William Hamlin

William Hamlin (1772–1869) was an American entrepreneur and the first engraver for the state of Rhode Island. In one of his engravings, he published the first views of Providence, Rhode Island. He made a variety of technical etchings that were membership certificates, bank notes, bookplates, portraits and Providence buildings. He also made a number for portrait engravings of George Washington.

Hamilin made sextants, quadrants, refractor telescopes and the first telescope in the United States that was available to use by the public. He was also involved in the manufacture of music instruments such as flutes, violins, and fifes.

Early life

Hamlin was the fifth in direct paternal line from Giles Hamlin, a pioneer of Middletown, Connecticut. He was born on October 15, 1772, in Providence, Rhode Island, and lived there all his life. His parents, Samuel and Thankful Ely, married in 1771. Hamlin's siblings were Samuel Ely (b. 1774), Ann (b. 1776), Richard Ely (b. 1779), Mehitable (b. 1781), Mary (b. 1783), and John Hosmer (b. 1787). His father was as a pewterer and brazier and Hamlin initially trained in those fields. Hamlin had no formal public schooling. He was a person self-taught on scientific skills and technical abilities.

Hamlin had some training at the age of 15 as an engraver under the supervision of Samuel Canfield, a goldsmith in Middletown, Connecticut. His father was born in the town in 1746 and knew Canfield, so had his son apprenticed to him. He also studied engraving with Richard Brunton. Hamlin made his own tools for the work in mezzotint, aquatint and stipple. Upon completion of his apprenticeship, he set up a business in Middletown in 1791. He went to New York City two years later and worked for Dubley Mann and later for Peter Alison. He returned to Providence in 1794 where he opened a shop and mainly engraved bank notes. He set up his business on North Main next door to St. John's Church. Hamlin published the first view of Providence, Rhode Island, in one of his engravings.

Mid life and business career

Hamlin's first moneymaking business was from 1806 to 1809; he sold various flutes, violins, flageolets, octave flutes, fifes and sheet music, with his son John. It was first located directly across the street from the First Baptist Meetinghouse in downtown Providence at 11 Cheapside Street. Later he moved his business closer to the harbor eight doors south where he also sold and repaired optical, nautical and mathematical instruments for the navigational industry. In 1824, Hamlin's business was listed as: "Hamlin William, engraver & instrument maker, 135 S. Main".

Hamlin was at 135 South Main Street in 1824, then 120 South Main Street in 1832, then 88 South Main Street in 1836, then 86 South Main Street in 1838, and then 69 South Water Street from 1841 to 1845. Thereafter, he relocated to 131 South Water Street, and the business was called "The Sign of the Quadrant" advertising compasses, quadrants, sextants, spyglasses, and telescopes. The business was there from 1847 until Hamlin's death in 1869. At this business he became motivated to become an engraver. His first attempts at engraving were with copper. Hamlin described himself strictly as a mathematical instrument maker after 1860, dropping the 'engraver' designation.

Hamlin was also a manufacturer and repairer of optical instruments, telescopes, sextants, and quadrants. He was interested in astronomy and worked for many years perfecting a refractor telescope for his own use. It was the first one built and the first telescope of any type constructed in the United States. This telescope that he put together in 1826 was made available to others to study the universe on August 7 when he first sold admission tickets for its use.

Works

Hamlin made a variety of engravings (technically etchings), most of which were requested, such as membership certificates, bank notes, bookplates, watch papers, portraits and Providence buildings. He made four engravings of George Washington, including one for the 1800 publication of ''Memory of Washington'' by Oliver Farnsworth that gave a brief biography of Washington's life. The engravings became the object of public exhibition on the centenary celebration in 1899 of the death of Washington.

Hamlin was going to start engraving business cards as he had done for himself, but immediately became more ambitious and started engraving busts of George Washington. He made at least three plates of the head of Washington. One was a copy of Philadelphia painter Edward Savage's bust portrait of Washington and another he made in his ninety-first year was a copy of Jean-Antoine Houdon's bust sculptor of Washington. Hamlin's print "The Burning of the '' Frigate Philadelphia'' in Tripoli Harbor, February 1804" is his most famous work according to historian Dumas Malone.

Many of Hamlin's engravings still exist and are in the form of bookplates, illustrated advertisements, marine scenes, Providence buildings and portraits. A famous specimen of his is the certificate for the Providence Marine Society which contains the earliest view of Providence. He was a member of the Mechanics Association of Providence and engraved a certificate of membership for the members. Hamlin engravings on notable people that still exist are of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, William Eaton, Stephen Gano, Isaac Watts, William H. Harrison, Enos Hitchcock, and James Manning. He is also notable for making bank note engravings for several Rhode Island banks. One of his engravings shows the First Congregational Church on Benefit Street, with some flames and smoke, an indication of the fire that broke out that destroyed the church in 1814. Another notable engraving of Hamlin's was that of the ''Experiment'', a horse powered boat. He also engraved a ticket for The ''Experiment,'' entitling the bearer to a trip to ''New-Port'' or Providence.

File:1808 horse paddle-boat.jpg, The ''Experiment'',
a horse powered boat
ca. 1808
File:Ticket for The Experiment 1808.jpg, Ticket for The ''Experiment'' ca. 1808
File:Providence Marine Society.jpg, Providence Marine Society membership certificate ca. 1798
File:First Congregational Church c 1814.jpg, First Congregational Church of Providence ca. 1814

File:Washington engraving c 1799.jpg, George Washington
engraving off Savage
ca. 1799
File:Courtship - Matrimony.jpg, " Courtship / Matrimony " trick engraving
ca. 1798
File:Hamlin's trade card, c 1850.jpg, Hamlin's trade card
131 S. Water Street
ca. 1847
File:Peacock & Epervier 1814.jpg, Engagement between the ''Peacock'' and the ''Epervier'' 29 April 1814

Personal life

Hamlin was made a member of the Freemason society of Mt. Vernon Lodge 4, A. F. and A. M. Providence, in 1804. His masonic apron was still in the possession of his grandson, Frank Hamlin, in 1894.

Hamlin married Elizabeth Bowen (born 1787) on April 2, 1810. They had six children, four of whom lived to adulthood. He died November 22, 1869, and his wife died December 29, 1852.

References

Sources

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamlin, William
American engravers
Businesspeople from Providence, Rhode Island
18th-century engravers
19th-century engravers
1772 births
1869 deaths