History of early post-colonial New York city.
Peter LACOUR (owner, compiler) A manuscript pocket-sized day-book/receipt book, covering the period 2nd June 1797 - November 1803. Small oblong octavo (4 3/8 x 7 1/4 inches), 60 pages of laid paper, interleaved with toned blotting paper. Stitched with remains of leather spine (covers lacking), recent tray, contained within a recent suede slipcase.
An important primary source: an entrepreneur’s progress recorded through records of his business transactions.
On 59 pages are the records of c.176 transactions between Peter Lacour (of Warren St., New York) and selection of people (including Isaac Griffin [see below]). These signed records are either in Lacour's hand, or in the hand of the other person involved in the transaction. Lacour seems (at this time) to have been a builder/property developer, paying for stone, timber, paint and the digging of a well in Christopher Street, NYC, for example. 'Peter Lacour' is quite a tricky name: could be Peter La Cour, Pierre La Cour, Pierre Lacour, Peter Lacour, etc., but he uses the form 'Lacour' consistently in this manuscript.
In one of the most fascinating entries, Lacour is involved in the financing of the early New York Fire Department – the receipt is written and signed by William J. Ellsworth (1731-1815), Chief Engineer and son-in-law of Jacobus Stoutenburgh.
Initial search shows up the famous and very rare Amos Doolittle/Peter Lacour 1790 engraving of the Front Elevation of Federal Hall, and Washington's inauguration on 30th April 1789. The current thinking seems to be that the Peter Lacour mentioned as the artist of this view is Pierre Lacour (1745-1814), a French painter from Bordeaux - we think that this is wrong ?
We have limited access to references, but a by-product of our research has been that we think the attribution should be switched to another Peter Lacour (aka Peter La Cour and Pierre La Cour) who was in NYC by December 1785 and then tried lots of different but linked ways of making a living in both New York and Hartford, including (in 1793) setting up in business with Isaac Griffin [one of the people mentioned in our 'receipt-book', and see below]).
We suspect that our receipt book used to be the property of this alternative Peter Lacour - the artist responsible for the original engraving by Amos Doolittle ?
Contemporary printed references indicate that Peter Lacour was based in NYC between 1787 and 1799 and then again from 1803-1806. Reading between the lines (a dangerous occupation!), he arrived in NY in 1785, with an announcement that he was 'Scholar of the Royal Academy of Painting at Paris… informs the Public that he keeps a School of Drawing, for Architecture, Portraits, Ornaments, Landscapes…’ ; he continues until 1793 trying to make it as 'an artist / teacher '; from then onwards he describes himself as a painter and glazier (going into business with Isaac Griffin for a couple of years).
In 1789 he was 'a drawing master', based at 17 Princes Street, NYC, within walking distance of Federal Hall and the inauguration on April 30, 1789.
In 1790 he was 'a drawing master', still in NYC, but also announcing in the Press that he intended to teach 'drawing in all its branches' in Hartford.
In 1790, in Hartford, Amos Doolittle published his engraved view the first inauguration, 'Federal Hall, The Seat of Congress / Peter Lacour delin. ; A. Doolittle sculpt'
A summary of information in the printed sources:
1785 [Quoted in NYHS Quarterly Bulletin]: Peter Lacour New York, 58 Nassau Street 6 Dec 1785: “Scholar of the Royal Academy of Painting at Paris… informs the Public that he keeps a School of Drawing, for Architecture, Portraits, Ornaments, Landscapes…’ ]
1786 The New-York Directory. Started in 1786 - no mention of Lacour or Giffin / Griffen.
1787 [Advert: Peter Lacour New York, 58 Nassau Street 14 March 1787 : teach the art of painting on silk, and drawing]
1787 [Advert: Peter Lacour New York, 58 Nassau Street 26 Sep 1787: drawing painting on silk + has the ‘camera obscura, of his own manufacture’ for sale, the ‘French Language is taught’]
1789 The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, drawing master, 17 Princess [St]
1790 The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, drawing master, 20 Little Queen [St.]
1790 [Advert: Peter Lacour Hartford, ‘at the house of Mr. Avery’ (possibly John Avery) 29 March 1790: announcement of intention to open ‘French School’ & teach ‘drawing in all its branches’]
1790 [Advert: Peter Lacour New York, 17 Cortland Street 22 Oct 1790: ‘has opened a drawing School to teach that art in all its various branches’ ]
1791 The New-York Directory Griffin, Isaac, painter and glazier, 26 Great Dock [St.]
The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, painter & drawing-master, 17 Courtlandt [St.]
