Thomas Johnston (1708–1767) was an engraver, japanner, heraldic painter, and a church organ builder. He is noted for making the first historical print engraved in America and the first person who manufactured church organs as a regular business in America.
Biography
Johnston was born in 1708 in Boston, Massachusetts.[2] He was an engraver, an ornamental painter, a japanner, a coats of arms painter, a book publisher and a builder of organs.[3] He decorated clocks and furniture with embossed or raised work representing Chinese images. He was a skillful engraver and heraldic painting. He sold London Glasses of all sorts and sizes in 1732 as a japanner at the Golden Lyon on Ann Street near the downtown Dock Square in Boston.[4]
Johnston owned a house on the west side of Brattle Square where he lived, across the street from the tower of the Brattle Street Church. He was a member of that church since June 5, 1726, and involved with various aspects of church music.[4] His workshop was in the backyard of where he lived. Johnston was the first person who manufactured church organs as a regular business in Colonial America.[5]
Johnston was a self-taught engraver. He engraved upon copper event scenes, views, trade cards, certificates, currency, plans, buildings, maps, music, and book illustrations.[6] His earliest known engraving work is his Plan of Boston of 1729, dedicated to Massachusetts governor William Burnet.[2] Johnston's most famous apprentice was the artist John Greenwood.[7]
Johnston made the first historical print engraved in America.[8][9][10][11] Richard Draper printed in Boston in 1755 Johnston's engraving of the Lake George battle.[1][12][13] To the left of the 13 5/8 X 17 1/2 inch (34.6 X 44.6 cm) engraving is a bird's eye view of the march of troops. To the right side of the engraving is a view of a camp and a battle. The map shows the river and plans of Fort William Henry and Fort Edward.[14] The engraving came with an eight page pamphlet that explained all about the historical event.[15] In London it was reprinted for publication in 1756 with the plan and eight page pamphlet.[16]
Marriages and children
Johnston first married Rachel Thwing on June 22, 1730. He had eight children with her, with seven that grew to adulthood.[17] He married Bathsheba Thwing (Rachel's cousin) as his second wife on August 6, 1747.[4][18] He had three children with her. Some of his eleven children took on his skills in their careers.[4][19]
Later life and death
Johnston died in Boston of apoplexy on May 8, 1767. He is buried at the King's Chapel Burying Ground near King’s Chapel church in Boston. He had three sons that survived him.[20]
References
- ^ a b Kane 1997, p. 18.
- ^ a b Stauffer 1907, p. 144.
- ^ Reps 1971, p. 82-83.
- ^ a b c d Dunlap 1918, p. 312.
- ^ Donnelley 1915, p. 177.
- ^ Hitchings 1973, p. 83.
- ^ Hitchings 1973, p. 85.
- ^ Ciment 2016, p. 2596.
- ^ Massachusetts Historical Society 1957, p. 260.
- ^ New-York Historical Society 1969, p. 15.
- ^ New York State 1966, p. 10.
- ^ Ramsey 1975, p. 568.
- ^ Winsor 1887, p. 586.
- ^ Exhibition Catalogs 1908, p. 46.
- ^ Readex Books 1964, p. 245.
- ^ NYPL 1964, p. 245.
- ^ "Thomas Johnston". Ancestry.com. 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
- ^ Donnelley 1915, p. 179-181.
- ^ The Society 1918, p. 406.
- ^ "Obituary". Boston Evening Post, page 4. Boston, Massachusetts. May 11, 1767.
Sources
- Ciment, James (17 September 2016). Encyclopedia of Colonial America. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-317-47416-6.
Thomas Johnston produces the first engraving of a historical event ever produced in America.
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- Donnelley (1915). Ancestry of Lawrence Williams. R.R. Donnelley and Sons Co.
His genius was versatile, for he was not only a japanner, heraldic painter and engraver, but also the pioneer organ builder in New England. He was undoubtedly the first person in New England, who undertook to construct church organs and who followed the business as a regular profession.
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- Dunlap, William (1918). Arts of Design in the U. S. C.E. Goodspeed & Company.
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- Exhibition Catalogs (1908). Exhibition Catalogs, 1886-1909: 1908-1909. Exhibition Catalogs.
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- Hitchings, Sinclair (1973). Boston Prints and Printmakers. Colonial Society of Massachusetts.
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- Kane, Joseph Nathan (1997). Famous First Facts. H.W. Wilson. ISBN 978-0-8242-0661-1.
the first historical print engraved in America was A-prospective-plan-of-the-battle-fought-near-Lake-George-on-the-8th-of-September-1755, which presented a birds eye view showing the march of troops at the left, the camp and battle at the right, and Forts William Henry and Edward in the upper right hand corner. It was a hand-colored line engraving by Thomas Johnston after a painting by Samuel Blodget, and was printed by Richard Draper in Boston, MA, in 1755.
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- Massachusetts Historical Society (1957). Massachusetts Historical Society. The Society.
The large engraved plan of the battle by Johnston has been called 'the first historical print engraved in America.'
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- New-York Historical Society, Library (1969). New-York Historical Society. New York Historical Society.
This is the first historical print engraved in America.
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- NYPL (1964). New York Public Library bulletin. New York Public Library.
A-Prospective-Plan-of-the-Battle-fought-near-Lake-George-on-the-8th-of-September-1755. This plan, part map and part view, was engraved by Thomas Johnston and has the distinction of being the first historical print engraved in this country.
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- New York State (1966). The Conservationist. N.Y.S. Environmental Department.
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- Ramsey, L. G. G. (June 1975). Complete color encyclopedia. Hawthorn Books. ISBN 978-0-8015-1538-5.
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- Readex Books (1964). Bulletin of Research in the Humanities. Readex Books.
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- Reps, John W. (1971). Boston Prints and Printmasters 1670–1775. University Press of Virginia.
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- Stauffer, David McNeely (1907). Biographical sketches. Grolier club of New York City.
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- The Society (1918). Colonial Society of Massachusetts. The Society.
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- Winsor, Justin (1887). Critical History of America. Houghton, Mifflin.
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