Edward Mitchell Bannister, Newspaper Boy, 1869, oil on canvas, 30 1?8 x 25 1?8 in. (76.6 x 63.7 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Jack Hafif and Frederick Weingeroff, 1983.95.85
Title: Newspaper Boy, 1869
Artist: Edward Mitchell Bannister (1828-1901)
Celebrating Black History Month
He stands on the corner every day, calling out the news in all kinds of weather, through the scorching heat of summer and the icy winter snows. But no matter the elements, he’s quite business-like in his appearance, neatly dressed in a jacket, tie, and hat. His expression is serious, too, and somewhat anxious, wondering how many more pennies he’ll be able to fit safely in his right pocket.
Newspaper Boy was painted only a few years after the Civil War by Edward Bannister. Born in 1828, Bannister was one of the first African-American artists to gain recognition. Known more for his poetic landscapes, Bannister won a medal at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition for his work Under the Oaks. However, this youngster endures as well. A symbol of America’s past before the modern inventions of the newspaper vending machine and delivery truck.
To view one of Bannister’s landscapes, click:
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