Columbian Museum

The Columbian Museum was a museum and performance space in Boston, Massachusetts, established by Daniel Bowen, and continued by William M. S. Doyle. The museum operated during 1795–1825 featuring artworks, natural history specimens, wax figures, and other curiosities.

Brief history


Daniel Bowen (c. 1760–1856) established the Columbian Museum in Boston in 1795. Prior to this time, Bowen had overseen the display of "a few specimens of waxwork, at the American Coffee House, opposite the Bunch-of-Grapes, in State street. ...Additions of natural and artificial curiosities, paintings, &c., were constantly made to the collection till 1795, when it assumed the name of Columbian Museum." Located "at the head of the mall" near the Boston Common, the museum's collection included items from Edward Savage's "New York Museum."; paintings by Robert Edge Pine; and other curiosities. A newspaper advertisement for the museum in 1797 announces some of the top highlights on display:"'Concert clocks.... Elegant paintings.... Elegant Figures of waxwork, Large as Life, among which are ...The late King of France;... George Washington;... Dr. Franklin, sitting at a table, with the late Dr. Stiles, President of Yale College.... The New-York Beauty. The Sleeping Nymph. A Tea Party of Young Ladies, with a Servant Negro Girl. ...Sir Charles Grandison and Miss Harriet Byron. Charlotte weeping at the Tomb of Werter. Humphreys and Mendoza, the celebrated English Boxers.... The assassination of Marat... The late unfortunate Baron Trenck, loaded with large iron chains in a real Prison. An Indian Warrior, with his tomahawk, belts of wampum, &c. Two Chinese Mandarines, drest in the modern stile of that country.... With a great variety of Natural and Artificial Curiosities; Among which are a great variety of Birds, live Owls, Beasts, Reptiles, Serpents, (one of which is a Rattle-Snake, 9 years of age, and 4 feet in length,) Insects, Diamond Beetle, Glass Frigates, two feet in length, compleatly rigged and mounted with Glass Guns, &c.'"



In addition to exhibiting objects and animals, the museum provided a venue for performing arts such as musical concerts for organ and voice. In 1797, for instance, "Chalmers, Williamson, and Barrett ... gave an olio of readings lectures, recitations and songs... entitled 'Nature in Nubibus, or a Melicosmeotes -- an antidote for the spleen.'" In 1800, "the Columbian Museum will be opened and elegantly illuminated This Evening, Dec. 25. Music suited to the Evening on the Grand Piano Forte by Mr. Dolliver. Also the whole variety of the Concert Organ, and Musical Clocks performed on this occasion." In 1804, "Mr. Bates" performed a program of skits, stories, and songs, and also phantasmagoria (illuminated image-projection) featuring "Old Father Time -- A Female Spirit, rising from the Tomb -- The King of Terror -- The Ghost and Hamlet -- Washington -- The President of the United States -- A Bust of Dr. Franklin -- An Egyptian Pigmy Idol, which instantaneously changes to a Human Skull."

The museum enjoyed considerable popularity. One historian notes the broadening cultural effect of the "famous Columbian Museum, where New England began learning to be less provincial."

Bowen developed a number of side-businesses, including the Columbian Museum Press, an auction room, and retail sales.

The brief, dramatic history of the museum from 1803 through 1807 reflects the commitment and persistence of Bowen, his supporters, and loyal museum patrons. A fire on January 15, 1803, damaged the business; a few months later, the museum re-opened in a new location, on the corner of Milk Street and Oliver Street.

In 1806, Bowen and William M.S. Doyle (1769–1828) moved the museum to Tremont Street, into their newly built "costly brick edifice, five stories high." The new building occupied the lot adjacent to King's Chapel Burying Ground. However another fire in 1807 wreaked havoc. The fire had begun "from the explosion of a preparation ... used in [the] exhibition of the Phantasmagoria, then occupying the upper hall." Several people were killed, and some wounded, when a wall of the burned museum building collapsed into the burying ground next door. "A large crown of spectators had collected in the burying-ground adjoining, when the walls fell, killing nine or ten boys, from 12 to 15 years old. Dr. William Eustis ...with other physicians lent his aid on the occasion." Bowen and Doyle rebuilt again, and re-opened the museum in a two-story building in June, 1807.

However, after 1807, Bowen suffered financial ruin, and withdrew from museum operations. Doyle assumed directorship thenceforth, until 1825, when Ethan Allen Greenwood acquired the collections for his newly established New England Museum.

