The Clarion (Fall 1988) by American Folk Art Museum

AMERICA'S FOLK ART MAGAZINE The Museum of American Folk Art New York City FALL 1988, Vol. 13, No. 4

12 East 86th St., New York, NY 10028 Telephone:(212)737-9051 Anytime by Appointment

STEVE MILLER • AMERICAN FOLK ART •

17 East 96th Street, New York, New York 10128.(212) 348-5219 Hours: 2 pm to 6 pm daily plus by appointment

NO LAUGHING MATTER

SUSA14.

TgARRisil

ANTIQUE QUILTS• FOLK ART • AMERICAN INDIAN ART

390 BLEECKER ST., NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK 10014 (212) 645-5020 ExhibaIng of

Fall Antiques Show

When you buy a quality piece of American Folk Art from us.... Patina and Surface come automatically.

KENNETH & IDA MANKO P.O. BOX 20. MOODY,MAINE 04054. 207-646-2595

QUALITY AMERICAN FOLK ART

ROGER•R•RICC FRANK

•

A iXER

CAN

MARESC •

An American Icon

We are pleased to announce the release of our new book "American Primitive—Discoveries in American Folk Sculpture" published by Alfred Knopf. We specialize in and wish to purchase outsider art, 18th, 19th and 20th century Primitive American art and objects of uncommonly fine design. We continue to be the exclusive representative of William Hawkins. Appointment suggested 212•505 -1463/212•673•1078

Painting on plaster, Rockport MA, ca.1810-15. 49" x 37"

ROBERT E .

BRIAN J.

MAEKERS •INC.

EAST HAMPTON, NEW YORK BY APPOINTMENT TELEPHONE (516) 537-0779 MAILING ADDRESS: PO. 1014, WAINSCOIL NEW YORK 11975

Riley Whiting, Winchester, Connecticut, circa 1820. Height 85 inches.

Thomas Chambers (Ca. 1808 - after 1866)

Capture of H.B.M. Frigate Macedonia by the U.S. Frigate United States, October 25, 1812, painted circa 1850. Oils on canvas 21 x 30 inches, in period Gold Frames.

Chambers was an Englishman who came to America and was naturalized in 1832. He developed a highly individual primitive style for his oils of landscapes and marines. Examples of his work are in almost every major collection of Folk Art. A single oil, similar in subject matter by Chambers was sold in the Peter Tillou sale at Sotheby's October 26, 1985, where it brought $44,000.00. Inquiries invited 704 North Wells Chicago 60610 (312) 943-2354

ylongerson

Wunderlich

Rare Statue of Liberty weathervane,circa 1910

E AND JOEL KOPP

MERICA*HURRAH 766 MADISON AVENUE • NEW YORK. N.Y. 10021 • 212-535-1930 COME VISIT OUR NEWLY COMPLETED GALLERY ON THE THIRD FLOOR

QUILTS 0FAMERICA

QUILTS OF AMERICA/ INC. 431 EAST 73RD STREET NEW YORK CITY I 002I 2I 2.535 —1600

Oil on canvas,circa 1840. 27"x 34''canvas marked Hollis and Wheeler,Boston, Mass.

KATE AND JOEL KOPP

ERICA*HURRAH 766 MADISON AVENUE • NEW YORK, N.Y. 10021 • 212-535-1930 COME VISIT OUR NEWLY COMPLETED GALLERY ON THE THIRD FLOOR 9

7c)

cAMERICAN ANTIQUESG&QUILTS

BLANCHE GREENSTEIN • THOS.K. WOODARD • 835 MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10021 •(212)988-2906

"Center Medallion" applique and pieced quilt with stuffed work. Inscribed "A Y 1937." New Jersey. 96 x 88 inches. Illustrated in Twentieth Century Quilts 1900-1950.(E.P Dutton, New York.) We are always interested in purchasing exceptional quilts and Americana, collections or individual pieces. Photographs returned promptly.

THE CLARION I AMERICA'S FOLK ART MAGAZINE The Museum of American Folk Art New York City

Volume 13, No. 4

FEATURES

Maria Vergara Wilson

NEW MEXICAN TEXTILES

Fall 1988

A Contemporary Weaver Unravels Historic Threads Arthur B. and Sybil B. Kern

THE PASTEL PORTRAITS OF WILLIAM M.S. DOYLE

Roger Ricco and Frank Maresca

AMERICAN PRIMITIVE

Roger D. Abrahams

THE AMERICAN FOLKLORE SOCIETY

The First Hundred Years DEPARTMENTS EDITOR'S COLUMN

DIRECTOR'S LETTER

MINIATURES

LETTERS

BOOK REVIEWS

DEVELOPMENTS

MAJOR DONORS

MUSEUM NEWS

NEW MEMBERSHIP

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

1 2x 11 x 9"; The Marvel Cover: Fragment ofa Man with Book; Anonymous; Wood with polychrome;29/ Collection. This piece from the new book American Primitive:Discoveries in Folk Sculpture was carved from a tree trunk that subsequently was hollowed out by insect erosion. It may have been part of a larger totem. Photo: Frank Maresca with Edward Shoffstall.

The Clarion is published four times a year by the Museum of American Folk Art, 444 Park Avenue South, NY, NY 10016; 212/481-3080. Annual subscription rate for members is included in membership dues. Copies are mailed to all members. Single copy $4.50. Published and copyright 1988 by the Museum of American Folk Art,444 Park Avenue South, NY. NY 10016. The cover and contents of The Clarion are fully protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in any manner without written consent. Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those ofthe Museum of American Folk Art. Unsolicited manuscripts or photographs should be accompanied by return postage. The Clarion assumes no responsibility for the loss or damage of such materials. Change of Address: please send both old and new addresses and allow five weeks for change. Advertising: The Clarion accepts advertisements only from advertisers whose reputation is recognized in the trade, but despite the care with which the advertising department screens photographs and texts submitted by its advertisers, it cannot guarantee the unquestionable authenticity of objects of quality or services advertised in its pages or offered for sale by its advertisers, nor can it accept responsibility for misunderstandings that may arise from the purchase or sale of objects or services advertised in its pages. The Museum is dedicated to the exhibition and interpretation of folk art and feels it is a violation of its principles to be involved in or to appear to be involved in the sale of works of art. For this reason, the Museum will not knowingly accept advertisements for The Clarion which illustrate or describe objects that have been exhibited at the Museum within one year of the placing of the advertisement.

Fall 1988

•

THE CLARION Didi Barrett, Editor and Publisher Faye H. Eng, Anthony T. Yee, Art Directors Marilyn Brechner, Advertising Manager Willa S. Rosenberg,Assistant Editor Craftsmen Litho,Printers Nassau Typographers, Typesetters

MUSEUM OF AMERICAN FOLK ART Administration Dr. Robert Bishop, Director Gerard C. Wertldn, Assistant Director Cheryl Hoenemeyer, Controller Lillian Grossman,Assistant to the Director Mary Ziegler, Administrative Assistant Barry Gallo, Reception Jerry Torrens, Manager, Mailroom and Maintenance Collections & Exhibitions Elizabeth Warren, Curator Michael McManus,Director ofExhibitions Anne-Marie Reilly, Registrar Claire Hartman Schadler, Director of the Eva and Morris Feld Gallery Dawn A. Giegerich, Assistant Registrar Stacy C. Hollander, Assistant Curator ofCollections Joyce Hill, Senior Research Curator Mary Black, Consulting Curator Twelve woven wire animals are incorporated in the walls of this bird cage with removable phonograph floor.

THE

AMES GALLERY OF

Departments Didi Barrett, Director ofPublications Beth Bergin, Membership Director Marie S. DiManno,Director ofMuseum Shops Susan Flamm,Public Relations Director Barbara W. Kaufman-Cate,Director ofEducation Johleen Nester, Director ofDevelopment Edith Wise,Director ofLibrary Services Janey Fire,Photographic Services Eileen Jear, Development Assistant Willa S. Rosenberg,Publications Assistant

AMERICAN

FOLK ART

2661 Cedar Street Berkeley, California 94708 415/845-4949 • We specialize in exceptional 18th-19th Century handmade objects. Our extensive selection of quilts, carved canes, tramp art, folk paintings and sculpture are available for viewing. Phone for exhibit information, hours or appointment.

• 12

Programs Barbara W. Kaufman-Cate, Director, Folk Art Institute Phyllis A. Tepper,Registrar, Folk Art Institute Dr. Marilyn Karp,Director, New York University Master's and Ph.D.Program in Folk Art Studies Dr. Judith Reiter Weissman, Coordinator, New York University Program Cathy Rasmussen,Director, Great American Quilt Festival2 Karla Friedlich, Coordinator, Great American Quilt Festival 2 Irma J. Shore, Director, Access to Art Cecilia K.Toth, Kennetha R. Stewart, Co-Chairs, Friends Committee Jill Rigby, Exhibitions Previews Coordinator Susan Moore,Junior League Liaison Mary Linda Zonana, Coordinator, DocentPrograms Museum Shop Staff Caroline Hohenrath, Sally O'Day, Rita Pollitt, Managers Judy Baker, Sheila Carlisle, Elizabeth Cassidy, Florence Cohen, Rick Conant, Annette Ellis, Dorothy Gargiulo, Elli Gordon, Karen Johnson, Eleanor Katz, Annette Levande, Victor Levant, Arlene Levey, Katie McAuliffe, Nancy Mayer, Theresa Naglack, Pat Pancer, Marie Peluso, Susan Shadbolt, Myra Shaskan, Rose Silece, Claire Spiezio, Doris Stack, Mary Walmsly, Gina Westby, Doris Wolfson. Museum of American Folk Art Book and Gift Shop 62 West 50th Street New York, NY 10112 212/247-5611 The Clarion

EDITOR'S COLUMN DIDI BARRETT This fall I begin my fourth year as editor of The Clarion, the magazine of the Museum of American Folk Art. Over the past three years, we have made a number of changes. Two new departments — a Letters column and Miniatures, a round-up of relevant news and events around the country — were launched. With this issue, two more new departments are being introduced: This Editor's Column, and Developments, an update on fundraising activities at the Museum written by Director of Development Johleen Nester. In addition, we have reinstituted the quarterly publishing schedule, as well as the Book Reviews section. Other traditions have been continued and improved upon,including our fine, award-winning design; lively, colorful advertising; and high quality editorial content. Indeed, in an effort to explore all the tributaries that enrich this diverse and expanding field, we have published articles that challenge conventional no-

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tions about folk art. Some of these have been controversial. Traditional collectors in the field have looked at some articles and asked "What does this have to do with folk art?" We respect those concerns, and deeply value the contributions of traditionalists. But we also take the position that the field that we know as American folk art is alive and dynamic. And to stay vital and healthy we must continually challenge and question, as well as reevaluate, what we already know. This may mean looking at new and unfamiliar material, along with the traditional objects. Or it may require listening to new and different opinions. It also means studying, researching, and, if necessary, reassessing the occasional sacred cow. While remarkable work has certainly been done in the field, folk art scholarship is still, in fact, in its infancy. For scholars, collectors, dealers and museum professionals this is an extraor-

dinarily exciting time. Every way we turn we find fertile ground. We are writing the rules for the field — defining, if we feel the need, the parameters. To do this well, we need to be openminded,generous with our knowledge, and sensitive to the material — and the artists — we are dealing with. The field needs to establish a firm foundation of solid, truthful information upon which to build. We see The Clarion as the forum for the exchange of ideas, the groundbreaking research and the provocative questions. To that end, we welcome well-researched and wellwritten articles that represent new scholarship and thinking in the field. We welcome your research queries — and will happily publish them in the magazine — as well as your letters, ideas and suggestions. We look forward to your partnership as we continue to explore this remarkable field we all love.

