An Annotated Bibliography on Edward Mitchell Bannister and Christiana Carteaux Bannister
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This annotated bibliography is the result of a collaboration between myself and the Providence Art Club. What started out as a simple partnership to prepare some teacher resources about the Bannisters and the time period they lived in, ended with, not only teacher resources, but this bibliography. In preparation for assembling some teacher resources, I was curious to see what already existed regarding the Bannisters. My assumption was that there was very little.
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I was wrong. While there is not an abundance of primary source material about Edward or Christiana’s early lives, there is a significant amount of material that has been produced about them as artists, entrepreneurs, abolitionists, and activists.
I did not include every item written by or about the Bannisters. In fact, one clear area not included in this bibliography is correspondence from the Bannisters or from folks corresponding with or about the Bannisters. The simple reason for this omission is because I could find none. Newspaper articles are another area where I exercised editorial discretion. For example, I did not include every article that mentions the Bannisters in the Providence Journal. There are many announcements of exhibitions and events that say the same thing and offer no new information. I chose not to include the repeats. Unless otherwise noted, all images are used under Creative Commons licensing or with permission from the Providence Art Club.
I am deeply grateful for the contributions of Nancy Whipple Grinnell and Elizabeth Zimmerman from the Providence Art Club; Victoria Gao, Director of the Bannister Gallery and Exhibitions at Rhode Island College;
Barnaby Evans, Creator and Artistic Director of Waterfire; Rhode Island historian Tim Cranston; and activist, historian and Cristiana Bannister scholar Ray Rickman.
Finally, very little published information about the Bannisters should be considered definitive. There are contradictions, inconsistencies, and myths galore in the literature about the Bannisters. I do maintain a digital library of newspaper articles, academic journals, some books, government records, and miscellaneous materials about the Bannisters. Access to this digital library is provided upon request.
I did not include every item written by or about the Bannisters. In fact, one clear area not included in this bibliography is correspondence from the Bannisters or from folks corresponding with or about the Bannisters. The simple reason for this omission is because I could find none. Newspaper articles are another area where I exercised editorial discretion. For example, I did not include every article that mentions the Bannisters in the Providence Journal. There are many announcements of exhibitions and events that say the same thing and offer no new information. I chose not to include the repeats. Unless otherwise noted, all images are used under Creative Commons licensing or with permission from the Providence Art Club.
I am deeply grateful for the contributions of Nancy Whipple Grinnell and Elizabeth Zimmerman from the Providence Art Club; Victoria Gao, Director of the Bannister Gallery and Exhibitions at Rhode Island College;
Barnaby Evans, Creator and Artistic Director of Waterfire; Rhode Island historian Tim Cranston; and activist, historian and Cristiana Bannister scholar Ray Rickman.
Finally, very little published information about the Bannisters should be considered definitive. There are contradictions, inconsistencies, and myths galore in the literature about the Bannisters. I do maintain a digital library of newspaper articles, academic journals, some books, government records, and miscellaneous materials about the Bannisters. Access to this digital library is provided upon request.
Table of Contents
Click on chapter heading to open page
Click on chapter heading to open page
Educator Tools
Bannister Timeline
The Invention of Race
The History of Race in the U.S. and Rhode Island
Our Community
Sample Unit Plan
Bannister Timeline
The Invention of Race
The History of Race in the U.S. and Rhode Island
Our Community
Sample Unit Plan
© 2023 by Michael McGuigan
All rights reserved
All rights reserved
The Bannister pages have moved to a new home! The new site is dedicated exclusively to the Bannisters and is far more interactive. New information about the Bannisters will be added to the new site. These pages will no longer be updated. To visit the new site click on the link below:
www.bannister.info
www.bannister.info
May 5, 2023, added over 30 newspaper articles from the Boston Evening Transcript and the Anglo-African
April 26, 2023, added illustration by Bill Morrison of moment Bannister stood before the judges at the PA Centennial.
April 24, 2023, added over 30 new newspaper articles, mostly from the Boston Evening Transcript, to the digital folder. Will add some of these to the bibliography.
April 23, 2023, added a genealogy chart of Edward Bannister with known facts in digital archive.