1792 The New-York Directory Griffen, Isaac, painter, 116 Queen [St].
The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, drawing-master and painter, 42 Crown [St.]
1793 The New-York Directory Griffen, Isaac, painter, 11 Dye [St].
The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, drawing-master and painter, 2 Little-queen-street
The New-York Directory Lacour and Griffen, painters & glaziers, 84 Water-street
1793 [Advert: Peter La Cour & Isaac Griffin, New York, 84 Water Street 4 March 1793 ‘Painters, Gilders , and Glaziers… they have opened a shop … where they intend carrying on the Painting and Glazing business’ ]
1794 The New-York Directory Griffen, Isaac, painter and glazier, 43 Augustus Street
The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, painter and glazier, 32 Cedar Street
The New-York Directory Lacour and Griffen, painters and glaziers, 205 Water-street
1795 The New-York Directory Griffen, Isaac, painter and glazier, 43 Augustus Street
The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, painter and glazier, 31 Partition Street
1796 The New-York Directory Griffen, Isaac, painter and glazier, 43 Augustus Street
The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, painter and glazier, 31 Partition Street
1797 The New-York Directory Griffen, Isaac, painter and glazier, Augustus [St.]
The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, painter, gilder, &c. 31 Partition Street
1798 The New-York Directory [Griffiths, Isaac, laborer, 61 Reed [st.] ] – no sign of Griffen or Griffin
The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, painter, gilder, &c. 31 Partition Street
1799 The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, painter, gilder, &c. 162 Washington
1800 ----
1801 ----
1802/3 ---
1803/4 The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, painter and glazier, 56 Warren [St]
1804/5 The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, painter and glazier, 76 Chamber [St.]
1805/6 The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, painter and glazier, 41 Warren [St]
1806/7 The New-York Directory [Lacour, Peter, grocer, 261 Greenwich [St.] – not sure of this one?]
1807/8 no mention from now onwards.
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Peter LACOUR (owner, compiler) A manuscript pocket-sized day-book/receipt book, covering the period 2nd June 1797 - November 1803. Small oblong octavo (4 3/8 x 7 1/4 inches), 60 pages of laid paper, interleaved with toned blotting paper. Stitched with remains of leather spine (covers lacking), recent tray, contained within a recent suede slipcase.
An important primary source: an entrepreneur’s progress recorded through records of his business transactions.
On 59 pages are the records of c.176 transactions between Peter Lacour (of Warren St., New York) and selection of people (including Isaac Griffin [see below]). These signed records are either in Lacour's hand, or in the hand of the other person involved in the transaction. Lacour seems (at this time) to have been a builder/property developer, paying for stone, timber, paint and the digging of a well in Christopher Street, NYC, for example. 'Peter Lacour' is quite a tricky name: could be Peter La Cour, Pierre La Cour, Pierre Lacour, Peter Lacour, etc., but he uses the form 'Lacour' consistently in this manuscript.
In one of the most fascinating entries, Lacour is involved in the financing of the early New York Fire Department – the receipt is written and signed by William J. Ellsworth (1731-1815), Chief Engineer and son-in-law of Jacobus Stoutenburgh.
Initial search shows up the famous and very rare Amos Doolittle/Peter Lacour 1790 engraving of the Front Elevation of Federal Hall, and Washington's inauguration on 30th April 1789. The current thinking seems to be that the Peter Lacour mentioned as the artist of this view is Pierre Lacour (1745-1814), a French painter from Bordeaux - we think that this is wrong ?
We have limited access to references, but a by-product of our research has been that we think the attribution should be switched to another Peter Lacour (aka Peter La Cour and Pierre La Cour) who was in NYC by December 1785 and then tried lots of different but linked ways of making a living in both New York and Hartford, including (in 1793) setting up in business with Isaac Griffin [one of the people mentioned in our 'receipt-book', and see below]).
We suspect that our receipt book used to be the property of this alternative Peter Lacour - the artist responsible for the original engraving by Amos Doolittle ?
