2 Watercolors by John R. Johnston. Camden, New Jersey

 -- No Secret Reserve Price --

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Two Original Watercolor Paintings by John R. Johnston

Newly Found.  Fresh to the Market.

Signed and Dated 1881 and 1882 in Camden, New Jersey

Depicting a River in Autumn (Presumedly the Delaware River)

John R. Johnston: Influenced by the Hudson River School of Art

He and his Family Were a Surrogate Family for Camden Poet Walt Whitman.

Autograph Book also Signed and Inscribed by the Artist's Son, John R. Johnston Jr.

The Two Paintings are in an Autograph Book for Jane Florence Connor Riggs of the Philadelphia Area.

This Autograph Book was Recently Purchased from the Connor Family, and is Fresh to the Market.

Autograph Book's Pages are Dated 1877 to 1895.

Page Size: 118 x 192 mm  (4-11/16 x 7-1/2 inches)

Above:  Fly Fishing in Autumn  

An Original 1881 Watercolor Painting by John R. Johnston

In the Tradition of the Hudson River School of Art

(I don't know which river this is.  It Could be the Delaware River, near Camden, New Jersey.)

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Above: Signed in Ink by the Artist:  John R. Johnston / Camden (New Jersey) June 5th 1881

During this time Johnston and his family were a surrogate family to Walt Whitman,  who also lived in Camden.

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Above:  Front Cover

Autograph Book of "Aunt Jane /  Jane (Jennie) Florence Connor Riggs"

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Above:  The Second Original River Watercolor by John R. Johnston

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Above: Signed in Ink by the Artist:  John R. Johnston / Camden N. J. (New Jersey) January 15, 1882

During this time Johnston and his family were a surrogate family to Walt Whitman,  who also lived in Camden.

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Above:  One Page is Signed and Inscribed by the Artist's son, John R. Johnston Jr.

Walt Whitman's Correspondence to Him is at the Walt Whitman Collection of the New York Public Library.

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Above:   One Page is Signed and Inscribed in Camden by Samuel W. Tarvin of Cincinnati.

He was the Ohio Singer who was an Acquaintance of the Artist, John R. Johnston.

This page is next to one of John R. Johnston's watercolors in the book.

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Above:  Also Includes 2 Original Pen-and-Ink Calligraphy Drawings in 1879

By W. H. Detweiler of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  (I do not know who he was.)

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Above:   1879 / "W. H. D. Hbg.":  W. H. Detweiler of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

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Above:  The Second Original Calligraphy Drawing by W. H. Detweiler of Harrisburg, PA,  in 1879

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Above:  Autograph Book includes this Mysterious Pen-and-Ink Phranque Owl.  

An Original Drawing.  Perhaps drawn by someone named Frank.

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Above:  Also Includes this Original Pen-and-Ink Floral Wreath

By William A. Lamor  (I don't know who he is.)

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Above:  With a Golden Horseshoe drawn by H J C  (Perhaps a Connor Relative)

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Above:  With Much Exceptional Pen-and-Ink Calligraphy Throughout

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Above:  The Back Cover

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Two John R. Johnston Watercolors.    Newly Found.

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The Artist and Photographer John R. Johnston:

John R. Johnston  (born 1826 - died 1895) was an important America artist and photographer, who is often remembered for his work in Cincinnati, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Camden.

Johnston is associated with the Hudson River School of landscape painting.   In addition to landscape paintings, he also painted portraits, theater scenery, transparencies, and panoramas.

John R. Johnston's Life in Cincinnati and Baltimore:

Johnston was born in Cincinnati, Ohio (Hamilton) on March 10, 1826.  Beginning at age 16, he studied art under Frederick Franks, owner of the Western Museum, and also studied art in Baltimore.

In 1848, at age 22, Johnston began working for the panorama artist Henry Lewis, who was creating the monumental, 1,000-feet-long panorama titled "Mammoth Panorama of the Mississippi River." Johston painted human figures and background details for this panorama.

One year later, Johnston and painter Edwin Forrest Durang created their own panorama painting titled "A Panorama of the Bible" which debuted in Cincinnati in August 1849. Edwin Durang later became an important Philadelphia architect.  This Bible panorama was also exhibited in Louisville, Kentucky, and in Philadelphia.

During the early 1850s, John Johnston did much portrait painting in Cincinnati.  In 1851 he was elected city councilman for the Fourth Ward, for a term.  He also worked as a scenic artist at the National Theatre.  

Early in the 1850s he also was working in Cincinnati as a photography colorist for Ezekiel C. Hawkins, who was a pioneer photographer of the American West.

In 1856, at age 30, Johnston opened his own Cincinnati business for portrait painting and photography coloring, where “in addition to his legitimate profession of portrait painting he would also put the finishing touch to the photograph likenesses of such of his friends as may prefer the new invention.”