GALLERY

AMERICAN FOLK ART/VINTAGE DESIGN

High Wire Circus Bicycle c. 1900 Sutro's/Cliff House Carved wood. Dimensions:33"H x 50"L x 12"W

7280/ 1 2 Fountain Avenue West Hollywood, California 90046 (213) 874-0248 By Appointment Only

Fall 1988

PHOTO:GARRY HENDERSON

OvimPsoY9®

Auction: Wednesday,November30 at10 a.m.

Americana including Furniture,Paintings,Porcelain, Silver and Rugs Sale may be previewed Saturday-Tuesday prior to auction date.

Floral decorated dome top chest, mid 19th century Rigged and painted ship's model,late 19th/early 20th century

Forfurther information, contact ArthurE Maier(Furniture & Decorations); Elaine Banks(Paintings).

175 East 87th Street•New York, New York 10128•Telephone(212)427-2730

THE TARTT GALLERY

OUTSIDERS III DECEMBER 9 - JANUARY 7

CONTINUOUS INVENTORY INCLUDES WORKS BY

HOWARD FINSTER MOSE TOLLIVER SYBIL GIBSON JIMMY LEE SUDDUTH GEORGIA BLIZZARD CHARLIE LUCAS PAPPY KITCHENS LLOYD "BUZZ" BUSBY FRED WEBSTER BUTCH QUINN JOE LIGHT THORNTON DIAL THORNTON DIAL, JR. Z.B. ARMSTRONG

JIMMY LEE SUDDUTH,"Black Man," dirt painting on wood, 12,/4 x 14, 1987

2017 Q STREET NW

•

WASHINGTON DC 20009

(202) 332-5652

11111P-M1111000M

Mir

STELLA RUBIN Quilts & Country Antiques 12300 Glen Road Potomac, MD 20854 (Near Washington, D.C.)

( 4 ? X1 â&#x20AC;˘ --. 4,

)

4111

4J 1.11,

Folk Art,American Country Furniture, Children's and Dolls' Furniture, Miniatures and Accessories

Opening in September with a selection of 19th century and early 20th century folk art and toy horses at 1050 Second Avenue, Gallery 57B, NY,NY. 10022. Also at the Windsor Antiques Market, Windsor,Vermont.

1050 Second Avenue,Gallery 57B,NY., NY. 10022 (212)593-2246 Lynn M.Lorwin

By appointment

(301)948-4187

Original pattern quilt. Circa 1920. Exhibiting at the Connecticut Antiques Show, Hartford and the Fall Antiques Show at the Pier, New York City

A watercolor and ink Fraktur bookplate, Pennsylvania, early 19th century.

American Folk Art Christie's is pleased to announce the sale of the folk art collection of Jay R. Moyer to be included in a sale of American Decorative Arts on Saturday, October 1, 1988. Viewing is from September 24 through September 30. This sale features Pennsylvania German folk art, redware, Frakturs, textiles and furniture. For further information, please contact John Hays, American Folk Art at 212/546-1181. Catalogues may be ordered through the Publication Department at 718/784-1480.

CHRISTIE'S 502 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10022 17

FOR THE FINEST IN AMERICAN PAINTED FURNITURE...

DAVID A. SCHOIRSCH j nr,o4<fr)zieatee/ 1037 NORTH STREET, GREENWICH, CT 06831 203-869-8797 30 EAST 76TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10021 212-439-6100

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR DR. ROBERT BISHOP

EDUCATION PROGRAMS AT THE MUSEUM Through the years the Museum of American Folk Art has assumed a leadership role in the area of museum education. It was the first institution to develop a Masters and Ph.D program in the field of American folk art studies. This program, offered in association with New York University, has produced highly skilled museum professionals, informed writers and arts administrators for seven years. On September 9, 1985, the Folk Art Institute opened its doors. This museum-based educational institution has come to be recognized as an important resource for those who wish career enhancement through a certificate in folk art studies. It also offers to collectors and interested persons more than 100 in-depth lectures each semester on various aspects of folk art history and scholarship. Today, classes in three distinct categories exist â&#x20AC;&#x201D; certificate courses for credit, hands-on craft and heritage courses, and lecture programs. The Fall lecture series, co-sponsored by The National Society of Colonial Dames of the State of New York focuses on "Masters of American Folk Painting" and will feature the presentations Edward Hicks: Pastorals and Peaceable Kingdoms by Mary Black, Consulting Curator and former Director of the Museum of American Folk Art; John Brewster, Jr.: Connecticut Portrait Painter by Dr. Elizabeth M. Kornhauser, Associate Curator of American Painting, Sculpture and Drawings at the Wadsworth Atheneum; Ammi Phillips and His Influence on Other Folk Artists by Jacquelyn Oak, Registrar of the Museum of Our National Heritage and John S. Blunt: Painter of the American People by Robert Bishop. For a schedule of all three of the Museum's educational programs write the Folk Art Institute, 444 Fall 1988

Irma Shore, Director of the Museum's new program Access to Art, designedfor the blind and visually impaired museum visitor.

Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-7321 or telephone 212/481-3080. Another new educational project of the Museum is Access to Art, a remarkable program developed by Irma Shore for the blind and visually impaired museum visitor. According to the National Department of Health, Education and Welfare, there are 1.8 million blind and 8.2 visually impaired citizens in the United States. Access to Art, a tactile exhibition of folk objects, is the first such program to be developed. We have made it available for national distribution through our traveling exhibitions

program. The exhibition will feature approximately 30 works of art from the Museum's permanent collection. The pieces have been selected for both their tactile interest and for their importance as an introduction to the field of folk art. Each object will be accompanied by large print/braille labeling and a giant black and white photograph that enhances the opportunity for some of the visually impaired to observe it. A large print/braille gallery guide and a descriptive audio tape will increase the visitors' experience. Each person will be encouraged to touch the works of art which have been especially selected with this idea in mind. Access to Art has been funded by the Xerox Foundation. A documentary film and an awareness training program is currently being developed by the Museum of American Folk Art, the New York State Museum and the New York Department of Education. If you would like to know more about the availability of Access to Art in your community,contact Michael McManus of our Exhibitions Department, 212/481-3080, or write him at 444 Park Ave. South, New York, NY 10016-7321. He has prepared a detailed packet that you might pass on to the museums in your area. In the next Director's letter, I will tell you about another Museum of American Folk Art educational program â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Art Reach. This recently developed program will take folk art to more than 200,000 elementary and secondary school students in the next twelve months. Thank you for your continued interest and support. Without you, the Museum of American Folk Art would be unable to fulfill its goals of collecting, preserving, exhibiting and publishing America's great folk heritage. 19

At)

VAX

•

DON WALTERS ART & ANTIQUES

2309 south main Si. goshen,indiana 46528 tel.(219)533-9416

':•57..?., ' i I. r

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We are pleased to offer this very rare child's size decorated chest; American, dated 1802, measuring 14" high and 221/2" wide. ,

specializing in american folk and decorative arts

ELAINE GARFINKEL GALLERY•BY APPOINTMENT•(215)884-1047

t ThE

HUGO SPERGER "Genesis" Acrylic on Board 73" x 51" Mailing Address: 103 Tomlinson Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006

AAAAAA 1 1 PRIMITIVO ••••••

Self-Taught and Contemporary Artists

2241 FILLMORE ST. SAN FRANCISCO CALIFORNIA 94115 415.563.0505 Sculpture by Rem! Rubel

Antique quilts, hooked rugs, primitive and folk art, paintings.

LUDY STRAU" THE QUILT GALLERY 1611 Montana Avenue Santa Monica, Calif. 90403 (213) 393-1148

Ohio Amish Bars c. 1900 21

American Folk Art Sidney Gecker 226 West 21st Street New York, N.Y 10011

(212) 929-8769 Appointment suggested

Rare fish-shaped Conestoga wagon axe holder; Lancaster County,Pennsylvania.

(Subject to prior sale)

AMERICAN FOLK AND OUTSIDER ART BY APPOINTMENT

834 B WESTMOUNT DRIVE LOS ANGELES CA 90069 213.657.6369

DAVID BUTLER NATIVITY WINDOWSCREEN . POLYCHROMED TIN . 27" x 36"

P; CHERISHABLE

IA N T IQUESJ

Specializing in 18th and 19th century American furniture folk art di quilts.

1608 20th Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 202-7854087 Monday-Saturday 11-6

MAIN STREET ANTIQUES and ART Colleen and Louis Picek Folk Art and Country Americana (319)643-2065 110 West Main, Box 340 West Branch,Iowa 52358 Nolk$ Alr .4111Pâ&#x20AC;&#x17E;ift.

