Amos Doolittle

Amos Doolittle (May 18, 1754 – January 30, 1832)[1] was an American engraver and silversmith, known as "The Revere of Connecticut."[2] His engravings included portraits and maps, made in his New Haven, Connecticut studio. He became famous for his four engravings depicting the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which were based on his first-hand reconnaissance of the battlefield.

Amos Doolittle
Lithograph of Doolittle, following Ralph Earl's portrait
Born(1754-05-18)May 18, 1754
Cheshire, Connecticut Colony, Kingdom of Great Britain
DiedJanuary 30, 1832(1832-01-30) (aged 77)
Cheshire, Connecticut, U.S.
Resting placeGrove Street Cemetery (New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.)
41.31374°N 72.92556°W / 41.31374; -72.92556
NationalityAmerican
EducationSelf-taught
Known forEngraving
Spouse(s)Sally (unknown–1797) and Phebe Tuttle (1797–1825)

Life and work

Born in Cheshire, Connecticut on May 18, 1754, Doolittle became skilled in copper engraving through self-teaching and apprenticeship.[3] His first published experiment with the medium began when he enlisted in the New Haven company of the Governor's Guards in 1775. Under the leadership of Captain Benedict Arnold, the company arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts ten days after the Battles of Lexington and Concord at the start of the Revolutionary War.[1] Upon arriving in Cambridge, Doolittle took leave to inspect the site of the battle accompanied by Ralph Earl. Doolittle interviewed colonial militants and residents to establish the scene while Earl surveyed the site and made drawings.[4] From these drawings, Doolittle made at least four engraved copper prints of the battle, which were advertised for sale in the December 1775 Connecticut Journal.[4]

[5]

  • Engravings of Battles of Lexington and Concord
  • The Battle of Lexington
    The Battle of Lexington
  • The British entering Concord
    The British entering Concord
  • The engagement at the North Bridge
    The engagement at the North Bridge
  • The British retreating from Lexington
    The British retreating from Lexington

References
  1. Beardsley, William A. (1914). "An Old New Haven Engraver and His Work: Amos Doolittle". Papers of the New Haven Colony Historical Society. Vol. 8. New Haven: Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor.
  2. "A Chronicle of Eminent People buried in Grove Street Cemetery". Grove Street Cemetery. Friends of the Grove Street Cemetery. Archived from the original on September 18, 2010. Retrieved January 16, 2009.
  3. Beardsley notes some learning from silversmith Eliakim Hitchcock of Cheshire.
  4. Ryan, D. Michael (June–July 1999). "Doolittle Engraves April 19th for Posterity". Concord Magazine. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  5. Fawcett-Yeske, Maxine; Kroeger, Karl, eds. (2011). "Introduction to this volume". Eliakim Doolittle (1772–1850) and Timothy Olmsted (1759–1848): The Collected Works. Music of the New American Nation: Sacred Music from 1780 to 1820. Vol. 15. Routledge. pp. xxi–xxiv. ISBN 9781135623777.

Further reading
  • O'Brien, Donald C. (2008). Amos Doolittle: Engraver of the New Republic. Oak Knoll Press. ISBN 9781584562061.
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