Guide to the Isaac C. Bates Scrapbook
, 1877-1887,
bulk 1877-1883
Rhode Island School of Design Archives
2 College Street
Providence, RI 02912
Tel: 401-709-5922
Fax: 401-709-5932
email: risdarchives@risd.edu
Published in 2010
Collection Overview
| Title: |
Isaac C. Bates Scrapbook |
| Date range: |
1877-1887, bulk 1877-1883 |
| Creator: |
Bates, Isaac Comstock, 1843-1913 |
| Extent: |
1 Album containing 156 letters
|
| Abstract: |
The scrapbook of Isaac Comstock Bates, 1877-1887, contains letters from artists and dealers about the purchase of paintings and engravings. |
| Language of materials: |
English |
| Repository: |
Rhode Island School of Design Archives
|
| Collection number: |
02.01.06 |
Scope & content
The scrapbook of Isaac Comstock Bates, 1877-1887, contains letters from artists and dealers about the purchase of paintings and engravings. Bates was primarily interested in purchasing small pictures as is specified in these letters. Noted artist and artwork include: Sanford Gifford, “Coming Storm,” and “Sunset Marine,” Jervis McEntee, “Autumn in Vermont,” William H. Hart, “Head of Blonde Beauty,” Gustave Courbet “Landscape,” Samuel Coleman, “Lincoln Cathedral, England,” Alexander H. Wyant, “Evening,” and “A Landscape,” Charles Miller, “Autumn Afternoon,” “Sweet Autumn,” and “Early Spring,” William Morris Hunt, “Small Landscape,” James D. Smillie, “Up the Hill,” “Old Cedars,” Cedar Meadow,” and “Old Mill.”
The collection includes one photograph and two booklets. The undated photograph shows what appears to be an exhibition or display of prints in an unidentified room. The two pamphlets are both reprints of magazine articles: Charles Sumner, "The Best Portraits in Engraving, 4th ed." NY: Frederick Keppel, 1875 and Frederick Keppel, "The Golden Age of Engraving: An Introductory Essay on the Old Engravers," NY: Frederick Keppel, 1878. The Keppel pamphlet includes the cover notation "Isaac C. Bates, Esq. with F. Keppel's respects Oct. 29, 1878."
Access Points
Subject Names
Subject Organizations
Subject Topics
Subject Topics
Document Types
Arrangement
Scrapbook arranged by correspondent.
Biographical note
Isaac Comstock Bates was born July 27, 1843 in Blackstone, MA to Laban and Lydia (Comstock) Bates. He arrived in Providence in 1868 where he became partners with his maternal uncle Andrew Comstock, Esq. in a pork-packing business at 101 (later 199) Canal Street. In 1880 he and his cousin Louis H. Comstock bought out the business and re-opened it as Comstock and Company. Mr. Bates accumulated great wealth through this business and was active in it until his death January 1, 1913. He married Emily Mansfield of Millville, MA on October 27, 1870. They had no children. They lived at 34 Olive Street in Providence and had a home on Bennet Point in Narragansett.
Bates had a lifelong interest in the arts. He used the proceeds from the meat-packing business toward acquiring valuable works of arts and supporting local artists. He was an early member of the Providence Art Club, joining in 1884 before becoming involved with RISD in 1885. Bates’ bequest of nineteenth century paintings established the RISD Museum of Art‘s early emphasis on American painting more than any other individual and continues to form the core of the current collection. (10, Rosenfeld).
Bates served as President of RISD from 1907-1913. Prior to serving as President, he was a Trustee, 1885-1913 and Vice President, 1891-1907. He was on the Executive Committee, 1907-1913, the Museum Committee, 1893-1913, the Library Committee, 1907-1913, the Committee of Management, 1887-1888, Committee on Lectures from 1888-1893, and the Finance Committee from 1894-1896.
In addition to his involvement with RISD, Bates also took an active interest in the City of Providence. He was a member of The Hope Club, the Squantum Club, the University Club and the RI Historical Society. Upon his death, Mr. Bates left bequests to Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, Butler Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Providence Lying-In Hospital, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Providence Athenaeum, Providence Art Club and St. Andrew’s Industrial School.
