Title |
Bridport, Hugh |
Date |
1794-July 27, 1870 |
Description |
Hugh Bridport, born in England in 1794, was a portrait painter, drawing instructor, architect, and engraver, who practiced
lithography in Philadelphia 1828-1830s. Trained at the Royal Academy and with miniature painter Charles Wilkins, Bridport
immigrated to Philadelphia with his artist brother George in 1816. Soon after their arrival, the brothers established an architectural
drawing academy that operated until 1822. In 1824, Bridport served as a founding member of the Franklin Institute and taught
architectural drawing classes there until 1833.
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During the latter portion of this time, Bridport engaged in the trade of lithography with Kennedy & Lucas, the first commercial
establishment in the city. He lithographed two of Kennedy & Lucas's earliest prints "Cowell as Crack in The Turnpike Gate"
(1828) and "The Pagoda and Labyrinth Gardens, near Fairmount" (1828). Bridport would continue to work with Kennedy & Lucas
as a lithographer as well as with the early premier firms of C. G. Childs and M. E. D. Brown. Although predominately a lithographer
of portraits, including one of Rev. W.H. Furness, Bridport also drew the noted lithograph "Camp Meeting" after the painting
by Alexander Rider as well as views of Niagara Falls ca. 1830. Bridport's work in lithography tapered off in the early 1830s
and he focused his artistic career on portrait painting.
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From the 1810s to 1840s, Bridport also exhibited paintings at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art and Artist's Fund Society.
In the 1860s, he earned sufficient income to be taxed by the I.R.S.; representative of his 1860 census listing as a "gentleman"
with a personal estate worth $15,000 (ca. $400,000 in 2008 dollars).
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During his lithographic career, he maintained a portrait painting studio at Fifth and Chestnut streets and lived at 2 Ranstead
Court in 1833. Bridport was married to Rachel (b. ca. 1820) with whom he had at least three children. Bridport died on July
17, 1870 with his final listing in the census as a "merchant."
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Is part of |
Philadelphia on Stone Biographical Dictionary of Lithographers |
References |
See Brown, M. E. D.; Childs, C. G., and Kennedy & Lucas, |
Call number |
Philadelphia on Stone Biographical Dictionary of Lithographers |
Bibliographic citation |
Census 1840, 1860, 1870 |
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Groce & Wallace, 81 |
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Library Company of Philadelphia research file |
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Peters, 109 |
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Craven, "Hugh Bridport, Philadelphia Miniaturist, Engraver, and Lithographer," Antiques, April 1966, p. 248-52 |
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WWWAA, 440 |