Albert Bierstadt

Summary

Stuff You Missed in History Class: Albert Bierstadt Release Date: June 18, 2025 | Hosted by Holly Fry and Tracy V. Wilson

---

Introduction

In this episode of Stuff You Missed in History Class, Holly Fry and Tracy V. Wilson delve deep into the life and legacy of Albert Bierstadt, a pivotal figure in American landscape painting. The hosts explore Bierstadt's journey from his early years in Germany to his rise as a celebrated artist in the United States, his strategic career maneuvers, personal life intricacies, and his enduring impact on art history.

---

Early Life and Education

[05:38] Tracy V. Wilson: "Albert Bierstadt was born in Solingen, Germany on January 7, 1830... his family moved to the US in 1832 when Albert was just a two-year-old."

Bierstadt's formative years were marked by his family's relocation to New Bedford, Massachusetts, a hub for the whaling industry. Despite limited formal education in the arts, Bierstadt exhibited a natural aptitude for painting from a young age. By 20, he was already teaching painting classes, demonstrating both his skill and entrepreneurial spirit.

---

Career Beginnings and European Influence

[09:22] Holly Fry: "At the age of 23, Bierstadt returned to Germany, hoping to study art in Düsseldorf."

His ambition led him to Europe, where he sought to refine his craft. Although he faced challenges in securing mentorship under Andreas Achenbach of the Düsseldorf School, Bierstadt's time in Europe was instrumental in developing his signature style—sweeping landscapes illuminated by dramatic lighting. He employed innovative techniques, including oil sketches and photography, to capture and enhance natural vistas.

---

Return to America and Rise to Prominence

[16:29] Holly Fry: "In 1857, Bierstadt returned to the US with a matured style... primarily painting historical pieces."

Upon his return, Bierstadt briefly continued teaching before committing fully to his art. His early works, such as the Portico of Octavia, showcased his ability to depict both historical significance and everyday life. By 1858, his painting Lake Lucerne earned him recognition from the National Academy of Design, cementing his status as a rising star in the American art scene.

Notable Quote:

Tracy V. Wilson: "Albert had another technique was plussing up landscapes by changing the details for some added drama." [11:39]

---

Expanding Horizons: The American West

[19:37] Holly Fry: "Bierstadt's focus on European subjects changed after he joined a government contracted overland survey in 1859."

His participation in Colonel Frederick W. Lander's survey expedition across the North American continent provided him with firsthand experience of the American West's grandeur. This journey fueled his passion for capturing the vast and untamed landscapes of places like Yosemite Valley and the Sierra Nevada Mountains, which became central themes in his later works.

Notable Quote:

Holly Fry: "He sat in front of Rocky, Cool New Hampshire and almost teared up... felt like I was back in my childhood." [02:34]

---

Personal Life and Intrigues

[27:31] Tracy V. Wilson: "There was an interesting bit of interpersonal intrigue with Bierstadt and his friend Ludlow..."

Bierstadt's personal life intertwined with his professional one, notably through his friendship and subsequent marriage to Rosalie Ludlow. Their relationship, which culminated amidst rumors of infidelity, added a layer of personal drama to Bierstadt's otherwise disciplined career. This period was marked by a prolific output of some of his best works, reflecting both his personal joys and the complexities of his relationships.

---

Challenges and Later Years

[37:14] Tracy V. Wilson: "In 1882, there was a fire at Malkaston and the entire mansion burned down. All of his paintings there... were lost."

Despite his earlier successes, the latter part of Bierstadt's career was fraught with challenges. The destruction of his mansion, Malkasten, resulted in the loss of numerous artworks and indigenous artifacts crucial to his creative process. Additionally, the shifting cultural landscape post-Civil War diminished the appeal of his Manifest Destiny-influenced artworks, leading to a decline in his financial stability.

Notable Quote:

Holly Fry: "He was hurt by the committee's decision to not exhibit his work at the Paris Expo... but he found his own way around it." [43:31]

---

Legacy and Posthumous Recognition

[46:40] Holly Fry: "A lot of biographies indicate that he was completely unknown by the time he died, but that does not appear to be entirely accurate."

Contrary to some accounts, Bierstadt maintained a measure of recognition up until his death in 1902. Although his popularity waned, a resurgence of interest in his work emerged decades later. Today, Bierstadt's paintings are celebrated in prestigious institutions like the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Denver Art Museum, reaffirming his significant contribution to American art.

Notable Quote:

Holly Fry: "Everything is cyclical. His painting was sold for half a million dollars... remains in the National Gallery of Art collection today." [46:18]

---

Conclusion

Albert Bierstadt's life encapsulates the meteoric rise and challenging decline of an artist whose work was deeply intertwined with the cultural and political currents of his time. Holly and Tracy's exploration not only highlights his artistic achievements but also paints a nuanced picture of the man behind the majestic landscapes. Bierstadt's legacy endures as a testament to the enduring allure of the American wilderness and the complex interplay between art, ambition, and personal life.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• [02:34] Listener Elle: "They look like perfect angels. They don't look like dummies at all. They look like perfect babies."
• [11:39] Tracy V. Wilson: "Albert had another technique was plussing up landscapes by changing the details for some added drama."
• [16:29] Holly Fry: "Our own country has the best material for the artist in the world."
• [27:31] Tracy V. Wilson: "There was an interesting bit of interpersonal intrigue with Bierstadt and his friend Ludlow..."
• [46:18] Holly Fry: "More museums all over the US and the world include his art in their permanent collections."

---

Thank you for tuning into this episode of Stuff You Missed in History Class. Be sure to subscribe on the iHeartRadio app or your preferred podcast platform to never miss an intriguing historical deep dive.

