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The Edward Williams Clay watercolors, scrapbook fragments and silhouettes consist of 28 original watercolor drawings created by Edward Williams Clay, a drawing book with art by Clay and James Pemberton Morris, 37 fragments of a scrapbook believed to have been compiled by Clay, and 11 cut paper silhouettes. The bulk of materials are watercolors by Clay of Europeans and Americans abroad from 1825-1828, and satirical, genre, and theatrical prints by Clay and others.

The Edward Williams Clay watercolors, scrapbook fragments and silhouettes consist of 28 original watercolor drawings created by Edward Williams Clay, a drawing book with art by Clay and James Pemberton Morris, 37 fragments of a scrapbook believed to have been compiled by Clay, and 11 cut paper silhouettes. The bulk of materials are watercolors by Clay of Europeans and Americans abroad from 1825-1828, and satirical, genre, and theatrical prints by Clay and others.

In 2002, the Clements Library became aware of a scrapbook containing an extensive collection of Edward Williams Clay prints and artwork in possession of a Virginia antique dealer. After most of the individual pages were separately sold on eBay, it became apparent that the source, John Duncan Marsh (1931-2021) of Purcellville, Virginia, was a direct descendent of Clay's sister, Mary Ann Clay Bolton (1801-1818), and the scrapbook was likely compiled by the artist himself. Given that the contents of this collection were created after the death of Mary Ann, it is presumed that they were in the custody of one of her children, although the relationship between Clay and his nephews, James Robert Bolton (1817-1890) and Edward Clay Bolton (1818-1892), is unknown. The remaining remnants of the scrapbook were purchased by the Clements Library at auction along with the watercolor sketches and family silhouettes. All of the materials present were consigned to auction from the same source except for the drawing book, which had earlier been acquired by the Clements Library from a Philadelphia book dealer.

Series I - Watercolors

The collection contains 28 original watercolor works by Edward Williams Clay. A subset within this series represents Clay's journey from the Eastern United States to France between 1826 and 1828. Several works include inscribed titles, locations, and dates. A number of sketches also bear evidence of having been previously cropped, mounted, and framed.

Of particular note is one sketch from December 1825 showing two women and a man dressed in comically large winter clothing captioned "Life in Philadelphia - (going home from a tea-fight)." This unpublished satire is the earliest appearance of content later found in Clay's notorious series Life in Philadelphia.

• A portrait of a well-dressed man wearing a top hat while holding spectacles and a cane with a verso caption reading "Steam boat Bellona from Brunswick to New York April 1826"
• Two portraits of well-dressed men in top hats captioned "Thayer - on board the ship Edward [Quesnel at sea July 1826]" and "Constancio - On board the ship Edward Quesnel at sea July 1826"
• A portrait of a sailor wearing a brimmed hat and smoking a pipe with a caption on the verso reading "[French?] Pilot - [Edward] Quesnel, off the coast of France 18 July [1826?]

Note: The steamer Bellona ran from Brunswick, New Jersey, to New York City, while the Edward Quesnel is recorded as regularly running between New York City and Marseilles, France.

Other scenes illustrate aspects of European society and street life from Clay's visit to Europe between 1826 and 1828. Many of these works depict men's and women's fashions in fine detail. As several subjects are identified by name, it is presumed that some of these depictions were likely based on real people observed by Clay.

• A portrait of two French priests captioned “Les Curés - Paris 1827”
• A street scene captioned "Postellers & Conductors - Paris 1827" showing several uniformed drivers (including individuals wearing heavy duty protective knee-high boots insulated with straw)
• A street scene showing five well-dressed men including man identified in a partially cutoff caption as "Count Dep..."
• A scene depicting a masked ball with a large man at center identified as "Prince Borghese"
• A scene showing a man in Artois bathing and reading Le Constitutionnel while being attended to by a servant
• An equestrian scene showing riders in a park including an Arabian horse-drawn cart carrying the driver and a Mamluk groom wearing a turban
• Two ballroom dancing scenes with couples wearing formal dress
• A wedding portrait showing a couple identified as "Hercule de B. s." and "Mde Leverd"
• A formal dinner scene showing a number of couples entering a dining room attended by servants
• A comical scene showing a young woman identified as "Josphine" being introduced by an older French-speaking woman to two men, an unidentified English speaker and an apparently German individual identified as "Becker"
• A scene showing a couple of street minstrels performing outside of an inn
• Two portraits of unidentified well-dressed men

Items that may represent American content include sketches of a young couple dancing and a restaurant dining scene showing patrons and staff.

