Celebrity in Print: Fame, At Last

Celebrity Portraits in Print History > Before the 18th century, consumers in Great Britain and its American colonies lacked access to images of famous people other than monarchs. Broad circulation of engraved portraiture changed all that; now people could put a recognizable likeness or caricature with a name they had read about. Soon a market emerged for images of writers, actors, criminals, athletes, politicians, military figures, social climbers, models, and fashionable society women.

This year, the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum — one of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg — is presenting the exhibition “Celebrity in Print,” which pairs portrait prints with porcelain, silver, archeological fragments, and other artifacts that together illustrate the powerful impact celebrities made.

According to Katie McKinney, Colonial Williamsburg’s curator of maps and prints, “Just as today we use ever-expanding technologies to shape and share our image, so artists, actors, politicians, athletes, and socialites of the past used the printed word and images to expand their influence and fame.”

“Celebrity in Print”
DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum
Williamsburg, Virginia
colonialwilliamsburg.org
through November 8, 2025

Among the most recognizable of colonial government notables was Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790). In a 1763 mezzotint made after a portrait painted by Mason Chamberlin, several of Franklin’s most famous experiments are depicted around him, including the lightning rod. After the print was published in England, his son ordered 200 copies to sell in Philadelphia. Franklin himself greatly enjoyed handing the print out to friends and correspondents, as this was one of his favorite likenesses.

Actors were often depicted in costumes or striking poses from their most famous roles. Their printed portraits often served as inspiration for ceramic figurines and were transferred to handkerchiefs, snuffboxes, and drinking vessels. One example featured in “Celebrity in Print” (and illustrated here) is the British comedic actor Henry Woodward (1714–1777).

This pair includes a print and a porcelain figure showing him as “The Fine Gentleman” in David Garrick’s first play, Lethe, or Esop in Shades, first performed in London in 1740. Woodward’s character, dressed in an absurd outfit, poked fun at the wealthy Englishmen who traveled through Europe on their “Grand Tour.”

Upon their return, it was feared that they would adopt foreign dress, customs, and tastes. Garrick’s play was soon performed to huge acclaim in New York, Philadelphia, Annapolis, and Charleston.

Printed likenesses also celebrated ordinary people who led extraordinary lives. In the 18th century, 50 was the threshold of “old age.” It is not surprising, then, that Margaret Patten, who in 1737 claimed to be 136 years old, attracted attention. The mezzotint engraving of her is based on a portrait by John Cooper that was painted at the request of local officials to commemorate her long life.

The exhibited prints — and also other examples kept elsewhere at Colonial Williamsburg — can be explored in depth on two 65-inch touchscreens available for visitors’ use in the galleries.