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The Pioneer Drawing Cards

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Description: One set of drawing cards and a blue wrapper, entitled The Pioneer Drawing Cards, by B.F. Nutting, printed by Higgins and Bradley, Boston, Massachusetts, 1856. D. T. Smith is listed as the engraver. The wrapper also includes the name Brown, Taggard & Chase on the front and description of the enclosed cards on the back. 21 cards are present--there were originally 24--cards 12, 19, and 21 are now missing. The first four cards contain the title card and instructions. The instructions are divided into two sections labeled "Object" and "Method"--the object of the cards is "to teach an artistic mode of sketching from the first." (orig. ital.); the method was to build an image through copying steps that built the image in layers. A completed image was also provided for reference. The first image on card five bears the warning "Before beginning, read every word of the directions."
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Systematic Drawing Cards for Schools, with Instructions: In Two Parts

Visual Materials

Two sets of drawing cards entitled Systematic Drawing Cards for Schools, with Instructions: In Two Parts, by Sigismond Schuster, published by Ivison & Phinney, 1857. Env. 07 contains the first part in a green-patterned wrapper labeled "Drawing Cards for Schools & Families" and subtitled "Part I. Nos. 1 to 24." The instructions and the cards for both Parts I and II were printed on yellow paper. Cards were divided into "books" of seven cards each, according to the instructions, for teaching principals of drawing. Part I featured 24 cards comprising the first three books plus half of book four--only card No. 24 is missing from Part I. It is unclear how many cards were in Part II--located in Env. 8, present are a total of 16 single-sided cards--the cards begin with "25" and end with "47." Within that number run, 25 to 47, cards 36, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, and 46, are missing. One card has a partial number which appears to be "35". If the instructions are followed there should be a total of 42 cards--six books described, seven cards to a book. The higher number may reflect a change in methodology or added practice cards. In any case, the cards reflect different levels of skill, from simple forms to complex landscapes. The landscapes are scenes from Hoboken, New Jersey. Some of the images are signed "S. Schuster," usually in the lower left hand corner. "Natalie J. B[??]ment" is written in ms., in ink, on the cover. "$7 6.5" and "PCQ" are written in ms., in pencil, on the cover.

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Bartholomew's Primary School Drawing Cards, No. 1

Visual Materials

One set of drawing cards entitled Bartholomew's Primary School Drawing Cards, No. 1, by W. N. Bartholomew, published by Woolworth, Ainsworth & Co., New York and Chicago, 1874. This set is comprised of 10 double-sided lithograph cards, principally containing line drawing lessons on each side, totaling 20 lessons. The exercises in this series are listed on the envelope wrapper, below the title: "SET No. 1 - Simple exercises in placing points, drawing lines, plane figures, familiar objects and ornamental forms; also lessons in Printing and Writing." Sets 2 and 3 are also described. Each lesson is printed on a black background, with the image or letter to be copied in white. These drawing cards were designed to be used in conjunction with a drawing slate; the card would be placed in the card holder at one end of the slate, and the image copied onto the slate. The penmanship lessons on Card 10 are labeled "Payson, Dunton & Scribner's Penmanship." On the back side of the envelope is a publisher's advertisement for "Bartholomew's National System of Industrial Drawing" books. The dimensions provided are for the envelope.

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A Course of Free-Hand, Model, and Object Drawing: Designed for Primary, Grammar, and High Schools

Visual Materials

One booklet entitled A Course of Free-Hand, Model, and Object Drawing: Designed for Primary, Grammar, and High Schools, by Professor Walter Smith, published by Noyes, Holmes, and Company, Boston, 1872. At the bottom of the cover is printed, "J.W.C. Gilman, Agent." This booklet consists of 16 unnumbered pages, including the front and back covers. It appears to be a publisher's advertisement for the Smith drawing system and its products. The first few pages are advertisements for drawing slates, drawing-cards and drawing books. The next few pages are an overview of the general method of the system, and "Specimen Pages from 'The Teachers' Companion'", with white-on-black illustrations. The back cover (also the last page) are listed "Reasons for Adopting the American Drawing Series", signed by J.W.C. Gilman, Agent for Introduction. The front cover of this advertisement features an illustration of a drawing slate and drawing cards.

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Abbott’s Common School Drawing Cards

Visual Materials

One set of drawing cards entitled Abbott’s Common School Drawing Cards, by Jacob and John S.C. Abbott, printed by Robert B. Collins, New York, 1874, Landscapes, Set 1, designed by B.H. Coe." On the back of the card box are instructions, entitled Arrangements, on the use of the cards. The cards are removed from the case by pulling on an insert. A notice "To the Teacher" on the verso of the insert explains how to teach drawing in school, and below this, "Reasons for Introducing Drawing into Common Schools" are listed. The card set is complete with the original forty cards, plus an extra card 1. They are numbered in Roman numerals, from No. I to No. XL, along with further drawing instructions on the back of each. For example, drawing card No. I shows a farm courtyard with various buildings and on the reverse the following instruction: "Whenever you have a pediment end of a building to draw, that is, an end terminated by a point at the top, where the two sides of the roof meet, as occurs in this lesson, always draw both the side walls first...."

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Bartholomew's Progressive Drawing Cards, in five numbers, No. 1

Visual Materials

One set of drawing cards entitled Bartholomew's Progressive Drawing Cards, in five numbers, No. 1, by W. N. Bartholomew, published by Cyrus G. Cooke, Boston, 1860. This set includes 11 numbered, one-sided lithograph images within a paperboard slipcover. Card 1 is lacking. The cards are intended for use with a drawing slate; each card would be placed into a holder at one end of the slate, and the image copied onto the slate. Most of the cards bear a single image, but some contain two or three images. The images are identical to a portion of those found in Bartholomew's Drawing Books and include fences, houses, buildings and barns. The instructions for use of these cards, lesson by lesson, are printed on both sides of the slipcase. There is a cutaway notch at the top of the opening of the slipcase for ease of removal. The dimensions provided are for the slipcase.

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Initiatory Drawing Cards, Part I

Visual Materials

One set of drawing cards entitled Initiatory Drawing Cards, Part I, by B.F. Nutting, printed by M. J. Whipple, Boston, Massachusetts, 1848. The set of eighteen cards is complete. Each is described in an eight page instructional pamphlet included with the cards, entitled Initiatory Drawing Cards, In Four Parts, with the subtitle Eighteen Cards in Each, Presenting Carefully Drawn Examples, and Accompanied by Directions Illustrating the First Principles of Drawing; for the Use of Schools and Families. The pamphlet describes each of the cards in the set, the number in the pamphlet corresponds to the card's number in the upper right-hand corner. Instructions are given in basic drawing techniques. The original envelope in which the cards and pamphlet were enclosed is also included. On the inside of the envelope, in pencil, is the following note: "See Dreppard for long [note?] p.16/ Part I complete/ Parts II (12) & IV (11) incomplete/ Lot as is/ Rare (NYPL has Part II only.)/ 40-." Written in ms., in the upper right-hand corner of the pamphlet's cover, is "40-." (price).

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The Pioneer Drawing Cards

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Systematic Drawing Cards for Schools, with Instructions: In Two Parts

Bartholomew's Primary School Drawing Cards, No. 1

A Course of Free-Hand, Model, and Object Drawing: Designed for Primary, Grammar, and High Schools

Abbott’s Common School Drawing Cards

Bartholomew's Progressive Drawing Cards, in five numbers, No. 1

Initiatory Drawing Cards, Part I