No Cross, No Crown

Anna K. Weaver, No Cross, No Crown, 1874, albumen silver print of a photogram, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase from the Charles Isaacs Collection made possible in part by the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 1994.91.284
Copied Anna K. Weaver, No Cross, No Crown, 1874, albumen silver print of a photogram, sheet and image: 10 3⁄8 x 8 1⁄2 in. (26.3 x 21.5 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase from the Charles Isaacs Collection made possible in part by the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 1994.91.284
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Artwork Details

Title
No Cross, No Crown
Artist
Date
1874
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sheet and image: 10 3⁄8 x 8 1⁄2 in. (26.3 x 21.5 cm.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase from the Charles Isaacs Collection made possible in part by the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
Mediums Description
albumen silver print of a photogram
Classifications
Subjects
  • Allegory — religion — salvation
  • Object — foliage — fern
Object Number
1994.91.284
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1994.91.284

Artwork Description

No Cross, No Crown combines references to spiritual belief and botany in a photogram, an image made by arranging objects on lightsensitive paper. When Anna K. Weaver created her picture, many accomplished women botanists were struggling in vain to join the nation’s ranks of male professionals. Even the eminent Elizabeth Britton, author of hundreds of botanical articles and founder of two botanical societies, was awarded only an “honorary” curatorship at the New York Botanical Garden, which she also helped to found. In the context of its time, Weaver’s innovative image makes a poignant connection to the plight of those who were challenging the convention that females should devote their talents to cooking, embroidery, and other domestic arts.

The Great American Hall of Wonders, 2011