Cooper, Cole and the Vanishing American Wilderness

In 1823, following the success of his second novel "The Spy," emerging American writer James Fenimore Cooper released his historical novel "The Pioneers, or Sources of the Susquehanna; a Descriptive Tale." Set in the lake country of upstate New York that forms the headwaters of the Susquehanna, it was the first of a series of five novels published which became known as the "Leatherstocking Tales" ("The Pioneers" is the fourth novel in terms of the chronology of the novel's plots). Considered to be the first true American novel, "The Pioneers" broke new ground as it debated the complex forces at work in the new American frontier, specifically addressing the battle between nature and civilization resulting from the gradual encroachment of settlement and development on the natural landscape. 

Thomas Cole (1801 - 1848)

Landscape Scene from "Last of the Mohicans"

oil on canvas, 1827

collection of Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, NY

(not in exhibit)

Thomas Cole: Head Waters of the Juniata

One of the most important and influential 19th century American landscape painters, Thomas Cole is regarded as the founder of the Hudson River School. Around 1820 Cole traveled for several years along the Juniata River and through the Allegheny Mountains creating sketches that formed the basis for a painting (now lost) which in turn provided the imagery for a widely disseminated engraving titled, "Head Waters of the Juniata, Allegheny Mountains, Pennsylvania." The engraving was first published in John Howard Hinton’s hugely popular 1834 book, "The History and Topography of the United States," which featured many fine engravings of American scenery by prominent artists such as Cole, and was re-issued in numerous editions in America and Britain by various publishers over the next several decades, reflecting a growing fascination with the American landscape. In subsequent editions, the engraving was occasionally updated by new engravers, resulting sometimes in prints of varying quality, and the image was often pirated, without credit to Cole, in other books and publications. The result, however, was that the image became quite well known, raising awareness of the Juniata and Susquehanna as a scenic and alluring destination for artists and travelers alike. The prints from these elaborate books were often removed, hand colored and framed by a newly literate and art hungry American audience likely unable to afford an original work by Cole or other artists of acclaim. So too, the images gained popularity through licensing to such well known manufacturers as Staffordshire potters in England, providing transferware china sets affordable by the public, enabling middle-class families to enjoy a perceived lifestyle similar to the more affluent members of society. The soup plate in this exhibit, with a red transfer of Cole’s "Head Waters of the Juniata", was part of Staffordshire’s American Views series featuring landscape images from Hinton’s book .