Henry Chapman Ford (1828–1894) was an American illustrator. His depictions of California's missions were partially responsible for the revival of interest in the state's Spanish heritage.

Early life and education

Ford was born in

Livonia, New York Livonia is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 7,809. The town contains a village also named Livonia. The town is on the eastern border of the county. In the 19th century numerous ...

. He studied art in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

and

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...

late in the 1850s. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, he was a soldier assigned to prepare illustrations of interest to the military. After the war, he moved to

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

, where, in 1871, his studio was destroyed in the " Great Fire".

Work in California

In 1875, he settled in

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Co ...

, where he would live out his days. Ford traveled by

horse and buggy ] A horse and buggy (in American English) or horse and carriage (in British English and American English) refers to a light, simple, two-person carriage of the late 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, drawn usually by one or sometimes by two h ...

to each of the twenty-one

Spanish missions in California The Spanish missions in California ( es, Misiones españolas en California) comprise a series of 21 religious outposts or missions established between 1769 and 1833 in what is now the U.S. state of California. Founded by Catholic priests ...

, where he created a historically important portfolio of watercolors, oils, and etchings.''Bells and crosses of the Mission Inn and the Ford Paintings of the California Missions'' 908? – available as a digitized version, and which includes a reference to the paintings of the

California Missions The Spanish missions in California ( es, Misiones españolas en California) comprise a series of 21 religious outposts or missions established between 1769 and 1833 in what is now the U.S. state of California. Founded by Catholic priests of ...

done by Ford. His depictions of the missions were (in part) responsible for the revival of interest in the state's Spanish heritage, and indirectly for the restoration of the missions themselves. In 1883, Ford published his ''Etchings of the Franciscan Missions of California'', and exhibited his works at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The hallmarks of Ford's images are exquisite brushwork and tonal mastery in all mediums, which make his works highly prized. Ford died in 1894 in Santa Barbara.

References

External links

Santa Barbara Historical Society

Henry Chapman Ford (1828-1894) Etcher & Painter
* 1828 births 1894 deaths American illustrators Spanish missions in California {{US-illustrator-stub