Williams & Everett facts for kids

Williams & Everett, Boston, 1882

Williams & Everett was a famous art gallery and shop in Boston, Massachusetts. It started in 1855. Henry Dudley Williams and William Everett ran the business. They sold many kinds of art, including original paintings by artists from America and Europe. They also offered special photographs and "carbon-pictures" of important people, famous places, and well-known paintings. Before this, the Doggett brothers had a business selling mirrors and picture frames. Williams & Everett continued this part of the business too.

History of the Gallery

The founder, Henry Dudley Williams, worked for a company called John Doggett & Co. from 1816 to 1855. John Doggett retired in 1845, and his brother Samuel left in 1854. After that, the business changed. Williams and his new partner, William Everett, took over the mirror and picture frame making. They also added the sale of paintings and other artworks.

Portrait of Dudley Williams by Hubert von Herkomer, around 1883 (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)

Henry Dudley Williams and William Everett were related by marriage. Williams had married Everett's sister, Isabel, in 1832. Before they officially became partners, both Williams and Everett sold mirrors, picture frames, and carpets from the same building on Washington Street.

Gallery Locations

The first location of the Williams & Everett gallery was at the corner of Bedford and Washington Street in downtown Boston. It stayed there until 1885.

In 1885, the gallery moved to a new area called Back Bay. This new building at 79 Boylston Street was designed especially for an art gallery. It had a beautiful English Renaissance style inside. There were carved wood details and heavy beams. A large fireplace reached up to the ceiling. A grand staircase led to more galleries upstairs. These galleries looked down into the main store and out over Park Square. The walls had dark wood panels with pomegranate-colored hangings above them. The ceiling was decorated with soft, matching colors. Special electric lights were placed in the ceiling to light up the art. The gallery stayed in this location until it closed around 1907.

Artists and Artworks

Williams & Everett showed and sold art by many artists. These included famous European artists like Rosa Bonheur and Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. They also featured many American artists, such as:

Williams & Everett, Washington Street (corner Bedford Street), Boston, 1881

Other Art Forms

The store had special areas for etchings, engravings, watercolors, and photographs. If you wanted to buy a rare print, a unique etching, or a copy of a famous painting by an old master, you could find it there. They also had photographs of ancient sculptures or old ruins.

Williams & Everett's, Boylston Street, Boston, 1889

Williams & Everett also made their own copies of artworks. For example, they made a color print of a character called "Dotty Dimple." They also published photo portraits of the famous poet H.W. Longfellow and his family.

The gallery was known for its large collection of photographs. They had a special section just for this type of art. On the walls, you could see large, beautiful "carbon" prints of rare subjects. Below these, in wooden cases, were thousands of works by famous artists. They had sections dedicated to artists like Bellini, Cimabue, and Velasquez. Their collection included pictures from Spain, Italy, Germany, France, and England. Visitors could sit at a table and look through these amazing art treasures.

Clients and Visitors

Many people visited the gallery, including important clients like Thomas Thompson. Sophia Peabody Hawthorne, the wife of writer Nathaniel Hawthorne, visited the gallery in 1863. She wrote in her diary about going to Williams & Everett's to see pictures.

The Firm's Later Years

The firm was run by its founders, Henry Dudley Williams (who lived from 1809 to 1888) and his brother-in-law William Everett (1821-1899). Later, their sons, Henry Dudley Williams (1833-1907) and William B. Everett (1856-1907), also joined the business.

In 1901, Williams & Everett faced financial trouble. The company had debts, but they also had a large collection of valuable prints, engravings, and paintings. After Mr. Everett passed away, Henry D. Williams was running the firm. They hoped to fix their financial issues and keep the business going. However, the firm seems to have closed down after Henry D. Williams died in 1907.