A Pair of Portraits by Joshua Johnson

The Maryland Historical Society announces that it has acquired a pair of early-19th-century portraits by Baltimore artist, Joshua Johnson, painted c. 1812. They depict Charles Burnett (1768-1812) and his wife, Mrs. Charles Burnett (Mary Anne Jewins, 1776-1838).

The paintings were purchased through a fund established to honor the 50th birthday of Stiles T. Colwill, former MdHS Curator and Trustee and a dedicated supporter of the MdHS. With Carolyn J. Weekly, Colwill co-curated an exhibition and co-authored the accompanying 1988 catalog published by the MdHS, "Joshua Johnson: Freeman and Early American Portrait Painter." The paintings of the Burnetts were purchased from the estate of Frances Travers Singleton Brown, a descendant of the Burnett family.

A free black artist residing in Baltimore for over 30 years, it is believed that Johnson was the son of a white father and a mother who was a slave. He was the first known African American artist in the United States to earn his living as a professional portrait painter and worked in Baltimore from c. 1795 until c. 1825. In the MdHS collection is a 1782 court record regarding 19-year-old Joshua Johnson, a slave in Baltimore County who was apprenticed to a blacksmith. Johnson's father bought his son's freedom and the record orders that Joshua be freed as soon as the term of his apprenticeship ended or when he arrived at his 20th birthday, whichever came first. There are no further records about Joshua Johnson the blacksmith, but in 1796 the Baltimore City Directory has an entry for Joshua Johnson the portrait painter.

Transfer-Printed Plate:

The Great Baltimore Fire of February 7th and 8th, 1904 was the most catastrophic fire to ever hit the city. Almost all of downtown Baltimore burned to the ground as it reduced 86 city blocks to rubble. More than 1,500 buildings and 2,500 businesses were devastated.

Recently, Morton Katzenberg donated to the MdHS a transfer-printed plate with a scene from the Great Baltimore Fire. The view, taken almost directly from a photograph of the wreckage at Hopkins Place, is of steam engine no. 15 half-buried in the ruins of Hopkins Place in front of Hopkins Savings Bank. Engine no.15 was one of two pieces of fire apparatus ruined by the fire. Although unmarked, the plate was likely made by the Haynes Pottery Company of Baltimore after February 1904.

Paul Hoffmann, listed as a "saloon owner" at 1608 W. Mosher St. in Baltimore City directories from 1890-1913, commissioned this plate to commemorate his purchase of the damaged engine no. 15. For several years, Hoffmann displayed the broken engine at his saloon where it remained a draw for those interested in fire relics. The transfer-printed inscription on the back of the plate "Compliments of Paul Hoffmann 1608 W. Mosher St., Baltimore, Md," indicates he likely gave the plate away, possibly to those who patronized his saloon.

The MdHS will feature the plate in an exhibition scheduled to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the fire opening in February of 2004

If you have any personal stories or objects you would be willing to share to help us tell this remarkable story please contact Jeannine Disviscour, Curator, at (410) 685-3750, ext. 330 or by e-mail at jdisviscour@mdhs.org.

Officer's Sword:

Objects are selected for the Maryland Historical Society's collection for many different reasons. One of the most exciting acquisitions is an object that can be associated with other pieces already in the collection. The recent acceptance of a noncommissioned officer's sword donated by Alan Hoblizell, Jr. was such an object.

By family legend the sword belonged to John Daniel Danels (1786-1855), a Baltimore merchant, ship owner, ship captain, and commodore in the navies of Columbia and Venezuela. The MdHS owns a painting portraying Danels' children, and another of Commodore Danels, shown in his naval uniform - sword by his side, by Robert Street. The sword depicted in the painting is dissimilar from the recent acquisition.

Danels' life story is one of high adventure as a privateer, and later, as depicted in the 1822 painting, a commodore with Simon Bolivar's navy. Written on the envelope held in the sitter's right hand is, "Commodore J.D. Danels/de la Marina/Naval de Colombia/a la Guayra." Danels joined in the blockade of La Guaira in June 1821 where he assisted in forestalling an evacuation of the Royalist (Spanish) forces. With this heroic act he was granted Venezuelan citizenship and the rank of Commodore in Bolivar's navy.

Close investigation of the donated sword showed a barely visible, incised name beneath the sword's hilt. Study of early to mid 19th-century swords pictured in catalogs and books revealed an exact match to the donated object. These swords, with their silver-plated brass pommels, brass guards, bone grips and etched designs including an American eagle with the motto " E Pluribus Unum," were made by N.P. Ames /Cutler of Springfield, Massachusetts within Danels' lifetime. The above maker was the name barely visible beneath the hilt.

The sword descended in Commodore Danel's family through the donor's aunt - the Commodore's great, great, great granddaughter. The sword will eventually be reunited with the portrait of its owner, displayed beneath the painting, upon the reinstallation of the painting galleries in the new museum.

Harper Riding Coat:

This red wool riding coat belonged to Robert Goodloe Harper Carroll II of Howard County. "Harper," known as an excellent horseman, wore this coat while a member of the Howard County Hunt Club. He was a direct descendant of Charles Carroll of Carrollton and a collateral descendant of Robert Goodloe Harper, son-in-law of Charles Carroll. The Howard County Hunt Club was founded in the 1930s in Glenelg, Howard County.

Model 1808 Bartlett Flintlock Musket:

This winter, the Maryland Historical Society acquired as a gift from board member Henry Stansbury, a .69 caliber smoothbore musket. The musket has a 44" round barrel stamped near the breech with the date "1813" and includes a Maryland inspector's marks. The year "1813", the letters "U.S.", an eagle, and the name "BARTLETT" are stamped on the musket's lock. The word, "MARYLAND," appears on the stock opposite the lock, and the initials "NR" are carved below that.

Frank Sellers, a gun expert for Jim Julia Auctions, is confident that the piece was used by a member of the Maryland Militia during the War of 1812, but there is no proof of its use at a specific engagement or with a particular unit.

During the War of 1812 the United States did not have a "standard issue" military musket and state militias acquired their arms from a wide variety of manufacturers. The MdHS does not have any War of 1812 long arms in its collection that have as certain an association with the state of Maryland as this piece.

Seats from Memorial Stadium:

A piece of Maryland's sports history became part of the MdHS's collection when the Maryland Stadium Authority and the City of Baltimore gave the MdHS two seats (numbers 11 and 12, section unknown) from Baltimore's Memorial Stadium.

These original stadium chairs, made of metal and wood, are painted gray, and were made c. 1954.

Home to the Baltimore Orioles baseball team, Colts and Ravens football teams, and the Canadian Football League's Stallions, Memorial Stadium was the site of six World Series, one Major League Baseball All-Star Game, one National Football Championship Game, and the Colts home field when they were Superbowl champions in 1970. The Orioles played their first game in Memorial Stadium in April of 1954 and their last, before moving to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, in October of 1991. The Baltimore Ravens played at Memorial Stadium from 1996 until they moved into PSI Net Stadium in 1998.