Selected performances

 * Mr. Bates (1804)
 * Mr. Dolliver (1800)
 * Richard Potter (1811, 1818): "Mr. Potter will perform the part of the anti-combustible Man Salamander and will pass a red hot bar of iron over his tongue, draw it through his hands repeatedly, and afterwards bend it into various shapes with his naked feet, as a smith would on an anvil. He will also immerse his hands and feet in molten lead, and pass his naked feet and arms over a large body of fire. He will also perform a variety of pleasing magical deceptions; which, to give a minute detail of, would fill a volume. The performer, not being willing to anticipate the pleasure the audience may receive from his performance, flatters himself that he is so well known in different parts of this country, as not to require the aid of a pompous advertisement. In addition to his magical and ventriloquial talents, he will introduce a number of songs and recitations."

Paintings exhibited
Some of the visual art ("elegant paintings") shown at the museum were listed in broadside advertisements issued circa 1798-1799:

1. An allegorical piece, representing America

2. Mr. Garrick, speaking the ode to Shakespeare

3. Mrs. Yates in the character of Medea

4. Scene in the 4th act of Hamlet

5. Scene in the 3rd act of King Lear

6. Scene in the 4th act of King Lear

7. Scene in the 4th Act of As You Like It

8. Mr. Lowndes and family, of Maryland

9. A beautiful Grecian lady

10. Medea and Jason

11. Garrick, resigning the stage

12. Henry the 5th, when Prince of Wales, surrendering himself prisoner to the Chief Justice, whom he had insulted

13. Miss Cadwalladers of Philadelphia

14. Henry the 5th, when going to France, detecting a conspiracy against his life

15. Boadacia

16. The surrender of Calais to Edward the Third

17. Canute the Great

18. The four seasons

19. Mr. Sterrett and family of Maryland

20. Mr. Hanson and family of Maryland

21. Mrs. Prichard, an actress

22. Charles Thompson, esq.

23. Mrs. Erskine, an English Lady

24. Mr. Hanson and family

25. An elegant fruit piece

26. Sir Anthony van Dyck

27. Mr. Henderson, in Comus

28. A Spaniard

29. Venus, Cupid and Satyr

30. Mrs. Morris, of Philadelphia

31. A house & garden in England

32. Contemplation

33. A pastoral concert

34. Mr. Lee of Virginia

35. A mad woman in chains

36. Mrs. Hacket, of Maryland

37. Time clipping Cupid's wings

38. Mr. Carrol of Maryland

39. George the 2nd, late king of England

40. Mary, Queen of Scots

41. The beautiful Susannah

42. An English lady

43. Mr. Randolph, late Secretary of State

44. Vision of the cross of St. Helena

45. Miss Smith, of Baltimore

46. A beautiful young lady

47. A mad woman, in prison

48. Bellisarius, the philosopher

49. Admiral Keppell

50. Time clipping cupid's wings

51. Bachus, Ceres and Cupid

52. Mr. Garrick

53. Pomona and Vertumnus

54. An African woman

55. Rubens, a celebrated painter

56. An old philosopher

57. A fruit piece

58. Mr. Garrick

59. President of the U. States

60. Mrs. Garrick

61. Cupid unmasked

62. A Roman matron

63. A young wanton

63. An Indian princess

65. A fancy piece

66. General Washington

67. Mrs. Rubens

68. Duke of Norfolk

69. G. Washington's resignation

70. [Haniman?], painted by himself

71. Duchess of Devonshire

72. President of the U. States

73. Vandyke, painted by himself

74. One of the muses

75. Mrs. Prichard, an actress

76. Diana

77. A school boy, reading

78. Aurora and nymphs dancing

79. An old man

80. A London cryer

81. Col. Humphries

82. Mrs. Pine

83. Mrs. Howard of Annapolis

84. Alderman Beckford of London

85. A young student

86. Somnus and Cupid

87. Somnus

88. An Egyptian fortune-teller

89. Samuel Chace, Esq.

90. Duke of Brunswick

91. Children, by Rubens

92. Mr. Garrick

93. Dr. Tilton, of Delaware

94. John Wilkes

95. B. Hawkins, N. Carolina

96. Gov. Spaight, N. Carolina

97. Flemish peasant's family

98. The death of General Wolf

99. Mrs. Howard of Maryland

100. Fanny, the gipsy, in the maid of the mill

101. The present Emperor of China, drawn from life

102. The present Empress of China, drawn from life

103-108. Six elegant views of different parts of the East-Indies, drawn from nature, by the Chinese painters

109. His Excellency John Hancock, late Governor of Massachusetts, painted by Mr. Copley

110. The death of Capt. Cooke

111. Virgin May and infant

112. A beautiful nun at her evening devotion

113. The late Honorable Thomas Hancock, Esquire