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Description

Scarce hand-colored engraved view of the village of Kaawaloa on Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, where Captain Cook was killed, published in the middle of the 19th century.

Henry W. Herrick Biography

Henry W. Herrick (1824–1906) was a prominent American wood engraver, book illustrator, watercolorist, and art educator. Born on August 23, 1824, in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, Herrick was the son of Israel E. Herrick, a merchant and lumber dealer, and Martha Trow Herrick, an amateur painter who fostered his early artistic talents. By the age of eight, he was creating detailed paintings of flowers and birds under his mother’s guidance. The family lived in Concord and Nashua before settling in Manchester during Herrick’s teenage years.

At 20, Herrick moved to New York City to study at the National Academy of Design. He began working as an engraver for major publishers, creating book illustrations and reproducing the works of noted painters. In 1852, Herrick joined the newly founded School of Design for Women as a teacher, later becoming its principal.  Herrick left the school in 1858 to focus on his engraving work and became a leading contributor to Harper’s Weekly during the Civil War.

In 1865, Herrick returned to Manchester to care for his aging mother. He continued his engraving work for publishers in New York and Boston, ans was a founder of the Manchester Art Association.

In 1875, Herrick turned to watercolor painting. His works often depicted the serene landscapes of New Hampshire, featuring lively rural scenes animated with people driving carriages, rowing boats, herding cows, or strolling through the countryside.