Transcript

[Tom Yamas]

This is an iHeart podcast. Taking over the helm of NBC Nightly News, a 75 year old broadcast. It's a great responsibility. Good evening, I'm Tom Yamas. You have to go out there to bring people at home. Closer to the store, wildfires continue to be a threat. With that massive hurricane comes the massive response. The best reporters in our business know how to listen. And when you listen, you get the truth. For NBC News, NBC News, I'm Tom Galamas. That's what we do every night. NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas.

[Lex Borrero]

Evenings on NBC.

[Holly Fry]

Listen to your elders, honey. You might know them from their viral videos, but now the old gays are pulling back the curtain with their new podcast, Silver Linings with the Old Gays, brought to you in partnership with iHeart's Ruby Studio and Veev Healthcare. Hosts Robert, Mick, Bill and Jesse serve their lifetime of wisdom when it comes to love, sex, community and whatever else they've got on the gay agenda. So check out Silver Linings with the old gays on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lex Borrero]

Welcome to the you versus you podcast. I'm Lex Borrero inviting you to go beyond the titles and the accolades of the world's most successful entertainers. Each week we take off the cape and get real about the inner battles, childhood stories, and the moments that shaped our guests. Get inspired to become the best version of you. Listen to you versus you podcast on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Are there any pictures of you online?

[Tom Yamas]

Then you could already be in a massive police database without even knowing it.

[Holly Fry]

Clearview scrapes together images from Facebook, from LinkedIn, from Venmo accounts. I'm Dexter Thomas, host of Kill Switch, a podcast about how living in the.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Future is affecting us right now.

[Holly Fry]

Police, they are trusting the software with this magical ability to lead them to the right suspect.

[Tom Yamas]

In this episode, we dive into how cops are using AI and facial recognition and sometimes getting it wrong and putting innocent people behind bars.

[Holly Fry]

So if your accuser is this algorithm, but you're not even being told that it was used, let alone given any.

[Tom Yamas]

Of the details about how it works, Listen to Kill Switch on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Holly Fry]

Welcome to Stuff youf Missed in History Class, a production of iHeartRadio. Hello and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly Fry.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

And I'm Tracy V. Wilson.

[Holly Fry]

Tracy, we're going crazy over here. We're going to do this whole thing backwards this week. We're going to do this episode backwards because we're going to read listener mail first because this listener mail led to this episode. So this is from our listener who only signed their email with an L. I see their name in the return address but I don't know if they would like it kept out of the show. So L writes hi Holly and Tracy. I have my PhD in SMI HC and over the years of enjoying your show I have only ever liked the art focused episodes because of the non art stuff, the family drama, the historical event, connections, etc. As an engineer from a family full of STEM people, I had only ever looked at art as something that took skill and that those weird creative people were obsessed with. My partner and I recently moved to the Denver area partially for work, but also because we love the mountains and the outdoors. This past weekend we went to the Denver Art Museum, mainly to enjoy the architecture and the museum vibes. As we wandered the exhibits, I saw a painting that stopped me in my tracks. I stared at it for a good 10 minutes before my partner found me and wondered if I was okay because why would I want to look at a painting for so long? It was Wind river country by Albert Bierstadt. The depth and the beauty and the way he so perfectly captured the way I feel when I'm in the outdoors took my breath away. I went on to find all his other works in that museum and became obsessed. I sat in front of rocky, cool New Hampshire and almost teared up from how much it felt like I was back in my childhood, playing in the woods and exploring my surroundings. All of that to say I have a newfound appreciation for the way art impacts people and I can no longer make fun of you, Holly, and everyone else that loves art because now I do too. I couldn't find an episode on Bierstadt, so if you've covered him already, my apologies. But he seems like an interesting character for an episode. Elle attaches pet tacks of their very sweet pups, Rosie and Bucket, who are referred to as two dummies who love to fight over sticks and go on adventures with us. They look like perfect angels. They don't look like dummies at all. They look like perfect babies. Listen Elle, I love an art awakening and you manage to fall in love with the work of an artist whose story is pretty interesting because it runs counter to the romanticized idea we often have, or is often portrayed in media of a passionate starving artist. Bierstadt was not naturally talented, although he clearly developed incredible skills to make just arresting imagery and he was really, really unusually strategic in his career, selecting imagery that he knew was gonna appeal widely to US audiences. And he also found ways to monetize his art outside of selling paintings and print. He is really, really interesting to me. So here's your episode. He became known for primarily painting the grandeur of the American landscape. But as we'll see, there's a lot more to his story.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Albert Bierstadt was born in Solingen, Germany on January 7, 1830. Sometimes he's described as being from nearby Dusseldorf, mostly because that's a larger and more recognizable city. His parents, Henry and Christina, already had five children when Albert was born. Although he was born in Germany, he's often described as being an American artist. And that's because his family moved to the US in 1832 when Albert was just a two year old. The Bierstadts moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts for the whaling industry. Henry was a cooper and whaling towns of course, needed plenty of barrels.

