Map to the Mountains: New Haven to New Hampshire

In 1827, Daniel Wadsworth sent a map and suggested itinerary for a trip to the White Mountains to Thomas Cole that was scheduled to begin 197 years ago today. 

Today, that letter is in the Thomas Cole papers at the New York State Library in Albany (Box 3, Folder 7). See the link here.  

The letter is written on one piece of paper and folded as was the custom of the time to serve as its own envelope.  

Wadsworth sketched a rough map on the back of the letter (click on the images to enlarge them). 

The map is outlined in the yellow box below. 

Here is a detail of the letter and map with a transcription (click on images to enlarge them). 

In a recent blog here we followed in the footsteps of Thomas Cole's final trip to the White Mountains in 1839. Thomas Cole is a world famous artist and considered the founder of the Hudson River School of Art. In this blog we will learn more about how he first got to New Hampshire and a little about his first trip here.  

Details of Cole's first trip to New Hampshire are sketchy and Wadsworth's letter is one of the best pieces of evidence we have for the trip. 

Let's start with Daniel Wadsworth, the man behind the letter, map and many of Cole's canvases. 

Thomas Sully, Daniel Wadsworth, 1807

Wadsworth Athenaeum 1976.79

The Curatorial narrative from the Wadsworth Athenaeum website about this painting points out "The sitter dons buff leather gloves with red stitching, characteristic of those worn when traveling. Wadsworth was a romantic traveler and amateur artist in his own right, who searched for beautiful scenes to sketch. The dreamy gaze, tousled curly hair, and nonchalant pose add to the painting’s romantic sensibility." Wadsworth founded his museum in 1844. He was born in 1771 and died in 1848.

Wadsworth had the eye of an artist, but lacked the skill and talent to realize his vision. Fortunately for us, he had the motive and means to travel and the will to direct Thomas Cole to make the art he wanted for him. 

Here is a print attributed to Wadsworth that was published (facing title page) in 1826 in the 2nd edition (with 1827 additions) of Theodore Dwight's The Northern Traveler. 

To view the print from the book follow this link here. 

To read the associated text (pp 311-314) online follow this link and start here. 

The view is looking north with Mt. Willey on the left west, Mt. Webster on the right east and Mt. Willard in the center north. 

You can match the historic print to a more modern view through google maps in my entry in the theclio app here. 

and my photo from the site with signs 

Now you have your own map so you can follow in the footsteps of Daniel Wadsworth and Thomas Cole. 

July 3, 1839 Crawford Notch Following in the Footsteps of White Mountain Artists

 

185 years ago today, Thomas Cole and Asher B. Durand sketched in Crawford Notch. Cole's sketch was later used as the basis for one of his most famous paintings. For a discussion of the misidentification of that view see our previous blog here.

The Cole sketch is now in the collection of the Princeton University Art Museum. FMI see this link here. 

The Durand sketch is now in the collection of the New York Historical Society. FMI see this link here. 

The sketches are very similar and were taken from around the same vantage point. 

 

You can visit that site today. For directions and information see these links here and here.

The center of each sketch features the "gate" through which the road runs, Elephant Head on the left and the Notch House and barn from that time period. 

 

For more images in this area follow this link.

FMI contact the Conway Public Library's Henney History Room