When it comes to Cleveland history, we would be willing to bet that even the heartiest of native Clevelanders would be hard-pressed to explain how the name Archibald Willard arrives on the list. However, as the old saying goes, you are never too old to learn something new, so here goes.
Archibald Willard was an American painter who was born and raised in Bedford, Ohio, which was also the home to Cleveland baseball legend Elmer Flik.
Who Was Archibald Willard?
Willard's interest in art developed early, and he was known to draw his creations on anything at his disposal, including the barns and other structures available to him around the area.
His interest in art led to a move to Wellington, Ohio and a job with E.S Tripp, a wagon maker, who started Willard out as a wagon painter. This entry-level position eventually to Willard painting much more detailed images as well as serving as an image painter during his time serving in the Civil War.
After the war, Willard developed a relationship with a photographer by the name of James F. Ryder, whose business was printing and marketing copies of multiple images for households. In Willard, Ryder saw someone with a unique style, capable of creating funny and memorable scenes or images that would further his business model.
So, a successful business relationship was formed between Willard and Ryder, each playing to their strengths. Willard, of course, was the talent and Ryder's experience in the marketing of chromolithographs created a very formidable team.
The Spirit of '76 Painting
The actual story behind Willard's creation of the Spirit of '76 itself is fairly simple. He was inspired to create it after watching a patriotic holiday parade go through town. Where it gets most interesting is how it became so well known so quickly. That is where Ryder comes into the picture again.
Originally known as Yankee Doodle, the painting was displayed at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876. It was not universally appreciated or lauded and was somewhat lost among a large number of paintings created for the event. Its success and popularity came after the event due to Ryder's talent for the marketing of the mass production of chromolithographs, selling this particular one for $5 each. This was the how the Spirit of '76 gained traction and allowed it to become widely known all around the country.
How the Spirit of '76 Came to Be
The idea started as a simple sketch, on which Willard used his own father as the face of the man in the middle of the three men singing and dancing. Using his father in the image was a bit of a turn from Willard’s usual humorous style, but it was important to him to honor his father’s work as a minister, and even his grandfather’s contributions to the Revolutionary War.
Although Archibald Willard had a lengthy career in his profession, no other works he created brought him anywhere near the acclaim that the Spirit of '76 brought him. His later works were mostly thought of as humorous ways of retelling significant moments in American history.
So, to conclude this tale, I thought it would be fun to let you know how I happened to come across this nugget of local Cleveland history. It's really quite simple really. In my travels around town, heading into Bedford from Oakwood, I came across the plaque by the side of the road that commemorates Willard’s connection to Bedford and the rest was as it always is, the digging up of the rest of the story.
Hope you enjoyed this bit of little-known Cleveland history.