George Herbert McCord, a painter known for his watercolors, oils and pastels, as well as his black-and-white drawings, was born in New York City in 1848.

McCord was a pupil of Samuel F.B. Morse and James Fairman in 1866, and had exhibited at the National Academy of Design by 1870. He gained pubic attention in 1875 for two paintings, Sleepy Hollow and Sunny Side - Home of Washington Irving, which were exhibited in New York City as part of a fund-raising drive for a Washington Irving monument. His marine scenes and landscapes were popular in their time for their atmospheric quality and highly developed sense of color. He was sought after for commissions and was invited by Andrew Carnegie to paint the scenery around his castle in Cluny, Scotland.

McCord made frequent trips to sketch in New England, Canada, Florida and the Upper Mississippi. He was one of an elite group of artist invited by the Santa Fe Railroad to paint scenes of the Grand Canyon. He was also invited on the Arkell Erie Canal trip. McCord was named an associate of the National Academy of Design in 1880. He not only exhibited at the Academy but was a regular at the Brooklyn Art Museum, Art Institute of Chicago and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia in 1877, 1888 and in 1903. He was active in other artists' organizations in New York City, and was frequently honored at exhibitions nationwide.

Though he maintained a permanent studio at his Morristown, New Jersey home, McCord spent much time abroad. He lived and painted for three years in Venice, and later in Paris. During these trips, he was joined by his wife and daughters, two of whom became accomplished artists. McCord's only sister, who was also a painter, joined the family in Venice and Italy. He died in New York City in 1909.

MEMBERSHIPS:
American Water Color Society
Artists Fund Society
Brooklyn Art Club
Lotos Club
National Academy of Design
Newspaper Artists' Society
New York Water Color Club
Salmagundi Club

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS:
Albany Institute of History and Art, New York