Southworth and Hawes, 1843-1863, Cased Half Plate Daguerrotype of Admiral Farragut by Southworth & Hawes, American circa1850, Circa 1850
Southworth & Hawes was an early photographic firm in Boston, 1843–1863. Its partners, Albert Sands Southworth (1811–1894) and Josiah Johnson Hawes (1808–1901), have been hailed as the first great American masters of photography, whose work elevated photographic portraits to the level of fine art. Their images are prominent in every major book and collection of early American photography.
Southworth & Hawes worked almost exclusively in the daguerreotype process. Working in the 8 ½ x 6 ½ inch whole plate format, their images are brilliant, mirror-like, and finely detailed. Writing in the Photographic and Fine Art Journal, August 1855, the contemporary Philadelphia daguerreotypist Marcus Aurelius Root paid them this praise: "Their style, indeed, is peculiar to themselves; presenting beautiful effects of light and shade, and giving depth and roundness together with a wonderful softness or mellowness. These traits have achieved for them a high reputation with all true artists and connoisseurs." He further noted that the firm had devoted their time chiefly to daguerreotypes, with little attention to photography on paper.
Note 1: A well-regarded daguerreotype portrait of Admiral David Farragut was created by the Boston photographic firm Southworth & Hawes. The firm, active from 1843 to 1863, was known for elevating daguerreotypes to fine art, particularly through their portrait work. This specific daguerreotype of Farragut, a half-plate image, is a notable example of their work, showcasing the firm's mastery of the daguerreotype process, according to online auction sites.
During their 20 years of collaboration, Southworth & Hawes catered to Boston society and the famous people. Their advertisements drew a distinction between the appropriate styles for personal versus public portraiture. "A likeness for an intimate acquaintance or one’s own family should be marked by that amiability and cheerfulness, so appropriate to the social circle and the home fireside. Those for the public, of official dignitaries and celebrated characters admit of more firmness, sternness and soberness." Among their sitters were Louisa May Alcott, Lyman Beecher, Benjamin Butler, William Ellery Channing, Rufus Choate, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Charlotte Cushman, Richard Henry Dana Jr., Dorothea Dix, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Edward Everett, William Lloyd Garrison, Grace Greenwood, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sam Houston, Thomas Starr King, Louis Kossuth, Jenny Lind, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Horace Mann, Donald McKay, Lola Montez, George Peabody, William H. Prescott, Lemuel Shaw, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Charles Sumner, Daniel Webster, John Greenleaf Whittier, and Robert C. Winthrop.
Hawes lived until 1901, continuing to operate a studio and carefully protecting its sizeable archive. The archives were finally dispersed during the Great Depression. Most made their way into three museums (George Eastman Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Fine Arts, Boston), while only a comparatively few have ever been privately held. However, on April 27, 1999, a previously unknown hoard of 240 Southworth & Hawes daguerreotypes appeared at Sotheby's auction from the estate of David Feigenbaum. The total sales price realized was $3.3 million.
Note 2: David Glasgow Farragut’s father, Jorge, was a Spanish merchant captain who had served in the American Revolution and the War of 1812.
Biography: As a young man, Farragut was sent away from his birthplace in Tennessee to live with Captain David Porter in Virginia to learn a trade. In 1812 he traded his original first name, “James,” to “David” in honor of his adoptive father. This “adoption” made David Farragut the “foster brother” of another famous Civil War admiral, David Dixon Porter. Farragut began his life as a sailor early; he commanded a prize ship captured in the War of 1812 when he was twelve years old. He joined the Navy in December 1810 and by the time of the Civil War; Farragut had proven his ability repeatedly. Despite the fact that he was born and raised in the South, Farragut chose to side with the Union. In April 1862, while commander of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, “Flag Officer” Farragut took the city and port of New Orleans. As a reward, the Union created the new rank of Rear Admiral. In July 1862 he passed the batteries defending Vicksburg, but was unsuccessful there and was forced to withdraw his flotilla. In 1863 Farragut seriously bungled his role at the Siege of Port Hudson. Initially, the Union plan was for Nathaniel Banks’ Army of the Gulf to create a diversion while Farragut’s flotilla passed by the Confederate guns. However, instead of beginning his run on the morning of March 15, 1863, Farragut decided to begin on the evening of March 14th. The Confederate guns forced Farragut’s flotilla to retreat with heavy damage. General Banks had no option but to continue the siege without the help of the Navy. Both branches of suffered a tremendous casualty rate. The siege of Port Hudson did not end until July 9, 1863 – five days after the surrender of Vicksburg. With the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson, the Confederacy lost the vital lifeline of the Mississippi River. Farragut’s greatest fame came from the August 5, 1864 Battle of Mobile Bay. The Confederates had placed a large number of “torpedoes” in the waters. The monitor USS Tecumseh struck a torpedo and began to sink, causing the rest of the fleet to back away from the mine-infested waters. At the time, Farragut was watching the battle while lashed to the rigging of his flagship (USS Hartford). Alarmed, Farragut shouted, “What’s the trouble?” The USS Brooklyn answered, “Torpedoes!” Farragut shouted back, “Damn the torpedoes! Four Bells! Captain Drayton, go ahead! Jouett, full speed!” In the end, Farragut’s fleet defeated Confederate Admiral Franklin Buchanan and the last open seaport on the Gulf of Mexico fell to the Union. Farragut was promoted to Vice Admiral in December of 1864; in July of 1866, he was promoted to Admiral. Admiral Farragut stayed on active duty for the remainder of his life and died in 1870 at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard located in Kittery, Maine. He was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York. (PH0466)
Provenance: The Southworth & Hawes studio, Boston;
By descent to Edward Southworth Hawes, Boston;
Likely Holman's Print Shop, Boston, early 1940s;
Collection of Ray Phillips;
acquired from the above by the famed Maillet Collection
References 1: Young America: The Daguerreotypes of Southworth a Hawes, Edited by Grant Romer and Brian Wallis, Published by George Eastman House, International Center of Photography. Pages 448 &449,. These pages list and show similar vertical images showing groups of men by Southworth & Hawes.
Refrence 2: The Spirit of Fact: The Daguerreotypes of Southworth and Hawes, 1843-1862, Published by David Godine and the International Museum of Photography At The Eastman House, Rochester, 1976. Another Full Plate Vertical Daguerreotype showing a group of five men is illustrated on page 74.
Reference 3: The Daguerreotypes of Southworth & Hawes, by Robert A Sobiezek and Odette Appel, Dover Publications, Inc. New York 1976. Page 57 Shows a full plate daguerreotype featuring a five men two standing and three seated.
Exhibitions
The International Center of Photography at the George Eastman House, Rochester NY, February - June 1976
The National Portrait Gallery, Washington, July - December 1976
Museum of Fine Arts Boston, January - February, 1977