On Interstate 80

Send a self-addressed stamped envelope for our monthly Folk Art and Americana price list

A whimsically painted cast iron croquet wicket, 17" x 10" x 5/8"

Gra

MINIATURES

Photo: Courtesy of the Museum of Our National Heritage

NEWS AND EVENTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY

Exitititiok 4oukbup

emouset t6s4ips

"Face to Face: M.W. Hopkins and Noah North:' which explores the work and relationship of two significant nineteenth century folk artists runs through January 15, 1989 at the Museum of Our National Heritage, 33 Marren Road, Lexington, MA (tel. 617/861-6559)

Colorful, fanciful carousel animals are the latest addition to the U.S. Postal Service's Folk Art series of postage stamps. They will be issued October 1, 1988, to kick off National Stamp Collecting Month. The -:. ' .. ' ..I ...A.' ... idea, says the Postal Service, is 18;ge.:-.... to encourage people to take the Camp ofmigrant workers near . philatelic "ride of a lifetime:' Prague, OK,from "Folk Roots, New Roots" ... Also at the Museum of Our The dedication ceremony for National Heritage, from Oc... Walking sticks are the sub- the new stamps will be held at tober 16, 1988 to June 25, 1989, January 8, 1989, at the DAR ject of "Sticks" an exhibition Cedar Point Amusement Park in is "Folk Roots, New Roots: Museum, Washington, DC and catalogue documenting the Sandusky, Ohio, home to the Folklore in American Life:' traditions of walking stick pro- elaborate lead horse included in which examines the integration ... "Stories to Tell: The Nar- duction in Kentucky at the Ken- the stamp block. This armored of folklore into popular culture. rative Impulse in Contemporary tucky Art and Craft Gallery,609 stallion was carved by Daniel C. New England Folk Art;' runs W. Main Street, Louisville (tel. Muller to commemorate the . Folk and decorative arts of through October 30,1988,at the 502/589-0102); through Oc- 50th anniversary of the Dentzel the eighteenth and nineteenth DeCordova Museum, Sandy tober 29, 1988 Company. The other animals centuries, from a single collec- Pond Road, Lincoln, MA (tel. are also based on real carousel tion, will be shown through 617/259-8355) . "The Art of Deception: figures: The deer is from an American Wildfowl Decoys:' 1895 carving by Gustav Denfrom the collection of the Mu- tzel; the long-horned goat, circa seum of American Folk Art can 1880, and the bejeweled camel, be seen from November 1 to 1917, can be traced to the comDecember 31, 1988 at the Bal- pany of Charles Looff. timore Museum of Art Real-life examples by Looff, The International Festival of and 30,1988,from noon to dusk Muller and others can be seen at Masks,an annual celebration of at the Hancock County Park, ... "Behind the Mask in Mex- the Baltimore Museum of Art the diverse ethnic and cultural home of the renown La Brea Tar ico" will be at the Museum of from October 23 to December heritage of the peoples of Los Pits. The festival includes tradi- International Folk Art, Santa 31, 1988 in "Catch a Brass Ring: Angeles, is set for October 29 tional and contemporary Fe, NM,through June 1990 Carousel Art from the Charlotte masked theater, music and Dinger Collection:' an exhibidance; mask-making demon- ... Decoys from the collection tion organized by the Museum strations; mask sales; and a pot- of Dr. and Mrs. J.W. Conover III of American Folk Art, NYC. pourri of international cuisine. can be seen at The Noyes Mu8 The event, produced by the seum, Oceanville, NJ, through ' Craft and Folk Art Museum in October 16, 1988 ? Los Angeles, and jointly spon/ sored by the museum, the Los ..."Word and Image in AmeriAngeles City Cultural Affairs can Folk Are,' a look at contemV Department and the Los Anporary expression, runs through geles County Department of November 27, 1988, at PritParks and Recreation, culmi- chard Gallery, University of nates in a colorful Parade of Idaho in Moscow Masks down Wilshire Blvd., at 11:30 a.m., Sunday, October ..."Baking in the Sun: Vision30. For further information call ary Images from the South" will Aaron Paley, Festival Director, be at the Georgia Museum of or Jan Ellenstein, Associate Pro- Art, Athens, from September ducer, at 213/934-8527. 25 to November 27, 1988

festivat o

husks

The Clarion

U111

MINIATURES

Oti 74.4ppo's Lobo atiee

Old Trapper's Lodge gets a new home

and dispersal. Pierce College in the western San Fernando Valley, not far from the original site of the lodge, has accepted the donation from the family of artist John Elm of the monumental environment with its painted concrete sculptures, replica of Boot Hill, and other artifacts of the West."The family is excited that our father's dreams will be kept alive for the public to enjoy," said Ehn's daughter Rosemarie Farish,

Textite xlsititiogts

font emit 14akskops

Old Trapper's Lodge, one of 1 Winter 1988) has been saved California's premier folk from the threat of demolition environments (The Clarion,

Textile lovers will have ample opportunity to indulge their passion this fall with a number of exhibitions along the East Coast: "Navajo Textiles: 18601940:' selections from the permanent collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art, can be seen through October 30, 1988, at the museum, Art Museum Drive, Baltimore, MD ...The Textile Museum,2320S Street, NW, Washington, DC, will show "Fabrics of Africa: Sub-Saharan Textiles;'featuring examples of clothing, tenting, blankets, and costumes from major museum, as well as important private, collections; a smaller collection of Moroccan embroideries will be exhibited in a companion show. Through February 12, 1989 ..."Japanese Folk Textiles: The White Collection" includes some 75 examples of festival and everyday garments, domestic textiles, and other materials from a collection considered the Fall 1988

most important outside Japan. At the Japan Society Gallery, 333 East 47th Street, NYC, from October 20 through December 11, 1988 ."American Coverlets:' from the simple to the elaborate, will be included in the Baltimore Museum of Art's exhibition of eighteenth and nineteenth century examples. From November 15, 1988 to March 5, 1989.

Cooper-Hewitt Museum, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Design, is offering a series of hands-on workshops this fall in traditional folk arts and crafts.Included are Theorem Painting, October 14 or 15; Scherenschnitte, October 21 or 22; and Hooked Rugs, October 28 or 29. The fee per workshop is $60. For further information call 212/860-6868.

whose hope that the environment could remain intact was finally realized. Once the artifacts are securely installed on the Pierce College campus in Woodland Hills it will be open to the public. Selections of John Elm's work are being developed into a traveling exhibition. For further information contact Seymour Rosen,SPACES,1804 North Van Ness Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90028 (tel. 213/463-1629)

Scherenschnitte by artist/instructor Marjorie Freund

the coieest 74ifttos — the *vie The new film,The Screen Painters, a 30-minute documentary produced and directed by Elaine Eff, Baltimore City Folklorist, culminates more than a dozen years of research and documentation on the lives and history of Baltimore's unique screen painters. The film chronicles a community art form wholly created, produced and consumed in the ethnic working class neighborhoods ofBaltimore,and pro-

vides a permanent record of the screens and the screen painters — both of which are becoming scarce. The folk form flourished during the Depression years when more than 100,000 painted screens — first created for privacy — lined Baltimore's row houses. Today only about 3,000 remain. The film, co-produced by Baltimore Traditions, the office of Folklife of Baltimore City,

and the Painted Screen Society of Baltimore, Inc., and funded by the NEA Folk Arts Program, Maryland Humanities Council and the Maryland State Arts Council, is available to libraries, museums, schools, and other local and national organizations. For further information write the Painted Screen Society of Baltimore, Inc., P.O. Box 12122, Baltimore, MD 21281 (tel. 301/396-5792). 25

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MINIATURES Rare Abraham Huth, watercolor, Lebanon County, Pa., c 1820

4tatt hews twos Att A new Women ofColor Quilters Newsletter has been introduced by quilter Carolyn Mazloonii of Cincinnati, Ohio, who plans to make it a quarterly publication. Among Ms. Mazloomi's goals with this newsletter, and associated quilters network,are fostering and preserving the art of quiltmaking among women of color; researching quilt history; documenting quilts; sharing quiltmaldng expertise; offering authentic handmade AfricanAmerican quilts and fiber art to museums and galleries; helping colleagues to write grant proposals; holding workshops; and assisting in restoration and repair. For further information write the Women of Color Quilters Network, 11382 Hanover Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45240

ittr, •

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±1)TIQUE R.D. 1, BOX 134 • BELLEVILLE, PA 17004 • (717) 935-5125

Specializing in decorated Pennsylvania furniture and related objects with emphasis on form, style, and surface

...The New England Quilt Museum seeks works for"Breaking New Ground:'ajuried exhibit of works that stretch the definition of a quilt. Works need not be entirely of fabric, but must incorporate fabric, and must be comprised of at least two layers that are connected together. Slide deadline is February 1, 1989; the exhibit will run from May 10 through July 9, 1989. For further information send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to New England Quilt Museum, 256 Market Street, Lowell, MA 01852 ... The Art Quilt:' an exhibition featuring the work of sixteen contemporary artists working the quilt medium has been scheduled to open October 16, 1988 at the Palo Alto Cultural

Center, Palo Alto, CA. Organized by the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery and circulated by the American Federation of Arts, the exhibition will travel throughout the United States through 1989. For more information call 415/329-2605 ... The DAR Museum, 1776 D Street, NW, Washington, DC, will be presenting newly acquired early American quilts from the collection with a series ofthree exhibitions."Collecting Quilts I" will run from November 7, 1988 to March 12, 1989

titöiss4y‘sspositots A Gilding Conservation Symposium, addressing the problems of gilt wooden surfaces in furniture, decorative arts, architectural ornamentation, panel paintings and polychrome sculpture will be held at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, October 26-28, 1988. Formal papers from the symposium — on connoisseurship and historical interpretation, as well as conservation case studies — will be published next year resulting in the first interdisciplinary compilation of gilding conservation information. For registration information contact Deborah Bigelow, Project Director, 177 Grand Street, Newburgh, NY 12550 (tel. 914/516-6011), or Donald Williams, CAL/MSC,Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560(tel. 202/287-3735).

Rev. McKendree Long (1888-1976)

CONTEMPORARY SOUTHERN FOLK ART Representing: David Butler Rev. Howard Finster Clementine Hunter Sr. Gertrude Morgan and other important Southern artists

GASPERI GALLERY 831 St Peter Street New Orleans, LA 70116 (504)524-9373

The Deceiver of the Whole World.' orl on canvas. 1964. 48" x 60"

*PAT& RICH 114GARTHOEFFNER* 436 S. Cedar St. Lititz, PA 17543 717/627-3541

Carved and Painted Pennsylvania Folk Art, Circa 1900

Sanford Saillh,

Fall Antiques Show

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LETTERS

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"Long Johns", 1986, acrylic on Masonite,131 / 2"x201 / 2"

Contemporary Southern Folk Art Charlie Lucas Jimmie Lee Sudduth

Mose T.

