David Bustill Bowser

David Bustill Bowser
BornJanuary 16, 1820
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
DiedJune 30, 1900
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Notable workPortraits of John Brown, Abraham Lincoln; battle flags for American Civil War military units
SpouseElizabeth Harriet Stevens Gray Bowser (1831–1908)
RelativesBustill family

David Bustill Bowser (January 16, 1820, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – June 30, 1900, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was a 19th-century African-American ornamental artist, portraitist, and social activist.[1][2] He designed battle flags for eleven African-American regiments during the American Civil War and painted portraits of prominent Americans, including U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist John Brown. Politically active throughout much of his adult life, he was a contributor to the Underground Railroad and also helped to secure the post-war passage of key civil rights legislation in Pennsylvania.[3]

As a major figure in the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows, he designed broadsides and regalia for the organization.[4]

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has described Bowser as an artist whose "works were the first widely viewed, positive images of African Americans painted by an African American".[5]

  1. ^ *Lewis, Samella S. African American art and artists. Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 2003.
  2. ^ "Grand United Order Odd Fellows America [membership certificate] [graphic]. | Library Company of Philadelphia Digital Collections". digital.librarycompany.org. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  3. ^ "Pennsylvania Equal Rights League[permanent dead link]." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Daily Evening Bulletin, August 15, 1867, p. 2.
  4. ^ Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection (1893). Artists of Abraham Lincoln portraits. Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection.
  5. ^ "David Bustill Bowser Historical Marker," in "Explore PA History." Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, retrieved online February 23, 2019.