Samuel Nelson

Samuel F.B. Morse painted Samuel Nelson (1792-1873) in the late 1820s when Morse spent the summer in Cherry Valley, New York, at the invitation of his cousin, James Otis Morse. A leading figure in Cooperstown, Samuel Nelson had a long, successful law career. He was Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court and later served as Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. His summer law office is now located at The Farmers’ Museum

The painter Samuel F.B. Morse is best remembered as the inventor of the Morse code and the telegraph, Morse originally intended to be an artist. He studied with Benjamin West in London and aspired to be a history painter. However, finding that the majority of his commissions were for portraiture, he stopped painting in 1837.

Samuel Nelson, Samuel Morse, 1829, oil on canvas, H 38.5 x W: 33.25 in. Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, New York, Gift of Stephen C. Clark, N0339.1955.

Erie Canal Commemorative Plate

Plates similar to this one were popular in the 1820’s and 1830’s. The drawings on them are typically from an artist named James Eights, who accompanied the Erie Canal engineers in 1825, and documented the completed structures by making little watercolor drawings. The drawings were then used later as imagery for some of the plates, including this one.

Politicians in a Country Bar

Taverns were meeting places for the men of the village. They would discuss local politics, as well as find out about news from afar through travelers and the newspaper. The tavern was often filled with conversation and sometimes, heated arguments.