Contemporary printed references indicate that Peter Lacour was based in NYC between 1787 and 1799 and then again from 1803-1806. Reading between the lines (a dangerous occupation!), he arrived in NY in 1785, with an announcement that he was 'Scholar of the Royal Academy of Painting at Paris… informs the Public that he keeps a School of Drawing, for Architecture, Portraits, Ornaments, Landscapes…’ ; he continues until 1793 trying to make it as 'an artist / teacher '; from then onwards he describes himself as a painter and glazier (going into business with Isaac Griffin for a couple of years).
In 1789 he was 'a drawing master', based at 17 Princes Street, NYC, within walking distance of Federal Hall and the inauguration on April 30, 1789.
In 1790 he was 'a drawing master', still in NYC, but also announcing in the Press that he intended to teach 'drawing in all its branches' in Hartford.
In 1790, in Hartford, Amos Doolittle published his engraved view the first inauguration, 'Federal Hall, The Seat of Congress / Peter Lacour delin. ; A. Doolittle sculpt'
A summary of information in the printed sources:
1785 [Quoted in NYHS Quarterly Bulletin]: Peter Lacour New York, 58 Nassau Street 6 Dec 1785: “Scholar of the Royal Academy of Painting at Paris… informs the Public that he keeps a School of Drawing, for Architecture, Portraits, Ornaments, Landscapes…’ ]
1786 The New-York Directory. Started in 1786 - no mention of Lacour or Giffin / Griffen.
1787 [Advert: Peter Lacour New York, 58 Nassau Street 14 March 1787 : teach the art of painting on silk, and drawing]
1787 [Advert: Peter Lacour New York, 58 Nassau Street 26 Sep 1787: drawing painting on silk + has the ‘camera obscura, of his own manufacture’ for sale, the ‘French Language is taught’]
1789 The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, drawing master, 17 Princess [St]
1790 The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, drawing master, 20 Little Queen [St.]
1790 [Advert: Peter Lacour Hartford, ‘at the house of Mr. Avery’ (possibly John Avery) 29 March 1790: announcement of intention to open ‘French School’ & teach ‘drawing in all its branches’]
1790 [Advert: Peter Lacour New York, 17 Cortland Street 22 Oct 1790: ‘has opened a drawing School to teach that art in all its various branches’ ]
1791 The New-York Directory Griffin, Isaac, painter and glazier, 26 Great Dock [St.]
The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, painter & drawing-master, 17 Courtlandt [St.]
1792 The New-York Directory Griffen, Isaac, painter, 116 Queen [St].
The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, drawing-master and painter, 42 Crown [St.]
1793 The New-York Directory Griffen, Isaac, painter, 11 Dye [St].
The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, drawing-master and painter, 2 Little-queen-street
The New-York Directory Lacour and Griffen, painters & glaziers, 84 Water-street
1793 [Advert: Peter La Cour & Isaac Griffin, New York, 84 Water Street 4 March 1793 ‘Painters, Gilders , and Glaziers… they have opened a shop … where they intend carrying on the Painting and Glazing business’ ]
1794 The New-York Directory Griffen, Isaac, painter and glazier, 43 Augustus Street
The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, painter and glazier, 32 Cedar Street
The New-York Directory Lacour and Griffen, painters and glaziers, 205 Water-street
1795 The New-York Directory Griffen, Isaac, painter and glazier, 43 Augustus Street
The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, painter and glazier, 31 Partition Street
1796 The New-York Directory Griffen, Isaac, painter and glazier, 43 Augustus Street
The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, painter and glazier, 31 Partition Street
1797 The New-York Directory Griffen, Isaac, painter and glazier, Augustus [St.]
The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, painter, gilder, &c. 31 Partition Street
1798 The New-York Directory [Griffiths, Isaac, laborer, 61 Reed [st.] ] – no sign of Griffen or Griffin
The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, painter, gilder, &c. 31 Partition Street
1799 The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, painter, gilder, &c. 162 Washington
1800 ----
1801 ----
1802/3 ---
1803/4 The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, painter and glazier, 56 Warren [St]
1804/5 The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, painter and glazier, 76 Chamber [St.]
1805/6 The New-York Directory Lacour, Peter, painter and glazier, 41 Warren [St]
1806/7 The New-York Directory [Lacour, Peter, grocer, 261 Greenwich [St.] – not sure of this one?]
1807/8 no mention from now onwards.
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