Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-24
FU[TON'S ART FAME
HaIf-Forgotten Pictures Paint
ed by Inventor.
HIS OWN STEAMBOAT STORY
Exhibit of Relics on View at His
torical Society.
VARIOUS CONTRIBUTIONS MADE
Original Manuscript Loaned by ]. P.
Morgan-Hudson Souvenirs
Also to Be Shown.

NEW YORK, September 24.-One
phase in Robert Fulton's life that has
! been overshadowed in his greater sue
| cess as an inventor will be illustrated
soon in Il greater degree perhaps than
has ever before been seen in this coun-
try, during the coming exhibit in the
rooms of the New York Historical So
ciety, Central Park West, 18th and 18th
streets. This will be his artistic tenn
permanent.
AS an artist, Fulton is little known,
but in his early years. long before the
| more serious bent Of his mind was
turned to the problems Of steamboat
| navigation, he showed artistic talent of
more than average ability. Benjamin
| West was one of his closest friends. and
if Fulton did not actually study under
him while in Europe, West assisted his
American visitor in many ways.
illustrated His Mechanical Devices.
Indeed Fulton's ability as an artist
| was Of material aid to him in making
clear. comprehensive drawings of his
mechanical inventions, and the Histori-
cal Society possesses a unique copy Of
one of Fulton's works with his own
illustrations.
Cooperating with the Historical So
clety in the coming exhibit. which Will
open September % and remain on view
! through the month of October, are the
| Colonial Danes of America. Through
| their joint efforts large amount Of in
| teresting material relating both to
Henry Hudson and Robert Fulton has
been secured
The Fulton collection will be much
the larger of the two. and will be dis
| played in the new art gallery finished
this summer. The society itself will
provide practically all the Hudson ma
| terial. This will be displayed in the
| reading room
| TIL. widespread interest In the coming
celebration generally, and in this exhibit
| particularly, has been shown by the
| the Fulton and Livingston families have
| lent their heirlooms and other valuable
articles having close personal connec-
| ton with Fulton.
Portrait of Earl Stanhope.
| OF first Importance in the collecting of
Fultons art works is his p r'.:,.t Of Earl
Stanhope. 1t is a handsor..v portrait of
| the man who was deeply interested in
Fulton's inventions and under whose
auspices Fulton went to London in 1904
for the British government.
The canvas is &c by 36 inches, and is
now owned by Mr.. and Mrs. Herman
Livingston of Catskill. A portrait of Full
ton by himself. painted in 1895. is loaned
by Mrs. r. Fulton Blight.
Other examples of Fulton's artistic abil-
ity will be seen in two miniatures. one
Of Maj Michael McCurdy. owned by
and the. other of Samuel Beach. owned by
H. A. Boardman of ST. Paul: a pastel
portrait of Margaret Ross, owned by Mrs.
Charles Sydney Bradford of Philadelphia:
an oil painting of Joseph Bringhurst,
painted by Fulton when he was twenty
one years of age. and now owned by a
member of the Bringhurst family at Will
mington. Del. from whom also come two
india-ink sketches.
Benjamin West painted two portraits of
Fulton, and both are in this country.
Robert Fulton Cutting owns one of them.
ana he has loaned it to the Historical
Society's exhibit while the other. owned
by John Henry Livingston of Clermont,
now Tivoli, N. Y, will be exhibited with
an old mantel and furniture used by Full
ton in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Mr.. Livingston has sent a number of
things to the Historical Society, including
fine portrait by Gilbert Stuart of Chan
cellor Robert r. Livingston, who was
closely associated with Fulton. A fine
portrait Of Fulton by an unknown artist
has been sent by w. Bayard Cutting.
Jarvis Portrait Of Fulton.
Another valuable portrait of Fulton by
the artist. Jarvis. has been loaned by the
Misses Vinton of Pomfret. Conn. This
was originally painted for John Wilkes
of this city. His daughter, Mrs. David
Golden, gave 1t to the Rev. Francis Vim
ton, one of the rectors of Trinity Church.
In 1864, and it is now owned by the rec
tors daughters.
Mrs. w. Barclay Parsons has given
miniature of Walter Livingston. the IA
ther-in-law Of Robert Fulton.
Mrs. Joseph w. Drexel lends a fine
miniature of Robert Fulton. the Fulton
Club has contributed an oil portrait by
Thomas Sully and Judge Peter T. Bar
low has furnished two portraits, one of
Fulton and the other of his friend. Joel
Barlow, author of the "Columbiad,' and
for whose book Fulton made the illus
trations. Both of these portraits are the
work OF John Vanderlyn.
]. Pierpont Morgan has lent from his
library the original manuscript copy of
Fulton's History of Steamboat Inven-
ton" A number of autograph letters of
Fulton, nearly all of them containing
references to his invention. will be seen.
Samuel Verplanck Hoffman, president of
the society, will show one of the longest
and most valuable letters of Fulton ex-
tant, giving Fulton's views to Robert r.
Livingston in November. 1907, a few
months 2IleT the HTSt SUCCESSFUL TRIP VI
the Clermont. for enlarging the boat so
as to make 1t better paying PROPOSE
tion This was done, and the boat in its
enlarged form and under the name of
the North River began its regular trips
to Albany in 1905.
Fulton's Letters on Exhibit.
Mrs Arthur Sutcliffe. the great-grand-
eight letters of Fulton. in addition to
eight letters of Fulton in addition to
many other documents and letters dealing
with the steamboat ventures. John d.
Crimmins also contributes some auto
graphs. An exceptionally interesting SOU
venir of the Clermont's first trip is the
original compass used by Pilot Acker In
making his eventful voyage up the river
The compass is now owned by r. Fulton
Ludlow.
| Mrs. Robert Livingston jenkins of Leb-
| anon. Pa, donates a vase of Fulton
china, which was presented to Robert
Fulton by President Thomas Jefferson
and from President Hoffman comes a
quaint pitcher of old Liverpool ware
showing the arms of the United States.
the frigate Robert Fulton and the apothe-
osis of Washington.
| To call attention to the reign of Napo-
| leon during a part of the time Fulfon