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

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
64. 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
103. His Excellency John Hancock, late Governor of Massachusetts, painted by Mr. Copley
104. The death of Capt. Cooke
105. Virgin May and infant
106. A beautiful nun at her evening devotion
107. The late Honorable Thomas Hancock, Esquire