[Holly Fry]

We don't have a whole lot of details about Albert's early years other than the fact that he was interested in art from a young age. He did not formally study art as a kid, he just practiced a lot and he developed his own knowledge and skill set just through self study. But though he hadn't ever learned art in a formal setting, he was apparently a natural at teaching it, because when he was just 20, Bierstadt had begun teaching painting to make money. Ads ran in the Boston Evening Transcript for his teaching services that read, quote, look at this monochromatic painting. Mr. Albert Bierstadt commenced teaching the above art in this city with a few scholars, and was so successful that the number soon reached 70. And although the promise that everything scholar should, in six lessons of two hours each, make a picture worthy of a frame, we are not aware of any case in which he has not succeeded in redeeming that pledge. Although some of the scholars at the time they commenced knew nothing of drawing or perspective. So this ad is undersigned by a number of people, including people who list their professions, and a couple of them are principals of local schools, their booksellers and their other pupils of Bierstadt. Also, just as an aside, in case you do not know, monochromatic painting is a painting that uses a single color, the hue, and then the details are added using variations of that color. So tints which are created by adding white, shades which are created by adding black, and tones which are created by mixing in gray.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

These ads ran for more than a year, as did more editorial commentaries on his Classes and their value. This is a pretty interesting situation because at the time, Bierstadt wasn't particularly accomplished as an artist, although he did build himself as a master. This was actually part of young Bierstadt's bigger effort to just hustle out a living for himself. In a lecture given by Karen Quinn, a curator at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Quinn describes Bierstadt as a PT Barnum like character because he would also arrange to have other artists work brought into the city and he would charge money for people to see them. This wasn't like a curated exhibit or a collection, it wasn't affiliated with the museum, just a little money making enterprise that he had come up with.

[Holly Fry]

In 1851, Bierstadt started working with oil paints for the first time. And it actually wasn't long until he had his first exhibition of these efforts. That same year he had the 13 paintings shown at the New England Art Union in Boston. In 1853, he had another exhibit, this time at the Massachusetts Academy of Fine Arts.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Bierstad had clearly made a name for himself as an artist, at least locally, in Boston in the first years of the 1850s. His name appears in print, in various papers as being part of art sales and exhibitions. And in cases where he's listed with other artists, he's often mentioned first.

[Holly Fry]

During this period, he, like a lot of other artists of the time, traveled to the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Bierstadt had started to become deeply interested in painting landscapes. And while he painted a lot of imagery from the White Mountains and other nearby places, he was also interested in learning more about his craft and expanding his sphere beyond New England. So at the age of 23, Bierstadt returned to Germany, hoping to study art in Dusseldorf.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

His goal was to get to the Dusseldorf School, but that proved to be a bit of a challenge, and there's a little bit of intrigue here. The Dusseldorf School was led at the time by Andreas Achenbach. He was a German painter born in 1815, and his specialty was landscapes and seascapes. If you look at his painting in Bierstadt's side by side, the influence is immediately obvious. And Albert Bierstadt wanted to be taught by him. But he was dissuaded from doing so after some other artists told him that Achenbach was not taking on any new students. At the time, this does not seem to have been true. It's not clear if that information had been told to Albert erroneously, or if maybe it was some kind of a cruel joke. Regardless, Bierstadt believed it. Despite that discouraging turn. He stayed in Europe for several years, and it was during this time that he really developed the art style he would become known for. That was sweeping landscapes with really dramatic lighting. In addition to his studies in Germany, Albert traveled around Europe and he used the landscapes he saw there as the subjects for his work. In addition to the style of his art, he also developed the techniques that he would use to create them. He made sketches, and he would eventually also take photos, and then he would take that reference material and make oil sketches. So relatively small, quick paintings to test out his compositions. Some of these he would then transition onto large canvases. One of his other techniques was plussing up landscapes by changing the details for some added drama. So this might mean shifting the geography a little bit to include more elements, or adding animals or villages or people to give a sense of the scale.

[Holly Fry]

Yeah, there's a great moment in that. That lecture that we mentioned earlier where there's an example of his art being shown and it's like, hey, you can't see these mountains from this place. He shifted stuff around and SC it a little so everything looked more majestic.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Was Canaletto doing something similar? I feel like we talked about that too.

[Holly Fry]

Oh, yeah. Many artists did the same thing. It. In Bierstadt's case, it led to a few instances where people misidentified what he had actually painted because it just didn't look like anything that was quite right.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Right.

[Holly Fry]

Coming up, we are going to talk about how Beer Stadt's career took off once he was back in the U.S. but first, we're going to take a little sponsor break.

[Tom Yamas]

Hi, Zoe Saldana. Welcome to T Mobile. Here's your new iPhone 16 Pro on us. Thanks. And here's my old phone to trade in. You don't need a trade in when you switch to T Mobile. We'll give you a new iPhone 16 Pro. Plus we'll help you pay off your old Phone up to 800 bucks and you still get to keep it. There's always a trade in. Not right now. @ T Mobile. I feel like I have to give you something in return for karma. That's okay. I don't really have much in my purse. Oh, oh, let's see. Hand sanitizer. It's lavender. I'm good.

[Holly Fry]

Seriously.

[Tom Yamas]

Let me check this pocket. Oh, mints. Really, I'm fine. Oh, I have raisins. I'm a mom. Wait, wait one sec. I've got cupcakes in the car. It's our best iPhone offer ever. Switch to T Mobile. Get a new iPhone 16 Pro with Apple Intelligence on us. No trade in needed. We'll even pay off your phone up to 800 bucks with 24 monthly bill credits. New line $100 plus a month on experience beyond Finance Agreement $999.99 and qualifying for today for well qualified plus tax and $10 connection charge. Pay off via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days credits end and balance due if you pay off early or cancel. See t mobile.com this July 4th celebrate freedom from spills, stains and overpriced furniture with Anabe, the only machine washable sofa inside and out where designer quality meets budget friendly pricing. Sofas start at just $699, making it the perfect time to upgrade your space. Annabe's pet friendly stain resistant and interchangeable slipcovers are made with high performance fabric that's built for real life. You'll love the cloud like comfort of hypoallergenic high resilience foam that never needs fluffing and a durable steel frame that stands the test of time with modular pieces you can rearrange anytime. It's a sofa that adapts to your Life. Now through July 4th get up to 60% off site [e-mail] Every order comes with a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping, no restocking fees. Every penny back. Declare independence from dirty outdated furniture. Shop [e-mail] Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Lex Borrero]

Welcome to the YOU versus You podcast. I'm Lex Barrero and every week we sit down with some of the biggest names in entertainment to talk about the real stuff, the struggles, the doubts, and the breakthroughs that made them who they are. We go deep, exploring childhood trauma, family, overcoming loss and the moments that shape their journey. These honest conversations are meant to take the cape off our heroes with the hope that their humanity inspires you to become a better you and therefore set you free to live the life of your dreams. Here's a sneak peek. I'm trained to go compete. I'm trained to be like harder.

