Newport Historical Society

John Brown is known as an abolitionist, with a deeply held moral abhorrence for slavery, who resorted to violent measures in his attempt  to end the institution in 19th century America. His attempt to steal arms from the government at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia resulted in his arrest, trail and execution. During his incarceration in Virginia, many in this country were talking about whether he was a hero or a madman, and much correspondence was sent to Governor Wise of Virginia either asking him to commute the sentence, or the opposite.

Quite a few of these letters have found their way into the collections at the Newport Historical Society. We are not yet sure how. Among them are also several letters from Brown himself, including the one shown here. In this letter, written from jail while he was awaiting execution, he tells his cousin that he feels no shame for what he has done.  He writes:

I suppose I am the first since the landing

of Peter Brown from the Mayflower that has either been sentenced to

imprisonment; or to the Gallows. But y dear old friend; let not that fact

alone grieve you. You cannot have forgotten how; & where our Grand

Father Capt (John Brown) fell in 1776; & that he too might have perished on

the Scaffold had circumstances been but very little different. The fact that

a man dies under the hand of an executioner (or otherwise) has but little to do with his true character…

Several Newport abolitionists supported Brown’s plans for an armed slave rebellion, and our archives will allow us to tell more of this story as we assemble the information.

Chest of drawers, c. 1760-1770
Mahogany
Possibly John Townsend Shop, Newport

This stunning example of Newport cabinet making  has been in the Historical Society’s collection storage since 1959. It has received little or no attention until recently. Once removed from its storage location, it revealed itself as a true beauty in its design and its workmanship. In his seminal book ‘The Arts and Crafts of Newport Rhode Island, 1640-1820’, Ralph Carpenter wrote of such pieces:

“Because of the fame acquired by the block-front, shell carved case pieces of the Townsend-Goddard family, we sometimes lose sight of the fact that many pieces of plainer design, but of equally good cabinet work and materials, were made in quantity.  Many of these have been overlooked or unrecognized as part of the Newport output”.

The chest of drawers displays many of the stylistic elements associated with Newport pieces in general and pieces known to be the work of members of the Townsend family in particular. Made from beautifully figured mahogany, the matched drawer fronts create a remarkable visual effect that is enhanced by the complex curves of the unusual, reverse-serpentine front. Construction details such as the fineness of the dovetailing, the addition of runners nailed to the bottom of the drawers and the arrangement and carved details of glue blocks and feet behind the brackets, are all traits associated with the John Townsend shop.

In 1740, Aaron Lopez and his family fled Portugal, where they could not practice their Jewish faith. They initially lived in New York. Lopez moved to Newport in 1752 and quickly established himself as a merchant. Almost immediately, he began to trade with his native country, using the Lisbon firm of Mayne, Burn & Mayne as his agents. The Aaron Lopez papers at the Newport Historical Society show that in his correspondence with this firm, which began in 1754, Lopez used an alias. Letters to him from Mayne & Co. were addressed to “Mr. Johannes Rhodrick and sometimes to “Mr. Roderick Johannes” before they settled on “Johannes Roderick.” The firm handled sales for Lopez but also provided information about family and friends still in Portugal.

Lopez apparently apandoned the alias after he was granted citizenship in Massachusetts in October, 1762. The letter reproduced here, written in August, 1764, is the last one that uses the alias — and the only one addressed to “Aaron Lopez alias Johannes Rhoderick.”

In 1882, Oscar Wilde embarked on an American tour, in part brokered by Sam Ward. Wilde came to Newport to perform at the Casino Theater and Ward introduced him to his sister Julia Ward Howe. Henry Marion Hall, Howe’s grandson, recalls Wilde’s visit to Howe’s farm in Portsmouth in his memoir Grandmother’s Blue Coach:

Being a small boy at the time my presence at the tea was not requested, but later I was allowed to accompany the guests down into the vallley. The party included Tom Appleton, the famous Boston wit, Adamowski, leader of the Boston Symphony orchestra, Mrs. Paran Stevens, Lilla Eliott, Grandmother’s nephew F. Marion Crawford, and Oscar Wilde, then at the peak of his popularity.

