Painting the World by Hand



Daniel Putnam Brinley and Hugh Troy at work on globe for the Daily News Building



What type of medium do you use to paint the world? American artist Daniel Putnam Brinley (1879-1963) used oil.  This 1930 Peter A. Juley & Son photo depicts Brinley (standing below) and his assistant Hugh Troy painting the globe for the Daily News Building in New York City. Located in the building’s lobby, the 12 foot in diameter globe is made from aluminum and rotates on its axis. It took the artists six months to complete the map, however in the 1960s the map was repainted to reflect changes to names and territories. Check out other images of Brinley and Troy at work here. 


Emily Moazami, Photograph Archives, Research & Scholars Center, Smithsonian American Art Museum