[Tom Yamas]

But sometimes that mentality stops you from stopping and smelling the flowers in your own garden.

[Lex Borrero]

Is it wrong to want more?

[Tracy V. Wilson]

We migrated.

[Lex Borrero]

Our family migrated here.

[Tom Yamas]

I'm like second generation.

[Lex Borrero]

Listen to you versus you as part of Michael Tuda Podcast Network available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tom Yamas]

Camp Shane, one of America's longest running weight loss camps for kids promised extraordinary results. Campers who began the summer in heavy bodies were often unrecognizable when they left. In a society obsessed with being thin, it seemed like a miracle solution. But behind Camp Shane's facade of happy, transformed children was a dark underworld of sinister secrets. Kids were being pushed to their physical and emotional limits as the family that owned Shane turned a blind eye. Nothing about that camp was right.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

It was really actually like a horror movie.

[Tom Yamas]

In this eight episode series, we're unpacking and investigating stories of mistreatment and reexamining the culture of fatphobia that enabled a flawed system to continue for so long. You can listen to all episodes of Camp Shame one week early and totally ad free on iheart True Crime plus so don't wait, head to Apple Podcasts and subscribe today.

[Holly Fry]

In 1857, Bierstadt returned to the US with a matured style, and initially he went back to teaching art art lessons to make ends meet. But once he was kind of back on his feet, he focused exclusively on his own painting. Most of the paintings that Bierstadt made during the months after he returned to the US from Europe were historical pieces. They were sort of visual representations of fictional moments in European history, or sometimes real moments that he was fictionalizing visually. In 1857, Bierstadt had the good fortune of selling one of these paintings to the Boston Athenaeum. This piece, known as the Portico of Octavia, depicts the ancient Roman structure of the same name, built in 23 BCE by the Roman emperor Augustus. But the depiction by Bierstadt shows the way historically significant spaces evolve and change and even become mundane as they are repurposed for changing times. That change is evidence in an alternate title for the painting, which is Roman Fish Market. The painting captures a moment. The entire scene is filled with life, including fish carcasses, people hawking their offerings, and even people dozing in the open air market. There's a cat angling for a bit of fish and a couple of dogs and several ducks on the scene. And it's all contemporary to Bierstadt's time. Over the street behind the portico, laundry can be seen hanging across the gap between buildings. And although this scene is full of everyday people and things, there is also still a tourist couple dressed very smartly walking through it. The husband, who's wearing his spectacles, carries a red covered guidebook and he's looking up at all of the architecture. His wife, on the other hand, who's wearing this yellow and green dress, is looking around at the people and her street level surroundings. Portico of Octavia is a large painting, but it's not huge. It's a little larger than 2ft by 3ft. So about 2/3 of a meter by 1 meter. His paintings would get much bigger than that going forward.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

In 1858, Bierstadt had a painting accepted for exhibition by the National Academy of Design in New York. The painting, which depicted Lake Lucerne and the surrounding Swiss Alps, was created using multiple sketches that Albert had made during his four years studying in Europe. This painting shows all of the hallmarks of the style that would really make Bierstadt successful. It's large, 6ft by 10ft. It offers a sweeping landscape view of open land in the foreground and a mountain range in the background. Of course it has the water of the lake and it uses light glancing off the clouds and the snow capped mountain peaks to great dramatic effect. This was a critical success and was so highly regarded that Bierstadt was made an honorary member of the National Academy of Design. The NAD was and is an honor society which includes artists, quote, selected by their peers in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to art and architecture in America. So for a 28 year old artist just getting started in his career, this was a big achievement to be recognized in this way.

[Holly Fry]

Bierstadt's focus on European subjects changed after he joined a government contracted overland survey in 1859. He had an opportunity that year to travel across the North American continent with a survey expedition led by Colonel Frederick W. Lander, who had been tasked with building a trail that would pass through Idaho and Wyoming. This early work on assessing the land where the trail might go traveled along the Platte river and it gave Bierstadt the chance to see a lot of landscape and he made sketches and took notes and photographs along the way. So we've covered various aspects of the history of photography on the show before including back to back episodes on Louis Daguerre and Robert Cornelius in December of 2021. And those men were working in the first half of the 19th century. So photography was still really quite new when Bierstadt started using it to capture images of scenery that he hoped to later reproduce in painting.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

This whole trip had been something Bierstadt did with commercial sales of his work in mind. He understood the fascination in the US with the west at the time. This was seen as a huge landscape of potential and opportunity. So Bierstadt had decided to paint that landscape as part of his own financial potential and opportunity. And to paint it, he needed to see it and to make sketches. So this Journey was a time in which he collected the material that he thought would have commercial success and in a large enough volume that he could have several years worth of reference for paintings.

