AFA 18th Anniversary

18th Anniversary 174 www.afamag.com | w ww.incollect.com Albert Conant, an artist, printer, publisher and art teacher commissioned several lithography firms to print his city views of Baltimore, Norwich, Connecticut, and six towns in Massachusetts. Lane & Scott printed six of the eight. Conant received some education at the State Normal School of Bridgewater, suggesting that he trained to be a teacher, but he considered himself an artist. The view of New Bedford is a stunning accomplishment for both the artist and Lane, who drew the view on stone. The artist looked across the Acushnet River towards the town. The harbor contains ships of all kinds, indicating New Bedford’s status as the center of the whaling industry. It is probable that Lane depended on Conant for the view of the town, while he was responsible for depicting the ships that fill the harbor. Castine, from Hospital Island . Drawn by F. H. Lane. Lithograph by L. H. Bradford Lithography, Boston, ca. 1855. Published by Joseph L. Stevens Jr. Colored lithograph on paper. 1911⁄16 x 3211⁄16 in. Collection of Roswitha and William Trayes. Substantial documentation exists about this print published by Lane’s friend, Joseph Stevens Jr. Lane made the view at the suggestion of Joseph Stevens Sr., who noted the existence of a “feebly drawn & still worse printed” view of Castine by the miniature artist Samuel V. Homan, drawn on stone by William Sharp, and printed by Bouvé and Sharp in about 1843. Stevens advertised Lane’s view in advance of publication to secure subscribers, who included not only residents of the town, but also people living in Bangor, Ellsworth, and Belfast. Others lived in Boston, New York, and Dixon, Illinois, where former Castine resident Noah Brooks had settled. View of New Bedford from the Fort near Fairhaven . Drawn by F. H. Lane from a sketch by A. Conant. Lithograph by Lane & Scott’s Lithography, Boston. Published by A. Conant, Boston 1845. Lithograph on paper, 1715⁄16 x 25¼ in. American Antiquarian Society.