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Photo: © Yale University Art Gallery (inv. 407)
inv. 476
The National Lancers with the Reviewing Officers on Boston Common.
Alternate title: The National Lancers on the Boston Common
1837
Lithograph in colors
14 11/16 x 20 1/4 in. (37.2 x 51.4 cm) Sheet: 18 11/16 x 22 7/8 in. (47.5 x 58.1 cm)
Commentary

In 1836, the Massachusetts Legislature established the National Lancers to escort and protect the Governor of the Commonwealth. Now headquartered in Framingham, this volunteer cavalry troop still exists today, a ceremonial component of the Massachusetts Organized Militia and a search and rescue unit.

In 1836, the governor of Massachusetts commissioned Charles Hubbard to produce the military standard held aloft in the parade depicted in this hand-colored lithograph. Hubbard also made a painting of the event from which Lane made this print. The governor and his entourage on the left review the parade; members of the public are scattered in the middle and on the far left. The coloring was applied by hand at the time the print was published. At least one impression of the lithograph was over-painted in oil. In 1837, the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association recognized Lane for his lithographic drawings done in connection with this print and Thomas Moore for his printing.

 

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Historical Materials

Below is historical information related to the Lane work above. To see complete information on a subject on the Historical Materials page, click on the subject name (in bold and underlined).
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artwork
National Lancers on Boston Common
Thomas C. Savory
oil on canvas
1838
The Bostonian Society (1985.0003.001)
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Boston Locales, Businesses, & Buildings: State House

The "new" State House is located across from the Boston Common on the top of Beacon Hill, and serves as the Massachusetts state capital. The land was once owned by Massachusetts's first elected governor, John Hancock. Charles Bullfinch was the architect of the building, which was completed in 1798.

The dome was originally roofed with wood shingles, which leaked. In 1802 it was covered with copper by Paul Revere's Revere Copper Company. The dome was first painted gray and then light yellow before being gilded with gold leaf in 1874.

photo (historical)
Massachusetts State House c. 1860
c 1860s
Photograph
Courtesy of the Bostonian Society
Image: Courtesy of the Bostonian Society
[+]
artwork
Old State House in Flames
Robert Salmon
The Bostonian Society (1883.0107)
lithograph
1832
"Salmon pinxt" at lower left; "Pendleton, Boston" at lower right
[+]
View of Boston
c.1848
Lithograph
Published by N. Currier, New York
Library of Congress Catalog Number 2002698122
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English-born Thomas Moore was the successor to William S. Pendleton's lithography shop in 1836. Prior to this changing of hands, Moore worked in Pendleton's shop for years as a clerk and bookkeeper. During his four years (1836-40) at Pendleton's 204 Washington Street address, he had under his employ many famous artists, including F.H. Lane, Robert Cooke, and Benjamin Champney. Moore's Lithography printed the usual variety of work, including portraits, town views, public institutions, maps, plans, certificates, cards, etc. In 1840, Moore sold his Boston shop to B. W. Thayer, ending his lithographic career in Boston.

This information has been summarized from Boston Lithography 1825-1880 by Sally Pierce and Catharina Slautterback.