Johnston painted numerous important portraits during this time.  In 1854 he painted a copy portrait of Andrew Jackson for Ohio Senator Granville Stokes.  Today that portrait is owned by the Tennessee Historical Society, and hangs in the front lobby of the Tennessee state capitol.  Johnston is also remembered for painting a portrait of actor Edwin Forrest as King Lear.

Note:  See the online self-portrait photograph Johnston took of himself posing with his painting of Andrew Jackson.  This online photograph is on the website of the Cleveland Museum of Art.  (Although that website has Johnston's date of death incorrectly listed as 1872, instead of the correct date of 1895.)  The museum's website describes Johnston as "a distinguished portrait painter, a remarkable photographer, and one of the supreme colorists of photographs  ...clearly a master of lighting."

John Johnston moved to Baltimore, Maryland, in 1856, at age 30, where he became one of Baltimore's leading portrait painters. In Baltimore he began to call himself Colonel Johnston.  For 5 years he worked in Baltimore's Carroll Hall, doing paintings and tinting photographs.

In Baltimore Johnson also worked with the daguerreotype photographer Jesse Harrison Whitehurst, who was even better know at that time than Matthew Brady,  and was one of the most important studio operators of that era.

During this time Johnston was doing his own wet collodion photography, and became known as one of the best photography colorists.

In 1858 Johnston was invited by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad / B&O Railroad to take an excursion on the new railroad line from Baltimore to Wheeling, West Virginia. Johnston created numerous sketches from that trip, which he then used for landscape paintings.

During the Civil War, Johnston was a strong supporter of the Confederacy.  Questions remain about his activities during the war.  Some accounts say he was jailed in a Federal prison during this time, while other account say he was in Europe.  

John R. Johnston's Life in Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey:

John R. Johnston's Family Becomes Walt Whitman's Surrogate Family:

By the early 1870s Johnston had his studio in Philadelphia, where he painted still life paintings and landscapes. During this time and later he was living in Camden, New Jersey, across the river from Philadelphia.  His Camden address was 434 Penn Street.

Johnston's studio and home in Philadelphia and Camden became the center for a literary and art salon for local civic leaders, artists, and literary figures.  

His Philadelphia studio became a popular hangout for the arts-and-literary crowd.  Johnston created a social club there modelled after 18th century Hartford Wits and the Tuesday Club of Annapolis.  Johnston appointed himself  "The Chief" and he appointed the Camden poet Walt Whitman as "Poet Laureate."  T. D. Caulston was the "Chaplain."

Johnston's and Whitman's social club was at its peak of activity in the 1880s, during the time that Johnston painted these sketches in this album.

John Johnston's wife and children created a sort-of surrogate family for Walt Whitman, who routinely spent his Sunday evenings with the Johnstons. "Johnston and his wife and two children hosted Whitman on a regular basis becoming like a second family to him." Quoted from the 2006 book Looking into Walt Whitman by Ruth L. Bohan.

In a letter to Peter Doyle, Whitman described Johnston as "the jolliest man I ever met, an artist, [and ] a great talker."  Whitman wrote that he appreciated Johnston's "real, natural, first-rate, off-hand cheerfulness & comical-sensible talk."

In 1878, five years after Whitman and Johnston met, Johnston gave Whitman a small oil painting, and continued to give Whitman gifts of small paintings throughout the rest of Whitman's life.

Walt Whitman's papers include numerous references to John Johnston.  On February 9, 1880, Whitman wrote: "Loafing around for a couple of hours this fine sunny crispy day -- cross'd the Delaware (River) -- walk'd up Chestnut St -- every thing lovely -- look'd in at my friend Col. Johnston's studio -- the sun shining bright, & I feeling all right"

On Sunday, February 15, 1880, Walt Whitman wrote, " Another fresh, dear, social evening here, with Col. & Mrs. Johnston, & Ida, & John  (an evening fine as I have had, over & over again for six years). Next summer early (May 31), I shall be 61 years old."

Johnston died in Camden, New Jersey, in 1895

This Autograph Book:

This autograph book was compiled by Jane (Jennie) Florence Connor Riggs,  (born 1858 - died 1946) a young woman from the Philadelphia area.

Jane Florence Connor was the daughter of John Henry Connor who was born in 1818 in Baltimore, Maryland, and Jane Snyder Connor, who was born in 1815 in Philadelphia.

Jane married Charles Clifford Riggs (born 1861 - died 1924).

Jane Connor died in Germantown, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia, and is buried at Doylestown, PA.

The autographs in this book are as follows.  Some authographs are dated, and some have addresses on the page.  Many of the pages include poetry penned with excellent calligraphy.  The pages are dated 1877 to 1895.

