Henry Chapman Ford Papers, circa 1890

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Summary

Creators:
Ford, Henry Chapman
Abstract:
Henry Chapman Ford was born August 6, 1828 in Livonia, New York and died February 27, 1894 in Santa Barbara, California. During the 1860s, Ford served in the American Civil War, became Chicago's first landscape painter, and helped found the Chicago Academy of Design. He became most famous for his series of etchings featuring all of the twenty-one mission sites in California. In 1883 he published Etchings of the Franciscan Missions of California and, in 1893, exhibited these etchings at the Chicago World's Fair. The Henry Chapman Ford Papers contain a notebook, loose pages of notes, and pencil sketches- all of which were created circa 1890. The materials relate to California missions and their surrounding areas, landmarks, and flora.
Extent:
0.1 Linear Feet (1 folder)
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

Henry Chapman Ford Papers, circa 1890, Braun Research Library Collection, Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles; MS.737.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains a notebook, loose pages of notes, and pencil sketches made by Henry Chapman Ford circa 1890. The notebook consists of hand-written essays from 1888-1889.

The notebook essays, notes and pencil sketches relate to California missions, specifically Mission San Juan Capistrano, Santa Barbara Mission, San Fernando, Rey de España, San Diego Mission, and Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. The notebook also includes notes about the Missions' surrounding areas, landmarks, and flora.

Biographical / historical:

Henry Chapman Ford was born August 6, 1828 in Livonia, New York and died February 27, 1894 in Santa Barbara, California. Ford served in the American Civil War, became Chicago's first landscape painter, and helped found the Chicago Academy of Design. He became most famous for his series of etchings featuring all of the twenty-one mission sites in California. In 1883 he published Etchings of the Franciscan Missions of California and, in 1893, exhibited these etchings at the Chicago World's Fair.

Ford studied art in Paris, France and Florence, Italy from 1857 to 1860. He returned to New York in 1861 and shortly thereafter enlisted in the United States military and was attached to a brigade stationed in New Mexico during the American Civil War. He served for one year and was discharged due to a physical disability. After his discharge from the military, Ford moved to Chicago, Illinois where he became the city's first professional landscape painter. He met his wife Helen Webster Sackett in 1865 and they married that same year on October 18th.

In 1867, Ford helped found the Chicago Academy of Design, which was formally incorporated in 1869. Ford served first as vice-president and then president for the Academy from 1869-1873. Most of his early work was destroyed when the Academy burned in 1871.

Health problems prompted Ford and his wife to move to milder climates. He settled in Santa Barbara, California in 1875. A year later he became one of the founders of the Santa Barbara Society of Natural History. Ford taught and painted at his studio in Santa Barbara until his death.

Acquisition information:
Bequest by Judge Grant Jackson, 1925 April.
Custodial history:

After the death of Henry Chapman Ford in 1894, his wife Helen Ford became the custodian of these materials. She later married F.H. Sloan. Helen Ford died in 1911 March 2. F.H. Sloan sold these materials along with other works by H.C. Ford to Dawson's Bookshop in 1911 July 28. They were purchased by Judge Grant Jackson on 1918 May 10. Jackson donated the items to the Southwest Museum Library in 1925 April.

Processing information:

Processed by Library staff before 1981. Finding aid completed by Holly Rose Larson, NHPRC Processing Archivist, 2012 November 16, made possible through grant funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commissions (NHPRC).

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Appointments to view materials are required. To make an appointment please visit https://theautry.org/research-collections/library-and-archives and fill out the Researcher Application Form.

Terms of access:

Copyright has not been assigned to the Autry Museum of the American West. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Research Services and Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Autry Museum of the American West as the custodian of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Preferred citation:

Henry Chapman Ford Papers, circa 1890, Braun Research Library Collection, Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles; MS.737.

Location of this collection:
4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles, CA 90027, US
Contact:
(747) 201-8448
rroom@theautry.org
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