Palmer C. Hayden (January 15, 1890 – February 18, 1973) was an American painter who depicted African-American life, landscapes, seascapes, and African influences. He sketched, painted in both oils and watercolors, and was a prolific artist of his era.
Early life
Palmer C Hayden, originally named Peyton Cole Hedgeman, was born on January 15, 1890, in Widewater, Virginia. Hayden was introduced to the arts by his older brother who took up drawing at an early age. Despite his early interest in art, Hayden had ambitions to become a fiddle player. Unfortunately, several obstacles prevented this, including his reserved nature and financial instability in his family. Despite his great success as an artist, Hayden would later come to regret his decision to abandon his initial dream. Bitter frustration lingered in Hayden's mind as is reflected in some of his work. Midnight at the Crossroads is a painting that depicts the decision he was forced to make. While the notable tilt of his feet and face illustrate his inclination towards the path of the musician, he ultimately chooses the other road. This piece demonstrates the personal significance of Hayden's conflict.
Hayden moved to Washington, D.C. during his teenage years in order to find work to make a living. He worked as a carrier and an errand boy while finding inspiration for his work from the everyday bustle of the city. It was in Washington, D.C. where Hayden ultimately began to pursue an art career, and where he first encountered an experience with explicit racism. Hayden had placed an ad in the local paper for an artist’s assistant, and was bewildered when he was rejected for being African-American upon arriving at the interview. Discouraged, Hayden decided to go into employment as a laborer for the Buffalo Bill Circus and then the Ringling Brothers Circus. He bounced from occupation to occupation with little commitment, then decided to enter the army's black company stationed in the Philippines.
Hayden enlisted into the military in 1912. While enrolled, he found himself pleased with the amount of spare time he had and even found a tutor in second lieutenant Arthur Boetscher, who enjoyed map drawing and would often loosely instruct Hayden. This was Hayden's first true experience with artistic education. After four years of service in the military, Hayden decided to re-enlist. He was assigned to the 10th Cavalry at West Point where his role was taking care and training the horses that the cadets learned to ride on. At this time, he also enrolled into a correspondence drawing course, on which he spent $10 of the $18 he made monthly.
After he was discharged from the army, he relocated to Greenwich Village, a neighborhood located in lower Manhattan within New York City. During the pursuit of his developing art career, he worked as a postal clerk, janitor, and a variety of other part-time jobs in order to provide for himself. This period of his life was difficult, but was nevertheless worthwhile as Hayden became a prolific Harlem artist of his era.
Artistic beginnings and Parisian travels
Hayden pursued artistic professionalism by studying charcoal drawing at Columbia University as he simultaneously worked nights at the post office. When Hayden decided his post office job took up too much of his time, he quit and began janitorial services in various apartment buildings throughout New York City. Coincidentally, the first tenant he worked for was Victor Perard, an artist and art instructor at the Cooper Union, previously called the Cooper Institute. Hayden was hired to clean Perard's studio and was encouraged to continue to develop his art.