American Colonial Era Artist William Johnston 1732-1772

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1763 William Johnston (American Colonial Era artist, 1732-1772) Mrs Jacob Hurd & Child

Artist William Johnston (1732-1772) was born Boston, Massachusettes; worked in the Connecticut Valley; & died in Bridgeton, Barbados. That is all that I know of this artist. I often present artwork in this blog, because it fits into a social, cultural, or academic theme or timeline. Here, where little is known of the artist, these pieces justify their inclusion simply on aesthetic grounds. We are in the midst of looking at 18th-century British American colonial ladies hair & headwear. Johnston presents 2 of these women with ribbons tying their hair back at the nape of their necks.

1763 William Johnston (American Colonial Era artist, 1732-1772) Mrs Thomas Mumford VI

1763 William Johnston (American Colonial Era artist, 1732-1772) Mrs Samuel Gardiner
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About the Calico Colonial American Women Imported from England

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Irish artist William Kilburn (1745-1818), was an illustrator for William Curtis' Flora Londinensis, as well as a leading designer & printer of calico. A few hundred originals of his water color designs, make up the Kilburn Album, housed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.


Kilburn was the son of a Dublin architect. Because of his penchant for drawing & his delicate health, his parents apprenticed him to Jonathan Sisson, an Englishman, who had established a calico printing factory in the countryside at Leixlip.


While he was an apprentice, he would rise at 4 am to draw patterns for paper stainers, which, with his master's leave, he sold. The income from this venture gave him pocket money & enabled him to purchase a pony, on which he rode to Dublin on Saturdays, to spend every Sunday with his parents.


When his father died, he decided to visit London, where he obtained a ready sale for his designs amongst the calico printers. He also drew & engraved flowers from nature for the print shops. This led to his acquaintance with Mr. William Curtis, the botanist, who, deeming himself fortunate in meeting an artist of such uncommon talent, agreed with him to execute the plates for his great work, the Flora Londinensis.


When the young Kilburn had entered into this engagement, he returned to Ireland, brought his mother & sister to small house in Bermondsey with a garden & green-house near the Curtis nursery. There he occupied himself from sunrise to sunset drawing & engraving the plants for the Flora Londinensis.


When he finished his engraving contract, he accepted a proposal to manage a calico printing factory, at Wallington, for which he was to have a share in the profits without advancing capital. They were so successful that, at the end of 7 years, he purchased the concern becoming sole proprietor.


Because he had worked so hard to attain this position, he gave the highest wages to his workmen, some of whom came from the continent, & gave annual premiums for the best designs. He had the honor of presenting one of his pieces of printed chintz, the sea-weed pattern, designed by himself, to Queen Charlotte.


Finding that his patterns were pirated in Manchester, he applied for a bill, which was brought into Parliament by his neighbour, Edmund Burke, "To secure to calico printers the copyright in original designs."


The bill was passed in May 1787 "An Act for the Encouragement of the Arts of designing & printing Linens, Cottons, Callicoes & Muslins by vesting the Properties thereof in the Designers, Printers, Proprietors for a limited Time." Unfortunately, this "limited Time" was a period of 2 months from the date of first publishing the design. But it was a beginning.


















For more biographical information see The Dublin Penny Journal, Volume 1, Number 23, December 1, 1832.
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Hats, Hats, Hats - Headwear in the American Colonial Era 1750-1759

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1750-1760 Joseph Badger (American Colonial Era artist, 1798-1765)

1752 John Wollaston (American Colonial Era artist, 1733-1767)

1752 John Wollaston (American Colonial Era artist, 1733-1767)

1752 John Wollaston (American Colonial Era artist, 1733-1767)

1753 Joseph Blackburn, also known as Jonathan Blackburn (American Colonial Era painter, in the colonies 1754-1763)

1754 Joseph Blackburn, also known as Jonathan Blackburn (American Colonial Era painter, in the colonies 1754-1763)

1754 Joseph Blackburn, also known as Jonathan Blackburn (American Colonial Era painter, in the colonies 1754-1763)

1754 Joseph Blackburn, also known as Jonathan Blackburn (American Colonial Era painter, in the colonies 1754-1763)

1755 Jeremiah Theus (American Colonial Era artist, 1716-1774)

1755 Joseph Badger (American Colonial Era artist, 1798-1765)

1755-57 John Wollaston (American Colonial Era artist, 1733-1767)

1757 Jeremiah Theus (American Colonial Era artist, 1716-1774)

1757 Joseph Blackburn, also known as Jonathan Blackburn (American Colonial Era painter, in the colonies 1754-1763)

1758 Jeremiah Theus (American Colonial Era artist, 1716-1774)

John Wollaston (American Colonial Era artist, 1733-1767)
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Hats, Hats, Hats - Headwear in the American Colonial Era 1670-1750

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1670 The Freake Limner (American Colonial Era Painter, active 1670-c 1680)

1679 Captain Thomas Smith (American Colonial Era artist and mariner, active c 1650-1700)

Henrietta Johnston (American Colonial Era artist, 1674-1829)

1715 Charles Bridges (American Colonial Era artist, 1670-1747)

1723 Gerardus Duyckinck (American Colonial Era artist, 1695-1746)

1725 Charles Bridges (American Colonial Era artist, 1670-1747)

Henrietta Johnston (American Colonial Era artist, 1674-1829)

1730 John Smibert (American Colonial Era artist, 1688-1751)

1730s Charles Bridges (American Colonial Era artist, 1670-1747)

1730s Charles Bridges (American Colonial Era artist, 1670-1747)

1740 Unknown American Colonial Era artist

1739 John Smibert (American Colonial Era artist, 1688-1751)

1740 Unknown American Colonial Era artist

1740 Unknown American Colonial Era artist

1740s William Dering (American Colonial Era artist, fl 1735-1751)

1740s William Dering (American Colonial Era artist, fl 1735-1751)

1740s William Dering (American Colonial Era artist, fl 1735-1751)

1746 James Claypoole, Sr. (American Colonial Era artist, 1720-1784)

1746 Robert Feke (American Colonial Era artist, 1707-1751)

1747 Unknown American Colonial Era artist

1748 John Greenwood (American Colonial Era artist, 1727-1792)

1748 Robert Feke (American Colonial Era artist, 1707-1751)

1749-1752 John Wollaston (American Colonial Era artist, 1733-1767)

1749-1752 John Wollaston (American Colonial Era artist, 1733-1767)

1749-1752 John Wollaston (American Colonial Era artist, 1733-1767)

1749-1752 John Wollaston (American Colonial Era artist, 1733-1767)

1750 John Wollaston (American Colonial Era artist, 1733-1767)

1750 Joseph Badger (American Colonial Era artist, 1708-1765)

1750 Joseph Badger (American Colonial Era artist, 1708-1765)

1750 Joseph Badger (American Colonial Era artist, 1708-1765)
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