David Johnston Kennedy was born in Port Mullin, Scotland in either 1816 or 1817. While in Scotland, Kennedy worked a variety of jobs including as a stonecutter, before immigrating with his family to Ontario, Canada in 1833. Kennedy was almost completely a self- taught artist. His only formal training came from a few lessons given to him by a local artist named Robert McMeiken just before leaving for Ontario.
Kennedy left Canada for Philadelphia in 1835. While in Canada, Kennedy had spent
a few years working for his father. He helped his father to cut stone as well
as assisting in farming the family's land. Kennedy never enjoyed either of these
jobs, and was therefore eager to explore new territory. Kennedy stayed with
his sister in Philadelphia for a short amount of time, but by the spring of
1836 he moved again, this time to Nashville, Tennessee. In Nashville, Kennedy
worked for a dry goods store. He still had time to practice his art in his spare
time, mostly painting miniatures. Unfortunately, while in Nashville, Kennedy
fell ill. He returned to Philadelphia first, but then went back to Canada in
1837.
After regaining his strength, Kennedy returned again to Philadelphia, and soon
married Morgianna Corbin, the granddaughter of Benjamin Fay who was the president
of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. His new wife was well connected
in Philadelphia and by 1839 had managed to find Kennedy a clerkship in the new
office of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, which had just opened on Broad
and Cherry Streets. Kennedy soon rose to the position of Purchasing and General
Agent. Kennedy enjoyed this new life as a businessman and remained with the
firm for more than twenty years. However, in his spare time Kennedy still continued
to paint. Sometimes, he would show his watercolors at his Steam Power Printing
Plant of Baker and Kennedy, which was located at 326 Chestnut Street. However,
Kennedy only officially exhibited his work once: two landscape views of Scotland
and Ireland at the Artists' Fund Society in 1841.
Kennedy
was forced to retire in 1861 due to failing eyesight, but he still continued
his career as an artist. He accepted assignments as a draftsman, and spent a
great deal of time finishing his watercolor drawings of Philadelphia scenes.
He worked on this collection until his death in 1898. Kennedy had once hoped
to publish them as a book, which he would title "Lights and Shades of Other
Days, Reminisces of the Past," but this project was never realized. However,
his albums containing his work were given to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
Information compiled from Boston, MFA, D.J. Kennedy, Autobiography, typescript
in
Philadelphia: Three Centuries of American Art: Bicentennial Exhibition, April
11- October 10, 1976. Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1976.