THOMAS BANGS THORPE

Painter and journalist Thomas B. Thorpe was born in Westfield, Massachusetts in 1815. He took an early interest in art, and began exhibiting at the American Academy at the age of 18. Three years later, he left college and moved to Louisiana, where he lived until 1854, to paint and write. In 1854, Thorpe moved to New York City to practice law for a brief period, then edited a newspaper before serving as an officer in the Civil War. Thorpe visited Newport in 1859. After the war, Thorpe became a surveyor for the city of New York, and in 1869, an officer in the Customs House. During his time in New York City, he wrote several articles on American artists, and exhibited frequently, including the National Academy of Design and the Brooklyn Art Association. Thorpe died in New York in 1878. His portrait of Zachary Taylor is currently on display at the Louisiana State Legislature.