.741 SWEETGUM GALLERIES POST OFFICE BOX 5202 225 S. DECATUR STREET MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36103 (205) 834-5544

discipline and we have not yet established a philosophical or theoretical base, and thus it is I just finished reading Professor somewhat incumbent upon us to John Michael Vlach's article, respond to what Dr. Vlach offers "Plain Painters" in the Summer here, a statement of position that 1988 (Vol. 13, No. 3) issue of is ultimately disrespectful to our The Clarion. While I am look- field of inquiry and to the mateing forward to his book,"Plain rial we choose to study. He tells Painters: Making Sense of us that the paintings that engross American Folk Are,' I thor- and fascinate us, and that we see oughly disagree with Professor as important interpretive tools, Vlach on the use of the word are neither properly named nor "Plain" to replace "Folk Art:' properly considered as other According to Webster's Univer- than second- rate works by secsal Dictionary, there are many ond - rate painters who could not meanings of the word "plain': have succeeded as studio paint1) Devoid of beauty; not hand- ers, works whose power to atsome; frequently used as a tract lies in their"plainness!'His euphemism of"ugly" etc. rather perjorative descriptions 2) Simple; homely; unlearned; of that quality make it evident artless; free from show, dis- that he does not share our underguise, cunning or affectation standing of the material or our 3) Evident; mere;absolute; bare appreciation of it. One could go on and on. But Vlach's formulation here apis Folk Art devoid ofornaments, pears rather thinly documented devoid of beauty, ugly, mere, and conceptualized, generbare, artless, etc.? Maybe in the alized into dubious signifieyes of Professor Vlach, but not cance, and glib beyond acceptin my eyes or those of my ability. Furthermore, Vlach friends and associates who both supports his hypotheses with collect and research Folk Art. oddly chosen, unusual source Each generation of authors citations. and scholars seems to choose a The question which must be different word to define a form asked is whether or not the field of art. Professor Vlach's choice would be served by replacing of "Plain" only adds to the the phrase"folk painting" with a confusion. It is also a word loaded, perjorative, ambiguous loaded with meaning. Let's phrase like "plain painting:' leave the word"Folk" where it is which neither applies to the and try not to further confuse material nor clarifies anything. the public. I am afraid that Dr. Vlach's Howard P. Fertig attitude towards American folk painting is out ofsympathy with Livingston, NJ the material and its inherent importance as American art. I am responding to The Clar- Quality of scholarship aside, ion's call for readers' comments Dr. Vlach proposes that the on John Michael Vlach's renam- "most common adjective ... ing offolk painting. As!tried to used [in the nineteenth century prepare a rebuttal to some of the to describe these works] was more perplexing oddities here, I wretched' without either giving began to imagine the excerpt as us references or citing the many Dr. Vlach's way of shaking us positive contemporary evaluafrom our intellectual torpor. Our tions also in the record. Above field is a fledgling academic all, it seems that Dr. Vlach PLAIN PROTESTS

The Clarion

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LETTERS

ROBERT E NICHOLS Santa Fe American Indian Art and Country Antiques

Collection of Fruidands Museums, H

convince me that our material of choice is not folk art, nor that a substitute phrase is needed. Ben Apfelbaum New Rochelle, NY Editor's Note: The article "Plain Painters" provoked a great deal of response from readers. In addition to the letters printed above, The Clarion will publish a forum of responses to the article in the next issue.

CORPORATE CORRECTIONS

hasn't "read" the work at all clearly (Blunt's likenesses "inaccurate"? These paintings "plain"?) and that he just doesn't care for it, in any case. Are we really expected to accept that "the phrase plain painting evokes both style and form" because "the adjective plain is a homonym for the word plane, meaning surface?" Is folk art a phrase which really confuses, or is it just that it doesn't please some people when referring to the portraiture under discussion? One wonders whether in calling folk painting unsuccessful and plain, and its painters untalented, Vlach has as his purpose the denigration of American folk art. In other words, not only does he think that it's not folk painting, but that it is bad painting. By removing the word "folk;' which he sees as a modifying adjective, Vlach seeks to deny the cultural meaning of non-academic painting. Vlach's is not a creative alternative; plain painting is without discernible advantage over the term it seeks to replace. The arguments in the excerpt do not Fall 1988

In my article, "American Folk Art in Corporate Collections:' I mentioned the Valley National Bank of Arizona collection. I described their wonderful nineteenth-century genre painting of Pike's Peak, but I want to stress that I chose to include only one work from their collection of over 5000 works, because ofthe specific parameters set up earlier in the article. As their Curator, Judith B. Hudson, rightly points out, the Bank does have sizable holdings of Indian and Hispanic folk art. Also noted in the article was Albina Felski's Rose Parade in the collection of what I called the Main Bank of Chicago, and which is now the Cole Taylor Bank/Main of the Cole Taylor Financial Group, Inc. I regret this inaccuracy. N.E Karlins New York, NY

THE CLARION welcomes letters on all issues related to American folk art. Correspondence should be addressed to The Clarion, Museum of American Folk Art, 444 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10016. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

Indian Folk Art Kachina "family" Zuni Pueblo, circa 1950. Tallest figure 11" high.

419 Canyon Road,Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 (505)982-2145 29

RONA GALLERY 1/2 WEIGHHOUSE STREET LONDON W1Y 1YL TEL: 01-491-3718

BRITISH NAIVE PAINTING

GEORGE FREDERICKS: b. London 1929. He was an acrobatic diver in aqua-shows and much of his painting reflects a love of the circus. GEORGE FREDERICKS "BALD TRAINER WITH ANIMALS." 1974.

SHSTAPIRO&STAIMUI GH FOLK ART • AMERICANA • QUILTS Eighth Alley • New Market, MD 21774•(301)865-5027 Open Saturday—Sunday • Appointments welcome at other times.

MARNA ANDERSON

american folk art • new york city • by appointment • 212 945-8484

INDEX HORSE WITH EXCEPTIONAL SURFACE MADE BY J. HOWARD & CO.; WEST BRIDGEWATER, MASS., C,1865. EX: KENNEDY GALLERIES

THE RAINBOW MAN Bob and Marianne Kapoun 107 E. Palace Avenue Sante Fe, New Mexico 87501 505/982-8706

20TH CENTURY AMERICAN FOLK ART Curated by Chuck and Jan Rosenak

Southwest Johnson Antonio Felipe Archuleta Leroy Archuleta Mamie Deschillie Betty Manygoats (and other Navajo potters)

Other Steve Ashby

Victor Joseph Gatto Ted Gordon S.L. Jones Justin McCarthy Jimmie Lee Sudduth Sarah Mary Taylor Bill Traylor Inez Nathaniel Walker AND MORE! 3]

Aarne Anton (212) 239-1345 32

242 West 30th St., N.Y., N.Y. 10001

New Mexican Textiles A Contemporary Weaver Unravels Historic Threads by Marfa Vergara Wilson

nical secrets for making these textiles are long buried with past generations of weavers; however, because of a new interest in traditional textiles by Spanish American weavers during the last decade, five all-wool colcha embroideries and thirteen ikats have been produced. The mysterious beauty of colcha and ikat has commanded the admiration of contemporary weavers and has motivated some of them to use their skills to restore ancient techniques to contemporary textile tradition. The Malay-Indonesian word ikat means to bind or tie. In the context of Rio Grande textiles, an ikat weaving is a plain woven, weft-faced blanket in which the design is achieved by a technique of controlled tie-dyeing of the weft. This tie-dying is done off the loom before the weaving process begins. Ties in the weft yarns are carefully

nal Folk Art, a unit of the Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe

In those infrequent moments when I explain my life's choices to myself, I wonder if I could have gotten this century's message to women backwards. When many women were exploring careers in the uncharted domains of male dominated professions, I found my singular delight was to burrow into the ancient textile traditions of my Spanish ancestors who lived in the northern Rio Grande valleys of New Mexico.It is a quiet delight to rummage through forgotten drawers, to discover old textiles too long stored, musty and well-worn, which inspire curiosity and define the constraints of our textile tradition. I admire the Rio Grande textiles of the nineteenth century, but

the admiration which I feel is not burdensome for I find that traditional materials are of sufficient complexity, beauty, and inspiration to provide a lifetime of work for me. It is the loving familiarity with tradition which has freed me to create my own version of the Rio Grande textile. This assimilation of the past with the contemporary is what nurtures my creativity and keeps me from becoming a rusting, old relic beating mindlessly away on a machine that reached its full productive potential a hundred and fifty years ago. Thousands of textiles came from the rustic Spanish looms of mid-nineteenth century northern New Mexico; most were utilitarian blankets, floor coverings or cloth. Outstanding among these textiles for beauty,originality and rarity are weft ikat weavings and all-wool colcha embroideries. Many of the tech-

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Detail ofan Ikat Blanket; Circa 1800;Fred Harvey Collection ofthe InternationalFolk ArtFoundational the Museum ofInternational Folk Art, a unit ofthe Museum ofNew Mexico, Santa Fe. Detail ofCosecha Azul; Maria Vergara Wilson; Contemporary;Private Collection.

Fall 1988

planned to resist the dye in such a way that when the weft is unbound and woven into a piece, motifs appear. Motifs produced by the ikat method have soft, feathered edges in contrast to the crisp, straight edges produced by the usual tapestry technique. Colcha embroidery is the Spanish embroidery of the upper Rio Grande valley of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. It is characterized by the almost exclusive use of the colcha stitch, a long stitch which is bound down with a shorter diagonal stitch. It is a stitch which is widely used and modern stitchery books often refer to it as the Bokhara stitch. The stitches are densely worked, parallel to one another, until the entire ground cloth is covered. It would be wonderful if all our knowledge of weaving traditions could be transmitted person to person within our communities; however, this is not possible. Examples of nineteenth century textile art are no longer commonly found in our homes, churches or communities. Most traditional art is now in private or institutional collections where it is meticulously studied, cared for and preserved, but, nevertheless, remains separate from the people who created it. This separation is now several generations old. Along with the passage of time, and the absorption of weavers into twentieth century tourist trade production weaving, it has created an interruption in the intergenerational flow of knowledge. A more formal situation was required to expose modern weavers to the old ways. In 1976, the Museum of International Folk Art, in Santa Fe, presented a workshop, "Rio Grande Weaving and Dyeing:' Most weavers from the Espaiiola area of northern New Mexico attended that memorable workshop and for most of us it was the first time we 34

Author and weaver Maria Vergara Wilson has been working in the Rio Grande tradition for eighteen years.

