Recent Posts
1893 Women’s Columbian Exhibition Assoc Farny Show
In March 1893 The Women’s Columbia Exhibition Association (WCEA) held a fundraiser to earn money for their upcoming 1893 Chicago World’s Fair Exhibit. The asked Henry Farny to arrange a…
1886: Cowboy and An “Old-Timer”
In 1886, Farny completed two paintings which may have been companion pieces. One is called ‘An” Old-Timer”‘, currently located at the Blanton Museum, and the other is titled “Cowboy”, which…
1875: First Lessons in the English Language
In 1875, Wilson, Hinkle & Co. added another text book to their growing portfolio, this one by Thomas W. Harvey titled First Lessons in the English Language. Farny illustrated at…
1875: The Fifth Reader by T. W. Harvey
In 1875, Wilson, Hinkle & Co. published a new series of five readers by T. W. Harvey. I cannot find examples of the first three books, but The Fifth Reader…
1875: The Fourth Reader by Harvey
In 1875, Wilson, Hinkle & Co. published a new series of five readers by T. W. Harvey. I cannot find examples of the first three books, but The Fourth Reader…
1893: Grand Cañon illustrations
The Grand Cañon of the Colorado River, Arizona, was a forty-page book. written by C. A. Higgins that describes a trip into the canyon. Farny, Thomas Moran, and F. H….
1892: Mountain Trail Painting
One of Farny painting that reached new eyes is the 1892 painting “Mountain Trail“. This painting was featured in a classic PBS Antique Road Show episode, where the owner had…
1890: New Eclectic History of the US
Mary Elise Thalheimer wrote the New Eclectic History of the United States, to which Farny contributed some illustrations. The originals of some of these are located at the Syracuse University…
1890: A Boys Town Illustrations
William Dean Howells wrote A Boys Town that was published as a serial by Harper’s Young People between April 08, 1890, and August 26, 1890. There were twenty images total…
1889: Donny Boy Illustrations
Farny completed two illustrations for a two-issue story called Donny Boy, by Bjalmar Bjorth Boyesen, that appeared in Harper’s Young People. These two issues also included Farny illustrations for the…
1887: The Shark Light-House Illustration
Lillian Campbell Davidson wrote The Shark Light-House, a story appearing in the August 30, 1887, issue of Harper’s Young People. Farny contributed the only image. Interestingly, the signature he used…
1889: Coots: The Story of a Day’s Ducking
Farny illustrated Coots: The Story of a Day’s Ducking by John Francis Adams in the Harper’s Young People magazine. It was a two-part tale. The first image appeared on the…
1888: Walks About Cincinnati
Farny worked with Baldwin and Company to create this “Walks about Cincinnati“, a publication that was likely created for visitors to Cincinnati as part of the 1888 Exposition. Farny, having…
1888: Footprints of the Pioneers
Farny is once again working in conjunction with William Venable, this time for Footprints of the Pioneers in the Valley: A Centennial Sketch.
1888: The Picturesque Ohio Illustrations
Cincinnati publishers Cranston & Stowe published this ode by C. M. Clarke to the water ways and railroad buttes of Ohio, one of a series of guide-books Clarke edited that…
1887: The House I Live In Illustrations
This unusual book, written by Eli F. Brown, with illustrations by Farny, highlights the dangers of alcohol and narcotics. The full name is The house I live in, or, An…
1899: The Lady and the Flea Book
In 1890, Henry Farny moved to Covington where he could escape the city and focus more on painting, as visitors often disrupted him in his 4th floor studio at Pike’s…
1887-02: Farny’s Suspicious Guests Vs. Unwelcome Guests
Farny’s Suspicious Guests was published in the February 05, 1887, issue, of Harper’s Weekly, pages 96-97. I have yet to locate the original of this illustration. After seeing the illustration…
1893-10: The Dance of the Dahomans
Though an art jurist and participant at the 1893 Chicago World’s fair, Farny still had time to explore the grounds. Among his favorite places to visit was a Bedouin camp,…
1890-10: Pageant of Satellites of Mercury
Farny visited The Annual Pageant of the Satellites of Mercury at Louisville, from which he drew a cover illustration for the October 11, 1890, issue of Harper’s Weekly:
1890-04: A Tornado Hits Louisville
On the night of March 27, 1890, a tornado hit Louisville. Farny must have immediately headed south to sketch the damage for Harper’s Weekly. The magazine published his drawings, titling…
1890-03: Sketches on a Journey to California in the Overland Train
Farny’s sketches over pages 220-221 for the March 22, 1890, issue of the Harper’s Weekly accompany a page 223 story on the terrain and challenges facing those still traveling West…
1891-02: The Last Scene of the Last Act of the Sioux War
Published February 14, 1891, Farny’s The Last Scene of the Last Act of the Sioux War can be found on page 120 of Harper’s Weekly. Whether this work was a…
1883-07: Farny’s Ration Day at Standing Rock
On May 14, 1883, the Cincinnati News-Journal reported that Farny had completed a painting he called Issue Day at Standing Rock and would soon send it to Harper’s Weekly. The…
1889-08: Farny’s “Down the Grade From the Divide”
Farny’s Down the Grade From the Divide capture the playful spirit of two men riding a hand car down from camp to get some supplies. It was published in Harper’s…
1889-04: Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco
Famed sculptor Niehaus and Farny made a trip to California’s San Francisco during September of 1887. It’s likely the trip influenced the two-page illustration Farny created for the April 20,…
1889-03: Dakota’s Salt Lake
In the March 09, 1889, Harper’s Weekly published Farny’s sketches of a natural Salt Lake that now lies on the border of Minnesota and South Dakota. If he visited the…
1892: Indian Encampment Vs. With the Pony Herds
In 1893, Farny lent a painting called With the Pony Herds to 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. It appears that painting is now titled Indian Encampment. It was auctioned by Christies…
1890: ‘The Apaches are Out’, ‘In Arizona’, or ‘Through the Pass’?
The March 14, 1893, issue of the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette feature an extensive biography of Farny and included the image of the 1890 painting The Apaches Are Out! owned by…
1886: Cerealine Ad Illustrations
Cerealine were uncooked mashed grits that, before baked and used as cereal, were used in the brewing industry. At some point in the 1880s they were toasted (and malted?) and…