biographie de Harrison Bird BROWN (1831-1915)

Birth place: Portland, ME

Death place: London, England

Profession: Marine and landscape painter

Exhibited: NAD (1858-75); PAFA, 1876; Centennial Exh., Phila., 1876; Boston; London, England

Member: Portland SA, 1892

Work: Peabody Mus., Salem; Portland (ME) Mus. of Art; St. Louis Art Mus.

Comments: Born Henry Box Brown, the artist began his career as an apprentice to a sign and banner painter in Portland, ME, and later he opened his own shop, H. B. Brown, Banner and Ornamental Painter." By 1852, he had moved to San Francisco and was employed in Harrison Eastman's (see entry) engraving shop, and was making survey drawings for John Bartlett. About this time, he changed his name from Henry Box Brown to Harrison Bird Brown. By 1858 he was exhibiting landscapes at the National Academy, and by 1860 he was back in Maine. There he gained recognition for his marines and landscapes. He was in all probability, the "Mr. Brown, Artist" mentioned in Shattuck's journal, and was known to have also painted at Monhegan Island, ME. From 1892-on, he lived as an expatriate in London, England.

Sources: G&W; "Maine Artists," Art Annual, XII, obit., and Art News, March 27, 1915, obit., all give the name as Harrison B. Brown; NAD Cats. 1858-1875 list him as Harry, while Thieme-Becker and Clement and Hutton call him Henry B. Brown; in the Providence Daily Journal, August 5, 1850, he was spoken of as Henry Box Brown. More recently, see Hughes, Artists in California, who clarifies the confusion over Brown's name; Campbell, New Hampshire Scenery, 20-21; P & H Samuels, 69; Curtis, Curtis, and Lieberman, 86, 180"

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