Frederick Catherwood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frederick Catherwood
|
|
|---|---|
This picture might be Catherwood himself.
|
|
| Born | 27 February 1799 |
| Died | 27 September 1854 (aged 55) Atlantic Ocean
|
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Artist and Architect |
Frederick Catherwood (born February 27, 1799 – died September 27, 1854) was an English artist, architect, and explorer. He is best known for his very detailed drawings of the ancient Maya civilization ruins.
In the mid-1800s, he explored Mesoamerica with writer John Lloyd Stephens. Their books, Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatán and Incidents of Travel in Yucatán, were very popular. These books helped introduce the amazing ancient Maya culture to the Western world. In 1837, Catherwood became an Honorary member of the National Academy of Design.
Early Travels and Art
Between 1824 and 1832, Catherwood traveled a lot around the Mediterranean Sea. He drew ancient buildings made by the Egyptians, Carthaginians, and Phoenicians. He noticed that the monuments in the Americas looked very different from those in the Old World. This made him believe they were built by the native people of the Americas.
Catherwood visited Greece, Turkey, Egypt, and Palestine. He created drawings and watercolors of the old ruins there with Joseph Bonomi the Younger. For six weeks in 1833, Catherwood was likely the first Westerner to carefully survey the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.
He became well-known as an artist who drew landscapes and buildings. He used a special tool called a camera lucida to help him draw very accurately. His drawings were used for large panoramic views of Jerusalem and Thebes, which were shown in Leicester Square.
Discovering the Maya
In 1836, Catherwood met travel writer John Lloyd Stephens in London. They read about the ruins of Copán and decided to visit Central America themselves. They wanted to create a more detailed and better-illustrated record of the ruins.
Their expedition began in 1839 and lasted through the next year. They visited many ruins and described 44 sites in great detail, many for the first time. Stephens and Catherwood are famous for "rediscovering" the Maya civilization. Their books brought the Maya back into the minds of people in the Western world.
Their first book, Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan, was published in 1841. Stephens wrote the text, and Catherwood's drawings were turned into engravings for the book.
Stephens and Catherwood went back to Yucatan for more explorations. This led to their second book, Incidents of Travel in Yucatan, published in 1843.
The next year, Catherwood released Views of Ancient Monuments in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan. This book contained 25 colorful lithographs made from his watercolors of the ruins. Only 300 copies of this special book were printed in 1844.
Sadly, many of his original drawings and paintings were lost in a fire at an exhibition in New York City. However, some still exist in museums and private collections today. These often show even more detail than the published engravings.
Later Life and Legacy
When the California Gold Rush began, Catherwood moved to San Francisco, California. He opened a store to sell supplies to miners and prospectors. He thought this was a better way to make money than trying to find gold himself.
In 1854, Frederick Catherwood was a passenger on the steamship Arctic. He was traveling across the Atlantic Ocean from Liverpool to New York. On September 27, in very foggy conditions, the Arctic crashed into another ship, the French steamer Vesta. The Arctic sank, and many people lost their lives, including Catherwood. He was 55 years old.
For weeks, Catherwood's name was not on the official list of victims. His friends and colleagues worked hard to get him included. Finally, a small line appeared in the New York Herald Tribune saying, "Mr Catherwood Also is Missing."
Images for kids
-
The Boston Society for Medical Improvement in 1853.
See also
In Spanish: Frederick Catherwood para niños
