The Life, Studies, and Works of Benjamin West, Esq., by John Galt, in extra-illustrated form 3239 Finding aid prepared by Cary Majewicz. Last updated on November 09, 2018. First edition Historical Society of Pennsylvania , 2010 The Life, Studies, and Works of Benjamin West, Esq., by John Galt, in extra-illustrated form Table of Contents Summary Information....................................................................................................................................3 Biography/History..........................................................................................................................................4 Scope and Contents....................................................................................................................................... 5 Inventory of original art and large-scale engravings in Collection 3239......................................................6 Administrative Information......................................................................................................................... 11 Related Materials......................................................................................................................................... 12 Controlled Access Headings........................................................................................................................12 Bibliography.................................................................................................................................................13 - Page 2 - The Life, Studies, and Works of Benjamin West, Esq., by John Galt, in extra-illustrated form Summary Information Repository Historical Society of Pennsylvania Creator Galt, John, 1779-1839. Title The Life, Studies, and Works of Benjamin West, Esq., by John Galt, in extra-illustrated form Call number 3239 Date [bulk] 1792-1820 Date [inclusive] 1682-1844 Extent 1.2 linear feet (; 3 boxes; 9 flat files) Language English Mixed materials [Oversize] 6 Mixed materials [Oversize] 7 Mixed materials [Oversize] 8 Mixed materials [Oversize] 9 Mixed materials [Oversize] 2 Mixed materials [Oversize] 1 Mixed materials [Oversize] 3 - Page 3 - The Life, Studies, and Works of Benjamin West, Esq., by John Galt, in extra-illustrated form Mixed materials (00007245)1 [Box] Mixed materials [Oversize] 4 Mixed materials [Oversize] 5 Mixed materials (00007246)2 [Box] Mixed materials (00007247)3 [Box] Abstract In 1816 and 1820, Scottish author John Galt produced a two-volume biography of Benjamin West entitled The Life, Works, and Studies of Benjamin West, Esq. This collection consists of pages from seven disbound extra-illustrated volumes of Galt's book comprising numerous original letters to and from Benjamin West, some pieces of original art by West, and many other engravings, documents, and prints. Cite as: Cite as: [Indicate cited item or series here], The Life, Studies, and Works of Benjamin West. Esq., by John Galt in extra-illustrated form (Collection 3239), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Biography/History John Galt was born to Captain John Galt and Jean Tilloch Galt in May 1779 in Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland. As a child, Galt enjoyed reading books and developed a talent for writing. He received a business- oriented education and worked for a time in Scotland. In 1804 he moved to London, England, to further pursue business opportunities. He eventually entered into a series of partnerships, including one with his brother Thomas, but none were successful. He turned to writing articles for the Greenock Advertiser and - Page 4 - The Life, Studies, and Works of Benjamin West, Esq., by John Galt, in extra-illustrated form the Scots Magazine as a source of income. After a bout with illness in 1809, Galt traveled throughout the Mediterranean where he met and traveled with poet George Gordon (Lord) Byron. Galt returned to London in 1811 and sought to become a published author. Among his earliest works were Life and Administration of Cardinal Wolsey (1812), Voyages and Travels (1812), which was based on his time in the Mediterranean, and Letters from Levant (1813). There are few details as to how Galt became interested in American artist and president of London's Royal Academy of Art Benjamin West (1738-1820), but Galt published the first part of a biography of West in 1816. Part one of The Life, Studies, and Works of Benjamin West, Esq. covers West's life in America starting with his birth in 1738 up to the early 1760s, when West traveled to Italy to study art. In 1820, Galt offered a second volume on West that began with his move to London, England, in 1763 and ended with his death in 1820. Galt's work was the first biography of Benjamin West. In the author's note in the second volume, Galt recalled that West himself read over (or was read) the contents of the first volume to check for accuracy. Due to illness, West was unable to read over the second volume. Galt formed a successful career as a writer, publishing over thirty works before his death in 1839. He also revived his business skills in the mid-1820s when he was named one of the commissioners of the Canada Company, which planned to develop and re-sell federal lands in southern Ontario (between the Great Lakes Huron and Ontario). Galt died in Scotland in 1839. Scope and Contents This extra-illustrated version of John Galt's The Life, Studies, and Works of Benjamin West, Esq., is housed in three boxes and nine flat files. The papers in boxes 1-3 were formerly in bound volumes numbered 1 through 6. A seventh volume consisted solely of large-scale engravings and mezzotints of West's art. Amid the individual pages from Galt's work are numerous original manuscripts, prints, engravings, and examples of West's work. While documents span from the 1680s to the 1830s, most of them date from the 1790s to 1820, when West served as the president of the Royal Academy of Art in London, England. Since the collection was originally housed in seven large bound volumes, each item retains old volume and page numbers, though the collection has been re-housed into boxes and folders. An inventory of original drawings by and large-scale original engravings of West's work has been provided in the arrangement note following this section. The contents of the "illustrated" portions of this collection vary widely. Save for original letters to and from West, most of the materials relate generally to history and art and have little do with West. There are images (usually engravings, mezzotints, or other prints) of various Renaissance and contemporary artists, Italian and English landscapes and landmarks, European kings and rulers, and other historical figures such as Isaac Newton, William Shakespeare, and Plutarch. Among the original documents that help illustrate the biography of West are deeds, such as a 1682 indenture of Jacob Fullor (Box 3, Folder 1); receipts, letters, and miscellaneous lists, including a four-page list from 1786 "of workmen employed at the Great Falls for the Potomac Company---the last page is signed by George Washington (Box 1, Folder 1). - Page 5 - The Life, Studies, and Works of Benjamin West, Esq., by John Galt, in extra-illustrated form However, the highlights of the collection are West's letters, his original sketches, and large-scale engravings that were made from several of his paintings. While the letters, both drafts and final copies, are scattered between pages from Galt's work and various images, together they present a formidable picture of West's life and work in England from the 1790s until his death in 1820. Among West's myriad of correspondents were American artist Thomas Sully; German painter Antonio Raphael Mengs; Lord Grantham (Thomas Robinson, the second Baron Grantham); Joseph Reynolds, with whom he founded the Royal Academy; and Thomas Copley, a Jesuit missionary. There are also several letters West wrote to the Council of the Royal Academy, a letter from the managers of the Pennsylvania Hospital thanking West in advance for his painting "Our Saviour Healing the Sick in the Temple" (Box 2, Folder 7); and an unsigned proposal for West do a painting on the death of Lord Nelson (Box 2, Folder 7). Among West's other documents are scattered notes and lists of his paintings, receipts for exhibition money, and occasional notes on the proceedings of the Royal Academy. This collection also contains sixteen original sketches and drawings by West. Of them, two are in Box 1 (an untitled sketch and a wash entitled "David"), one is in Box 2 (a pen and wash sketch entitled "The Tragic Muse"), and the remainder are in Box 3. These works appear to be miscellaneous drawings, but a few are identified as painting studies. They are done in pencil, ink, wash, or a combination of these media, and most are mounted onto heavy card stock. Only a few are dated and have titles, but most are either signed or initialed by West. Nine oversized flat files that mostly contain large-scale engravings done after many of West's painting round out this collection. Impressive works of their own, most of these engravings were done in the 1780s and 1790s by Valentine Green or Francesco Bartolozzi, both of whom worked as Royal engravers (Flat files 2-8). Additionally, there are several large portraits of Benjamin West (Flat file 1). The ninth flat file contains photographic reproductions of a portrait of Benjamin West and his portraits of George III and Queen Charlotte. An inventory of the engravings along with West’s original works in Flat files 1-8 is in the arrangement note