Amos Doolittle (May 18, 1754 – January 30, 1832)
was an American
engraver and
silversmith, known as "The
Revere of
Connecticut
Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
."
His engravings included portraits and maps, made in his
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...
studio. He became famous for his four engravings depicting the
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775 were the first major military actions of the American Revolutionary War between the Kingdom of Great Britain and Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot militias from America's Thirteen Co ...
, which were based on his first-hand reconnaissance of the battlefield.
Life and work
Born in
Cheshire, Connecticut on May 18, 1754, Doolittle developed his skills in copper engraving through self-study and apprenticeship. His first published work in the medium emerged during his enlistment in the New Haven company of the
Governor's Guards 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. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...
ten days after the
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775 were the first major military actions of the American Revolutionary War between the Kingdom of Great Britain and Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot militias from America's Thirteen Co ...
, marking the outset of the Revolutionary War.
Upon arrival, Doolittle obtained leave to inspect the battle site, accompanied by
Ralph Earl. Doolittle conducted interviews with colonial militants and local 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''.
Gallery
File:Battle of Lexington Detail.jpg, ''The Battle of Lexington''
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''
File:Political Cartoon on British Retreat From Concord.jpg, Political Cartoon on the British Retreat from Concord 1775 (possibly by Amos Doolittle)
References
Further reading
*
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 from colonial Connecticut
People from Cheshire, Connecticut
18th-century engravers
Artists from Connecticut
Doolittle family