• A portrait of a woman holding a qanon titled "A Turkish female slave playing on the Kanoon" dated to December 1827
• A portrait of the Greek goddess Iris dated January 21 1828
• A portrait of a woman captioned "A Greek Lady in her walking dress" dated to December 1827

One satirical scene titled “Compliments of the Season 1829” shows a young boy wishing merry Christmas while handing a bill from a “Mr. Smith” (presumably an American) to an irate French musician wearing a robe who appears to have been in the middle of having his face shaven by an amused servant. This scene corresponds to an 1830 lithograph published by Clay which is in the collection of the American Antiquarian Society.

• A portrait of a carriage driver wearing a heavy fur-trimmed coat
• A street scene showing two boys in patched-up clothing and wooden shoes in possession of a crank-organ and a performing monkey
• A street scene showing a wealthy man visiting a dog grooming business

Series II - Drawing Book

The drawing book bears a retail label from a Parisian shop and an ownership inscription dated 1816 from James Pemberton Morris (1795-1834), a member of a prominent Quaker family who resided at Bolton Farm in Buck County, Pennsylvania (note: Bolton Farm is not related in any way to the family of James McLean Bolton). 1816 is also the year in which Morris was married to his wife Rosa Gardiner (?-1828) in a ceremony in Edinburgh, Scotland. Drawings of note include a sketch of a “Judge Duncan;” multiple pencil sketches of women; a watercolor drawing of a maritime scene; and rough sketches of various cartoons. Clay's signature is attached to some of the works (including a sketch of Rosa Gardiner Morris), while others are initialled "JPM." Handwriting in the drawing book matches writing on many watercolors attributed to and signed by Clay. The nature of the relationship between Morris and Clay remains unclear.

Series III - Scrapbook fragments

The collection’s 37 scrapbook fragments are the remains of a personal scrapbook that likely once belonged to Edward W. Clay. Based on conversations with the dealer John Palmer, this scrapbook had contained a significant set of over 60 prints by Clay prior to being disassembled. A majority of the remaining fragments are satirical, genre, and theatrical prints produced by other artists, some of which may have been collected by Clay during his European travels.

• Five lithographs by Charles Motte representing scenes from various works by Charles Perrault (Griseledis, L’Adroite Princesse, Cendrillon, Riquet a La Houppe, and Le Petit Chaperon Rouge)
• Multiple works depicting character costumes from various theatrical productions including The Prophet, The Queen of Cyprus, Tsar and Carpenter, and The Star of Sevilla
• Engraved depictions of a French “Infanterie de Ligne” and a Scottish “Tambour du 42e Regiment D’Highlanders,” both by Edouard Detaille
• An engraved portrait of George Washington by H. S. Sadd
• Two lithographs by Charles Motte of scenes involving children titled “Les Belles Dames. The Fine Ladies” and “A Fishing Party”
• Engravings of “Bolton Abbey in the Olden Time” by Schuler and “Weehawken, From the Elysean Fields. Hoboken” by Archibald L. Dick

• “Soubrette” by Paul Gavarni
• “Modes de Paris Petit Courrier des Dames”
• “Vous ne direz plus que la mode est indécente!!”
• “Mde De Nouveautés” by Charles Philippon
• “Déclaration d’un Maître de Cham” by Frederic Bouchot

• Drawings of various men, women, children (some of whom are identified)
• A pencil drawing of a ship captioned “Brigantine New Castle April 8th 1853”
• Six lithographic portraits of French generals Charles Nicholas Fabvier, Pierre Claude Pajol, Étienne Maurice Gérard, Horace Sébastiani, Maximilien Sébastien Foy, and the Marquis de Lafayette

Of particular note are two caricature lithographs depicting African Americans that are attributed to Clay, including one print published in 1830 titled "Back to Back" that depicts an African American couple dancing in fine clothing with the caption reading: "I reckon I've cotcht de figure now!". The other print (which is mounted on a scrapbook page) titled "A Black Cut" dates to 1839 and depicts an African American chimney sweeper being shunned by a wealthier mixed-race couple.