[Holly Fry]

By September 1859, Bierstadt was back home in New York, where he had moved and he had his new inspiration. He had found the entire journey really quite eye opening. And after thinking for years that European scenes were going to be his work's focus, he declared, quote, our own country has the best material for the artist in the world. When he moved to New York, he rented a space at the 10th Street Studio Building to work from.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

The 10th Street Studio Building was an important building. It was designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt, and it was the first structure that was purpose built to house artists studios. The building, which was completed in 1858, was at 15 10th street in Greenwich Village. Eight years later, in a street number change, it became 51 W. 10th Street. It had been built at the behest of James Boorman Johnston, a real estate speculator who saw the growing art scene in New York and thought that if he erected a building that offered both work and living space to artists, he would easily fill it. And he was right. Not only did the 10th Street Studio Building fill up, it became a hub of arts in the city. The building had its own gallery space so that the artists living there could exhibit on site. And it became a very collaborative place as well as home to a number of artistic rivalries.

[Holly Fry]

And the Hudson River School was Centralized at the 10th Street Studios. This was not actually a school, but a movement and a group of artists. A write up on the Metropolitan Museum of Art's website calls it, quote, America's first true artistic fraternity. This group was highly inspired by the work of Thomas Cole, who painted what he called a quote, higher style of landscape. This style combined visible vista with narrative and occasionally even biblical stories. And although Cole died in 1848, the artists who wished to paint in his same style coalesced into a group. To be clear, they did not call themselves the Hudson River School. That name was applied to the group later by a critic because many of the group's members moved on to homes on the Hudson river after their time in Greenwich Village. We're going to talk about that name and how it was not, in fact, a compliment in just a little while. But in addition to Albert Bierstadt, some of the artists associated with this group are Frederic Edwin Church, Charles Herbert Moore, Sanford Robinson Gifford, Asher B. Durand, and Sarah Cole. Sarah Cole was actually Thomas Cole's sister.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

In 1860, Albert produced the first painting that was based on his experiences from that cross country travel. It was titled Base of the Rocky Mountains. We don't know a whole lot about this particular painting because it has been lost. There's a black and white photo of it hanging in a gallery at the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy, but it's not a clear photo and the painting is kind of at an angle. It's not facing the camera directly. It's obviously a mountain landscape, but additional details are hard to make out.

[Holly Fry]

After a few years of work and producing paintings, Albert needed more reference to make more paintings. So in 1863, he went on a second long journey across the country. This time he traveled with author Fitzhugh Ludlow, who is definitely on my short list of topics. And the two men spent a lot of time in Utah and Northern California on this trip. They also stayed in Yosemite Valley east of San Francisco for almost two months. And then from there they moved north to Oregon before eventually returning to the East Coast.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

The US Civil War changed things for Bierstadt, but not in a way that you might expect. He was called up for military service in 1863, but he did not serve. He was one of the people that had enough money and privilege and means to pay someone else to serve on their behalf, which was a thing you could do at that time. So he just went on with his life and his career. He would not really feel a personal impact from the war until well after it had claimed the lives of more than 600, 000 people. While his military service was being fulfilled by another man, Bierstadt painted Rocky Mountains Lander's Peak. That's a piece which won him acclaim when it was exhibited at the New York Metropolitan Sanitary Fair. That was an event held by the U.S. sanitary Commission to raise money for sick and wounded Civil War soldiers. People could pay a small fee to see the gallery of art on exhibit, and that money went into the support fund. In addition to being a charitable effort, this painting was also a boon to his reputation.

[Holly Fry]

In 1865, Bierstadt built himself a home outside the city in Irvington, New York, on the Hudson River. The location of that home is in what's Tarrytown, New York today. And this was something that was made possible by the years he had been working to make money, but particularly because in 1865, he sold Rocky Mountains Lander's Peak to a man named James McHenry for $25,000. That is not adjusted today's currency. That would be close to half a million Dollars in today's money. Bierstadt named his new home that he was able to build because of this windfall, Malkasten, which is the German word for paint box. That was also the name of a political artists association in Dusseldorf which had been founded in 1848. The home was designed by architect Jacob Ray Mold, and it was a luxury home with 3stor a footprint of 75 by 100ft or 23 by 30 meters. Albert's studio in particular had very high ceilings. It had 20 foot tall doors that could be opened on either end to create sort of a grand salon. And that sounds very fancy pants unicorn, but it actually makes a lot of sense for his work because he did tend to create such large paintings. So with a massive space that he could open up when he wished, he not only had plenty of room to work on those giant canvases, but he also had enough area to see what they looked like from a distance. He also, during this time, did maintain a studio in the city. But while the giant studio space at Malcoston makes sense, you might wonder why a bachelor would need or want such a grand mansion.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Well, maybe just to have it. But there was an interesting bit of interpersonal intrigue with Bierstadt and his friend Ludlow in the years after they finished their trip. That had had, of course, happened in 1863 and 1864. Fitz Ludlow was married to a woman named Rosalie. They had been married in the late 1850s, when Rosalie was 18 and he was in his early 20s. She was often described as incredibly pretty, very vivacious and flirtatious. They were a popular couple in the New York literary scene of the mid 19th century. But after Fitz got back from his journey out west, their marriage was went south. It's unclear exactly what happened between them, but there were rumors of infidelity and some pretty substantial evidence for that. In 1866, Bierstadt made a painting titled A Storm in the Rocky Mountains. Mount Rosalie. There is no Mount Rosalie. He had titled this painting in honor of Ludlow's wife. That, of course, cemented the rumors that he was the person that Rosalie Ludlow was having an affair with.

[Holly Fry]

With.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Those rumors appeared to gain additional validation when the Ludlows were divorced in May of 1866 and Albert and Rosalie got married that November. Somehow, Albert and Fitz remained friends despite this turn of events.

