Dear Christian,
You mentioned that you found only references to "curiosities" in your search into the Peale Museum. Native American clothing and objects in early America were considered "curiosities" and were often found in cabinets in private homes alongside mastodon bones and other like things. In fact these collections were ridiculed by some because there were so many oddities in and among the private collection. When Sir William Johnson [18th century Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Northern Department; lived in the New York Colony, Mohawk Valley] died in 1774, Pierre du Simitiere asked Governor Clinton to seek out objects from Johnson's fine collection of native material and send those to him. Du Simitiere died in 1788, and my searches led me to the Peale Museum, which purchased much of the du Simitiere collection. Johnson's collection of Six Nations, Canadian, and western native American material was, at that time, considered the finest in the world. All of it was lost in the sales after his death and in the American Revolution. The Johnsons were Loyalists, supporting the British. There is little in surviving institutions to support the origins of material dispersed after Johnson's death, so it is impossible now to trace what actually moved from du Simitiere's hands to the Peale collection and beyond. In the correspondence of these exchanges, all of the pieces from the Johnson collection were described as "curiosities" and, while Johnson was alive, correspondence referred to them as "curiosities."
Thanks,
Wanda Burch
retired site manager, Johnson Hall State Historic Site
[log in to unmask]
On Oct 23, 2012, at 12:25 AM, Karen Reeds wrote:
> Dear Christian, 10/23/2012
>
> Try the American Philosophical Society, which opened its own lovely museum -- about 6 years ago -- in the space that Peale used (the Independence Hall location). Sue-Ann Prince is the museum director.
> http://www.apsmuseum.org/
>
> http://www.apsmuseum.org/contact-us/
>
> It's likely, though, that they'd hand the question over to the APS permissions dept http://www.amphilsoc.org/library/research.
>
> For the Linnaeus & America exhibition, we reproduced the Titian Peale watercolor sketch of Peale's Museum, now in the Detroit Institute of Fine Arts. http://www.dia.org/art/search-collection.aspx
> http://www.dia.org/art/rights-and-reproductions.aspx
> As guest curator, I didn't have to deal with the permission end, so I can't say anything about the cost or copyright issues.
>
> Good luck,
>
> Karen
>
>
>> Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2012 11:10:38 -0400
>> From: Barbara Hass <[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject: Re: Picture request
>>
>> It may be that the name of the museum isn't right.
>>
>> Here is the address of the first museum Peale opened:
>> "...The museum was opened in Peale's house at Third and Lombard Streets in 1786; ...."
>> <http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Charles_Willson_Peale.aspx>http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Charles_Willson_Peale.aspx
>>
>> "...in 1802 it was established in the State House (now Independence Hall)...."
>> images of later locations seem to be available.
>>
>> here is a web site which has some photographs. They may know of other sources.
>> <http://www.mdhs.org/findingaid/peale/baltimore-city-life-museum-photograph-collection>http://www.mdhs.org/findingaid/peale/baltimore-city-life-museum-photograph-collection
>>
>> It is often referred to as "The Philadelphia Museum" or the Peale Museum or "the museum of curiosities"
>>
>> Best wishes, Barbara, retired librarian -- glad to help if I can --
>> web searches in my living room are great fun.
>> I learn about many new things.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: "Verlag Dr. C. Müll
>> er-Straten" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: MUSEUM-L <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Mon, Oct 22, 2012 6:16 am
>> Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Picture request
>>
>> Dear all,
>>
>> we are in urgent need of a copyright-free picture of Peale's first Museum of the American Indian(s). Can anybody help?
>>
>> Best
>>
>>
>> Christian
>>
>> --
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>>
>
> --
> Karen Reeds, PhD, FLS
> Guest Curator, Come into a New World: Linnaeus & America
> American Swedish Historical Museum, Philadelphia, 2007
> New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, NJ, 2009
> Exhibition guide, 30 pp., available from http://www.dianepublishing.net/category_s/490.htm (p.4)
> [log in to unmask]
>
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