Series IV - Silhouettes

This series includes 11 cut paper silhouette portraits, nine of which bear the stamp of the Peale Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Several include subject identifications and dates of creation. Eight of these items were originally mounted in 20th-century frames prior to being rehoused in archival mats by the Clements Library. The framed items carried the following notation in reverse at the top: "Property of / Miss Mary Clay Bolton / Mechanics and Metals Bank / 204 Fifth Avenue, New York City;" and at the bottom "Theodore Bolton," along with the frame shop label of S. Friedman, E. 9th St., New York, N.Y.

Of particular importance is a silhouette of Edward W. Clay inscribed "E.W.C. Ann: ÆTAT 21" (age 21) from the Peale Museum, ca. 1820. This work is believed to be the only known portrait of Clay outside of a painted portrait held by the Marsh family (descendants of Mary Ann Clay Bolton). The additional inscriptions “Cut at Peale’s Museum, Philadelphia” and “Edward Williams Clay, Portrait Painter” appear to have been added later.

Other identified individual silhouettes include Charles Heyward, William Heyward, George Douglass, William Graham, and George Cuthbert. These men were prominent members of South Carolinian society and were all either closely or distantly related. Three of the silhouettes are of Charles Heyward, who owned one of the largest rice plantations in the South and was the grandson of Thomas Heyward, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The connection between these people and Edward W. Clay and/or Mary Ann Clay Bolton is unknown.

11 pages of watercolors housed in soft cover sketchbook from ca. 1830 drawn by Master William Carr of the Royal Navy. Watercolors depict topographic views of islands and shorelines in the Atlantic Ocean. Almost all views are of rocky island outlines. A few sketches have man-made structures in the scene.

The collection is made up of a soft cover sketchbook containing 11 pages of watercolor topographic views of islands and shorelines in the Atlantic Ocean. Almost all views are of rocky island outlines. A few sketches have man-made structures in the scene. Most sketches have headings for the page and then descriptive sentences about the various views. Cover of sketchbook reads "Landmarks N & S Atlantic by Mr. Wm Carr, Master R.N." Written on the back cover of sketchbook is the London address of a Capt. B.C. Doyle. On the back of two pages are small pencil sketches: one sketch on the back of Page 10 is of a chronometer or watch and the other sketch on the back of Page 11 is of a ship moored in "springs." The last few pages of the journal contain recordings of the latitude and longitude of various places, presumably visited by William Carr while in the service of the Royal Navy.

The Thomas Caldwell Moore sketchbook is made up of twenty-two images on nineteen loose, encapsulated pages as well as the original cover boards and binding. The back of the original front cover board of the sketchbook includes the penciled inscription: "Sketch Book, New York -1865, T.C. Moore of Allegheny Arsenal Pittsburg, Pa." Three pages have images on both sides. The creator of the sketchbook has been identified as Thomas Caldwell Moore (1825-1886). The sketchbook contains pencil and watercolor landscape views of rivers, shorelines and towns from ca. 1865. Locations represented include the Shenandoah Valley, the Allegheny River, and New York City. One sketch (image #2), titled "U.S Rifle Factory on the Shennandoah" is likely to be Harpers Ferry Armory.

The Thomas Caldwell Moore sketchbook, housed in a blue tray case with gilt lettering on the spine, is made up of twenty-two images on nineteen loose, encapsulated, pages as well as the original cover boards and binding. Three pages have drawings on both sides. The back of the original front cover board of the sketchbook includes the penciled inscription: "Sketch Book, New York -1865, T.C. Moore of Allegheny Arsenal Pittsburg, Pa." The creator of the sketchbook has been identified as Thomas Caldwell Moore (1825-1886). While only two of the drawings are individually dated (both 1865), given that the date on the inside of the front cover matches the two dated sketches it can be assumed that the sketchbook contains pencil and watercolor landscape views of rivers, shorelines and towns from ca. 1865. Nine of the images include titles, many of which are in ink written over pencil, indicating the location the sketch depicts. Locations represented include the Shenandoah Valley, the Allegheny River, and New York City. One sketch (image #2), titled "U.S Rifle Factory on the Shennandoah," is likely to be Harpers Ferry Armory.

The Thomas Smith collection includes a disbound sketchbook of eighteen watercolors and six drawings depicting scenes in the northeastern United States and Canada made between 1820-1826 as well as three letters written by Smith between 1820-1822.

The Thomas Smith collection includes a disbound sketchbook of eighteen watercolors and six drawings depicting scenes in the northeastern United States and Canada made approximately between 1820-1826 as well as three letters written by Smith between 1820-1822.