[Holly Fry]

Yeah, Fitz Ludlow had a kind of a short life. Like I said, he is on my short list because that is a story. But this marriage between Albert and Rosalie and the completion of his new mansion marked the start of a really productive time for Beery. He made a lot of paintings, but the quality of those paintings is said to be some of his best work. He wasn't just sitting at home and working though, because he seemed to almost always be traveling around New England with his brothers, photographing landscapes for future use as painting reference. But in fact, he traveled a lot for many years to many places after his estate had been completed.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

In a moment, we'll discuss how Albert was received in Europe during his and Rosalie's honeymoon soon. But first we'll hear from the sponsors that keep stuff you missed in history class going.

[Tom Yamas]

Hi Zoe Saldana welcome to T Mobile. Here's your new iPhone 16 Pro on us. Thanks. And here's my old phone to trade in. You don't need to trade in. When you switch to T Mobile, we'll give you a new iPhone 16 Pro plus we'll help you pay off your old Phone up to 800 bucks and you still get to keep it. There's always a trade in. Not right now. T Mobile. I feel like I have to give you something in return for karma. That's okay, I don't really have much in my purse. Oh, let's see. Hand sanitizer. It's lavender. I'm good.

[Holly Fry]

Seriously.

[Tom Yamas]

Let me check this pocket. Oh, mints. Really, I'm fine. Oh, I have raisins. I'm a mom. Wait, wait one sec. I've got cupcakes in the car. It's our best iPhone offer ever. Switch to T Mobile get a new iPhone 16 Pro with Apple Intelligence on us. No trade in needed. We'll even pay off your phone up to 800 bucks with 24 monthly bill credits. New line $100 plus a month on experience beyond finance agreement $999.99 and qualifying ported for well qualified plus tax and $10 connection charge pay off via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days credits end and balance due if you pay off early or cancel. See t mobile.com this July 4th celebrate freedom from spills, stains and overpriced furniture with Annabe, the only machine washable sofa inside and out where designer quality meets budget friendly prices. Sofas start at just $699, making it the perfect time to upgrade your space. Annabe's pet friendly stain resistant and interchangeable slipcovers are made with high performance fabric that's built for real life. You'll love the cloud like comfort of hypoallergenic high resilience foam that never needs fluffing and A durable steel frame that stands the test of time with modular pieces you can rearrange anytime. It's a sofa that adapts to your layout. Life now through July 4th get up to 60% off site [e-mail] every order comes with a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping, no restocking fees. Every penny back. Declare independence from dirty, outdated furniture. Shop [e-mail] Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Lex Borrero]

Welcome to the you versus you podcast. I'm Lex Borrero and every week we sit down with some of the biggest names in entertainment to talk about the real Stu, the struggles, the doubts, and the breakthroughs that made them who they are. We go deep, exploring childhood trauma, family overcoming loss, and the moments that shape their journey. These honest conversations are meant to take the cape off our heroes with the hope that their humanity inspires you to become a better you and therefore set you free to live the life of your dreams. Here's a sneak peek. I'm trained to go compete. I'm trained to be like harder.

[Tom Yamas]

But sometimes that mentality stops you from stopping and smelling the flowers in your own garden.

[Lex Borrero]

Is it wrong to want more?

[Tom Yamas]

We migrated.

[Lex Borrero]

Our family migrated here.

[Tom Yamas]

I'm like second generation.

[Lex Borrero]

Listen to you versus you as part of Michael Tuda Podcast Network. Available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tom Yamas]

Camp Shane, one of America's longest running weight loss camps for kids, promised extraordinary results. Results. Campers who began the summer in heavy bodies were often unrecognizable when they left. In a society obsessed with being thin, it seemed like a miracle solution. But behind Camp Shane's facade of happy, transformed children was a dark underworld of sinister secrets. Kids were being pushed to their physical and emotional limits as the family that owned Shane turned a blind eye. Nothing about that camp was right.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Right. It was really actually like a horror movie.

[Tom Yamas]

In this eight episode series, we're unpacking and investigating stories of mistreatment and re examining the culture of fatphobia that enabled a flawed system to continue for so long. You can listen to all episodes of Camp Shame one week early and totally ad free on Iheart True Crime plus so don't wait, head to Apple Podcasts and subscribe today.

[Holly Fry]

Albert and Rosalie spent two years in Europe as sort of a late and prolonged honeymoon. And this actually seems like it must have been a pretty dizzying tour because he had become famous by that point. And he was received by heads of state and lauded as one of the greatest living artists. He met Queen Victoria and gave her a private exhibition of his paintings. He partied with previous podcast subject Franz Liszt, and he was given the French Legion of Honor medal by Napoleon iii. And he was also really calculated about parlaying all of this popularity into additional income. For one thing, he was able to make connections to wealthy collectors who could potentially become clients. But another thing he did sort of harkens back to his first years in New Haven, putting together little art exhibits and charging money for people to see them. Because while he was in Europe, Bierstadt rented studios and he continued working. And then he would stage display events where people could pay a fee and come to his studio and see his canvas before it was sent home to the US for exhibit and or sale. He had realized that he could monetize his paintings beyond just selling them and beyond selling display tickets. He also started getting into the prints business, enabling to start selling art to people who couldn't afford originals to an almost unlimited degree.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Back in the U. S, the couple traveled to California together in 1871 aboard the transcontinental Railroad, which was newly completed. They ended up spending two years on the west coast, visiting Yosemite Valley and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. As always, Albert sketched throughout this journey and then made oil sketches and larger paintings based on the reference that he had created while on the trip. One of these is Seal Rock, Pacific Ocean, California, which feels almost playful in comparison to his other work, including other work of this same vista because it includes an assortment of seals clambering around a set of rocks.

