Collection Highlights
Thomas Cole National Historic Site
The Collection of the Thomas Cole National Historic Site include over six hundred objects and two research archives. Many of the holdings relate to the life of artist Thomas Cole (1801–1848) and include paintings, art-making tools, sketches, natural specimens, and books. The collection also reflects the lives of the many people with whom Cole shared his life, from his wife Maria and her family, the Thomsons, to Cole’s sister, Sarah Cole (1805-1857), and his children, including Emily Cole (1843-1913) who was a lifelong artist. Many collection items are on view throughout the Cole Site interiors, in historic rooms, as well as within the rotating exhibition Mind Upon Nature: Thomas Cole’s Creative Process.
The Thomas Cole Site Archives contain letters, photographs, and other materials documenting the life of Thomas Cole, the Cole and Thomson families, and their home Cedar Grove in Catskill, NY. The Ellwood Parry Archive consists of the art historian’s research records, including copies of letters, articles, Thomas Cole’s correspondence, microfilms, exhibition records, slides, film, and photos. Limited access to the archives may be requested through advance appointment.
Below is a selection of collection highlights. This online exhibition was made possible with support from the Henry Luce Foundation and was organized by Amanda Malmstrom, Education & Curatorial Program Coordinator; Kate Menconeri, Curator / Director of Exhibitions & Collections; and Brooke Krancer, 2020-22 Cole Fellow. Special thanks to Rowanne Dean, 2017-18 Cole Fellow and Oriana Tang, 2020-22 Cole Fellow for their help to launch this virtual exhibition.
Thomas Doughty (1793–1856), Approaching Storm (Land Storm),1822
Gift of the David and Laura Grey Collection, in memory of David Grey
Thomas Cole’s Box of Minerals and Artifacts, ca. 1830–48
Gift of Edith Cole Silberstein and the Greene County Historical Society
Thomas Cole (1801–1848), Hunters in a Landscape (Two Men Walking), ca. 1825
Gift of Dr. Susan Gates Austin Warner
Thomas Cole (1801–1848), Jerusalem, n.d.
Gift of Michael Altman Fine Art & Advisory Services, LLC
Emily Cole (1843–1913), Hand-painted Tea Pot, Cups and Saucers, Cream Pitcher, and Sugar Bowl, c. 1900
Gift of Edith Cole Silberstein
Charles Herbert Moore (1840–1930), Untitled (Cedar Grove), 1868
Gift of Edith Cole Silberstein
Thomas Cole (1801–1848), Untitled (Landscape, Italian Ruins), n.d.
Gift of Florence H. Cole Vincent and the Greene County Historical Society
Thomas Cole (1801–1848), Untitled Landscape (Sunrise in the Clove), n.d.
Gift of Edith Cole Silberstein
Emily Cole (1843–1913), Untitled (Goldenrod and Morning Glories), 1877
Gift of Edith Cole Silberstein
Thomas Cole (1801–1848), A Sketch: Catskill Landscape, ca. 1845–47
Gift of the Seattle Art Museum
Thomas Cole (1801–1848), Pressed Flowers from Kenilworth Castle, 1841
Gift of Edith Cole Silberstein and the Greene County Historical Society
This online exhibition was made possible with support from the Henry Luce Foundation.