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Secondary sourcePainting1900

Portrait of Samuel Adams from Appletons' Cyclopaedia

Jacques Reich · 1900

An engraved-style reproduction of John Singleton Copley's portrait of Samuel Adams, printed in a reference work in 1900.

Carries John Singleton Copley's portrait of Samuel Adams into a 1900 reference work, far from the original.

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Black and white engraved-style drawing of an older man with swept-back hair and a high collar, shown from the chest up in a buttoned coat, looking to the viewer's left.
Jacques Reich after John Singleton Copley, Portrait of Samuel Adams, Appletons' Cyclopaedia, published 1900.

About this source

What it is

This is a drawing of Samuel Adams printed in Appletons' Cyclopaedia in 1900. Jacques Reich made it, based on an earlier work by John Singleton Copley. The image shows an older man with swept-back hair and a high collar, seen from the chest up in a buttoned coat, looking to the viewer's left. The original painting is by Copley, not this reference-book version.

Why it matters

Encyclopedias of the period spread famous images of the Founders to many readers. Reproductions like this one carried Copley's view of Adams to people who would never see the painting. The image is a copy of a copy, so details may have changed on the way.

Look closer

  • What does the drawing show about Adams's appearance, and what does it leave out?
  • How might a reference work differ from a painting made from life in what it is trying to do?
  • Why would a reference book in 1900 include a portrait of a Revolutionary leader?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Samuel Adams on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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