[Holly Fry]

Yeah, the oil sketch that he did to preclude the larger painting is extra silly. There's like a little seal in the center foreground, like popping his head up into the frame, making a very silly face. It's quite charming. The late 1870s and into the 1880s were a time of shifting luck for Bierstadt. He had managed to orchestrate such an impressive rise through the art world and such a successful career financially. But then his good fortune seemed to just kind of run out. Rosalie was sick in 1876, and the diagnosis was not good. It was tuberculosis. Her doctor prescribed her warm climates, so she and Albert went to the Bahamas when the New England weather turned cold. He painted Shore of the Turquoise Sea while they were on their tropical retreat there. And that is an incredibly beautiful rendition of waves breaking onto a craggy beach. The translucence that Bierstadt was able to capture in the Water is very, very striking. Critics thought so too. When he brought this painting back to New York and displayed it at the National Academy of Design, it was a huge hit. Rosalie's health waxed and waned over the following years, and they continued to spend winters in the Bahamas.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Was this next bit isn't really something that affected Albert Bierstadt, but it's next in the timeline and it sets up an interesting story that helps illustrate the ways in which his work has been perceived over the decades. In 1877, Alvin Adams, purchaser of Lake Lucerne, died. That painting went up for auction as part of the sale of his estate. In 1882, a man named Hezekiah Conant bought it for a whopping $3,375. And then that painting vanished. Conant died in 1902, but the painting was not among his assets at that time. Its whereabouts were not known. This was a large painting, 6ft tall and 10ft wide, or 1.8 meters by 3 meters. So it's not as though somebody could have just misplaced it, lost track of it in storage, accidentally stuck it behind another painting.

[Holly Fry]

It went into a midden heap accidentally.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

We're mentioning this because the painting is going to pop up again at the end of the episode.

[Holly Fry]

So then in 1882, there was a fire at Malkaston and the entire mansion burned down. And Albert had a great many paintings there, all of which were lost. He also had a significant collection of indigenous artifacts that he had collected while traveling and which he used in his work as reference. That was also gone.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

And to make matters worse, the 1880s is when the impact of the Civil War in the United States really finally started to affect Bierstadt's livelihood. This was more than a decade after the war before it really started to happen. But as post war attitudes in the US had shifted, so had the country's taste in art. Bierstadt's popularity earlier in the 19th century had been really tied to the idea of Manifest Destiny. His work appealed to people who believed that it was God's will that European born and descended people in North America would expand the country westward and also spread their way of doing things. Of course, this was tied to the whole concept of colonialism and pioneer spirit and the idea that somehow the European influenced way of life was the right one. And Biersad had kind of courted that whole misguided idealism in his selection of material and the style in which he painted. He had included imagery of indigenous cultures in his art as a Way to appeal to the exoticism that like white East Coasters engaged in regarding Native Americans. He really made a lot of money on capturing natural beauty while also offering what he was depicting as a place that, like, beckoned development.

[Holly Fry]

But in a nation that had been through a devastating war because people could not decide on what exactly that right way of life was, the idea of Manifest Destiny had kind of shattered. Additionally, the rise of industrialism and a change of focus to naval supremacy rather than conquering the wide open west, meant that art like Bierstadt's was no longer seen as majestic and inspiring, but instead sort of quaint and old fashioned. And it was actually in this vein that the term Hudson River School first was used to characterize the artists that had made their names with such art as passe and living out their lives in retirement mansions removed from the real lives of average Americans.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah, there was still plenty of, like, expansionism and growth and all of that going on, but it didn't have quite the same shiny appeal as in the earlier decades.

[Holly Fry]

Well, and I feel like the people that would have been able to afford original art moved on to industrialism. Instead of going, I'm gonna take my chances by developing places to the west.

[Tom Yamas]

West.

[Holly Fry]

They were like, yeah, but I could make a factory right here, right now and not go through that. So.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

So Albert struggled through the 1880s, and the end of the decade was especially painful. In 1888, he was made a member of the Boone and Crockett Club, which was a conservation club founded by Theodore Roosevelt in response to the overhunting of buffalo and other big game. This group didn't want to outlaw hunting, but it wanted it regulated for sustainable practices to be put into place for the sport. That same year, Bierstadt painted a piece titled the Last of the Buffalo. This image features an indigenous man on horseback spearing a buffalo. And there are several dead buffalo on the ground in the foreground of the painting. A herd of them are spread around in the background, grazing and walking through a body of water. To the right of the painting in the background, there are more men on horseback who have axes and bows and arrows. They're all on the Hun hunt. So while the artist may have been hoping to create a piece of art that would raise awareness about the dwindling number of buffalo in the west, the scene he created made it seem like indigenous people had caused the problem, which was not the case. There was an intentional effort by white people to kill buffalo to starve the indigenous population. So this was a very backwards way of Looking at at it, this is another massive painting, the same size as Lake Lucerne.

[Holly Fry]

And Bierstadt thought that this would be the perfect piece to send to the 1889 Paris Exposition. But unfortunately, that sentiment was not shared with the committee that selected art on behalf of the US for exhibition. And Bierstadt was really hurt by this decision. A lot of the committee members had been his old friends, but he found his own way around it. It remember that Legion of Honor medal that Napoleon III gave him because he had that, that meant that he was entitled to show the painting if he wanted at the Paris Salon, which he did. So it was on display in Paris at the same time that the Paris Expo was happening. The painting has problems, but I do love this sort of petty workaround.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

In 1889, Bierstadt traveled through Canada via the Canadian Pacific Railway and then to Alaska, which was not yet a state by ste. He was once again in search of material for his paintings. It seemed that he recognized that the landscapes of the western US were kind of out of favor at this point, so he was in search of some new terrain. The paintings, Alaskan Coast Range, Indian Encampment, Alaska, and one just titled Alaska, as well as others came out of this travel. They really were not met with the demand that his previous work had enjoyed.

