Alexander Lawson Scrapbooks of Engravings
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of 532 prints, drawings, and watercolors, which includes approximately 400 engravings and etchings primarily by Philadelphia engraver Alexander Lawson. In addition to Lawson's own engravings, etchings, and artists' proofs, the collection contains drawings, watercolors, engravings, and etchings by other artists, which Lawson engraved from including John James Barralet, Helen E. Lawson, Oscar A. Lawson, and Alexander Wilson.
The prints illustrate natural history and scientific books or periodicals, including zoological, ornithological and medical illustrations, as well as technical illustrations and illustration for poetry, novels and histories. The engravings cover a wide variety of subject matter, such as natural history, particularly ornithology and mollusca, medicine and chemistry, industry, engineering and architecture, Mexican history, Christianity, and mythology. Most of the prints were illustrations for specific books or articles.
Lawson's friend, Samuel Stehman Haldeman, suggested that the scrapbook be compiled after Lawson's death in 1846. Two of Lawson's daughters, Malvinia and Mary, assembled them from the works left in Lawson's effects. The scrapbooks were disbound, but the engravings and drawings remain in the same order as they were found in the scrapbooks.
Some prints have been identified as belonging to particular printed works. In those instances, they are noted with the an abbreviation of the title as follows:
(WRE) Beattie, James. The Wreath Containing the Minstrel and other Favorite Poems to which is Prefixed the Life of Dr. Beattie. Baltimore: E.J. Cole, 1814.
(AOB) Bonaparte, Charles Lucian. American Ornithology: or, the Natural History of Birds Inhabiting the United States, not given by Wilson, Vol. 1. Philadelphia: Samuel Augustus Mitchell, 1825.
(AOB) Bonaparte, Charles Lucian. American Ornithology: or, The Natural History of Birds Inhabiting the United States, not given by Wilson, Vols. 2-4. Philadelphia: Carey, Lea & Carey, 1828, 1833.
(HM) Clavigero, Francesco Saverio. The History of Mexico. Philadelphia : T. Dobson, 1817.
Conrad's edition of British novels
(HB) The Holy Bible : containing the Old and New Testaments: together with the Apocrypha. Philadelphia : John Thompson and Abraham Small, 1796-1798.
(EP) James, Edwin, 1797-1861. Account of an Expedition from Pittsburgh to the Rocky Mountains. Philadelphia: H.C. Carey & I. Lea, 1822-23.
(JANSP) The Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.
(SEA) Thomson, James, 1700-1748. The Seasons, with the Castle of Indolence : Poems. Philadelphia: Printed by Budd and Bartram for Thomas Dobson, 1804.
(TABM) Binney, Amos. The Terrestrial Air-Breathing Mollusks of the United States. Boston : Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1857.
(FUM) Haldeman, Samuel Stehman. A monograph of the Freshwater Univalve Mollusca of the United States. Philadelphia : E. G. Dorsey, 1842-1845.
(AO) Wilson, Alexander. American Ornithology, Philadelphia : Bradford and Inskeep, 1808, 1810, 1811, 1812, 1813.
(AOR) Wilson, Alexander. American Ornithology, Ord's reprint. Philadelphia : J. Lavel and S. F. Bradford, 1824, 1825.
Dates
- 1796 - 1851
- Majority of material found within 1806 - 1842
Creator
- Lawson, Alexander, 1773-1846 (Person)
Biographical Note
Alexander Lawson was born December 19, 1772, at Raven-stuther, a village in Lanarkshire, Scotland. An orphan at fifteen, he moved to Liverpool to be raised by an older brother. He discovered a love of illustration at an early age, and had a graver made from a picture he saw in a book, with which he taught himself to engrave.
Lawson hoped to visit France where he could learn the refinements of French engraving techniques from the artists he admired, as well as to join in the French political climate and help in their fight for freedom. However, France, was closed to British subjects, so he sailed to the United States instead, arriving in Baltimore, Maryland in May of 1792. He settled in Philadelphia and worked for Thackara & Vallance as an engraver for 2 years, before starting his own practice. His first works after going into business for himself were plates for an edition of The Seasons by James Thomson.