April 21, 2023, added 1866 petition signed by Bannister and others to end discrimination in certain Boston theaters.
April 20, 2023, added listing of Bannister works shown at 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1889, 1891, 1892, 1896, and 1898 at the Providence Art Club on the Exhibitions Catalogue page.
April 20, 2023, added text from the Writings of William Cooper Nell that refer to Edward and Christiana Bannister.
April 14, 2023 added copy to the digital library of 1865 Nelson Primus letter to his mother where he states that he thinks Bannister is jealous of him and won't help him find sponsors.
April 14, 2023 added image of April 7, 1857 playbill advertising Christiana Bannister as a primary character in the play Love at Sight which was being shown at her house.
April 13, 2023. Added digital documentation to support the events listed on Bannister timeline. Documents can be enlarged for easier reading by clicking on them.
April 8, 2023. Added Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association 1881 catalogue listing Edward as a medal winner.
April 2, 2023. Added 1881, 1882, 1886 and 1891 list of works shown by Bannister at the Boston Art Club on the Exhibitions Catalogue page..
March 26, 2023. Added multiple newspaper articles, primarily concerning the Centennial Exhibit. Also added record about Christiana and Desseline's marriage in 1840.
March 23, 2023. Added Brown Daily Herald article concerning statue of Edward Bannister. Added reference to performance hosted by Providence Art club about the life of Christiana Banister.
February 22, 2023. Revised the Bannister timeline to focus on the details of Edward and Christiana. Previous timeline will be placed on another page.
February 20, 2023. Added link to Rhode Island PBS broadcast of Providence Art Club interview about statue project.
February 11, 2023: Added six newspaper articles, two about Bannister's ownership of a barber shop. Added dissertations by Hollis and Gonzalez.
February 10, 2023: added “Massachusetts Artists’ Centennial Album.”
April 26, 2023, added illustration by Bill Morrison of moment Bannister stood before the judges at the PA Centennial.
April 24, 2023, added over 30 new newspaper articles, mostly from the Boston Evening Transcript, to the digital folder. Will add some of these to the bibliography.
April 23, 2023, added a genealogy chart of Edward Bannister with known facts in digital archive.
April 21, 2023, added 1866 petition signed by Bannister and others to end discrimination in certain Boston theaters.
April 20, 2023, added listing of Bannister works shown at 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1889, 1891, 1892, 1896, and 1898 at the Providence Art Club on the Exhibitions Catalogue page.
April 20, 2023, added text from the Writings of William Cooper Nell that refer to Edward and Christiana Bannister.
April 14, 2023 added copy to the digital library of 1865 Nelson Primus letter to his mother where he states that he thinks Bannister is jealous of him and won't help him find sponsors.
April 14, 2023 added image of April 7, 1857 playbill advertising Christiana Bannister as a primary character in the play Love at Sight which was being shown at her house.
April 13, 2023. Added digital documentation to support the events listed on Bannister timeline. Documents can be enlarged for easier reading by clicking on them.
April 8, 2023. Added Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association 1881 catalogue listing Edward as a medal winner.
April 2, 2023. Added 1881, 1882, 1886 and 1891 list of works shown by Bannister at the Boston Art Club on the Exhibitions Catalogue page..
March 26, 2023. Added multiple newspaper articles, primarily concerning the Centennial Exhibit. Also added record about Christiana and Desseline's marriage in 1840.
March 23, 2023. Added Brown Daily Herald article concerning statue of Edward Bannister. Added reference to performance hosted by Providence Art club about the life of Christiana Banister.
February 22, 2023. Revised the Bannister timeline to focus on the details of Edward and Christiana. Previous timeline will be placed on another page.
February 20, 2023. Added link to Rhode Island PBS broadcast of Providence Art Club interview about statue project.
February 11, 2023: Added six newspaper articles, two about Bannister's ownership of a barber shop. Added dissertations by Hollis and Gonzalez.
February 10, 2023: added “Massachusetts Artists’ Centennial Album.”
Working in partnership with the Providence community and its leaders, the Providence Art Club is helping lead another fitting tribute to the artist: a bronze statue of him that will sit at Market Square on the Providence River. To learn more click here.