| TITLE
| Ascutney Mountain |
| CREATOR | Bannister, Edward Mitchell, 1828-1901 |
| DATE | 1875-1900 |
| DIMENSIONS | 7.3125 x 10.4375 in. |
| ORIGINAL FORMAT | Drawing (graphite on paper) |
| MEDIUM | Inkjet print |
| PHYSICAL NOTE | Reproduction of original work from the artist's sketchbook. |
| DONOR | Bequest of Ruth C. Ely, 1973. |
| DATE OF ACCESSION | 2023 |
| LOCATION | Providence Athenæum: Philbrick Rare Book Room |
The Edward Mitchell Bannister Sketchbook was bequeathed to the Providence Athenæum by Ruth C. Ely (1881-1973), daughter of former Athenæum President Joseph C. Ely. In 1977, a subcommittee of the Board decided to sell individual works from the Bannister sketchbook "to public, educational, and charitable institutions." Three of Bannister's original drawings were retained in the collection, while a total of 79 sketches were sold through auction. Prior to the sale, the sketches were inventoried and photographed, and the slides are housed in the Athenæum's archives providing the only record of the original content. During the summer of 2023, the slides were digitized and printed using funds from the Hayden Special Collections Development Fund. These reproductions now enable a fuller understanding of Bannister’s sketchbook and provide an opportunity for future research about Bannister’s artistic process.
Prominent Black artist Edward Mitchell Bannister was born in New Brunswick, Canada in 1828, and moved to Boston in 1848. He learned to paint while living in Boston, and was particularly influenced by the Barbizon School and plein air style of landscape painting. He moved to Providence with his wife Christiana Bannister in the 1850s and became an influential member of the art community. His artistic career flourished after he won the first prize bronze medal for his painting Under the Oaks at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876.
Note: The original work, Ascutney Mountain, is located at the California African American Museum.