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John H.B. Latrobe, by John H.B. Latrobe, 1883. Oil on canvas. 29 59/64 x 24 7/8 in. (76 x 63.2 cm). Maryland Historical Society, Accession: 1973-30-1.
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Fairy Knowe, Lawyers Hill, Howard County, by John H.B. Latrobe, 1850. Oil on academy board. 9 31/64 x 12 19/32 in. (24.1 x 32.0 cm). Maryland Historical Society, Accession: 1946-74-2.
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Thomas Viaduct, at Relay, B&O Railroad, by John H.B. Latrobe, c. 1850-1860. Oil on canvas. 9 1/16 x 13 1/32 in. (23.0 x 33.1 cm). Maryland Historical Society, Accession: 1945-105-4.
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Medium/Discipline: Architecture, Painting, Works on Paper
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Maryland Affiliation: Active while in residence
Prominent Theme: Landmarks; Portraits; Topographical Views
Gender: Male
Biography: Collaborator on a number of significant Baltimore landmarks, including the portico, or porch, design for the Baltimore Basilica of the Assumption and the entrance to Druid Hill Park, John Hazlehurst Boneval Latrobe worked the majority of his life as general counsel for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad since its beginnings in 1827. John H. B. Latrobe also designed the Kosciuszko Monument at West Point.John H. B. Latrobe was a jack-of-all-trades who was the son of architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764-1820): he was a writer, activist, attorney, inventor and artist. He studied engineering at West Point, and came to Baltimore to enter the law office of Robert Goodloe Harper. He was interested in the Morse telegraph and invented the "Latrobe" stove. Latrobe was a central figure in the African colonization in Liberia of blacks from America. One of his paintings, owned by the Maryland Historical Society, is entitled "Maryland in Liberia." A large region in Liberia was named "Maryland" due to Latrobe's activity with the American Colonization Society. The Society encouraged the immigration of black Africans and African-Americans to Liberia, and Latrobe was one of the movement's most ardent supporters. Latrobe was a cultural leader in Baltimore: he was a founder of the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, and was for 20 years president of the Maryland Historical Society. He was also a member of the Commission which established Druid Hill Park in Baltimore.
Education/Training: West Point, in engineering
Art-related Employment: artist; architect; co-organizer of The Maryland Institute College of Art and The Maryland Historical Society
Other Employment: lawyer; inventor of the Latrobe stove; activist, American Colonization Society; poet; fiction writer
Selected References: Pleasants, J. Hall. Two Hundred and Fifty Years of Painting in Maryland (Baltimore: Baltimore Museum of Art), 1945.
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