The Visual Materials series contains eighteen watercolors and six drawings from a disbound sketchbook that depict scenes in the Eastern United States and Canada. While the watercolors and drawings themselves contain no exact information on their precise dates of creation, there is one unfinished pencil sketch of Fort Niagara that shows architectural features that were only in place from 1818 to 1823. Additionally, two pages contain watermarks in the paper that read "Turkey Mills J. Whatman 1818," while an inscription on the inside of the detached front cover also reads: "Thomas Smith. American Sketches 1820 to 1826." Smith is known to have made one trip to New York in the late spring and summer of 1820 and also returned from another trip there in the fall of 1821. Although presumably an amateur artist, Smith showed an uncanny eye for accurate detail, a keen ability to depict the scale of landscapes, and a vivid sense of color and light.

• 1) [Unidentified building] (fragment on oval sheet; pen and ink)
• 2) [Portrait of unidentified man] (fragment; pencil)
• 3) Point - Entrance of Chaudiere (pen and ink)
• 4) Palmetto trees East side Sullivan's Isld. South Carol,,a
• 5) Wappoo, Cooper River, S. Carolina
• 6) [Niagara Falls]
• 7) River Delaware. Fort Gaines to the left, to the right Fort Mifflin
• 8) [Presumed to be Delaware River]
• 9) Unfinished
• 10) [Niagara from the American side]
• 11) [Estuary with a Rowing Boat]
• 12) [The Mouth of the Niagara River at Fort George, Ontario] (pencil)
• 13) [Quay on an Estuary]
• 14) [Thousand Islands, Ganaoque (near Kingston), Ontario]
• 15) Cohos Falls, Mohawk River
• 16) [Niagara Gorge from Goat Island]
• 17) [Hudson River landscape]
• 18) Entrance of the Patapsco River into Chesapeake Bay near Baltimore Maryland
• 19) New York Harbor
• 20) [Queenston Heights - looking down the Niagara River towards Lake Ontario]
• 21) [New York Harbor]
• 22) [Town on an Estuary] (pencil)
• 23) [Niagara Falls from below]
• 24) [Landscape with a Waterfall] (pencil)

The Correspondence series contains three letters written by Thomas Smith to family members. The first letter, dated April 1820, is addressed to Smith's sister Eliza Elizabeth "Betsey" Smith (1802-1876) and bemoans her general lack of communication before discussing differences between American and English women, mentioning acquaintances including a "Mr. Lucas" and a "Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell", and describing events related to the wedding of a "considerable" rice planter and "Miss Lucas...now Mrs. Cordes" that took place in Charleston, South Carolina in March. This was likely the wedding of James Jameison Cordes (1798-1867) and Mary Lucas (1802-1873). Smith also makes reference to a bridesmaid named "Miss McLeod...a lady of large fortune worth as these things are estimated in S Carola: 300 negroes" while stating that "negro servants" accompanied the wedding party on horseback on their way to Middleburgh plantation. The second letter, also dated April 1820, is addressed to Smith's brother Joseph Smith VI (1800-1876) and contains a description of deer hunting conducted in the "American mode" in which several concealed hunting stands were occupied "100 to 150 yards apart" before "the negroes are sent with the hounds to drive the swamps or ponds where the deer generally conceal themselves." Smith elaborates on an unsuccessful hunting trip led by a planter named "Mr. Bryan" in which the party consisted of "Mr. Bryan, Mr. Lucas, Mr. Cordes, Mr. Hume & myself, with 2 negro slaves, all on horseback" during which Smith and Mr. Hume managed to become briefly lost in the woods. Also included are mentions of various wildlife encountered in the countryside, references to regional flora Smith intends to procure seeds of, and a description of typical South Carolinian cuisine had for breakfast, lunch, and dinner during different times of year. The third letter, dated February-March 1822 and partially written from aboard the steamship Robert Fulton while in the Gulf of Mexico, is addressed to Betsey (now "Mrs. Alfred H.") at "Messr: Jos. Hardcastle & Sons London." Betsey married Alfred Hardcastle (1791-1842) in 1821. This letter describes Smith's return to Charleston in Novemeber of 1821 following a trip to New York, spending the Christmas holiday period at Mr. Lucas's plantation, a four-day excursion in Havana, Cuba, made during the present voyage while en route from New Orleans to Charleston, and avoiding a close encounter with a "suspicious looking Schooner" off the Cape of Florida.