Access & Use
| Access to the collection: |
The use of certain documents and collections may be restricted. Please consult the Archives staff for further details. |
| Use of the materials: |
Permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from archival materials must be obtained in writing from the Archives. The researcher assumes full responsibility for use of material and for conformity to all applicable laws, including copyright. |
| Preferred citation: |
Isaac C. Bates Scrapbook, Rhode Island School of Design Archives. |
| Contact information: |
Rhode Island School of Design Archives
2 College Street
Providence, RI 02912
Tel: 401-709-5922
Fax: 401-709-5932
email: risdarchives@risd.edu
|
Administrative Information
| ABOUT THE COLLECTION |
| Acquisition: |
Isaac Comstock Bates Scrapbook was transferred to the Archives by the Museum of Art's Registrar's office in 2004. |
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| ABOUT THE FINDING AID |
| Author: |
Finding aid prepared by Rhonda J. Chadwick. Isaac Bates Scrapbook finding aid was adapted from the Archives of American Art 1985 microfilm project finding aid created by John Carpenter and Joyce Tyler. |
| Encoding: |
Finding aid encoded by Rhonda Chadwick
2010 February 15 |
| Descriptive rules: |
Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) |
Additional Information
Inventory
| Letter 141 |
|
Appleton, J.H.
|
|
1883 |
| Letter 138-140 |
|
Avery, Samuel Putnam
|
|
1877-1879 |
| Letter 131-133 |
|
Bunce, Wm. Gedney (Artist)
|
|
1884 |
| Letter 108-110 |
|
Chase, Wm. M.
|
|
1880-1882 |
| Letter 12-18 |
|
Church, Frederick E. (Artist)
|
|
1878 |
| Letter 71-73 |
|
Coleman, Samuel (Artist)
|
|
undated, 1878 |
| Letter 129 |
|
Enneking, John Joseph (Artist)
|
|
undated |
| Letter 143 |
|
Everett, Wm. (Artist)
|
|
1880 |
| Letter 145-155 |
|
Fenwick, N.F.
|
|
1878-1880 |
| Letter 136-137 |
|
Furness, Rebekah T. (?) (Artist)
|
|
undated |
| Letter 55-70 |
|
Gifford, Robert Swain (Artist)
|
|
1877-1887 |
| Letter 1-6a |
|
Gifford, Sanford Robinson (Artist)
|
|
1877-1878 |
| Letter 46-54 |
|
Hart, Willaim (Artist)
|
|
1878-1881 |
| Letter 144 |
|
Herring, J.F. (Artist)
|
|
1887 |
| Letter 97-98 |
|
Homer, Winslow (Artist)
|
|
1879 |
| Letter 114 |
|
Hunt, Wm. Morris (Artist)
|
|
undated |
| Letter 74-80 |
|
Inness, George (Artist)
|
|
1878 |
| Letter 7-11 |
|
Johnson, Eastman (Artist)
|
|
1878-1880 |
| Letter 142 |
|
Keppel, Frederick and Co.
|
|
1883 |
| Letter 19-42 |
|
McEntee, Jervis (Artist)
|
|
1878-1882 |
| Letter 99-107 |
|
Miller, Charles Henry (Artist)
|
|
1878-1883 |
| Letter 121-128 |
|
Miller, George H.
|
|
1881-1883 |
| Letter 134-135 |
|
Morse, Anne Goddard (Artist)
|
|
undated |
| Letter 111-113 |
|
Quarterly, Arthur (Artist)
|
|
1882 |
| Letter 116 |
|
Rothermel, Peter F. (Artist)
|
|
1884 |
| Letter 130 |
|
Ryder, A. P.
|
|
undated |
| Letter 117-120 |
|
Smillie, James (Artist)
|
|
1881-1882 |
| Letter 115 |
|
Vedder, Elihu (Artist)
|
|
1882 |
| Letter 43-45 |
|
Whittredge, Worthington (Artist)
|
|
1879-1880 |
| Letter 81-96 |
|
Wyant, Alexander Helwig (Artist)
|
|
1878-1883 |