Matteson also served in Albany as a state representative for one term. Although we do not yet know if Matteson gave Plumb lessons, and Matteson is not mentioned in Plumbs biographical listings, we do know that Matteson offered art lessons in his studio and works by Henry show his influence in depicting multiple figures engaged in rural pursuits such as ice skating, hunting, and hop picking. Moreover, Matteson painted the three Plumb childrens portraits. In 1864, Henry Plumb moved to New York City, becoming an apprentice in the engraving and lithography trade. Starting as an errand boy, he rapidly rose to become an artist in Hatch & Co, one of the countrys leading firms. Concurrently, he studied art first with sculptor Ernst Plassmann, then at the new Cooper Union Free Night School of Science and Art, and lastly at the National Academy of Design. In 1872, he was hired away from Hatch & Co. by the Boston engraving and lithography firm of J. H. Bufford & Co,, where Winslow Homer had begun his career in the mid-1850s. In September 1874, Henry embarked on the adventure of a lifetime, voyaging to Paris by way of London, and enrolling in the world-famous Ecole des Beaux-Arts to study drawing and painting. His parents paid most if not all of his expenses for four years, a remarkably supportive arrangement for that time. At the Ecole, his teachers were the internationally-famous Orientalist painter Jean-Léon Gérôme and the military painter Adolph Yvon. He succeeded in the infamous Concours des Places, a multi-day examination given to students who aspired to enter Yvons evening drawing class. Only one in three aspirants were successful and many more famous American artists were not successful and hence pursued studies at alternative art schools in Paris. Plumb also studied in the independent atelier of Carolus Duran, John Singer Sargents mentor. His illustrated letters of this period narrate and depict his experiences and adventures in the classroom, city neighborhoods, and the French countryside, a remarkable rediscovery. Written accounts by American artists including Will H. Low and Abbott Thayer are known, but Plumbs are the first extensively illustrated letters by an American artist to be found. His letters enable us to ascertain the artists humor, resilience, sense of adventure, and warmth toward his fellow man. Among his friends were the better-known American artists Abbott H. Thayer and J. Scott Hartley. Plumb travelled during the summers to the art colonies at Pont-Aven and Moret-sur-Loing, with an extended trip through Switzerland to Italy, to view the art and architectural masterpieces of that country. The latter trip he recorded in illustrated letters, watercolors, and three pocket sketchbook. Returning home late in 1878, Plumb established a successful career in New York City, serving as a drawing teacher at Cooper Union for many years while maintaining an active schedule of painting, drawing, and exhibiting, both in New York City and throughout the Northeast United States. Venues included the prestigious National Academy of Design, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the American Watercolor Society. Prominent patrons including Thomas B. Clarke and members of the Havemeyer and Mellon families purchased his art from these exhibitions. Plumb joined the well-known Salmagundi Club and actively participated in their social and artistic events, during fifty years of membership. His art included watercolors, oils, drawings, and prints with a wide range of themes. Photographs of his work tell us that he essayed with equal vigor and competence portraiture, landscape, animal, and genre scenes. He had a playful sense of humor and enjoyed depicting cats, mice, and farm animals in charming, often funny predicaments. Some of his art was probably done with commercial purposes in mind, after all it was the so-called Golden Age of Illustration. Plumbs two children with his wife Mary Witte, Margaret and Henry, Jr., were often the subjects for his art. Plumb returned each summer to Sherburne, setting up his studio in the barn behind the Plumb homestead and painting the rural subjects surrounding him as well as portraits of friends and family in the area. Please ask specific questions on details, condition, and shipping prior to bidding, ALL ITEMS ARE SOLD AS IS, and bidder will be responsible for payment. We box and ship what we can to keep costs low, and use USPS and UPS. Large items, extremely fragile, and high value items will be packed by UPS. Quotes available on request
