Smithsonian Collections Blog

Highlighting the hidden treasures from over 2 million collections

Collections Search Center

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Painting the World by Hand



Daniel Putnam Brinley (standing below) and assistant 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, Photo Archivist, Research & Scholars Center, Smithsonian American Art Museum

No comments:

Post a Comment