HENRY CHAPMAN FORD

Henry Chapman Ford was born in Livonia, NY on August 6, 1828. From 1857 to 1860, he studied in Paris, France and Florence, Italy. After his time spent serving in the American Civil war, he became the first professional landscape painter for the city of Chicago, IL. In 1871, a major fire destroyed his studio. At this time he also suffered from health problems, which forced him to move to a warmer climate. In 1875, he settled permanently in Santa Barbara, CA. He is most famous for his series of etchings featuring all of the 21 mission sites in California. In 1893, he presented these etchings at the Chicago World’s Fair. He died on February 27, 1894.

Exhibitions

1887, 1892 California State Fair

1893 Mechanics’ Institute, San Francisco

COLLECTIONS

Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley

Oakland Museum, CA

Riverside Inn, CA

Southwest Museum of the American Indian, Los Angeles, CA

Stanford University

Bibliography

1. 1. Falk, Peter Hastings ed., Who Was Who in American Art: 1564-1975, Vol. II, Madison, CT: Sound View Press, 1999, p. 1155-56.
2. 2. Hughes, Edan Milton. Artists in California: 1786-1940. Third ed.,Vol. I, Sacramento, Calif.: Crocker Art Museum, 2002, p. 387.