Weaver Teresa Archuleta Sagel works with both weft ikat weaving and all-wool colcha embroidery.

had seen the breadth and depth of nineteenth century Spanish textile design. Nearly every weaver working in the Spanish tradition at that time was relying on the twentieth century Chimayo design or the designs of the highly visible Navajo weavings. The nineteenth century work shown to us was a treasury of inspiration. Three years later, we had a further opportunity to study these textiles when the Museum of International Folk Art presented an exhibition of Rio Grande textiles, "Spanish Textile Tradition of New Mexico and Colorado': It was during this exhibit and workshop that we first saw weft ikat and colcha embroidery. The well illustrated accompanying catalogue of the same title, edited by Nora Fisher, could now be found in nearly every northern New Mexican weaver's home. Prior to this, few weavers had ever had the opportunity to see the entire continuum of the Spanish Rio Grande textile tradition displayed in such an orderly and understandable manner. Although a concise description of each textile in the exhibit was given, including the approximate date, the materials and dyes used, the number of warps and wefts per inch, there was something missing. There was not a living Hispanic who could say,"This is how ikat weaving is done. This is the best fleece for spinning colcha yarns. This is how the ground cloth is woven!' For us as artists, reclaiming lost traditions, and, if necessary, reinventing lost skills, is an attempt to rise to the challenge of the ancient pieces and to consolidate the knowledge of tradition. Now, what we might have otherwise learned from elders, we must instead garner from visiting museums or private collections. Four northern New Mexican weavers have focused their skills on the ancient The Clarion

techniques of ikat and colcha embroidery. Teresa Archuleta Sage! and I have worked with weft ikat weaving and colcha embroidery and Lisa and Irvin Trujillo with ikat weaving. DESIGN SYSTEMS AND MOTIFS It is impossible to compare contemporary and ancient ikat technique because information on the latter has vanished. It is revealing, however, to examine contemporary and ancient textiles on the basis of design systems (the overall design of a weaving), individual motifs making up the design systems, and materials used. In general, design systems persist but individual motifs vary widely. There are several categories into which Rio Grande weaving design systems are divided: Bands and stripes, bands and stripes with Saltillo (tapestry) motifs, and weavings based on the Saltillo diamond design system.' The design system made up of bands and stripes with tapestry motifs has been a part of the Rio Grande weaving tradition since early times. Bands of solid color are bold; the introduction of fine, narrow stripes of a contrasting color within the bands adds subtlety and interest to the weaving, a welcome relief for the weaver and viewer. The rather anonymous appearance of the mass-produced striped pieces is lessened by the introduction of finger manipulated tapestry motifs. The tapestry motifs used by New Mexican weavers are related to the motifs found in the Saltillo blanket, a textile woven by the Tlaxcalan Indians who settled in the Saltillo area of Mexico during the late sixteenth century. Their three-part design system included a large, intricate central motif, a background area, and four borders which frame the entire piece. The Fall 1988

background area of a Saltillo contains motifs arranged in repetitive, symmetrical patterns such as dots, diagonal stripes, horizontal stripes or vertical columns. The framing borders are often elaborate. Every area of the Saltillo design system is delicately detailed with small motifs, for every large motif is made up of myriad small motifs. New Mexicans simplified and enlarged the delicate Saltillo motifs when they adapted them to their looms, materials and design systems. Nineteenth century weavers integrated Saltillo motifs into the stripe and band design system by alternating the simple

The binding processfor ikat weaving is illustrated above: First weft threads are marked with indelible ink;then the weft thread is bound to resist dye; the thread is dyed and then unbound;finally the thread is woven to achieve the desired pattern.

bands with horizontal rows of enlarged Saltillo motifs, an arrangement which remains popular today. Weavers were influenced by the Saltillo pieces with strong central diamonds, patterned backgrounds and elaborate borders. As a result, many New Mexican weavers have not only adapted individual motifs from the Saltillo blanket, but they have also adapted various combinations of the three elements of the Saltillo design system. Predictably, weft ikat weavers have also borrowed heavily from the Saltillo blanket. As a weaver with no instruction in weft ikat weaving, I found the stripe and band design system afforded the least intimidating starting point for an ikat weaving. A successful piece could be constructed with a band of ikat motifs about an inch high. The first known New Mexican ikat produced in this century was woven by this author, and was a simplified adaptation of a piece at the Museum of History and Technology, Smithsonian Institution. I was shown a photocopy of the piece, and perhaps, because the photocopy did not reveal detail, I was forced to see the design alone. It became immediately apparent that the dot in the center of the piece was a centering device. This observation permitted me to struggle through the first piece. The design system, stripes and bands with motifs, was a familiar one, but the sinuous motifs were unlike any I had ever seen. The possibility of creating undulating motifs uncommon in the Rio Grande tradition appealed to me and also attracted Irvin Trujillo. His piece "Rio Grande Flowers7 incorporates a winding horizontal stem with an open floral motif in the center. My "Cosecha Azur abandons solidly woven stripes and instead relies on bands of ikat motifs. Teresa Archuleta Sages ikat, "Electric Ikat;' is similar to a familiar 35

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Rio Grande tapestry technique which results in square or rectangular design elements. This adaptation can also be seen in my "Fantasia Antigua:' In the above pieces the design system is a strongly horizontal one related to the band and stripe designs with tapestry elements of the Rio Grande weaving tradition. The curving stems of the sinuous floral motifs and the horizontal pine motifs are not typical and can be seen as adaptations by twentieth century weavers from nineteenth century ikats. The popular Saltillo design system with its central diamonds was also adapted by the Trujillos and me. "Hyperactive7 by Lisa Trujillo is a direct descendant of the Saltillo design system. It combines tapestry and ikat, a unique Trujillo technique. "Littoral Equinox;' by Irvin Trujillo, interprets the Saltillo with brilliant color and a combination of tapestry and ikat techniques. The columns of the background are shifted ikat. Random ikat sets off the central diamond. The ikat doves are a departure from ancient ikats and become a signature motif for the Trujillo pieces that follow. The next two pieces adapt ikat to a uniquely New Mexican design system â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the Vallero. Valleros usually had four eight pointed stars in each corner and often one within a central diamond."48 Roses to the Vallero Spirit:' by Irvin Trujillo retains the four stars, but within the central diamond there is an ikat dove. My pieces with dominant central motifs tend to simplify and abstract the Saltillo design system. "Full Moon Forest:' retains the dominant centered design statement of the Saltillo, eliminates the field, and adds a simple border. The pine motifs are based on nineteenth century motifs. My weaving, "Midnight Sailing;' elongates the central Saltillo diamond. In this ikat 36

there is a shadow ikat developed by overdyeing cochineal-dyed yarns and interweaving them beside the white ikat design. I have retained the horizontal borders customarily found in New Mexican weavings. IKAT

Detailfrom Electric &at;Teresa Archuleta Sage!; Contemporary; Collection of Museum of Albuquerque.

Detail of ikat Fantasia Antigua; Maria Vergara Wilson; Contemporary; Collection of the Taylor Museum of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. This work employs a design system typical ofRio Grande weavings.

In contrast to the handspun yarns of nineteenth century weavers, contemporary weavers who have produced ikat weavings have used yarns which are commercially spun. The technical aspects of producing an ikat require long hours beyond the production time for a tapestry piece. To handspin an ikat weaving would, indeed, seem extravagant and economically risky. All the early pre-1850 ikats were dyed with indigo, and it remains the dye of choice for contemporary ikat weavers, as well. Indigo is an ideal dye for ikat because it does not require high heat which could shrink the yarns, shifting the carefully measured bindings and rendering the designs nonsensical. With the exception of Teresa Archuleta Sagel's "Electric Ikat;' and my "Cota Crosses' all the contemporary ikat weavings were dyed with indigo. In order to get colors other than blue into an ikat weaving, I often bind and overdye rich, magenta-colored cochineal or brazilwood-dyed yarn with indigo. Overdyeing is an ideal technique for ikat because the yarns are preshrunk in their original dyebath. The colored yarns can then be treated like undyed yarns suitable for binding and dyeing in the gentle indigo bath. When the yarns are removed from the indigo dye and unbound, the bound areas are still a rich magenta color, but the unbound areas ofthe yarn are a very deep navy blue. Teresa Archuleta Sagel does not overdye, but by binding keeps The Clarion

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Littoral Equinox; Irvin Thujillo; Contemporary;Private Collection. This piece, cropped slightly in the illustration, interprets the Saltillo design system with a combination oftapestry and ikat techniques.

I 48 Roses to the Vallero Spirit;Irvin 7hijillo; Contemporary; Collection ofthe Museum ofInternational (5 Folk Art, a unit ofthe Museum ofNew Mexico, Santa Fe. This work, cropped slightly in this illustration, includes thefour corner stars typical ofthe Vallero design system. Fall 1988

reds and blues pure. Sometimes tapestry motifs dyed in colors other than indigo are also woven into the pieces. This is a difficult technique currently done only by Irvin and Lisa Trujillo. The above examples illustrate that contemporary weavers have not only adapted motifs from ancient ikats but have also added motifs not typical of Hispanic Rio Grande weaving such as curving lines, flowers, and birds. Of all the endeavors I have undertaken during the eighteen years I have been weaving, ikat has been the most captivating. It has been interesting to work my way through various ikat techniques in order to find methods which might be adaptable to the Rio Grande blanket. I had seen beautiful Japanese motifs created by a technique of E-gasuri or figure ikat, but I found E-gasuri more appropriate for fine fabric usually associated with Japanese clothing rather than with a blanket weight Rio Grande weaving which required perfect edges. It took all my ingenuity to devise a mechanism which would enable me to keep thirty to forty yards of yarn orderly and precisely bound, and it often felt as if it took all my imagination to develop a reliable, flexible method for dealing with the complexities of pattern transferral and binding. It was a satisfying experience in problem solving though. In addition to the challenges of ikat,I was also compelled to explore indigo dyeing to find methods which closely approximated the color quality of the old pieces. My studies of historic weaving had always been passive, and with note pad in hand I merely observed the textiles carefully. However, the study of ikat has been an adventure in practical trial and error and has certainly been the most fascinating pursuit of my career. 37

COLCHA In the early nineteenth century, sabanilla, a sheeting of finely spun wool, was woven as a twill or a simple balanced weave in narrow strips and sewn together to form large pieces when needed. Plain woven sabanilla became the foundation fabric for one of the most beautiful of New Mexican textiles â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the wool-on-wool colcha embroidery. Early, pre-1850 colcha embroideries were worked on sabanilla with silky handspun wools dyed with vegetal dyes. Few of these pieces remain, perhaps, because few were ever produced. Although several scholars have suggested that colchas were done by wealthy women, it is difficult to prove such an assumption. The materials used in the embroideries were not rare during the first half of the century. Because weaving and spinning were the products of widespread cottage industries, sabanilla and dyed and undyed yarns would have been readily available. Careful examination of the ground cloth often reveals that the sabanilla is worn from use prior to being embroidered. It is patched and pieced with such economy that it is hard to believe that these embroideries came only from the hands of wealthy women. My experience with colcha shows that the extravagant element in colcha is the time involved in the embroidery of the piece. In northern New Mexico, the Spanish word colcha means bedspread. During the last half of the nineteenth century many embroidered bedspreads were made. Perhaps the lingering memory of these bedspreads caused Hispanics in this century to associate the word colcha with embroidery. However, throughout the nineteenth century, colcha embroideries were also used in churches. Prior to 1850 they were altar 38

Midnight Sailing; Maria Vergara Wilson; Contemporary;Private Collection. This ikat, which is cropped slightly in the illustration, uses an elongated version ofthe classic Saltillo diamond, as well as the traditional horizontal borders.