Antique signed original oil on canvas painting by Henry Grant Plumb (1847-1930 New York) Portrait of a young girl and a canary. Signed lower right. Housed in an ornate gold gilt frame. Work window measures 22" x 18" Frame measures 29 1/2" x 25 1/2". Good condition with mild surface darkening and craquelure. Canvas has been laid down on board. Wear to frame. In house USA continental shipping $150 plus insurance. Inv 4
HENRY GRANT PLUMB (American, 1847-1930) Rooster and Mouse, 1889 Watercolor and charcoal on paper 13-3/4 x 18-1/4 inches (34.9 x 46.4 cm) (sight) Signed, dated and inscribed lower left: Copyright 1889 by / H.G. Plumb. THE JEAN AND GRAHAM DEVOE WILLIFORD CHARITABLE TRUST
HENRY GRANT PLUMB (American, 1847-1930) Rooster and Mouse, 1889 Watercolor and charcoal on paper 13-3/4 x 18-1/4 inches (34.9 x 46.4 cm) (sight) Signed, dated and inscribed lower left: Copyright 1889 by / H.G. Plumb. THE JEAN AND GRAHAM DEVOE WILLIFORD CHARITABLE TRUST
(LINCOLN, ABRAHAM.) Plumb, Henry Grant; lithographer; after Anthony Berger. [President Lincoln Reading to His Son.] Lithograph, 14 1/4 x 13 1/4 inches; horizontal crease, minor foxing; inscribed in pencil "My first lithographic drawing, from photo, H.G.P., 1865." Not examined out of frame. [New York?], 1865
(ART.) Extensive archive of New York artist Henry Grant Plumb. 11 boxes (15 linear feet), including: 18 framed original works by Plumb and others * approximately 60 of his unframed smaller watercolors and oil paintings * 4 of his sketchbooks from the 1870s * More than 200 pencil and ink sketches * 8 works by other artists in Plumb's circle * More than 100 photographs of Plumb's works * Approximately 300 letters from Plumb to his family, including many illustrated letters sent from Europe, 1874-78 * More than 300 letters received by Plumb, many regarding his work, or from fellow artists, 1858-1926 * 10 family photograph albums * 4 of his pocket diaries, 1873-1909 * Plumb's palette, portrait studio sign, paint box, and other artifacts * and much more. Vp, bulk 1858-1930
HENRY G. PLUMB. Watercolors of a trip to Italy and Switzerland, 1875. 19 watercolor, pencil, some ink and occasional pastel on paper. Various sizes, none larger than 235x321 mm; 9 1/4x12 3/4 inches. Most initialed or Signed lower margins and captioned on verso. 1875.
HENRY G. PLUMB. Group of 5 images of animals. Mixed media and sizes as noted, all framed. Most are Plumb's charming genre scenes (marked as such on label) that he did as jobwork for various publications. Largest image is 368x267 mm; 14 1/2x10 1/2. Signed lower margins. Circa 1880s-90.
HENRY G. PLUMB. Four oil paintings of boys. Four paintings of happy youths on the farm, each amidst a field of sunflowers, raspberries, wildflowers, or potatoes. Oil on canvas over wood, average size 521x317mm; 20 1/2x12 1/2 inches, image, wooden frames. Signed in lower margins. Circa 1880s-90s.
HENRY G. PLUMB. Group of 4 illustrations of mice. Mixed media and sizes as noted, all framed. Most are Plumb's charming genre scenes (marked as such on label) that he did as jobwork for various publications. Largest image is 368x267 mm; 14 1/2x10 1/2. Signed lower margins. Circa 1880s-90s.
HENRY G. PLUMB. Three works featuring young women, plus three working illustrations for one of the images. Mixed media and sizes as described, one framed. The three large works all Signed by Plumb, lower margin. Circa 1880s-90s.
![(LINCOLN, ABRAHAM.) Plumb, Henry Grant; lithographer; after Anthony Berger. [President Lincoln Reading to His Son.]](https://stageimg.invaluable.com/housePhotos/Swann/06/431706/H0132-L51720090.jpg)
