Most of the drawings at The Connecticut Historical Society are views of Connecticut towns and landscapes, ranging in date from the early 19th through the late 20th century. Especially notable are approximately 350 drawings by John Warner Barber (1798-1885), which served as preliminary studies for his Historical Collections of Connecticut (1836); a large group of drawings and studies by Daniel Wadsworth (1771-1848), the founder of the Wadsworth Atheneum and a talented amateur artist; as well as works by Joseph Ropes (1812-1885), a Hartford artist and drawing master; and the important 20th century printmaker Martin Lewis (1881-1962).

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Artist, original printmaker, author, and publisher, John Warner Barber (1798-1885) was responsible for all aspects of his books. For his Historical Collections of Connecticut, published in 1836, Barber traveled widely throughout the state, making sketches of characteristic buildings and views and obtaining information from local sources.

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Born into a prominent Salem, Massachusetts family, Joseph Ropes (1812-1885) did not become an artist until he was in his mid-thirties. After studying with John R. Smith in New York, Ropes settled in Hartford, where he maintained a studio from 1851 to 1865.

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