1.  Helen C. Toye - Christmas 1877

2.  Helene

3.  Joseph Evans - July 16, 1878

4.  Anna B. Hawthorne - January 17, 1878

5.  Claire Donaldson Connor / Langhorne, Bucks County (Pennsylvania)

6. Nettie K. Parks - January 17, 1878

7.  Kate J. Hall - January 17, 1878

8.  Laura Fricke - February 4, 1878

9.  F. Piuccis (spelling?) - June 25, 1878

10.  R. H. P. - January 1, 1878 - Philadelphia

11.  Noel C. Kennedy / Langhorne, Bucks County, (Pennsylvania)

12.  Reklaw - January 17, 1878

13.  Harry - January 18, 1878

14.  Anonymous

15.  S. Clayton McGill - January 30, 1883

16.  Arthur Fricke - February 21, 1878 - Camden, New Jersey

17.  A. Warren De Coster - September 2, 1879 - Philadelphia

18.  C. A. Walker - December 26, 1878 - Mt. Airy / Philadelphia

19.  Reklawac

20.  Wes Donaldson - January 20, 1878

21.  William A. Crawford - March 27, 1881

22.  Ella B. - March 27, 1881

23.  Kitt - September 2, 1879

24.  Cidney B. Speakman - September 3, 1879

25.  Benjamin Frick - September 3, 1879 - Philadelphia

26.  Heber N. Stirling - September 3, 1879 - Philadelphia

27.  A. Mae Connor  -  March 16, 1888 - Camden, New Jersey

28.  Arthur S. Folsom - March 16, 1888 - Greenville, Maine

29.  John - September 1, 1879

30.  Alfred Fricke - February 21, 1878 - Camden, New Jersey

31.  Allie

32.  J. W. Gillam Jr. / Langhorne, Pennsylvania

33.  Henry C. Clark - February 1879 - Boston, Massachusetts

34.  Samuel W. Tarvin - January 18, 1882 - Camden, New Jersey   This is Samuel W. Tarvin who was the well-known tenor from Cincinnati.  He was one of the original first tenors of the Cincinnati May Music Festival in 1873.  He also was one of the first gospel singers of the old Moody and Sankey revival chorus of the 1880s. He signed and inscirbed the page opposite one of the two watercolors by John Johnston.  Both Johnston's watercolor and Tarvin's page are dated the same day and place:  January 15, 1882 in Camden.  John Johnston also was a singer in Cincinnati, so John Johnston and Samuel Tarvin were undoubtedly acquaintances.

35. H. J. C. :  A gold-ink monogram with a drawing of a golden horseshoe.

36.  Charlees H. Laten - November 23, 1883 - Philadelphia

37.  William A. Lamor - April 4, 1881

38.  Alex F. Adkins

39.  John R. Johnston Jr. - June 5th 1881 - Camden, New Jersey     This is the son of the artist John R. Johnston.  The Walt Whitman Collection of New York Public Library has correspondence from Walt Whitman to this John Johnston Jr.  Whitman calls him "Jack" in the New York Library's letters.

40.  6 Fricke autographs on one page:  Harry Fricke, Eveline C. Fricke, Al Fricke (Alfred Fricke), Laura Fricke, Arthur Fricke, Ida, Fricke, and Lizzie H. Fricke - February 4, 1878.  These are the children of Henry Fricke and Elizabeth Horter of the Philadelphia area.

41:  "Phranque" with a pen-and-ink drawing of an owl.

42.  C. Clifford Riggs  - May 2, 1879 - Camden, New Jersey.   This is 18-year-old Charles Clifford Riggs, who soon became Jane Connor's husband.

43. Anna V. Harvey - April 8, 1895 - Langhorne (Pennsylvania)

43.  Anonymous

44. W. L. Woodruff - February 11, 1884 - Camden, New Jersey

45.  C. Percy Kemble - April 20, 1883 - Camden, New Jersey

46.  H. S. DeCoster - January 31, 1883 - Philadelphia

47.  Lucie G. Belding - May 23, 1881 - Camden, New Jersey

48. Weston Donaldson - January 20, 1878

49.  Thomas Eastburn - March 21, 1878 - Langhorne, Penna

50.   Maggie M. Connell - July 30, 1880

51.  William R. Connor - July 10, 1880 - Philadelphia

52.  Katie M. Walker

53.  J. W. Coulston - July 8, 1881

54.  K. L. Switzer - September 2, 1879

55.  Harry E. Dunn - May 20, 1881 - Camden, New Jersey

56.  Carrie - May 8, 1879 - Camden, New Jersey

57.  G. Sumner Wood - June 22, 1879 - Camden, New Jersey

58.  Frank P. Stevens - September 25, 1878 - Philadelphia

59.  Arthur S. Folsom - March 16, 1888 - Greenville, Maine

Note:  This album is fresh to the market.  I purchased it from a women who lives in Germantown, near Philadelphia, who purchased the album from the Connor family.  This is the first and only place I am offering this album.

Condition: Very nice condition.  No library or institution markings.  Pages are fresh and clean with no foxing or dampstains.  The one Johnston watercolor has small, very faint, half-inch light-tan spot in the upper left corner.  The watercolors' colors are bright and fresh, because they have not been exposed to light. All the pages in the book are filled.  The cover's spine has some minor wear.  The cover is securely attached.  Very nice condition throughout.

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Offered by:  Lee Jay Stoltzfus - Your Family Heirlooms

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