Drawing Together: Siblings and Offspring


Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and family, Italy, 1869

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and family, Italy, 1869
Item 22418   info
Maine Historical Society

The Art of Henry W. Longfellow

Hundreds of drawings in the family archives at the Longfellow National Historic Site document Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s love of drawing.

Throughout his tour of Europe from 1826 to 1829, he recorded landscapes, landmarks, and people.

From skillfully rendered Italian hilltop towns to small architectural details, his journals are enlivened by his beautiful works.

Henry took proper training seriously. In 1837 he began drawing lessons with the Boston-based German artist Francis Graeter, who worked with noted geologist Charles Jackson to record Maine’s vast uncharted lands.

In this photo are, seated, from left, Mary Longfellow Greenleaf, Samuel Longfellow, Alice Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Thomas Gold Appleton, Ernest Longfellow, his wife Hattie Spelman Longfellow, Anne Pierce, Annie Longfellow and Edith Longfellow.

Item 4 of 25