tm   Virtual Watercolor Museum Main Entrance   updated Jan 22, 2023   E-MAIL US

The Virtual Museum of Watercolor Gallery of: Early  American Made & Brands of Watercolor Paint Blocks, Palette & Supplies 1700's to early 1900's   The Virtual Museum of Watercolor This Virtual Museum is a collection of photographs items are shown on this page are for historical interest -and are not for sale and are physically in various collections throughout the world

 

Most watercolor paint , pigment & paper was imported until the Revolutionary War and war of 1812 when America was more isolated from British imports and developed domestic sources.   Less is known about the early American watercolor materials suppliers than is known of British manufacture.             J Brutsche American Made Paint Box J. Brutsche American Made Antique Paint box and Blocks c. 1850's     Blocks have shell and acorn motif on front and are marked Brutsche on the back. the large block seems to have an animal motif and the small block seems to have a maritime motif- possibly of different manufacture part of a quill brush and small glass mixing well is included   Joseph Brutsche 1804- 1888 : Migrated from Baden Germany to America in 1827 and Naturalized in 1831 was noted in the 1850 census : occupation -Water color Manufacturer in Philadelphia Listed in Philadelphia City Directories 1855-1863 as a watercolor Manufacturer on 10th St. Box is 1 3/4 x 5 x 3/4 inches photo enlarged for detail c. 2013 R M Bodoh                    American MADE ANTIQUE WATERCOLOR PAINT BLOCKS       American Made Antique Paint Blocks 19th century   Marked A P HOMER PHILA. (Philadelphia)   Other side is a shield with branch of leaves.   photo enlarged for detail c. 2011 R M Bodoh     American Made: Osborne's Toy watercolors #16 Manufactured by Lewis Haehnlen in Philadelphia around the1850's   The lid of this box slides out to reveal a wonderful child set of 12 different watercolors. Some have a embossed bee hive motif , others have an American flag, a shield with stars over head or a ship. This small box measures 5 inches long by 2 5/8 wide the last line reads: "successor to John S Hodgkinson"             American Made Artists watercolor paint box by George C. Osborne 1830- 1840   Osborne was was one of the few 19th century American makers of artists paint. Many artists of the time believed the especially clear paint colors by Osborne to be equal or better to any made in Europe.   The paints for an Osborne paint box were made by Smith & Hodgson which later became the Bullock & Crenshaw's Drug and chemical store, in Philadelphia from 1820 to around the 1840's Lewis Haehnlen took over manufacturing the watercolor paints around the 1850's to possibly 1860's     This large box is earlier from 1830's to 1840's                         Above is the trade card saying "OSBORNE'S SUPERFINE American WATER COLORS, WARRANTED EQUAL TO ANY IMPORTED" The rest of the label are testimonials                                   Their boxes were available in Mahogany or Rosewood in sets of up to 72 colors. This one is possibly Rosewood.       The inside of the box is lined with an interesting marbled paper.                                               PAINT PALETTES c. 1700's -1800's Most American manufacturing suppliers imported the materials for paint making. But palettes were often special ordered from Europe for American brands, as can be seen below     F R & Co. New York , made in Germany   This is called a Georgian design palette first used in England in the early 1800's, but the date of this palette is probably mid to late 1800's   Favor Ruhl & Co. was an art supply dealer from the 1800's to early 1900's They began in New York and later New York, Chicago and Boston They were also a vendor of Winsor & Newton Ltd. in 1905 or earlier to 1926 or later F& R Co. New York , made in Germany       FW DEVOE & Co. palette late 1880's to the early 1900's 4 3/4 by 6 inch approximately Devoe was the first US Art Supplier in the to carry Winsor & Newton in the late 1880's or earlier to the early 1900's           Curious case of Antique Paint Blocks 1700's   The paint block on the left is a misspelling and wider than the original Reeves paint from England in the same box (below right). It is possibly a forged brand paint.   It was found in a British paint box from the 1780's by William Reeves along with other paint blocks from England, France and Germany.   We believe the box has been in America since the 1700's it seems to tell the story of having to resupply the British box with paint from other countries during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.   This is an example of puzzles of history created by a collection of objects.     c. 2012 R M Bodoh             List of known watercolor paint makers 1870's and earlier (under construction) Ashton & Browning, artists' paints, & c., 204 chestnut .(possibly a merchant only)(Philadelphia)1.   Devoe, FW : what became FJ Devoe was founded around 1756 in New York and though one of the earliest of general paint makers they were not known to produce artists paints until around 1870.   Osborne George w., manuf. water colours, NE 6th and Mulberry, h 1 Jacoby .(Philadelphia)1. Made paints sold by Chemists...., Around 1850 Osborne brand paints were made by Haehnlen of Phili. until around 1890   Smith Joseph, manuf. of water colours, 199 G T road .(Philadelphia)1.   Brutsche Joseph was noted in the 1850 census with the occupation as a a-Water color Manufacturer : Also mentioned in Philadelphia city directories: Brustche Joseph -Water color Manufacturer 29 S 10th (Philadelphia)2.-1855 Brustche Joseph -Water color Manufacturer 31 S 10th (Philadelphia)3.-1857 Brutsche Joseph -Water color Manufacturer 250 S 10th (Philadelphia)4 1863)   Martin/F Weber Co. founded 1852 in Philadelphia as Scholz & Co Imported & manufactured artist materials . became F W Weber Co inc in 1887 (company web site)   1. reference 1839 McElroy Philadelphia directory: 2. reference 1855 McElroy Philadelphia directory: 3. reference 1857 McElroy Philadelphia directory: 4. reference 1863 McElroy Philadelphia directory:

