Infant Funeral Procession
In the early nineteenth century, children—especially those living in crowded port cities—died from a host of diseases, including tuberculosis, dysentery, typhoid fever, diphtheria, pneumonia, and yellow fever. The funeral pictured here is being held at the New Methodist Church, with the white picket fence, on Second (now Forsyth) and Bayard Streets. A chain has been stretched across the street to block traffic as eight young women—clad in all white—escort the child’s coffin at the head of the procession. Just to the right of the church stands Fire House 2, which is next to a corner grocery.
Artwork Details
- Title: Infant Funeral Procession
- Artist: William P. Chappel (American, 1801–1878)
- Date: 1870s
- Culture: American
- Medium: Oil on slate paper
- Dimensions: 6 1/16 x 9 3/16 in. (15.4 x 23.3 cm)
- Credit Line: The Edward W. C. Arnold Collection of New York Prints, Maps, and Pictures, Bequest of Edward W. C. Arnold, 1954
- Object Number: 54.90.502
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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William P. Chappel
1870s
William P. Chappel
1870s
William P. Chappel
1870s
William P. Chappel
1870s
William P. Chappel
1870s
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