Edwin Tappan Adney (July 13, 1868 – October 10, 1950), commonly known as Tappan Adney, was an American-Canadian artist, writer, and photographer.
Biography
Edwin Tappan Adney was born in
Athens, Ohio, the eldest child of William Harvey Glenn Adney (1834–1885) from
Vinton, Ohio
Vinton is a village in Gallia County, Ohio, United States. The population was 222 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Point Pleasant, WV–OH Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Vinton was platted in 1832. A post office called Vint ...
, a professor at
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public research university in Athens, Ohio. The first university chartered by an Act of Congress and the first to be chartered in Ohio, the university was chartered in 1787 by the Congress of the Confederation and subseq ...
, and Ruth Clementine Shaw Adney. When Tappan was five, the family moved to
Washington, Pennsylvania
Washington is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Pennsylvania. A part of the Greater Pittsburgh area in the southwestern part of the state, the city is home to Washington & Jefferson College and Pony League baseball. The populat ...
where his father taught at
Washington and Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College (W&J College or W&J) is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania. The college traces its origin to three log cabin colleges in Washington County established by three Presbyterian missionaries to ...
. In 1879, his father retired from that position for health reasons and bought a tobacco farm near
Pittsboro, North Carolina named Gum Spring Plantation. Tappan was exceptionally bright and entered the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
at the age of thirteen, where he remained for two years.
[
]
New York
After his father's death in a farm accident, his mother took him and his younger sister Mary Ruth to New York City to further their education. To earn a living, she ran a boarding house, where Tappan got to know his future wife Minnie Bell Sharp of Woodstock, New Brunswick
Woodstock is a town in Carleton County, New Brunswick, Canada on the Saint John River, 103 km upriver from Fredericton at the mouth of the Meduxnekeag River. It is near the Canada–United States border and Houlton, Maine and the int ...
, a piano and singing student, who was one of his mother's tenants.[ Tappan attended Trinity School and after leaving school he worked in a law office. In the evenings he took art classes at the Art Students League of New York.][Michael Gates (October 2, 2009]
"The naked truth about Tappan Adney"
''Yukon News''
He graduated from art school at the age of eighteen and provided 110 illustrations for ''The Handbook of the Birds of Eastern North America''.[Michael Gates (2014) "Tappan Adney and the Klondike Stampede"]
Western New York Public Broadcasting [Frank Michler Chapman (1897) ''Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America'']
D. Appleton and Co., New York His interest in birds continued when he immigrated to Canada and a visitor remarked on his relationship with the birds around his bungalow in Upper Woodstock. He would whistle bird-calls and the birds would flutter around him and sometimes land on his head.[
]
Canoe-building
In 1887, Tappan and his sister visited Minnie's family at their home in Woodstock, New Brunswick. Adney intended to spend a month in Woodstock preparing for the entry examination for Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
. While in Woodstock, he met Peter Jo, a Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) canoe-builder. He became interested in the language and culture and with Joseph's help, he built his first canoe, spending twenty months in Woodstock. In 1890, he wrote an article on canoe-building for a ''Harper's Young People
''Harper's Young People'' was an American children's magazine between 1879 and 1899. The first issue appeared in the fall of 1879. It was published by Harper & Brothers. It was Harper's fourth magazine to be established, after '' Harper's Magazine ...
'' supplement. He was credited with saving the art of birchbark
Birch bark or birchbark is the bark of several Eurasian and North American birch trees of the genus ''Betula''.
The strong and water-resistant cardboard-like bark can be easily cut, bent, and sewn, which has made it a valuable building, craftin ...
canoe
A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle.
In British English, the ter ...
construction. He built more than 100 models of different types, which are now housed at the Mariners' Museum
The Mariners' Museum and Park is located in Newport News, Virginia, United States. Designated as America’s ''National Maritime Museum'' by Congress, it is one of the largest maritime museums in North America. The Mariners' Museum Library, cont ...
in Newport News, Virginia.
Writer and illustrator
From 1890 onwards, Adney earned his reputation as a writer and illustrator for numerous magazine's including ''Harper's Weekly
''Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization'' was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor, ...
'', ''Collier's Weekly
''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened in 1905 to ''Colli ...
'', ''Harper's Young People'', ''Saint Nicholas'',[Tappan Adney (1904) "Adopting a Kitten"]
''Cat Stories'', retold from ''St. Nicholas'', pp. 69–70[Tappan Adney (March 1896) "Their First Moose Hunt"]
''St. Nicholas'' Vol. 23, No. 5 pp. 376–383 ''Outing'', and ''Our Animal Friends''.
He authored the book, ''The Klondike Stampede'' about the Klondike Gold Rush. His photos of the Klondike Gold rush c. 1899 are available online via the McCord Museum.[McCord Museum, Montreal](_blank)
/ref>
He occasionally wrote poetry:
::::THE MOOSE CALL
::Chippers to its dusky mate;
From out the misty hill
::A night owl's lonesome cry is heard—
A cry that sends a chill
::Of fear through beast and sleeping bird—
Then all again is still.
Hark! the hunter starts!
::A sound borne softly on the air
The mighty stillness parts
::And makes the hunter's heart beat fast.
Tender, low, it thrills
::The listening hunter's inmost soul:
Yet resonant it fills
::The valley with an echo from
The everlasting hills!