Later he formed a partnership with John James Barralet, which was eventually dissolved.
In 1798, Lawson formed a friendship with Alexander Wilson, the creator of American Ornithology. It was Lawson who offered Wilson drawing lessons and encouraged him to draw. When Wilson approached Lawson in March of 1804 with his intention to publish his ornithological studies and drawings, Lawson hesitated with taking on the engraving on the grounds that it was too expensive for Wilson to handle. Not to be discouraged, Wilson showed up at Lawson's house with a copper plate that he intended to etch himself. He had Lawson ground the plate, and asked for an etching needle. Lawson narrates that the next day Wilson bounded into the room exclaiming that he had finished the plate and wished to bite it with the aqua fortis immediately. The result (item 2:65) was displeasing to him, and Wilson realized he would have to hire a professional engraver. A few months later Wilson found a publisher to assist with his undertaking, and Lawson agreed to engrave the plates. It was for the ornithology that Lawson engraved the best plates, and he contributed to the continuation of this work by Charles Lucien Bonaparte, after Wilson's death.
In 1805, Lawson married Elizabeth DeScaife with whom he had five children: Malvina, Helen Elizabeth, Catharine, Mary, and Oscar. Oscar and Helen both worked with Lawson, making drawings for him to engrave. In addition, a significant number of Lawson's engravings were colored by Helen. Oscar went on to become a professional engraver for the U.S. Coast Survey. Helen illustrated several scientific publications, and later in life was nominated as secretary of the Franklin Institute's School of Design for Women. Alexander Lawson died on August 22, 1846.
Extent
3.5 linear feet (6 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Overview
Alexander Lawson, engraver, died in 1846, leaving behind a great quantity of his own and other artist's work. His daughters, Malvinia and Mary, constructed a scrapbook filled with these artworks, which they donated to the Academy. The scrapbook contains 532 prints, drawings, and watercolors illustrating natural history and scientific books or periodicals, including zoological, ornithological and medical illustrations, as well as technical illustrations and illustration for novels and histories. The engravings cover a wide variety of subject matter, such as ornithology, mollusks, medicine and chemistry, poetry and literature, history, engineering and architecture.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Malvina and Mary Lawson.
Existence and Location of Copies
A microfilm copy is on file at the Detroit Museum. A description was published in The Auk, v. 43, p. 47-61, 1926.
Processing Information
Scrapbooks disbound at an unknown date. Coll 420, Alexander Lawson, Biographical papers consisting of an index of engravings in scrapbook volume 1, a short biography of Lawson, a photostat engraving of William Shakespeare, and an 1830 receipt for payment that was previously separated from Coll 79 at an unknown date, was reintegrated into the collection in March 2024.
Creator
- Lawson, Alexander, 1773-1846 (Person)
- Barralet, John James (approximately 1747-1815) (Person)
- Birch, Thomas, 1779-1851 (Person)
- Lawson, Helen Elizabeth, 1808?-1853 (Person)
- Lawson, Oscar A., 1813-1854 (Person)
- Leidy, Joseph, 1823-1891 (Person)
- Lizars, Daniel, 1760-1812 (Person)
- Peale, Titian Ramsay, 1799-1885 (Person)
- Rider, Alexander (active 1810-1834) (Person)
- Rindisbacher, Peter, 1806-1834 (Person)
- Seymour, Samuel (active 1796-1823) (Person)
- Strickland, William, 1787-1854 (Person)
- Wilson, Alexander, 1766-1813 (Person)
- Author
- Mary Hammer
- Date
- 2002
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
- Sponsor
- Cataloging and digitization made possible by The Getty Grant Program.
Revision Statements
- March 2024: Finding aid revised by Jessica M. Lydon, Brooke Dolan Archivist.
Repository Details
Part of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Repository
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia PA 19103 USA
215-299-1075
215-299-1144 (Fax)
archives@ansp.org