Knowing nothing about a fad then known as “dress reform” I was bewildered at Wilde’s costume when I walked into the vale beside him. He wore a black velvet jacket, knickerbockers to match, dark silk stockings, and low shoes with glittering buckles. A salmon-colored scarf and slouch hat completed his get-up. It struck me as rather queer, but not half so startling as his hair – long, black, and curling to his shoulders… He held a red rose in one hand and sniffed it as he chatted.
A small program or invitation to Wilde’s lecture, entitled “The Decorative Arts,” was printed in New York, and is part of the collection of materials which Howe’s descendants have donated to the NHS.  In September of 2010, the NHS will host a lecture by Kathryn Allamong Jacob, author of King of the Lobby: The Life and Times of Sam Ward.

During March School Vacation Students Can Enjoy History Tours

During March vacation, students on school break don’t need to take a break from learning. Families can enjoy the Pirates and Scoundrels history walking tour and a historic site tour with a costumed guide.

On the Pirates and Scoundrels history walking tour, see where scoundrels lived, where pirates profited and where criminals were put on trial and punished. Find out why this colony was sometimes known as “Rogue’s Island.” This tour will be offered on Friday March 19th and Friday March 26th at 11:30am. It lasts approximately 75 minutes and costs $12 per person, $10 for NHS members.

Step inside the c.1697 Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House, the oldest museum house in Newport, and step back in time. A costumed guide will discuss the house’s unique history and share stories about its inhabitants. The tour will be offered on Thursday March 18th and Thursday March 25th. at 11:30 and lasts approximately 30 minutes. It costs $5 per person, $3 for children under the age of twelve, and is free for NHS members.

All tours depart from the Museum & Shop at Brick Market, 127 Thames Street, Newport, RI. Reservations recommended as space is limited. To make reservations call: 401-871-8770.

The Historical Society owns a pencil sketch that is purported to be drawn by Gilbert Stuart when he was nine years old. Stuart grew up in Newport, and there are stories that his childhood drawings alerted the adults in his life to his gifts. He completed the famous painting Dr. Hunter’s Spaniels, which hangs today in the Hunter House, when he was 12. There is some evidence that the drawing came to us via Stuart’s daughter Jane, a fine artist in her own right. This gives us hope that the provenance is accurate. As we complete our collections records survey (see the special projects page), we hope to learn more about how this now faint, but charming drawing came into our collections.

Project Budget: $15,000
Raised to date: $10,000

 The Newport Historical Society is producing a 20 minute video that highlights the unique story of Colonial Newport.  “An American Experiment” discusses, and illustrates Newport’s origins in religious strife and the establishment of religious tolerance as civic policy, our commercial “Golden Age” in the mid-18th century, and the important events that happened here during the build-up to the American Revolution. Women, Jews, Quakers and enslaved Africans all played a role in the formation of this community. The video will be complete this summer, and will be free to Rhode Island high schools and sold to the public. Funds are needed for final editing and reproduction.

1776 Blaskowitz Map of Newport

The Historical Society has begun a process of conserving its important paintings collection with the help of our members and supporters. In 2009, four paintings and their historic frames were repaired and cleaned, including the portrait of Captain Stanhope pictured here. For a modest investment, generally under $2,000, each painting was adopted by a donor whose generosity is now recorded as part of the permanent catalog record for the work.

Adopt a Painting participants include:

Roger King Fine Arts

Newport Gas Lights

The Daughters of the American Revolution

In the very early days of the 19th century, the USS Constitution was refurbished in Boston. New copper sheathing was supplied by Paul Revere and Sons. Records of the transactions between the United States Navy Department and the Revere foundry are in the archives at the Newport Historical Society.