Detail of ikat Cota Crosses; Maria Vergara Wilson; Contemporary; Private Collection. This work is the only example by the artist which is not dyed with indigo.

cloths, altar carpets and wall hangings, as well as bedspreads. Although colcha embroideries tend to be free flowing and spontaneous in design, three loosely defined design systems are evident in nineteenth century pieces: Vertically arranged designs, pictorial pieces and geometric designs. Chintz, the floral painted cloth of India, was a commonly imported item to the Spanish colonies along the Rio Grande and was a design source for Spanish embroideries." The pre-1850 embroiderers used large, simplified, chintz-like floral motifs in a design system which was often vertically arranged, parallel to the long side of the rectangular pieces. The designs often wind their way from the bottom to the top of the textile uninterrupted by horizontal borders. The pictorial pieces are strongly individualistic in design and in each piece the motifs â&#x20AC;&#x201D; double headed eagles, birds and flowers â&#x20AC;&#x201D; are uniquely arranged. The motifs are decorative rather than symbolic with the exception of the double headed eagle and the Maltese cross. The double headed eagle is the heraldic symbol of the Hapsburgs and also the emblem of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Carmel,a religious society founded in 1760 in the village of Santa Cruz. The Maltese cross is a heraldic symbol. The geometric embroideries have the formal symmetry seen in weaving patterns such as checkerboards and zigzags, and tend to be rigid and repetitive. After the opening of the Santa Fe Trail in 1821, one of the most useful and popular items was American cotton cloth. By 1850 plain weave and twill cotton cloth and American yarns had largely replaced the hand woven sabanilla ground cloth and hand spun yarns. The gradual acceptance of American cotton cloth and embroidery yarns The Clarion

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Colcha I; Maria Vergara Wilson; Contemporary; Collection ofthe Albuquerque Museum.

changed colcha embroidery. The tightly woven cotton ground cloth and the fine commercial yarns made total coverage of a large cloth an impossibly long and tedious task. Without the proper materials, the all wool colcha disappeared. This lack of materials is a major obstacle to contemporary textile artists interested in pre-1850 colcha. Teresa Archuleta Sagel and I overcame the lack of materials because we have the equipment and skill to weave sabanilla and also to spin, dye and embroider our yarn. The handwoven, handspun yarns greatly enhance the quality of the textile. The hours we had spent handling the ancient textiles gave Fall 1988

us a sense of how the textile should feel and look. We both used motifs we had seen in the old colchas and yet we each created embroideries that were unique. Teresa used traditional motifs and design systems and I unconsciously arranged motifs as I would arrange them in a weaving: A strong central motif with vertical borders. Early nineteenth century embroiderers made use of whatever materials were at hand. Nearly all of the yarns with the exception of a special, imported red yarn were locally produced. The custom of making do continues today and is evident in the selection of materials. Handspun yarns are beau-

tiful, but at times commercially spun yarns are appropriate and practical. Teresa and I have made use of a commercially spun single ply yarn. While commercial yarn is beautiful and suitable in weight and uniformity, I do prefer handspun yarns and they predominate in my pieces. Nearly always, the yarns are hand dyed with vegetal dyes. In my first colcha piece I used monks cloth, a commercial cotton cloth, rather than sabanilla. Before I had ever completed a piece, it seemed counterproductive to weave a beautiful piece of sabanilla and then cover it solidly with embroidery. Ultimately experience showed that sabanilla was, indeed,the most practical ground cloth. Whether the ground cloth is cotton or wool, the style of, and inspiration for, the following pieces is in early nineteenth century colcha. My first colcha was inspired by a nineteenth century colcha with a chintz-like design. The ground cloth is cotton and the yarns are all handspun and vegetally dyed. The fleece used was from New Zealand and produced a lustrous yarn. I raveled commercially spun and plied yarn for the fringe because the handspun yarn produced a stringy, thin fringe. The raveled threeply yarn is the only commercial yarn in the piece. The central floral spray is a departure from the usual vertical columns of flowers. Teresa Archuleta Sagel also embroidered a piece, "El Jardin de mis Delicias:' based on the same colcha. The sabanilla is handwoven and the yarns are a combination ofcommercial and handmade products. In this piece the sabanilla is not fully covered with stitches. The fringe is raveled yarn. The double headed eagles of old pieces inspired my second untitled colcha. Although the motifs are all traditional they were unconsciously ar39

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Collection on loan to the Museum ofNew Mexico at the Museum ofInternational Folk Art, a unit ofthe Museum ofNew Mexico, Santa Fe.

idly covered colcha pictorials are producing pieces with human figures, frequently religious in nature. These pieces are a twentieth century innovation first produced by the Anglo women of the village of Carson. They are unique in design and can be categorized with the work of Francis Graves and Rebecca James. Considerable evolution in materials and design is evident in contemporary colcha embroidery; use of ancient motifs link these pieces to pre-1850 wool-on-wool colchas. The exception to this is pictorial embroideries with human figures. These embroideries are a twentieth century innovation. Solidly covered wool colcha embroideries are very personal pieces and will probably remain so because they cannot be easily exploited for financial gain. For example, I do not think that I will make another one for anyone but my own family. The rewards for producing a colcha are inherent in the process itself. In past times pious women devoted many hours in order to create embroideries which would grace their churches or enhance their homes. For me this is, perhaps, the most appropriate use ofcolcha for the only reasonable motivation for making an all-wool colcha is love. I am glad that there is a part of our textile tradition which demands that.

Detail ofEl Jardin de mis Delicias; Teresa Archuleta Sage!; Contemporary;Private Collection.

ranged in a design system usually found in the Saltillo-type weavings. There is a strong central diamond. Within that diamond there are double headed eagles. The white on white flowers are a further outline of the central diamond. While the elements of the border design are traditional colcha motifs, they form vertical borders more common in weav40

ing than in colcha. The overall piece is handspun; however, some of the details are commercially spun. The fleece for the yarns was purchased locally. Pictorial embroideries in the early nineteenth century involved double headed eagles, birds and flowers. In addition to the ancient motifs, contemporary embroiderers interested in sol-

Maria Vergara Wilson, a weaver, has worked in the Rio Grande tradition for eighteen years and has produced the first known Hispanic ikat woven in this century. Her weaving has been shown throughout the Southwest and in exhibitions which have toured nationally. An avid student of the history of traditional weaving, Wilson frequently lectures on the subject. NOTES 1. Nora Fisher, Editor, Spanish Textiles ofNew Mexico and Colorado (Santa Fe: Museum of New Mexico Press, 1985), pp. 54-123. 2. Ibid., pp. 161-162. 3. E. Boyd,Popular Arts ofSpanish New Mexico(Santa Fe: Museum of New Mexico Press, 1974), p. 216. The Clarion

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THE PASTEL PORTRAITS OF

WILLIAM M.S.DOYLE

by ARTHUR B.and SYBIL B.KERN In 1983 the authors of this article acquired a pair of pastel portraits â&#x20AC;&#x201D; typed notes on the reverse identified the subjects as Isaac and Julia Treadwell Pinckney of Providence, Rhode Island, and the artist as Henry Peckham. We were, however, unable to obtain any information concerning a portrait painter by that name and those with similar names, such as Robert Peckham, Lewis Peckham and Henry Pelham could be excluded. Shortly thereafter we came upon another pair of pastel portraits which bore a striking similarity to those of the Pinckneys. They were attributed to William M. S. Doyle by Clara Endicott Sears who wrote of them as follows: "They are the portraits of Elias Trafton of Swansea, Massachusetts, and his wife Sophronia Perry Trafton, painted in the year of their marriage in 1820.... These portraits are not signed but... it (is) beyond question that they were painted by Doyle, for I came across Fall 1988

another couple done in pastels that were posed and dressed and painted in exactly the same style, with hair done in identically the same fashion. ... These portraits were signed by Doyle!" One year later, at an exhibition at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts,' we noted with some excitement the portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Dean which were similar in style of painting, clothing and pose to those of the Pinckneys and Traftons. About this time we were asked to see the portraits of Nancy Balcom and her husband which had been donated to the Rhode Island Historical Society; we were impressed by their marked resemblance to the portraits of the Pinckneys, Traftons and Deans. With this nucleus of eight pastel portraits, which we believed were by the same hand, possibly that of William M.S. Doyle, we decided to investigate this painter further. First, we consulted Groce and Wallace' which recorded William M.S.

Doyle's dates of birth and death in Boston as 1769 and 1828 respectively. He was described as a silhouettist, painter of miniatures and pastels and the father of Margaret Byron Doyle, a portrait painter active in 1828 and 1829. Silhouettes and miniatures have made up the major part of Doyle's best known work. Many of the watercolor miniatures were the basis for engravings which were used as frontispieces for books published in the first quarter of the nineteenth century. He was even more active as a silhouettist, as evidenced by the fact that of the 50 known works recorded by the National Portrait Gallery, 29 are silhouettes, while 15 are miniatures and six are larger pastels. The pastels include the previously

Self-portrait; William M.S. Doyle; 1828; Pastel on paper;2.5/ 1 2x 19"; Collection ofthe Bostonian Society. Signed and dated "Doyle/ April 221 1828" in the left lower corner, this was completed just]] days before his death. 41

with one exception.6 The earliest dated one was painted in 1806, the last, his self-portrait, in 1828. Among the pastels, certain consistent characteristics are evident: the body and head are turned in threequarter view; lips are thin and tightly compressed; faces, particularly of the women, tend to be long and narrow; chin and ears are often prominent; there is little modeling except around the mouth; hair of the men is generally brushed down over the forehead in Napoleonic style, the women showing ringlets or strands of hair over the forehead and upper cheeks and there is detailed and finely done rendering of clothing and jewelry. Adults are all portrayed bust to waist length, while children are full length, except for "Mrs. Burrell and Daughter" which is of a child sitting on its mother's lap. The signed pastel portraits of Mr. and Mrs. John Morgan, dated 1827,and to a lesser degree the 1826 portraits of Molly and Eliza Sparrow, serve as the "Rosetta stones" leading to the authors' attribution of the original eight, as well as the other unsigned pastels, to William M.S. Doyle. Comparison of the portrait of Elias Trafton with that of John Morgan shows the same positioning of body and head, the same narrow compressed lips, similar angulation of the ears, prominence of the chin, white highlights in the eyes, hair brushed down over the forehead and detailed rendering of the clothing. In the portraits of Mrs. Morgan, Mrs. Dean, Nancy Balcom, Mrs Pinckney and Mrs. Trafton we see essentially the same features as described for John Morgan and Elias Trafton. In addition, there is the long narrow face and neck Doyle gives his women as well as their distinctive hair treatment. Pictured in several publications are pastel portraits of an unidentified couple,' which are so similar to the Morgan portraits that they appear to be done by Doyle as well. In addition,