publication
Mammoth Cod Quickstep
Unknown
1839
T. Moore's Lithography, Boston
12 1/2 x 9 1/2 in.
20 x 16 3/4 in (Framed)
Cape Ann Museum, Museum Purchase (2014.089.2)
[+]
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Contemporary Artists: Savory, Thomas C.
artwork
National Lancers on Boston Common
Thomas C. Savory
oil on canvas
1838
The Bostonian Society (1985.0003.001)
[+]
Provenance (Information known to date; research ongoing.)
See IMPRESSIONS tab for individual provenance.
Exhibition History
1966 DeCordova Museum
DeCordova Museum, Lincoln, Massachusetts, Fitz Hugh Lane: The First Major Exhibition, March 20–April 17, 1966. (Wilmerding 1966a), no. 70 (Impression: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (inv. 527)). Traveled to: Colby College Art Museum, Waterville, Maine, April 30–June 6, 1966.
1974 Farnsworth Art Museum
John Wilmerding, William A. Farnsworth Library and Art Museum, Rockland, Maine, Fitz Hugh Lane 1804-1805, July 12–September 15, 1974. (Exhibition catalogue: Farnsworth 1974); (Exhibition catalogue: Farnsworth 1974), no. 2, lent by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Impression: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (inv. 527)).
1991 Boston Athenaeum
Boston Athenaeum, Boston, New England Historical Prints: The Charles E. Mason, Jr, Collection, September–October 1991. (Impression: Goodspeed's Book Shop (inv. 511)).
2017–18 Cape Ann Museum
Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester, Massachusetts, Drawn From Nature & on Stone: The Lithographs of Fitz Henry Lane, October 7, 2017–March 4, 2018. (Exhibition catalogue: Cape Ann Museum 2017).
Published References
Peters 1931
Peters, Harry T. America on Stone: The Other Printmakers to the American People. Garden City, NY: Doubleday Doran, 1931, pl. 101 (Impression: Yale University Art Gallery (inv. 407)).
Stokes and Haskell 1932
Stokes, I.N. Phelps and Daniel C. Haskell. American Historical Prints: Early Views of American Cities, Etc. from the Phelps Stokes and Other Collections. New York: New York Public Library, 1932, pl. 64 (Impression: The New York Public Library (inv. 497)).
McLanathan 1956
McLanathan, Richard. Fitz Hugh Lane (Museum of Fine Arts Picture Book Number Eight). Boston: Museum of Fine Arts, 1956; 1972 second ed, as The National Lancers with the Reviewing Officers on Boston Common. (Impression: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (inv. 527)).
Wilmerding 1963
Wilmderding, John. "The Lithographs of Fitz Hugh Lane." Old-Time New England LIV, no. 2 (October–December 1963), p. 33, as The National Lancers on the Boston Common.
Wilmerding 1966a
Wilmerding, John. Fitz Hugh Lane: The First Major Exhibition. Lincoln, MA: De Cordova Museum; in association with Colby College Art Museum, 1966. Exhibition catalogue (1966 DeCordova Museum), no. 70 (Impression: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (inv. 527)).
Farnsworth 1974
Fitz Hugh Lane 1804-1865. Rockland, ME: William A. Farnsworth Library and Art Museum, 1974. Exhibition catalogue (1974 Farnsworth Art Museum), no. 2.
Crossman 1985
Crossman, Carl L. "Lithographs of Fitz Hugh Lane." In American Maritime Prints, edited by Elton W. Hall. New Bedford, MA: The Whaling Museum by the Old Dartmouth Historical Society, 1987, fig. 2 p.68 (Impression: Boston Athenaeum (inv. 512)).
Pierce and Slautterback 1991
Pierce, Sally, and Catharina Slautterback. Boston Lithography, 1825–1880: The Boston Atheneaum Collection. Boston: Boston Athenaeum, 1991, fig. 39 (Impression: Goodspeed's Book Shop (inv. 511)).
Wilmerding 2005
Wilmerding, John. Fitz Henry Lane. Gloucester, MA: Cape Ann Historical Association, 2005, ill. 6, text, p. 24, as The National Lancers with the Reviewing Officers on Boston Common.
Cape Ann Museum 2017
Barnhill, Trafton. Drawn from Nature & on Stone: the Lithographs of Fitz Henry Lane. Gloucester, MA: Cape Ann Museum, 2017. Exhibition catalogue (2017–18 Cape Ann Museum), fig. 49, text, pp. 17, 49, as The National Lancers with the Reviewing Officers on Boston Common.
Impression Information

Boston Athenaeum (inv. 511)

The National Lancers with the Reviewing Officers on Boston Common., 1837 (inv. 511)
Photo: © Boston Athenaeum (inv. 511)
Printed under image from left to right: C. Hubbard del.
On stone: By F.H. Lane Moore's Lithography, Boston

Boston Athenaeum (inv. 512)

The National Lancers with the Reviewing Officers on Boston Common., 1837 (inv. 512)
Photo: © Boston Athenaeum (inv. 512)
Printed under image from left to right: C. Hubbard del.
On stone: By F.H. Lane Moore's Lithography, Boston

Library of Congress (inv. 543)

The National Lancers with the Reviewing Officers on Boston Common., 1837 (inv. 543)
Photo: © Library of Congress (inv. 543)

Massachusetts Historical Society (inv. 603)

no image available
The National Lancers with Reviewing Officers on Boston Common

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (inv. 526)

no image available

The Bostonian Society (inv. 750)

The National Lancers with the Reviewing Officers on Boston Common., 1837 (inv. 750)
Photo: © Bostonian Society

Yale University Art Gallery (inv. 407)

The National Lancers with the Reviewing Officers on Boston Common., 1837 (inv. 407)
Photo: © Yale University Art Gallery (inv. 407)
Related Historical Materials

Boston Locales, Businesses, & Buildings

Lithography

Contemporary Artists

Record last updated May 7, 2024. Please note that the information on this and all pages is periodically reviewed and subject to change.
Citation: "The National Lancers with the Reviewing Officers on Boston Common., 1837 (inv. 476)." In Fitz Henry Lane Online. Gloucester, MA: Cape Ann Museum. www.fitzhenrylaneonline.org/catalogue/entry.php?id=476 (accessed on August 24, 2025).