Amos Doolittle (May 18, 1754 – January 30, 1832) was an American engraver and

silversmith A silversmith is a metalworker who crafts objects from silver. The terms ''silversmith'' and ''goldsmith'' are not exactly synonyms as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are or were largely the same but the end product may vary grea ...

, known as "The Revere of

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

." His engravings included portraits and maps, made in his

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134 ...

studio. He became famous for his four engravings depicting the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which were based on his first-hand reconnaissance of the battlefield.

Life and work

Born in

Cheshire, Connecticut Cheshire ( ), formerly known as New Cheshire Parish, is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. At the time of the 2020 census, the population of Cheshire was 28,733. The center of population of Connecticut is located in Cheshir ...

on May 18, 1754, Doolittle became skilled in copper engraving through self-teaching and apprenticeship. His first published experiment with the medium began when he enlisted in the New Haven company of the

Governor's Guards The Governor's Guards of Connecticut are four distinct units of the Connecticut State Guard, a part of the organized militia under the Connecticut State Militia. There are two foot guard units and two horse guard units. All four units are formed ...

in 1775. Under the leadership of Captain Benedict Arnold, the company arrived in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston ...

ten days after the Battles of Lexington and Concord at the start of the Revolutionary War. Upon arriving in Cambridge, Doolittle took leave to inspect the site of the battle accompanied by

Ralph Earl Ralph Earl (May 11, 1751 – August 16, 1801) was an American painter known for his portraits, of which at least 183 can be documented. He also painted six landscapes, including a panorama display of Niagara Falls. Early life Ralph Ea ...

. Doolittle interviewed colonial militants and residents to establish the scene while Earl surveyed the site and made drawings. From these drawings, Doolittle made at least four engraved copper prints of the battle, which were advertised for sale in the December 1775 '' Connecticut Journal''. The success of these prints marked the beginning of Doolittle's artistic career. He was sought out by many early Americans eager to learn the art of engraving, including

James Wilson James Wilson may refer to: Politicians and government officials Canada *James Wilson (Upper Canada politician) (1770–1847), English-born farmer and political figure in Upper Canada * James Crocket Wilson (1841–1899), Canadian MP from Quebe ...

. Doolittle established a shop in

, on the present-day site of Yale University's

Old Campus The Old Campus is the oldest area of the Yale University campus in New Haven, Connecticut. It is the principal residence of Yale College freshmen and also contains offices for the academic departments of Classics, English, History, Comparative Li ...

, from where he created portraits, maps, and bookplates. Doolittle died on January 30, 1832, and is buried in the Grove Street Cemetery in New Haven. His younger brother Eliakim Doolittle (1772-1850) was a composer and schoolteacher.

Gallery

File:Battle of Lexington Detail.jpg, ''The

Battle of Lexington The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. The battles were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord, ...

'' File:British Army in Concord Detail.jpg, ''The British entering Concord'' File:North Bridge Fight Detail.jpg, ''The engagement at the North Bridge'' File:Percy's Rescue at Lexington Detail.jpg, ''The British retreating from Lexington''

References

External links

*
American paintings & historical prints from the Middendorf collection
an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on Doolittle (no. 64, 68)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Doolittle, Amos American engravers American silversmiths 1754 births 1832 deaths Burials at Grove Street Cemetery People of colonial Connecticut People from Cheshire, Connecticut 18th-century engravers Artists from Connecticut Doolittle family

Life and work

Gallery

References

Further reading

External links