Box 36
Note: This collection was formerly in the manuscripts department, Misc. Manuscripts “C.” The collection description on file is as follows: “This collection of drawings of Alfred Carleton (1791-1875) of Haverhill, Mass., evidently was executed by Carleton as a youth. Several of the drawings appeared in The Rambler, published in New York, 1808-1810, while one served as a tailpiece to several chapters in Samuel Lorenzo Knapp, The Letters of Shahcoolen, (Boston: Russell and Cutler, 1802). Five small notebooks contain ink and watercolor sketches of Biblical passages, largely from the Old Testament, in which the sketches replace selected words in the passages. The loose sketches are a miscellany, including representations of a ship and its rigging, still life, watercolors of public buildings, an eagle with a streamer bearing “E Pluribus Unum,” and pen and ink sketches of animals and fish. Several drawings are endorsed: “Haverhill, 1808.”
Folder 1 Carleton, Alfred (1791-1875). [Title page illustration for Hamlet]; Pen, ink and watercolor. (7 7/8 x 6 5/8 in) (20 x 16 ½ cm). ca. 1808. [No old number] Enlarge
Image of the title page for Hamlet. Text says, “Hamlet. Prince of Denmark. William Shakespeare.” Each word is written in a different script. Beneath the image is a vignette of two gray beehives on a table; above one of them are flying bees. To the left is a tree; to the right a plant with pink flowers. In the distance on the horizon is a building, possibly a castle. Note: a small corner is cut out of the bottom right of the sheet.
Folder 2 Carleton, Alfred (1791-1875). [Illustration of quotations for Hamlet]; Pen, ink and watercolor. (7 7/8 x 6 5/8 in) (20 x 16 ½ cm). ca. 1808. [No old number] Enlarge
Two illustrations surrounded by quotations from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The top quotation starts “Morning. But look, the morn in russet mantle clad, Walks o’er the dew of yon high eastern hill. Act 1. Scene I.” The bottom quotation is: “Mirth. No jocund health that Denmark drinks to-day, But the great cannon to the clouds shall tell it. Act 1. Scene II.” The illustration in the center is of men sitting at a table with raised glasses. To the right of them are men with joined arms. To the left of this scene are two men atop a castle with turrets; they are firing cannons.
Folder 3 Carleton, Alfred (1791-1875). [Vase of flowers]; Watercolor. (8 1/8 x 6 ¾ in) (21 x 17 cm). ca. 1808. [No old number] Enlarge
Image of a blue vase filled with flowers. The vase is circular with a slender base; the flowers are an arrangement of an open and closed tulip, a pink rose, and purple and yellow violets.
Folder 4 Carleton, Alfred (1791-1875). [Illustrated title page for “Passages”]; Pen, ink and watercolor. (8 x 6 5/8 in) (20 x 17 cm). ca. 1808. [No old number] Enlarge
An image of an eagle holding a circular sign which reads, “Passages Selected from Plays, Poems &c. by A. Carleton.” Beneath this is an image of two people on a shore; one dressed in white, the other in pink; both carry sheathed swords. To the left of them is a vast ocean; on the horizon is a ship with three masts, a large American flag at its bow.
Folder 5 Carleton, Alfred (1791-1875). [Illustrations for The Rambler and Shahcoolen]; Watercolor. Sheet size: (8 7/8 x 9 ¾ in) (20 x 25 cm). ca. 1808. [No old number] Enlarge
Folded sheet with numerous vignette scenes taken from The Rambler. The first one is of a castle and a monument in a thickly forested area. The item is annotated beneath, “At the end of No. 91 of the Rambler.” The second scene is of a man riding a horse on a road; he has a whip in his hand and is wearing a blue coat. The image is annotated, “At the end of No. 99 of the Rambler.” The third scene is of numerous trees and a fence on a body of water. It is annotated beneath, “At the end of No. 104 of the Rambler.” Inside the folded sheet is an image of two houses, trees and a tower set against fields. It is annotated beneath, “Letters of Shahcoolen, p. 28. Ed. Of Russel & Cutler, Boston, 1802.” Note: AAS does not have these issues of The Rambler in its collection to compare.
Folder 6 Carleton, Alfred (1791-1875). [Image of a ship on shore]; Watercolor. (5 1/8 x 8 3/8 in) (13 x 21 cm). ca. 1808. [No old number] Enlarge
Image of a ship on a shore with rigging undergoing construction. There is a long gray wharf in front of it with beams that extend into the ocean. To the left is an additional gridded wharf which extends upward. There are numerous silhouettes of people on the beach. One is of a man holding an umbrella over another person; another is of a person chasing two children with a stick. Two are working on the boat. The exterior of the boat is painted yellow and green. Visible on the stern is a large striped American flag. The image is annotated at the bottom “[Bruised?] June 17, 1757” repeatedly.
Folder 7 Carleton, Alfred (1791-1875). [Image of a ship on the sea]; Watercolor and ink. (4 ¾ x 7 ¼ in) (12 x 18 ½ cm). ca. 1808. [No old number] Enlarge
Image of a ship on rough seas with numerous waves. To the right is what appears to be an iceberg. The ship has two masts, one of which has cracked in half sending a silhouette of a man flying through the air. There are also other men on board. At the bow of the ship is a striped American flag. Paper watermarked, “G.M.”
Folder 8 Carleton, Alfred (1791-1875). [Illustrations for The Rambler]; Watercolor and ink. Sheet size: (7 7/8 x 9 ¾ in) (20 x 25 cm). ca. 1808. [No old number] Enlarge
Folded sheet featuring three images from The Rambler. The top image is of a small gray house in a snow-filled landscape. The image is annotated at the bottom, “At the end of No. 54 of the Rambler” The second image is of a man walking up a path; he is wearing breeches a jacket and a hat, his arm is extended and pointing to a road sign. This image is annotated underneath, “At the end of No. 69 of the Rambler.” The third and final image is of a house amidst a thickly forested area; there is a dirt path leading up to the house and a picket fence to the right. The image is annotated at the bottom, “At the end of No. 82 of the Rambler.” Note: AAS does not have these issues of The Rambler in its collection to compare.
Folder 9 Carleton, Alfred (1791-1875). [Image of an annotated sketch of a city view]; Pencil. (5 5/8 x 6 5/8 in) (14 ½ x 17 cm). ca. 1808. [No old number] Enlarge
Image featuring four distinct views of buildings on horizons. Many of the buildings are annotated with letters and there are lines drawn above the views which appear to be mountains. One of the buildings is labeled, “Assembly.” Note: the sheet is annotated on the verso with two mathematics exercises.
Folder 10 Carleton, Alfred (1791-1875). [Image of the bottom of a ship and waves]; Watercolor. (2 ½ x 7 in) (6 ½ x 17 ½ cm). ca. 1808. [No old number] Enlarge
Image of the bottom of a ship and waves. It appears as though the image has been cut. The bow of the ship is heavily detailed, visible are windows and woodwork. Note: image includes four copies of Phineas Carleton bookplates (an additional two are in the bookplate collection).
Folder 11 Carleton, Alfred (1791-1875). [Decorative image for the Greek Testament]; Pen and watercolor. (2 ¾ x 3 ¾ in) (7 x 9 ½ cm). ca. 1808. [No old number] Enlarge
Decorative border surrounding serif text “Greek Testament” with a flourish underneath. The border is decorated with pink and green leaves.
