Men of Progress

This ambitious 1862 painting brings together nineteen of America's most celebrated inventors and scientists in one room, though they never actually met like this. Christian Schussele created this imaginary gathering as a tribute to American innovation, featuring luminaries like Samuel Morse (inventor of the telegraph), Elias Howe (sewing machine), and Charles Goodyear (vulcanized rubber). Look closely and you'll spot various inventions scattered around the room, from a model ship to scientific instruments, each a symbol of progress that was transforming everyday life.

Schussele, a German-born artist who became a prominent figure in American art, painted this during the Civil War when the nation desperately needed reminders of its achievements and unity. The painting was commissioned by a publisher who wanted to celebrate American ingenuity, and it became wildly popular as an engraving that people could hang in their homes. It's essentially a "greatest hits" of mid-19th century American invention, frozen in time like an important committee meeting, though the formal poses and serious expressions give it the stiffness of an elaborate group photograph from the era.