The Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands is developing a yearlong exhibit at the Crawford House focusing on the life and work of Newburgh’s own Hudson River School painter, Thomas B. Pope (1833-1891). Inspired by Pope’s scenic paintings in the Crawford House collection and local private collections, as well as the 135th anniversary of his tragic death, the Historical Society plans to launch a contextual exhibit, “The World of Thomas B. Pope”, to explore the artist’s physical locality and daily life here in Newburgh, his stylistic participation in the Hudson River School of painting, and his engagement both with national events like the Civil War and local events like the Centennial of Peace celebrations in 1883. Our exhibit will offer a breadth of visual interest in displaying artifacts of late nineteenth-century Newburgh such as maps, personal effects, ephemera, analogous artwork and daily objects, in addition to featured paintings by Pope himself.

The mid- to late-1800s in Newburgh was an exciting time. This was an era of growth and change in our river city, and our exhibit will document those changes. The Newburgh Historical Society will use the life of Thomas Pope to explore the bustle of Newburgh’s industry, immigration and population growth, and the realization that nature itself was a precious resource that was rapidly being lost.

Through ongoing archival research by local historians and volunteers, new dimensions of Pope’s life have been uncovered - from his varied Newburgh businesses to his civic engagement as a journalist, fireman and theater set designer to his unfortunate death in a train accident in Beacon. Although earnest in his artistic output, he neither received wide acclaim as a painter in his lifetime nor has he had a large showing of his works posthumously. His is a story that has not yet been told and can truly only be told in Newburgh, as the man and the city grew up together.