[Holly Fry]

Then, after 17 years of frail health and efforts to get better, Rosalie died in 1893. In 1894, Albert remarried, this time to a woman named Mary Hicks Stewart. She was a widow with a considerable fortune. But that fortune did not become Bierstadt's and he was forced to declare bankruptcy. He sold all of his assets to pay his creditors, including 150 paintings. Paintings. Had he sold that many paintings at the height of his career, he would have made an entirely new fortune for himself. But by the 1890s, few buyers were really interested in what was at the time considered to be his overly theatrical style.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

He lived out the next several years pretty quietly. No longer was being invited to meet royalty. Nobody wanted to pay to see his paintings before he sold them them. On February 18, 1902, Bierstadt left the Union League Club in New York and returned to his home. He told one of his house staff that he wasn't feeling well and asked for a stimulant. He was found dead a short time later. Bierstadt was buried in New Bedford, Massachusetts at Rural Cemetery.

[Holly Fry]

So a lot of biographies indicate that he was completely unknown by the time he died, but that does not appear to be entirely accurate. He had an exhibition at the Worcester art Museum in 1901, so a year before he died and on January 7, 1902, so just a little over a month before he died, the Boston Transcript had a lengthy write up about his life and career, which included fairly in depth analysis of his work, some of which includes quote, Bierstadt is a true representative of the Dusseldorf school in landscape. To this fact are to be ascribed both his merits and defects. Skill prevails over imagination in the Dusseldorf artists. They are more effective than impressive, more clever than tender, yet with all admirably equipped for their work. One reason for the success of Bierstadt is that the Dusseldorf style was a novelty here, though familiar abroad, while he.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Had fallen out of favor by the time of his death. A few decades later, interest in his paintings started to revive. And today there are museums all over the US and the world that include his art in their permanent collections, including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Met in New York, the de Young in San Francisco, and as was mentioned in the listener mail that Holly read at the top of the episode, the Denver Art Museum.

[Holly Fry]

Okay, so now it is time for the Lake Lucerne coda. As we mentioned earlier, that painting was not in Hezekiah Conant's belongings when he died, and there was no indication at the time as to where that giant painting may have gone. One cut to 1990 when a woman named Pearl Rose, who lived in Exeter, Rhode island, died. The painting was inherited by one of her relatives named Lewis Peck, who then shared the news that the missing Bierstadt was found. It had never really been lost. Mrs. Rose's first husband, William Sunderland, purchased the painting from Connaught in 1890, and it had stayed in the family for 100 years. And apparently this family owned a lot of high end art and chose to keep that fact private lest art thieves target their collection. That seems to make a lot of sense. One would think that the size of this piece would have alerted someone because apparently it was so large that a portion of the roof had to be lifted off of the Exeter home to get it moved in. Initially, this painting was sold a few months later, after this news broke in 1990 for a little more than half a million dollars. It was purchased by an art dealer named Richard York. He was the agent of the National Gallery of Art. That purchase was made possible by the financial backing of Richard M. Scaife and Margaret R. Battle, and it remains in the National Gallery of Art collection today. So it's kind of an interesting way to look at how his career went sky high while he was alive. Then fell off, people thought he was outdated, and then his painting was sold for half a million dollars. Everything is cyclical. Since we did listener mail at the top of the episode, I won't do one here, but we have a lot of fun ones coming up and I will just say if you would like to write to us about this or anything else, you can do [e-mail] you can also subscribe to the show on the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you listen to your favorite shows.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Stuff youf Missed in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[Lex Borrero]

Welcome to the youe versus you podcast. I'm Lex Borrero inviting you to go beyond the titles and the accolades of the world's most successful entertainment entertainers. Each week we take off the cape and get real about the inner battles, childhood stories, and the moments that shaped our guests. Get inspired to become the best version of you. Listen to you versus you podcast on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Are there any pictures of you online?

[Tom Yamas]

Then you could already be in a massive police database without even knowing it.

[Holly Fry]

Clearview scrapes together images from Facebook, from LinkedIn, from Venmo accounts.

[Tom Yamas]

I'm Dexter Thomas, host of Kill Switch.

[Holly Fry]

A podcast about how living in the future is affecting us right now. Police, they are trusting this software with this magical ability to lead them to the right suspect.

[Tom Yamas]

In this episode, we dive into how cops are using AI and facial recognition and sometimes getting it wrong and putting innocent people behind bars.

[Holly Fry]

So if your accuser is this algorithm, but you're not even being told that it was used, let alone given any.

[Tom Yamas]

Of the details about how it works. Listen to Kill Switch on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lex Borrero]

I'm Jake Hanrahan, journalist and documentary filmmaker.

[Tom Yamas]

Away Days is my new project reporting.

[Lex Borrero]

On countercultures on the fringes of society all across the world. Live from the underground, you'll discover no rules fighting, Japanese street race, Brazilian favela.

[Tom Yamas]

Life, and much more. All real, completely uncensored. Listen to the Away Days podcast reporting.

[Lex Borrero]

From the underbelly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Holly Fry]

A body, a Suspect, and a Hundred Years of silence. Buried Bones is a podcast about the forgotten crimes history tried to leave behind.

[Tom Yamas]

A common misperception about serial predators is that every single time they commit a crime, they commit it the same way.

[Holly Fry]

The past has a way of talking, if you know what to listen for.

[Tom Yamas]

New episodes every Wednesday on the exactly right network.

[Holly Fry]

Listen to Buried bones on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

This is an iHeart podcast.