Moses H. Grinnell

Artist Mathew B. Brady (American, 1823 - 1896)

Dateca. 1858

MediumSalt print

DimensionsImage and sheet: 17 15/16 × 14 3/16 inches (45.56 × 36.04 cm)
Mount: 23 11/16 × 19 3/4 inches (60.17 × 50.17 cm)

Credit LineGift of Hallmark Cards, Inc.

Object number2005.27.238

Signednone

InscribedInscribed on mount recto, bottom, in pencil: "Moses H Grinnell"; Inscribed on mount verso, upper left, in black pen: " [horge?] / Moses H Grinnell / N.Y."

MarkingsOn mount recto, upper left corner, in pencil: "30"; On mount recto, bottom, in pencil: "328"; On mount verso, upper left corner, in blue pencil: "38 1/2"; On mount verso, center, in pencil: "30 [circled]".

On View

Not on view

Collections

Photography

Terms

DescriptionImage of a man standing with a top hat in one hand and a cane in the other. A draped curtain frames the right edge of the image.Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Developing Greatness: the Origins of American Photography, 1839-1885. Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 9 June – 30 December 2007, no. 310.

Rotation 24. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, June 9 – November 12, 2017, no cat.

Gallery Label

By the late 1850s, the most elite galleries in New York City offered portraits to wealthy customers in this oversize “Imperial” format. These photographs were intended to rival the scale and impact of painted portraits.

Born in Massachusetts, Moses H. Grinnell (1803–1877) became a leading merchant in New York City. He was an early member of the Republican party and supported the presidential bid of Abraham Lincoln. His many civic endeavors included serving on the original Central Park Commission, which oversaw the park’s design and construction.

Provenance

Hallmark Cards, Inc., Kansas City, MO, 1996;
Given by Hallmark Cards, Inc. to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 2005.

Published References

Keith F. Davis, The Origins of American Photography: from Daguerreotype to Dry-Plate, 1839-1885. With contributions by Jane L. Aspinwall. Kansas City, MO: Hall Family Foundation: in association with the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 2007. Distributed by Yale University Press. Published in conjunction with Developing Greatness: the Origins of American Photography, 1839-1885, shown at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 168 (repro), 331.

Information about a particular artwork or image, including provenance information, is based upon historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete. Research on artwork and images is an ongoing process, and the information about a particular artwork or image may not reflect the most current information available to the Museum. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about a particular artwork or image, please e-mail provenance@nelson-atkins.org.