The Bannister Research Collection is a searchable research resource devoted to the lives, careers, and historical contexts of Edward Mitchell Bannister (1828–1901) and Christiana Carteaux Bannister (1819–1902). The collection brings together references to historical documents, publications, exhibitions, artworks, and archival materials that illuminate the Bannisters' personal and professional lives, their communities, and the broader social and cultural history of nineteenth-century America. The database helps researchers identify relevant sources, discover connections among historical records, and locate materials for further investigation.
The collection is a research finding aid, not a substitute for consulting original historical sources.
The main search page provides access to several categories of research materials. You can begin by entering a name, place, title, date, or keyword into the search field. For example, you might search for:
Edward Mitchell Bannister — to identify records associated with the artist.
Christiana Carteaux — to locate references to her life and activities.
Providence — to find materials connected with Providence, Rhode Island.
Boston — to investigate the Bannisters' earlier years.
Exhibition — to locate records concerning the display of artworks.
Fanchon — to investigate Bannister's sailing activities.
Search results may include records from several sections of the collection.
Research tip: Begin with a broad search. If you receive too many results, refine your search using a more specific name, title, location, or date.
The collection organizes historical references into several categories.
The bibliography contains references to publications and other sources relevant to the Bannisters and their historical context. Entries may include titles, authors, dates, citations, annotations, and links to additional information. Use this section to identify published materials and establish a starting point for historical research.
This section contains references to magazines, journals, and other periodical publications. Periodicals can provide valuable information about nineteenth-century art criticism, exhibitions, public opinion, and cultural activities.
This section identifies books, exhibition catalogues, and related publications. Historical exhibition catalogues can be particularly useful for establishing when and where an artwork was exhibited, how it was titled, and how it was described at the time.
This section provides references to scholarly dissertations relevant to the Bannisters and related historical subjects. These works may offer detailed research, bibliographies, and discussions of primary sources.
Critical literature includes scholarly and interpretive writings about the Bannisters, their artistic production, and their historical significance. Researchers may use these materials to understand how interpretations of the Bannisters have developed over time.
The archives section identifies archival collections and repositories containing potentially relevant historical materials. These records can help researchers locate manuscripts, correspondence, institutional records, and other primary sources.
This section contains references to manuscript materials, including handwritten documents and other unpublished historical records. Manuscript evidence may provide information that does not appear in published sources.
The exhibitions section documents exhibitions associated with Bannister's artistic career. Records may include exhibition titles, dates, institutions, locations, and references to historical catalogues.
This section identifies individual artworks documented in exhibition records. Where available, entries may provide:
Artwork title as recorded in the historical source
Exhibition date or year
Exhibition or catalogue title
Catalogue number
Medium
Listed price
Sale information
Owner or lender
References to supporting documentation
These details can help researchers reconstruct an artwork's exhibition history.
Researchers can use the search function to investigate connections among individuals, locations, institutions, and historical events. For example, a search for Providence may identify records concerning Bannister's artistic career, exhibitions, residences, and community activities. A search for Christiana Carteaux may help locate materials concerning her professional activities, charitable work, and personal associations.
When searching for historical individuals, consider trying alternative names and spellings. Historical records may identify the same person in different ways. For example: Christiana Carteaux Bannister may also appear as Christiana Carteaux, Christiana Bannister, or Madame Carteaux.
Searching these variations may reveal records that would otherwise be overlooked.
One of the collection's important features is the relationship between historical exhibitions and the artworks documented in them. Researchers can investigate these relationships in two directions.
When an exhibition record provides a View Exhibition option, select it to examine the associated exhibition information and available artwork entries. This approach is useful when investigating a particular exhibition, institution, or year.
When an artwork record provides a View All Exhibitions for This Painting option, select it to investigate other exhibition records associated with that work. This feature can help researchers trace an artwork's documented exhibition history.
Artwork titles in nineteenth-century catalogues were not always consistent. A painting may have been exhibited under different titles, or several different paintings may have shared similar titles. Consequently, similar titles appearing in multiple exhibition records do not necessarily mean they refer to the same physical artwork. Researchers should compare dates, descriptions, dimensions, ownership information, and other available evidence before concluding an artwork's identity.
Research records may contain several kinds of information.
Title: The title of a publication, document, artwork, exhibition, or other source.
Author: The individual or organization responsible for a publication or document, when known.
Date or Year: The date associated with the historical source or event.
Source Type: The general classification of the record.
People: Individuals associated with the source.
Places: Geographic locations associated with the record.
Annotation: Additional information describing the source or explaining its relevance.
Citation: Bibliographic information intended to help researchers identify the source.
Source URL or Website URL: A link to a relevant online resource, when available.
Not every record contains all these fields. The amount of information available depends on the original source and the current state of research.
Whenever possible, the collection provides citations or links to supporting materials. Researchers are encouraged to follow these references and examine the original documents. This is particularly important when working with nineteenth-century newspapers, exhibition catalogues, manuscripts, and archival records.
Historical sources may contain:
Inconsistent spelling of names
Incorrect dates
Variant artwork titles
Incomplete descriptions
Errors introduced during printing or transcription
Contradictory accounts of the same event
The database preserves information useful for historical investigation, but the inclusion of a reference should not be interpreted as independent confirmation of every statement contained in that source.
The database can support several kinds of historical inquiry.
Search for individuals, residences, occupations, institutions, and personal associations to reconstruct aspects of the Bannisters' lives.
Use exhibition records, artwork entries, historical criticism, and catalogues to investigate Bannister's artistic career.
Explore references to the communities, organizations, and institutions associated with the Bannisters.
Search names, places, and historical records to identify possible family and community connections.
Compare artwork titles, exhibition dates, catalogue descriptions, and ownership references to investigate the documented histories of individual works.
In all these areas, the collection is intended to support further investigation rather than provide definitive answers to every historical question.
The Bannister Research Collection is an ongoing research project.
Although the database contains a growing body of historical references, it is not an exhaustive inventory of all surviving materials relating to Edward Mitchell Bannister or Christiana Carteaux Bannister. Some records are more complete than others. Additional research may lead to revised identifications, corrected dates, expanded citations, or new interpretations. The absence of a document or reference from the database should not be interpreted as evidence that the source does not exist. Similarly, a database entry identifying a possible connection between individuals, artworks, or historical events should not automatically be treated as proof of that relationship. Historical conclusions should be based on the quality and consistency of the available evidence.
The Bannister Research Collection is periodically revised as new materials are identified and existing records are reviewed. The Research Database Last Updated date displayed on the bottom of the search page indicates the most recent recorded edit to the research database. This date does not necessarily indicate that every record has been reviewed or verified as of that date. Researchers conducting extended projects may wish to revisit the collection periodically to identify newly added or revised information.
Researchers who use the database in publications, presentations, or other scholarly work should acknowledge the collection. A suggested general citation is:
Bannister Research Collection, research database, bannister.info, accessed [Month Day, Year].
When citing a particular historical document, exhibition, or publication, researchers should cite the original source whenever possible. The database citation may be included separately to acknowledge its role in identifying or organizing the material.
The Bannister Research Collection tries to make historical references relating to Edward Mitchell Bannister, Christiana Carteaux Bannister, and their world more accessible to researchers. By bringing together materials from different types of historical sources, the collection aims to encourage new scholarship, facilitate the identification of overlooked evidence, and contribute to a fuller understanding of the Bannisters' lives and historical significance. The collection is a continuing work of historical documentation and interpretation.