James A. Craig

About American Eagle:

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"CRAIG’S COLORFUL ACCOUNT of Bellamy’s life and career vigorously argues for a man with a vision for his art. Creating a body of work that was ambitious both in scale and sheer volume, Bellamy translated his skills as shipcarver into a populist decorative form that was potently infused with his nautical upbringing and surroundings. Craig’s work offers tremendous depth to our appreciation of Bellamy’s quintessentially American sculptures." — Daniel Finamore, Russell W. Knight Curator of Maritime Art and History, Peabody Essex Museum

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"JIM CRAIG’S RICH AND ENGAGING STORY of the life and work of John Haley Bellamy is a tremendous contribution to the literature on American sculpture. These masterful carvings, born of commerce and meant to ornament the daily life of the young Republic, are inextricably tied to American culture at its most fundamental level. Craig’s masterful volume imparts a fascinating and unforgettable look at Bellamy’s life and times and the breathtaking artwork for which this remarkable artist is so justly renowned." — Paul S. D’Ambrosio, President & CEO, Fenimore Art Museum & The Farmers’ Museum, Cooperstown, NY  

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"JOHN HALEY BELLAMY, a legendary name in American nineteenth-century woodcarving, spawned numerous imitators in his own time and inspired many subsequent copyists (and the occasional forger). By applying a connoisseur’s eye, Jim Craig has done a convincing and invaluable job of identifying the diagnostic features of Bellamy’s eagles and other works and thus separating them from related contemporary examples, modern reproductions, and fakes. Moreover, through taking a fresh look at primary sources—some newly discovered— he tells Bellamy’s story for a wide audience in an engaging and lively manner in a work that will become the standard biography of this important American carver for years to come." — Gerald W.R. Ward, Senior Consulting Curator and the Katharine Lane Weems Senior Curator of American Decorative Arts and Sculpture Emeritus, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

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About Fitz H. Lane: An Artist's Voyage...

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"CRAIG'S BOOK IS THE FIRST definitive biography of the Gloucester artist in over 30 years.  Fitz H. Lane’s life was enshrouded in mystery—few records exist to clarify a myriad of details about his comings and goings.  But through painstaking research, Craig has managed to uncover many aspects of Lane’s life and career that had gone unnoted by other scholars.  Most important, the richly illustrated book and Craig’s commentary enable the reader to view Lane’s magnificent paintings with fresh eyes." —  Charles Colbert, Portland State University

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"JAMES CRAIG'S RECENT BOOK answers a long-standing need for an up-to-date overview of Lane’s career. The author’s evaluations and findings are made particularly persuasive by the scrupulousness of his analysis; he sets a standard by which all future writings about Lane will be measured.." — Salem Athenæum 

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"IN FITZ H. LANE: AN ARTIS"S VOYAGE through Nineteenth Century America, author James Craig offers the reader a rare opportunity to step into the life and times of artist Fitz H. Lane...  Craig, an art historian, does an excellent job of reconstructing Lane's life, and also provides the reader a sense of the historical and cultural context in which Lane produced his work." — Dr. David Nateman, Director, North Carolina Maritime Museum 

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"...this book is very readable and able to capture and maintain a reader's interest... I only wish that Craig could give lessons to other authors who attempt similar efforts!!" — Douglas Anderson, Amazon reviewer

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About Frank Vining Smith: Maritime Painting in the 20th Century

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"Frank Vining Smith (1879-1967), an artist long admired and enthusiastically collected, deserved a book. Author James Craig fulfilled the need. He illuminates Smith's life and work with considerable skill, organizing the precious ephemeral remains of a long life (autobiographical notes, sketchbooks, photographs, and published works) and studying a trove of surviving work. It is a very good book." —  A.J. Peluso, Jr., Maine Antiques Digest