Frederic Cozzens (1846–1928), Atlanta, Chicago, Yorktown and Boston, Chromolithograph, 1892

Join us on Sunday, September 24 at 1 PM for Frederic Cozzens, Chromolithography, and the “New Navy,” a lecture by Peter van Alfen, the Chief Curator at the Numismatic Society.

By the 1880s, Staten Island marine artist Frederic Cozzens (1846–1928) had achieved notable success not just with his many book and magazine illustrations, but also with a widely popular series of chromolithograph prints (“chromos”) featuring yachts, especially the America Cup defenders, which at the time raced off of Staten Island. A lesser known series of his chromos featuring the new steel ships of the revived US Navy appeared in the early 1890s. This talk will explore Cozzens’ career, the production and role of chromos in 19th century society, and how his set of “New Navy” prints reflected growing popular support for the US Navy and the burgeoning naval arms race worldwide.