Courtesy of New England Gallery, Inc

noted Traftons, an unsigned portrait of Rufus Webb,a signed self-portrait, and signed portraits of the Sparrow sisters. All the silhouettes and miniatures that have come to our attention are signed: The silhouettes generally just below the bust line, the miniatures usually on one side along the lower border. All the work is signed "Doyle;' with two exceptions â&#x20AC;&#x201D; one is signed "W.M.S. Doyle" and another "W. Doyle:' In his signature, the first three letters of Doyle's last name are printed, the last two written and joined and,in a few instances, the date is present alongside or just below the signature. Furthermore, the figures are all bust length and, in most, the head and body turn to the left, the silhouette in profile, the miniature, with one exception, in threequarter view. Finally, with one exception, every subject lived in or near Boston. Four portraits in oil have been attributed to William M.S. Doyle. One is the circa 1801 painting of John Adams, second president of the United States. This is believed to be a copy of Edward Savage's portrait of Adams which was in the collection of the Columbian Museum when Doyle was working there and so was available to him as a model.' A small oil on board of Peter Van Schaack of Kinderhook, New York is signed and dated "Doyle 1827:'An oil of Rev. Thomas Baldwin, who officiated at Doyle's second marriage, has not been found and one of Samuel Barrett,' labeled as "possibly" by Doyle, has not been seen by us as yet. At the present time, the authors have also been able to attribute 35 pastel portraits to William M.S. Doyle. Twenty-nine of these portraits are of adults, two include a mother and child, and four are of children. They are all approximately the same size, ranging from 22 x 17" to 30 x 24". Of the 35,ten are signed "Doyle" in the same manner as are his miniatures and silhouettes,

Child of the May family; William M.S. Doyle; 1806;Pastel on paper;30x 24";Collection ofthe authors. The earliest known pastel by Doyle, this is signed and dated "Doyle! 1806" in the lower left corner, just above the line of the patterned floor. The identity ofthis child is not certain, but she apparently was a member of the Mayfamily and was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Trowbridge Hastings of Cambridge, Massachusetts. This portrait also has its stretcher covered by newspaper as is the stretcher of the Rufus Perry Barrows portrait.

Nancy Balcom; Attributed to William M.S. Doyle; Circa 1815;Pastel on paper;25/ 1 2x 23/ 3 4"; Collection ofthe Rhode Island Historical Society. A label on the reverse ofthe portrait is inscribed "Nancy Balcom. Related to former Josephine Biddle of Peacedale, R.17 Although there are many Nancys recorded in a genealogy of the Balcomfamily ofMassachusetts, it is most likely that the subjectfor this portrait was the daughter of Jacob and Matilda Perry Balcom who, on September 24,1815 married Rufus Perry Barrows in Rehoboth, Massachusetts.

The Clarion

Photos: Courtesy of Sodieby's In

Unidentified Curly Haired Boy; Attributed to William MS.Doyle;Circa 1815;Pastel on paper; 26 x 22"; Collection of Hen-up & Wolfner. This unsigned work is very similar to the signed ones, and also to many that are unsigned, particularly that ofRufus Perry Barrows.

That's My Doll; Attributed to William M.S. 1 2"; Doyle; Circa 1815;Pastel on paper;301/4 x 22/ Collection of the New York State Historical Association, Cooperstown. Although unsigned, this double portrait oftwo childrenfighting over a doll shows the same threeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;quarter view, poorly delineated hands,facialfeatures,patternedfloor, treatment of clothing and animation seen in Doyle's other signed portraits of children. In addition, the portrait was painted in the Boston area judging from a pencil inscription on the left strainer "Mrs.. Bingham! Garden St.! Cambridge:'

Girl with Blue Eyes and Blue Dress; William M.S. Doyle; Circa 1815;Pastel on paper;2915/16x 24/ 1 2"; Collection of the National Gallery ofArt, Washington; Gift ofEdgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch. Signed and dated "Doyle18" at lower right above the line ofthe patternedfloor, this was probably painted sometime between "Child of the May Family" and the 1825 "Child Seated in a Bamboo Chair:'

Photo: New York State Historical Association, Cooperstown

Rufus Perry Barrows; Attributed to William M.S. Doyle; Circa 1815; Pastel on paper;25/ 1 2x 233/4"; Collection of the Rhode Island Historical Society. Two other members of the Perry family were subjectsfor William M.S. Doyle. One was Sophronia Perry, who married Elias Trafton, and a second was a gentleman reputed to be Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. The stretcher ofthe Rufus Perry Barrows portrait is covered by newspaper dated 1815 so that it is likely that the portraits ofthe Barrows were painted in celebration of their wedding.

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the woman wears the same type of earring as does Mrs. Trafton; she holds a sewing bag while Nancy Balcom holds other sewing utensils and, in the lower corner, there is the same table seen in the portrait of Mrs. Dean. Mrs. Burrell wears an earring identical to that worn by Mrs. Morgan, while the ones worn by Mrs. Pinckney and Mrs. Douville are very similar. Another unsigned portrait, that of an unidentified curly haired boy, not only shows the same features as does Mr. Morgan but even more closely resembles Nancy Balcom's husband, Rufus Perry Barrows, to the degree that we wonder whether the young man may be his son. Further, their clothing is identical, and they sit on very similar chairs over which each subject's right hand is draped while the left hand of each is tucked into his jacket. Other interesting relationships to be observed are the similar stenciled chairs upon which Mrs. Dean and Nancy Balcom sit, and the similarity of dresses worn by Nancy Balcom and Mrs. Burrell. The other unsigned adult pastel portraits also show enough of the qualities seen in the signed ones to permit us to attribute them to William M.S. Doyle. Doyle's four pastel portraits of children alone show them full length and in three-quarter view. With the exception of"That's My Doll;' the double-figured subjects are seated and in each case holds some object. Characteristic of these portraits is their animation, the children fighting over a toy, holding a book, pulling a toy or lifting an apple by a string. The subjects have small heart-shaped mouths, large prominent eyes and poorly delineated hands. In every painting there is a strongly patterned floor and, with the exception of "That's My Doll:' the typical signature "Doyle" and the date of execution are present just above the line of the floor. It is noteworthy that two pastels of children by Margaret Byron Doyle are 43

Courtesy of Sotheby's Inc., New York

Isaac Pinckney; Attributed to William M.S. Doyle; Circa 1820; Pastel on paper; 25 x 20"; Collection ofthe Rhode Island Historical Society. Originally from Philadelphia, Isaac Pinckney moved to Providence after his marriage to Julia Treadwell of that city. The Providence City Directory for 1824 lists him as a jeweler on Benefit Street and subsequent directories through 1848 continue to record him as ajeweler at North Main Street, Benefit Street and North Court Street. Since Doyle did not travel, the portraits of Isaac and his wife must have been painted when they visited Boston.

Julia Treadwell Pinckney;Attributed to William M.S. Doyle; Circa 1820; Pastel on paper; 25 x 20"; Collection of the Rhode Island Historical Society. Julia Treadwell Pinckney, according to death records, died in Providence September 15, 1845 at the age of48 years. She would have been about 23 years of age when her portrait was painted.

Photo: George M. Cushing/Courtesy of The Fruitlands Museum

Photo: George M. Cushing/Courtesy of The Fruit

Courtesy of Sotheby's Inc., New York

very similar to the four we have attributed to her father. The first is her portrait of Abby Ann Duchesne of Massachusetts which is signed and dated "Margaret B. Doyle. 1814'The second is that of a young girl identified on a paper label attached to the reverse of the stretcher as "Mary ..." from Boston. It is dated 1818 and the artist is identified as Margaret Byron Doyle.' At the Frick Art Reference Library the authors found a reference to the pastel portrait of Henry Kendall which is reportedly inscribed on its reverse "Painted by Margaret B. Doyle, May 7, 1813' The present whereabouts of this painting is unknown so that we cannot state whether the subject is child or adult. The significant fact, however, is that this portrait as well as her two portraits of children, is signed with the inclusion of her first name. Her silhouette of Mrs. Brigham, which is in the collection of The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, is signed "M.B Doyle:' Other portraits by her are signed "Miss Margaret B. Doyle" or "Mrs. Chorley" (she married John Chorley in 1830). Her father, on the other hand, almost invariably used just his last name when he signed his work. A search for Margaret's birth record was unsuccessful, but her death certificate gives her date of death as October 27, 1856, cause of death as typhoid fever, and age at death as 56 years. Accordingly, she would have been 13 years of age when she did the pastel portrait of Henry Kendall in 1813 and 14 years old when the pastel of Abby Ann Duchesne was done the following year. The "Doyle" signed portrait of the May child is dated 1806 and the six-year-old Margaret could certainly not have been the painter. Undoubtedly, Margaret Byron Doyle, apparently a precocious child, used her father's work as a model, which would explain their similarity. Many sources, in addition to those

Elias Trafton;Attributed to William MS.Doyle; Circa 1820; Pastel on paper; 23/ 1 2x 20"; Collection of the Fruidands Museum. According to Clara Endicott Sears, the portraits of Elias Trafton of Swansea, Massachusetts and Sophronia Perry Trafton were painted in 1820, the year of their marriage. The Massachusetts census indexfor 1810 does list Elias Trafton in Swansea, but he is not recorded in the census for 1800 or 1820.

Sophronia Perry Trafton; Attributed to William M.S. Doyle; Circa 1820;Pastel on paper;24/ 1 2x 20/2"; Collection of the Fruitlands Museum. Although Sears identifies Sophronia as the sister of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, and although the latter did have three sisters, none of them were named Sophronia. Discovered in Drepperd's "American Pioneer Arts and Artists" is a photograph ofa pastelportrait ofa woman so similar in appearance to that of Sophronia Trafton there is no question but that they were both done by the same hand. The Clarion

Photos: Courtesy of The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities

Elizabeth Sparrow; William M.S. Doyle; 1826; Pastel on paper; 23/ 3 4 x 173/r"; Collection of The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities. Signed "Doyle" lower right, this portrait is very similar to that ofher sister, Mary, and was probably painted at the same time. According to Eastham vital records Elizabeth, daughter of Seth and Mary Sparrow, was born June 12, 1797. A pencil inscription on the backboard states that she died in Eastham June 22, 1829.

