John Chaloner Smith facts for kids

John Chaloner Smith (born August 19, 1827 – died March 13, 1895) was an engineer from Ireland. He is mostly remembered for collecting and writing about a special type of art called mezzotints.

A Life in Engineering

John Chaloner Smith was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1827. His father worked in church courts. John went to Trinity College, Dublin, in 1846 and finished his studies in 1849.

After college, he trained to become a civil engineer. Civil engineers design and build things like roads, bridges, canals, and railways. In 1857, John became the engineer for the Waterford and Limerick Railway. Later, in 1868, he took a similar job with the Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford Railway, where he worked until 1894.

John Chaloner Smith helped build some important extensions for the railway lines. He was also a key person behind the Loopline Bridge. This bridge crosses the River Liffey in Dublin and connects two major Irish railway lines.

He passed away in Bray, County Wicklow.

His Work with Art

John Chaloner Smith was very interested in art, especially a type of print called a mezzotint. A mezzotint is a way of making prints from a metal plate that creates soft, rich tones, like a painting.

He wrote a famous book called British Mezzotinto Portraits … with Biographical Notes. This book was published between 1878 and 1884. It lists all the mezzotint prints made before 1820 and includes pictures of 125 prints that John owned. This book is still considered the best guide on the subject.

John was also a big collector of these prints. After he finished his book, his large collection was sold. About 300 of his prints, especially those made by Irish artists, were bought for the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin. The British Museum also bought 106 prints from his collection.