Timeline

Remington as an infant.

The young Remington with his mother, Clara Sackrider Remington.

Remington as the mascot of the Canton Fire Department.

Studio portrait of the young Remington, looking forlorn; photo by Dow Studios, Ogdensburg, New York

While staying with his grandparents in Canton, Remington creates his first painting, which depicts a barbarian chained to a post in a dungeon, guarded by a Roman soldier.

Remington enrolls as a sophomore at Highland Military Academy, Worcester, Massachusetts; he sketches incessantly, filling notebooks with scenes of action and adventure rendered in pencil, ink, and watercolor.

Studio portrait of the young Remington; photo by Dow Studios, Ogdensburg, New York

Studio portrait of Remington with his boyhood friend, John Howard; photo by Dow Studios, Ogdensburg, New York

Remington strikes up a correspondence with Scott Turner, a friend of a classmate who has studied art; they exchange letters and drawings. In a letter dated March 3, Remington writes, “Your favorite subject is soldiers. So is mine.” In an undated letter Remington urges: “Send me Indians, cowboys, villains, or toughs. These are what I want.”

View of Highland Military Academy, Worcester, Massachusetts.

Remington enrolls at Yale School of Fine Arts; he finds his art classes somewhat disappointing due to their emphasis on classical training.

In Canton, Remington meets Eva Adele Caten (1859–1918), two years older and a student at St. Lawrence University; they begin keeping company.

Remington as a “rusher” for the Yale football team.

Remington and his mother move back to Canton. He subsequently obtains a political job in Albany as chief clerk in the Department of Public Instruction, and relocates there.

Remington as a young man sporting a wispy moustache.

From Wyoming Remington impetuously sends a small sketch on wrapping paper to Charles Parsons, the art director of Harper’s Weekly.

Remington begins work in Albany as a clerk in the New York State Insurance Department.

Harper’s Weekly, a popular pictorial newspaper with the largest circulation in the world, then in excess of 200,000, publishes its first Remington illustration (redrawn by staff artist William Rogers).

Remington arrives in Peabody, Kansas, and by April is the owner of a quarter-section sheep ranch and rides a horse named Terra-Cotta.

Remington posing with two drinking buddies in Peabody, Kansas.

His sheep enterprise a failure, Remington puts his land up for sale and auctions off all his livestock and equipment.

Remington marries Eva Caten in Gloversville, New York; they return to Kansas City.

Remington leaves three paintings on consignment at an art store operated by W. W. Findlay; all three are quickly sold.

Remington sells a second drawing, this time with an accompanying essay, to Harper’s Weekly.

Remington, reunited with his wife, Eva, moves to Brooklyn, New York; he meets with Henry Harper, and soon begins work as a staff artist for Harper’s Weekly.

In his first year as a commercial artist, Remington earned about $1,200 for twenty-five illustrations that appeared in newspapers, periodicals, and books; this compares to the average annual pay for a schoolteacher ($500), factory worker ($600), or minister ($750).

Remington attends the Art Students League in New York; his fellow students include Daniel Beard, Charles Dana Gibson, and Ernest Thompson Seton; he becomes close friends with Edward Kemble, “a pen and ink man.” His painting instructor is Julian Alden Weir.

Remington’s cover illustration for Harper’s Weekly, titled The Rescue of Captain Scott, showcases the heroism of Lieutenant Powhatan Clarke and the exploits of the black Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th Cavalry.