David Claypoole Johnston
Encyclopedia
David Claypoole Johnston (25 March 1798 – 8 November 1865) was an 19th-century American cartoonist, printmaker, painter and actor from Boston
, Massachusetts
. He was the first natively trained American to master all the various graphic arts processes of lithography, etching, metal plate engraving, and wood engraving.
In 1815 Johnston has studied engraving as an apprentice of successful Philadelphia engraver Francis Kearney
, and became himself an engraver of original caricatures, which were too controversial for publishing. In 1821 he switched to a theatrical career, appearing for the first time at the Walnut street theatre on 10 March 1821, as Henry in "Speed the Plow." He performed for five seasons with theatre companies in Philadelphia and Boston
.
Afterward he retired from the stage and set up an engraver's office in Boston
. His most important early work, was a series of etched and lithographed character portraits of well-known American and British actors. In years between 1828 and 1849 he published nine numbers of his annual comic "Scraps," made of five plates, each containing nine or ten separate humorous sketches.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. He was the first natively trained American to master all the various graphic arts processes of lithography, etching, metal plate engraving, and wood engraving.
In 1815 Johnston has studied engraving as an apprentice of successful Philadelphia engraver Francis Kearney
Francis Kearney
Francis Kearney aka Francis Kearny was an American engraver and lithographer, active in Philadelphia and New York. -References:...
, and became himself an engraver of original caricatures, which were too controversial for publishing. In 1821 he switched to a theatrical career, appearing for the first time at the Walnut street theatre on 10 March 1821, as Henry in "Speed the Plow." He performed for five seasons with theatre companies in Philadelphia and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.
Afterward he retired from the stage and set up an engraver's office in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. His most important early work, was a series of etched and lithographed character portraits of well-known American and British actors. In years between 1828 and 1849 he published nine numbers of his annual comic "Scraps," made of five plates, each containing nine or ten separate humorous sketches.
Works by Johnston
- Boston Monthly MagazineBoston Monthly MagazineThe Boston Monthly Magazine of Boston, Massachusetts, was edited by Samuel Lorenzo Knapp in the 1820s. It was "devoted to literature, philosophy, and miscellaneous matters, worthy of being recorded, ... [and] chiefly directed to the diffusion of the productions of our own minds." It focused on...
, June 1825-May 1826. v.1 no.8-v.2 no.2 (Jan.-July 1826) - American comic annual. v.1 (1831). Illustrated by Johnston.
- Timothy Titterwell. Yankee Notions: a Medley, 4th ed. 1847. Illustrated by Johnston.
Works about Johnston
- Malcolm Johnson. David Claypool Johnston: American Graphic Humorist, 1798-1865. Lunenburg, Vermont: Stinehour Press, 1970.
- David Tatham. David Claypoole Johnston's "Militia Muster." American Art Journal, Vol. 19, No. 2 (Spring, 1987), pp. 4–15.
- Jennifer A. Greenhill. Playing the Fool: "David Claypoole Johnston and the Menial Labor of Caricature". American Art, Vol. 17, No. 3 (Autumn, 2003), pp. 33–51.
External links
- WorldCat
- American Antiquarian Society. David Claypoole Johnston online exhibit, 2003.
- American Antiquarian Society. Flickr. Johnston images.
- Syracuse University Library. "David Claypool Johnston (1798-1865)" page in "Draw your own conclusions" exhibit.
- http://www.americanantiquarian.org/Inventories/Portraits/72.htm