Crocker's Norwich: Art and Industry in the 19th Century

The concept of the “Long 19^th Century,” as defined by British Marxist Eric Hobsbawm, refers to the period between the years 1789 and 1914 during which the French Revolution established a non-monarchical republic in Europe.  The period ends with the start of World War I and its events had such a strong influence on world history and culture that they defined the era.  A period of innocence, however blind, malevolent or ill-conceived, that included the White Man’s Burden, the right of Imperialism, and the rise of the industrial over the agrarian, is evident in Norwich’s ascendance and a subsequent period of decline.  Originally a lush landscape, the area was home to several native tribes whose trading was aided by the confluence of three rivers.

The same natural features made it appealing to European settlers who had come predominantly from Massachusetts and became successful farmers, craftsmen and industrialists.  By the time John Denison Crocker was born in Salem in 1822, Connecticut, originally part of Norwich, the city was prominent and burgeoning.  Its industries, including ship building, arms and hardware manufacturing, paper production and textile processing, gave it the second-largest tax base in the state, after New Haven.  Early homes in the architecture typical of New England colonials had been built around the Norwichtown Green and along radiating streets; in the Long Nineteenth Century, huge new “Vistorian” Mansions were built along Washington Street and Broadway, around Chelsea Parade and Little Plains Green.

The stately homes of industrialists and commercial infrastructure in the city’s center and along the harbor, coupled with the remaining agrarian surrounding lands, provided endless subject matter for artists.  Wealth brought by industry created opportunities for artists in sign painting, illustration, portraiture and landscape painting.  Artists were deeply integrated into the business milieu, maintaining studios outside their homes, mostly along Shetucket Street near the harbor, an area known as Chelsea.

This exhibition is intended to open a window into the artists’ work and lives in the Long Nineteenth Century in Norwich and to reflect the integration of art into daily life.  John Denison Crocker leads the charge as portrait and landscape painter, mechanical engineer and pharmacist.