Nearly forgotten but glorious art, envisionings and historical oddments from the back corners of the internet
Gothic Revival imagery that may or may not still be around. Architectural renderings by Alexander Jackson Davis (1803-1892), most of these being in New York State but not all. All of these are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There are lots more in the 37.6 linear feet’s worth Alexander Jackson Davis architectural drawing collection at the New York Historical Society. I found the finding aid but none of it appears to have been scanned.
BIBLIOTECHA, or Oriel Hall. Study for a library (front elevation). 1838. American. Watercolor, ink and graphite on paper. Alexander Jackson Davis, architect/artist (1803-1892). Signed and dated Alex. J. Davis 1838 on the lower right. Collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Artwork in the public domain. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/370120House for William J. Rotch, New Bedford, Massachusetts (front elevation). American. Watercolor, ink and graphite. Alexander Jackson Davis, architect/artist (1803-1892). Signed and dated Alex. J. Davis 1836 on the lower left. Collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Artwork in the public domain. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/370117American Institute, New York City (front elevation) with abstracted Egyptian Revival columns. 1834-1835. American. Watercolor, ink and graphite. Town and Davis, designers. Alexander Jackson Davis, artist (1803-1892). Collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Artwork in the public domain. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/377023West Front and Principal Story Plan of John Munn House, Utica, New York (upper image detail). 1854. American. Ink and watercolor. Alexander Jackson Davis, artist (1803-1892). Signed ‘A. J. Davis 1854‘ on the lower right. Collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Artwork in the public domain. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/410168Library – Chapel – University – Michigan (Ann Arbor) (front elevation). 1838-1839. American. Watercolor, ink, and graphite on paper. Alexander Jackson Davis, artist (1803-1892) Signed ‘A. J. Davis, architect, on the lower right. Collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Artwork in the public domain. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/338692Design for a Double Townhouse (front elevation). Gothic Revival. ca. 1843. American. Watercolor and ink on paper. Alexander Jackson Davis, artist (1803-1892). Collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Artwork in the public domain. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/388435 Proposal for Raising by 15 feet, Alumni Hall, Yale College, New Haven, Connecticut (elevation of facade). 1881. American. Pen and ink, wash and graphite on paper. Alexander Jackson Davis, artist (1803-1892). Collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Artwork in the public domain. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/394983 and a link to an article about Alumni Hall. https://lostnewengland.com/2019/07/alumni-hall-new-haven-connecticut/ Villa for David Codwise Esquire, near New Rochelle, New York (project; elevation and four plans, upper image). 1835. American. Pen and ink, watercolor, and graphite on paper. Alexander Jackson Davis, artist (1803-1892). Collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Artwork in the public domain. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/394998Lyndhurst for George Merritt, Tarrytown, New York (west [rear] elevation and plan). 1865. American. Watercolor, ink, and graphite on paper. Alexander Jackson Davis, artist (1803-1892). Collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Artwork in the public domain. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/388433
The Metropolitan Museum has almost 6,000 items in their Alexander Jackson Davis collection, most of it not scanned.
On a voyage to see how much mileage I can get from the creative ability and eye for images that my family thought was useless. On line art curator, fiction writer and now blogger. Historian's daughter. Follow me . . .even I have no idea where I'm going next.
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