 

These items are not for sale and are shown for historical interest.

Photos are copyright protected

(c)1985-2011 All original designs and photographs shown herein are and copyright protected.

(c) Copyright 1985- 2011 The Whimsie Studio, Larry Henke, Ronald Bodoh

Whimsie studio is a trademark protected name 

 

Colonial American merchant carried water color paint & pigments imported from Europe.; often England. Occasionally materials were made under the label of a retail merchant.   Until the mid 1700's Watercolor paint was always made up fresh by the artist or a colorman for the artist. colormen would put a bit of fresh paint in a pigs bladder and tie it off for transport but would not be easily used once dried. (example of gamboge) Saying : Working up color.   It was not until William and Thomas Reeves invented the dry watercolor block with the addition of honey amount 1760 that the paint compound could be more easily worked up with water , stored indefinitely and exported. (French colormen are also sited for the same invention) example of reeves blocks supplies were Undoubtedly interrupted by the Revolutionary War and the war of 1812 with England.Example my William reeves box with a assorted makers - box believed to be in early America. Imports during that time most probably expanded to other European countries especially France and Germany. Which had skilled colormen and developed manufacturing . And even forged British paint example reeves blocks. A hand full of colonists began to make watercolors from imported pigments and colonial American pigments of natural sources & ones made by chemists. Many were immigrant colormen from other countries- quite often Germany. Most settled in larger cities of NY and Phili. List of known watercolor paint makers 1870's and earlier (under construction) Ashton & Browning, artists' paints, & c., 204 chestnut .(possibly a merchant only)(Philadelphia)1. Devoe, FW : what became FJ Devoe was founded around 1756 in New York and though one of the earliest of general paint makers they were not known to produce artists paints until around 1870. Osborne George w., manuf. water colours, NE 6th and Mulberry, h 1 Jacoby .(Philadelphia)1. Made paints sold by Chemists...., Around 1850 Osborne brand paints were made by ....... then Haehnlen of Phili. until 1890??? example link to Osborne box labels Smith Joseph, manuf. of water colours, 199 G T road .(Philadelphia)1. Brustche Joseph was noted in the 1850 census with the occupation as a a-Water color Manufacturer :born 1804 in Baden Germany. Was a water color manufacturer Baden. 1827 migrated to America. Naturalized in 1831 Passed May 28 1888(Philadelphia Death Certificates) Brustche Joseph -Water color Manufacturer 29 S 10th (Philadelphia)2.-1855 Brustche Joseph -Water color Manufacturer 31 S 10th (Philadelphia)3.-1857 Brutsche Joseph -Water color Manufacturer 250 S 10th (Philadelphia)4 1863. (note spelling of last name incorrect but most probably the same person) See also Brustche box and history. Martin/F Weber Co. founded 1852 in Philadelphia as Scholz & Co Imported & manufactured artist materials . became F W Wever Co inc in 1887 invented and produced paint (company web site) 1. reference 1839 McElroy Philadelphia directory: 2. reference 1855 McElroy Philadelphia directory: 3. reference 1857 McElroy Philadelphia directory: 4. reference 1863 McElroy Philadelphia directory: