CHAPMAN, John Gadsby (1808-1889) Early American painter,
wood engraver, etcher, illustrator, author, sculptor.
Born Alexandria (then part of DC), 8 December 1808.
In 1846 he prepared a model of James Polk – the second
to do this for reduction on the newsly installed Contamin
die-engrving pantograph -- from which three Indian
Peace Medals and Polk Presidential medal were made.
He was the subject of a book by medal author Georgia
Stamm Chamberlain and she illustrated his Polk medal
and an oil portrait of Horatio Greenough (q.v.).
Chapman’s paintings in U.S. Capitol Building.
He was author: American Drawing Book, 1847.
Member (founder): National Academy of Design, 1836.
Died Brooklyn, New York, 28 November 1889.
M E D A L S E R I E S
Indian Peace Medal Series:
1846 Polk (James K.) Indian Peace Medal (large) [obverse
portrait by John Gadsby Chapman, reverse by John
Reich, three size dies reduced and cut by Franklin
Peale] . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loubat 58, Julian IP-24
Auctions:. . . . BMP 2:5151-5152; J&J 9:445, J&J 17:881;
NAS 22:1612-1614; PCA 50:312, PCA 51:282,
PCA 53:272-273, PCA 58:376, PCA 64:599,
PCA 68:222-223, PCA 73:532
Collection: American Numismatic Soc [>1] 0000.999.33021
Collection: Cornell Univ Johnson Art Gallery . . . . 112
Collection: Smithsonian National Numismatic. . . 345:68
Illustrated: 101 Chambelain, John G. Chapman . . .Fig 21
1846 Polk (James K.) Indian Peace Medal (medium size;
obv by Chapman, rev by John Reich, dies cut by
Franklin Peale). . . . . . . . . . . . . . Julian IP-25
Auctions:. . . . . . BMP 2:5153; J&J 9:446; NAS 22:1615;
PCA 44:278, PCA 53:274, PCA 59:437, PCA 61:291,
PCA 68:401-402, PCA 69:269, PCA 73:533
Collection: American Numismatic Society [>1] 1883.24.18
1846 Polk (James K.) Indian Peace Medal (small size;
obv by Chapman, rev by John Reich, dies cut by
Franklin Peale). . . Belden 38, Prucha 46, Julian IP-26
Auctions:. . . BMP 2:5154-5155; NAS 22:1616; PCA 49:52,
PCA 53:275, PCA 60:286, PCA 61:292, PCA 68:403,
PCA 73:534, PCA 73:535[silver]
Collection: American Numismatic Society [>1] 1883.24.19
United States Presidential Medal Series:
1846 Polk (James K.) Presidential Medal [portrait by
Chapman, dies cut by Franklin Peale] . . . . Julian PR-9
Auctions:. . . . . . . PCA 43:8, PCA 48:477, PCA 64:258,
PCA 65:366, PCA 68:431, PCA 73:433
L I S T M E D A L S
1846 Polk (James K.) Indian Peace Medal [IP-24] . . List 111
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 43:FP11
Collection: Newark Museum New Jersey . . . . . . 20.1047
C O L L E C T I O N S
C4 {1912} Comparette 68, p 345.
C14 {1996} Marqusee 112, p 22.
B I O G R A P I C A L R E F E R E N C E S
D2 {1886-87} Chaplain.
D5 {1915} Earle, p 69.
D8 {1926} Fielding, p 62, 451.
A2 {1927} Fairman, p 123 (portrait), 127 (bio), passim.
BE {1943} Webster's Biographical Dictionary, p 282.
D15 {1957} Groce and Wallace p 120.
BH {1963} Who Was Who, p 90.
D29 {1976} Samuels, p 90-91.
A29 {1982} Baigell, p 66-67.
D33 {1986} Opitz, p 145.
AE1 {1988} Falk, 1:47.
A42 {1993} Reynolds, p 187.
BF2 {1999} Falk. Who Was Who in American Art, p 1:618.
D3a {2006} Benezit. Dictionary of Artists, p 3:767-768 (died 1890, error year book published “1857.”).
N U M I S M A T I C R E F E R E N C E S
Px {1846} Pattetson (Robert Meskell) Description of Bronze Medal of President Polk. American Philosophical Society Proceedings 36: (1846) p 298.
M2 {1878} Loubat 58, p 280-288 attributes the engraving of the Polk medal to Franklin Peale, without mention
of Chapman, who prepared model with Peale making the dies from Chapman’s model.
M19 {1959} Chamberlain (Georgia Stamm) General Taylor's Gold Medal for Rio Grande Victories, The Numismatist
72:3 (March 1959) pp 259-265. Reprinted in:American Medals and Medalists. Annandale, Virginia:
Turnpike Press (1963) pp 84-90.
101 {1963} Chamberlain (Georgia Stamm) Studies on John Gadsby Chapman, American Artist 1808-1889, Annandale,
Virginia: Turnpike Press (1963) 40 pp, 15 plates.
M37 {1977} Julian IP-24 to IP-26, p 48-49; PR-9 84.
E17 {1983} Pessolano-Filos, p 24.
S58 {1999} Rulau. Standard Catalog U.S. Tokens, p 192.
wood engraver, etcher, illustrator, author, sculptor.
Born Alexandria (then part of DC), 8 December 1808.
In 1846 he prepared a model of James Polk – the second
to do this for reduction on the newsly installed Contamin
die-engrving pantograph -- from which three Indian
Peace Medals and Polk Presidential medal were made.
He was the subject of a book by medal author Georgia
Stamm Chamberlain and she illustrated his Polk medal
and an oil portrait of Horatio Greenough (q.v.).
Chapman’s paintings in U.S. Capitol Building.
He was author: American Drawing Book, 1847.
Member (founder): National Academy of Design, 1836.
Died Brooklyn, New York, 28 November 1889.
M E D A L S E R I E S
Indian Peace Medal Series:
1846 Polk (James K.) Indian Peace Medal (large) [obverse
portrait by John Gadsby Chapman, reverse by John
Reich, three size dies reduced and cut by Franklin
Peale] . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loubat 58, Julian IP-24
Auctions:. . . . BMP 2:5151-5152; J&J 9:445, J&J 17:881;
NAS 22:1612-1614; PCA 50:312, PCA 51:282,
PCA 53:272-273, PCA 58:376, PCA 64:599,
PCA 68:222-223, PCA 73:532
Collection: American Numismatic Soc [>1] 0000.999.33021
Collection: Cornell Univ Johnson Art Gallery . . . . 112
Collection: Smithsonian National Numismatic. . . 345:68
Illustrated: 101 Chambelain, John G. Chapman . . .Fig 21
1846 Polk (James K.) Indian Peace Medal (medium size;
obv by Chapman, rev by John Reich, dies cut by
Franklin Peale). . . . . . . . . . . . . . Julian IP-25
Auctions:. . . . . . BMP 2:5153; J&J 9:446; NAS 22:1615;
PCA 44:278, PCA 53:274, PCA 59:437, PCA 61:291,
PCA 68:401-402, PCA 69:269, PCA 73:533
Collection: American Numismatic Society [>1] 1883.24.18
1846 Polk (James K.) Indian Peace Medal (small size;
obv by Chapman, rev by John Reich, dies cut by
Franklin Peale). . . Belden 38, Prucha 46, Julian IP-26
Auctions:. . . BMP 2:5154-5155; NAS 22:1616; PCA 49:52,
PCA 53:275, PCA 60:286, PCA 61:292, PCA 68:403,
PCA 73:534, PCA 73:535[silver]
Collection: American Numismatic Society [>1] 1883.24.19
United States Presidential Medal Series:
1846 Polk (James K.) Presidential Medal [portrait by
Chapman, dies cut by Franklin Peale] . . . . Julian PR-9
Auctions:. . . . . . . PCA 43:8, PCA 48:477, PCA 64:258,
PCA 65:366, PCA 68:431, PCA 73:433
L I S T M E D A L S
1846 Polk (James K.) Indian Peace Medal [IP-24] . . List 111
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 43:FP11
Collection: Newark Museum New Jersey . . . . . . 20.1047
C O L L E C T I O N S
C4 {1912} Comparette 68, p 345.
C14 {1996} Marqusee 112, p 22.
B I O G R A P I C A L R E F E R E N C E S
D2 {1886-87} Chaplain.
D5 {1915} Earle, p 69.
D8 {1926} Fielding, p 62, 451.
A2 {1927} Fairman, p 123 (portrait), 127 (bio), passim.
BE {1943} Webster's Biographical Dictionary, p 282.
D15 {1957} Groce and Wallace p 120.
BH {1963} Who Was Who, p 90.
D29 {1976} Samuels, p 90-91.
A29 {1982} Baigell, p 66-67.
D33 {1986} Opitz, p 145.
AE1 {1988} Falk, 1:47.
A42 {1993} Reynolds, p 187.
BF2 {1999} Falk. Who Was Who in American Art, p 1:618.
D3a {2006} Benezit. Dictionary of Artists, p 3:767-768 (died 1890, error year book published “1857.”).
N U M I S M A T I C R E F E R E N C E S
Px {1846} Pattetson (Robert Meskell) Description of Bronze Medal of President Polk. American Philosophical Society Proceedings 36: (1846) p 298.
M2 {1878} Loubat 58, p 280-288 attributes the engraving of the Polk medal to Franklin Peale, without mention
of Chapman, who prepared model with Peale making the dies from Chapman’s model.
M19 {1959} Chamberlain (Georgia Stamm) General Taylor's Gold Medal for Rio Grande Victories, The Numismatist
72:3 (March 1959) pp 259-265. Reprinted in:American Medals and Medalists. Annandale, Virginia:
Turnpike Press (1963) pp 84-90.
101 {1963} Chamberlain (Georgia Stamm) Studies on John Gadsby Chapman, American Artist 1808-1889, Annandale,
Virginia: Turnpike Press (1963) 40 pp, 15 plates.
M37 {1977} Julian IP-24 to IP-26, p 48-49; PR-9 84.
E17 {1983} Pessolano-Filos, p 24.
S58 {1999} Rulau. Standard Catalog U.S. Tokens, p 192.