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FRIEND, Washington F. (circa 1820-1886)
[Niagara Falls from Below]
Water-colour & gouache on paper, mounted to paper support. Signed lower right: "W F Friend". Sheet size: 22½ x 15½ inches.
Washington F. Friend (circa 1820-1886) was born in Washington, DC. In 1849 he set off on a journey lasting three years and covering 5,000 miles, sketching scenery across the United States and Canada in water-colours. These he rendered into a panorama, painted on a gigantic canvas specially woven in New York. The huge canvas was scrolled between two large poles before the audience, anticipating in a way the movies. The performance took two hours. It was augmented by a thirty-two page pamphlet and a live commentary by the artist, including his performance of American and Canadian folk songs.
The production premiered in Quebec, then traveled to Montreal, Boston, New York and other North American cities, followed by an equally successful tour of England, where the purpose of the exhibition was "to give the reader and intending emigrant a complete account of the principal cities, rivers, and lakes of this wonderful continent…". He gave a performance at Buckingham Palace, thought to have been for Queen Victoria.
Friend returned to the United States to paint water-colours: a group depicting Niagara Falls (where he had lived for a time) was exhibited in Montreal in 1867. He died in England in 1886.
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#6799 $3,850.00 
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© 2002-2005 Donald A. Heald
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