From 1806 to 1808 Daniel and William Constable, two brothers from England, went on a tour of the newly formed United States. During their travels through the country, they recorded their journey and experiences in detailed diaries and in watercolors, which together were part of the first program I helped run at the Carter. I was immediately interested in learning more about the brothers and their visits to several now famous sites and encounters with some of the most recognizable names in early U.S. history.

A note on the front page of Daniel’s small 1807 diary marks an event that helped shape American art history: “[Audubon] will marry Miss Bakewell.” John James Audubon was a French American who came to live in Pennsylvania in 1803. From his family’s estate near Philadelphia, Audubon spent the next several years exploring the wooded surroundings to observe, hunt, and sketch—particularly the wildlife in the area. He also came to know the family that lived on a neighboring estate, where he met and fell in love with Lucy Bakewell. The couple married in 1808 and relocated to Kentucky, where Lucy remained to raise their two sons while John traveled for work.

The family eventually moved to Louisiana, and although John had a variety of business ventures during his lifetime, none were very successful, and the family struggled to remain afloat. As her husband turned to pursuing his interest in art, Lucy became the primary breadwinner for the family—first as a teacher, then by establishing a school. While taking on the financial responsibilities for the family, Lucy also remained a steadfast supporter of her husband’s career. When he began serious work on what would become his landmark book The Birds of America (1827–38), Lucy assisted with writing and editing, as well as encouraging his travel to England to find a publisher. As John found success, the couple was able to travel to England together, where Lucy continued to assist him financially throughout the publication of the smaller lithograph version of the book. With the success of The Birds of America, John was able to purchase land along the Hudson River, where he lived with his family until his death in 1851.

Though John James Audubon is rightly remembered as one of the great early American artists, without Lucy he may not have been able to achieve the level of success he did. By supporting the family financially and encouraging her husband’s efforts, Lucy is just as much to credit for the success of the works as her husband. This lesser-known story that had such a large impact on American art history is one of the benefits of looking into archival materials: You never know what you may find from researching a small note.