EDWIN TAPPAN ADNEY
Klondike Gold Rush
He was one of the first photojournalists to pass safely through British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
. As a writer for ''Harper's Weekly
''Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization'' was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor, ...
'', he was sent with his camera to the Yukon from 1897 to 1898. His classic illustrated book concerns his experiences in the Yukon
Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...
, of which numerous editions have been printed. He returned there to briefly report on the Nome Gold Rush
The Nome Gold Rush was a gold rush in Nome, Alaska, approximately 1899–1909.. It is separated from other gold rushes by the ease with which gold could be obtained. Much of the gold was lying in the beach sand of the landing place and could b ...
in 1900. He retired first to Montreal, then to New Brunswick, the place where his wife was born. He learned the Maliseet language of the native Canadians of New Brunswick.[
]
Marriage
Adney married Minnie Sharp on September 12, 1899, at Saint Luke's Episcopal Church in Woodstock, New Brunswick.[ Explore the Works of Tappan Adney]
They had one child, Francis Glenn Adney, born on July 9, 1902, in Woodstock, who became a minor jazz pianist and band leader in the United States. Both eccentric personalities, the couple lived together for only about a quarter of their 38-year marriage.[
]
Canadian naturalization
In 1916, he joined the Royal Canadian Engineers. He became a British subject in 1917. During the First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
he was as an engineering officer at the Royal Military College of Canada
'')
, established = 1876
, type = Military academy
, chancellor = Anita Anand ('' la, ex officio, label=none'' as Defence Minister)
, principal = Harry Kowal
, head_label ...
in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between To ...
(1916–19) constructing scale models of fortifications for training purposes. His duties were non-combative and he remained in Canada for the duration of the war.
After the war, he created a set of three-dimensional coats-of-arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...
of the Canadian provinces, then numbering nine, and one Territory that adorn Currie Hall
Currie Hall is a hall within the Currie Building, which is an annex to the Mackenzie Building at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario. It was built in 1922, and is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building.
The hall was design ...
at Royal Military College of Canada
'')
, established = 1876
, type = Military academy
, chancellor = Anita Anand ('' la, ex officio, label=none'' as Defence Minister)
, principal = Harry Kowal
, head_label ...
.
In Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
, Quebec he created heraldic art, worked for the Museum of McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...
as a consultant on aboriginal lore, and consulted to McCord Museum on canoes 1920–33.
Consultant on Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) Culture
In 1946 Peter Lewis Paul, friend of Tappan Adney and member of the Wolastoqiyik First Nation, was convicted of the theft of ash saplings. Tappan Adney had previously advocated MP John MacNicol, who was resolved to push a re-examination of the Indian Act, that such activity by a First Nation member was a right guaranteed by treaty. This was the beginning of a long legal debate that was only resolved in 1999 when the Supreme Court of Canada accepted that the Maritime Aboriginals had ancient treaty rights that predated the formation of Canada.
Tappan Adney's close association with Peter Paul resulted in a linguistic study of the Maliseet language.
Muralist
The lobby of the Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business di ...
store on the corner of Portage Avenue and Memorial Boulevard in Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...
, Manitoba was decorated with two immense murals, 52′ long by 10′ wide, depicting scenes of the Company's early history by Edward Tappan Adney and Adam Sheriff Scott. Although the mural entitled ''Nonsuch at Fort Charles'' was removed in 1948 to allow the refurbishment of an escalator, ''The Pioneer at Fort Garry'' (1861) remained on display until 2014. Both murals have been donated to the Manitoba Museum
The Manitoba Museum, previously the Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature, is a human and natural history museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, as well as the province's largest, not-for-profit centre for heritage and science education.
Located close to City ...
. Fort Garry
Fort Garry, also known as Upper Fort Garry, was a Hudson's Bay Company trading post at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers in what is now downtown Winnipeg. It was established in 1822 on or near the site of the North West Company' ...
and Fort Charles were two important trading posts of the Hudson Bay Company. The Nonsuch was the first trading vessel that sailed into Hudson Bay in 1668–1669 and The Pioneer was the first steamboat on the Red River.
His photos of rural Ontario are available online via the McCord Museum.
He then moved to Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
, Quebec 1920–33 where he created heraldic art, worked for the Museum of McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...
as a consultant on aboriginal lore, and consulted to McCord Museum on canoes.
He is buried in the Upper Woodstock Cemetery, Woodstock, New Brunswick with his wife.
Bibliography
* ''Bark Canoes, The Art and Obsession of Tappan Adney'' Jennings, John. A Firefly Book, 2004.
* ''The Klondike Stampede'', by Tappan Adney, Special Correspondent of Harper's Weekly in the Klondike (New York: Harpers, 1900).
* ''The Sharp Family'', 1908
* ''The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America'', Edwin Adney Tappan and Howard I. Chapelle, Smithsoman Institution, Washington D.C, 1964
References
External links
*
*Edwin Tappan Adney and Howard I. Chapelle (1964)
The Papers of Edwin Tappan Adney
at Dartmouth College Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adney, Edwin Tappan
1868 births
1950 deaths
People of the Klondike Gold Rush
American photojournalists
People from Athens, Ohio
Art Students League of New York alumni
Royal Military College of Canada faculty
American illustrators
American muralists
19th-century American painters
American male painters
20th-century American painters
Journalists from Ohio
American emigrants to Canada
19th-century American male artists
20th-century American male artists