Benson John Lossing papers, 1825-1906, bulk 1848-1890

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Summary

Creators:
Lossing, Benson John, 1813-1891
Abstract:
A collection of manuscripts and correspondence related to Benson John Lossing, American artist and historian.
Extent:
17 Linear Feet (30 boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Benson John Lossing papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

A collection of material related to the life and work of Benson John Lossing. The collection includes his original manuscripts of published and unpublished works, travel notebooks, drawings, and sketches; also included are letters, chiefly addressed to Lossing, reflecting his literary interests and research methods. Many of the manuscripts include Lossing's notes, revisions, corrections, and additions. The published works include: The American Centenary (1876); The Empire State: A Compendious History of the Commonwealth of New York (1888); Our Countrymen, or, Brief Memoirs of Eminent Americans (1855); Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution (1850 to 1852); Pictorial Field Book of the War of 1812 (1868); Harper's Popular Cyclopedia of United States History (1881), and other works. The pocket notebooks were kept by Lossing during his travels to the battlefields of the Civil War from 1864 to 1866.

Biographical / historical:

Benson John Lossing (1813-1891) was an American artist and historian. Lossing was born in Beekman, New York, his father was descended from a family of old Dutch stock and his mother was a Quaker; they both died during his childhood. He had little formal education and was mainly self-taught through reading history books. At the age of thirteen he was apprenticed to a Poughkeepsie watchmaker and was soon taken into partnership; at twenty-two, he became joint owner and editor of two local papers: "The Telegraph" and "The Casket," a monthly, which Lossing illustrated with wood engravings. Throughout his career he was author-illustrator of some thirty major works of history, as well as a collaborator on many other publications. He received several honorary degrees and was a member of numerous learned societies. On June 18, 1833, Lossing married his first wife Alice Barrit, who died in 1855; he married Helen Sweet in 1868. During his life, Lossing collected over 5,000 books and documents related to the American Revolution and the framing of the Constitution. He died at home in Dover Plains, New York, in June 1891.

Acquisition information:
The manuscripts and drawings were purchased from the Anderson Galleries, January 1917; the correspondence was purchased from Paul F. Hoag, 1960-1964. All the material was assembled at the Library into the Benson John Lossing papers.
Processing information:

Processed by Huntington Library Staff, circa 1920-1965. In 2022, Gayle Richardson created the finding aid derived from a legacy summary report.

Arrangement:

Arranged by subject and format.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Benson John Lossing papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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