Molly Sparrow; William M.S. Doyle; 1826; Pastel on paper; 23/ 3 4 x 17/ 3 4"; Collection of The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities. Signed and dated "Doyle!1826" in the left lower corner this, and the portrait of her sister, Eliza, show the stylistic qualitiespresent in many of Doyle's unsigned portraits. Mary (Molly), the daughter ofSeth and Mary Sparrow, according to Eastham, Massachusetts vital records, was born there July 12, 1795. According to a pencil inscription on the painting's backboard she died in Eastham July 23, 1883. Fall 1988

already mentioned, were important in leading to the discovery of works by Doyle. American Portraits1620 to 1825 Found in Massachusetts, published in 1938 by the Historical Records Survey, Works Progress Administration, not only informed us of many of his miniatures but also of the pastel of Abigail Cook Smith Munroe of Lexington, Massachusetts. A number of collectors, dealers and museum people,on hearing of our research, brought paintings by Doyle to our attention. Still others were found pictured in auction and exhibition catalogues and in books on American folk art. In several publications" it is reported that William M.S. Doyle was born in 1769 in Boston, the son of a British officer stationed there at the time. Nowhere, however, is a source for these facts given. Search of the literature and of early Boston church and city vital records has failed to uncover any information concerning his date and place of birth or the names of his parents.'2 On August 20,1792 William Massey Stroud Doyle" was married to Mary Clifton by Rev. Samuel Stillman in Boston' and, in the same city on November 27, 1797 his second marriage was performed by Rev. Mr. Baldwin to Polly Polfrey'.5 Surprisingly, the death record of his daughter, Margaret Byron Doyle Chorley, which gives her birth date as 1800, records the name of her mother as Mary C. Doyle rather than Mary (or Polly) P. Doyle One of the earliest printed references to Doyle is in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, probate records where William Doyle, a paper stainer, gave bond at the time that Margaret Hovey, wife of Joseph Hovey, wallpaper manufacturer, was made administratrix of his estate on September 30, 1794. He probably purchased the business from the widow since four months later, the February 5, 1795 issue of the Independent Chronicle carried this advertisement: "Paper Hangings, A General

Assortment of Paper Hangings manufactured by William Doyle and sold by Margrate Hovey, at as low a price and on as good terms as at any place in Boston:' The earliest Boston City Directory, dated 1789, makes no mention of Doyle. The next ones â&#x20AC;&#x201D; for 1796 and 1798 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in addition to recording his name as a wallpaper manufacturer, list him as follows: "William Doyle, paper stainer, Union Street, paper works Common Street, house Hawkins Street!' The 1803 directory indicates a major change in his occupation, for he now appears as "William M.S. Doyle, miniature painter, Columbian Museum!'The directories for 1806 through 1821 continue to list him as a miniature painter at the Columbian Museum on Tremont Street, while those of 1822 through 1827 record him as a portrait and miniature painter at the same location. The Columbian Museum was founded by Daniel Bowen who, in 1791, exhibited a few wax figures at the American Coffee House on State Street; he later moved his objects to a hall over a school house on Bromfield Street and, in 1795, this took the name Columbian Museum!' Some time before January 2, 1803 and after 1798, Doyle became associated with Bowen. On the former date, an editorial appeared in Boston's Columbian Centinel reporting on the fire that had destroyed the Columbian Museum and which mentioned that "Mr. Doyle succeeded in removing his furniture from his lower room and two or three things from his chamber!' It is likely that Doyle learned the technique of silhouette cutting and portrait painting from Daniel Bowen who, in addition to being a showman, did wax portraits, silhouettes and miniatures. On May 19, 1803 the new museum opened on Milk Street near Liberty Square and contained, according to an October 15, 1803 advertise45

there including, as announced in an 1808 broadside, his taking "likenesses of the Dead, in his own peculiar way:' On January 1, 1825 the museum's collection was sold to the New England Museum of which Ethan Allen Greenwood, the painter, was proprietor?" Doyle continued to work at the museum, for the Boston directories of 1825 through 1827 still list him as a portrait and miniature painter at the Columbian Hall?' The last known work by Doyle is his self-portrait in pastel. Completed less than two weeks before his death, it is unique in that it is the only portrait on which he has inscribed not only the year but also the month and day of execution â&#x20AC;&#x201D; perhaps because of a premonition of his impending death. The fact that he was the model may explain the almost full, rather than the usual three-quarter view, and the gaunt, drawn expression is likely a reflection of his terminal illness. William Massey Strode Doyle died May 3, 1828, at age 59(confirming his birth date as 1769), of "consumption:' According to the death record, he was buried at Copps Hill Burying Ground, Boston, lot number 102?2 Current records of this cemetery do not include any reference to him and a visit to the burial ground showed lot number 102 to be occupied by a William Boynton. In time we hope to solve the still present mysteries concerning Doyle's life. More significant, however, is that we now have a considerable amount of information concerning the work of this previously little-known painter who was a significant figure in early nineteenth century Boston. Arthur and Sybil Kern are collectors,researchers, lecturers, and writers in the field of early American folk art. Among their previous publications are articles in The Clarion on Jane Anthony Davis, Benjamin Greenleaf, William Murray, Royall Brewster Smith and Thomas Ware. Other publications include those on Almira Edson, Joseph Stone and Warren Nixon, and Joseph Partridge.

John Morgan; William M.S.Doyle;1827;Pastel 1 2 x 17/ 1 2"; Present whereabouts on paper; 23/ unknown. Signed and dated "Doylel 1827" in the left lower corner, this and its companion portrait, were found in Boston. Nothing is known of the subject, butthe Massachusetts index to the census for 1800 through 1820 shows numerous John Morgans living in the Boston area. Courtesy of Sotheby's Inc., New York

ment in the Columbian Centinel, an extensive collection of wax figures, marble and other statuary along with "a great variety of Natural and Artificial Curiosities" The same advertisement reported that "the physiognotrace is employed as usual in tracing likenesses of the company, free of expense" and it was probably Doyle who was then so employed. In a January 2, 1804 advertisement in the Boston Gazette, Doyle announced "that he paints Miniatures, Profiles and Portraits in a neat and correct stile, at various prices. His physiognotrace is correct and expeditious, completing profiles from 25 cents to 2 dollars:' An advertisement in the December 17, 1805 issue of the New England Palladium reports Doyle's fees to be from 25 cents to five dollars for profiles and 12 to 20 dollars for miniatures. Doyle at this time was apparently part owner of the museum since a broadside gives the names of the two proprietors as Daniel Bowen and Wm. M.S. Doyle. In 1806,Bowen and Doyle erected a new five story building near the Stone Chapel!' At the bottom of a broadside announcing what would be seen in the new museum is printed "Doyle and Williams, Miniature and Portrait Painters, at the Museum; where Profiles are correctly cut:"9 The January 17, 1807 issue of the Columbian Centinel reported on the fire which destroyed the "new and elegant building of the Columbian Museum, owned by Messrs. BOWEN and DOYLE:' Until a new building (sometimes referred to as the Columbian Hall rather than Museum) was erected by Bowen and Doyle at the same location as the old one, Doyle continued to advertise his cutting of profiles and painting of miniatures and portraits at his home which fronted "the late Columbian Museum!' Bowen left Boston shortly after the new structure was opened on June 2, 1807, but Doyle continued his activity

Mrs. John Morgan; William M.S.Doyle;1827; Pastel on paper; 23/ 1 4 x 17/ 1 2"; Present whereabouts unknown. Signed and dated "Doyle 1827" in the right lower corner, this and that of her husband serve as a "Rosetta stone" in bringing about attribution to Doyle for many of the unsigned pastels.

The Clarion

CHRONOLOGICAL CHECKLIST OF PASTEL PORTRAITS BY WILLIAM M.S. DOYLE*

1. Child of the May Family; William M.S. Doyle; 1806. 2. Amos Muzzey; William M.S. Doyle; 1813; 22 x 163 / 4"; collection of the Lexington Historical Society. 3. Abigail Cook Smith Munroe; William M.S. Doyle; circa 1814; 22 x 17"; private collection. 4. Rufus Webb; attributed to William M.S. Doyle;circa 1814;27 x 24";collection ofthe Massachusetts Historical Society. 5. Nancy Balcom; attributed to William M.S. Doyle; circa 1815. 6. Rufus Perry Barrows; attributed to William M.S. Doyle; circa 1815. 7. Unidentified Curly Haired Boy; attributed to William M.S. Doyle; circa 1815. 8. Mrs. Burrell and Daughter; attributed to William M.S. Doyle;circa 1815;26/ 1 2 X 22"; pictured in 101 Primitive Watercolors and Pastelsfrom the Collection ofEdgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, 1966, p. 38; present whereabouts unknown. 9. Elisha Noyes Sill; attributed to William M.S. Doyle; circa 1815; collection of Old Sturbridge Village. 10. Chloe Allyn Sill and Her Infant Son; attributed to William M.S. Doyle; circa 1815; 29/ 1 4 X 24"; collection of Old Sturbridge Village. 11. That's My Doll; attributed to William M.S. Doyle; circa 1815. 12. Girl with Blue Eyes and Blue Dress; William M.S. Doyle; circa 1815. 13. Oliver Hazard Perry; attributed to William M.S. Doyle; circa 1818; dimensions unknown; private collection.

14. Elizabeth Perry; attributed to William M.S. Doyle; circa 1818; dimensions unknown; private collection. 15. Robert Dean; attributed to William M.S. Doyle; circa 1819; 25/ 3 4 x 24/ 1 2"; collection of Bertram K. and Nina Fletcher Little. 16. Mrs. Robert Dean; attributed to William M.S. Doyle; circa 1819; 25/ 3 4 x 24/ 1 2"; collection of Bertram K. and Nina Fletcher Little. This and its companion portrait are pictured and described in Nina Fletcher Little's Little By Little, 1984, P. 126. 17. Isaac Pinckney; attributed to William M.S. Doyle; circa 1820. 18. Julia 'Freadwell Pinckney; attributed to William M.S. Doyle; circa 1820. 19. Elias nafton; attributed to William M.S. Doyle; circa 1820. 20. Sophronia Perry Trafton; attributed to William M.S. Doyle; circa 1820. 21. Unidentified Lady; attributed to William M.S. Doyle; circa 1820; dimensions unknown; present whereabouts unknown. Pictured in Carl W. Drepperd's American Pioneer Arts and Artists, 1942, p. 118. The subject so strikingly resembles Mrs. Trafton that we may suspect they're sisters. 22. Unidentified Young Woman; attributed to William M.S. Doyle;circa 1820;23/ 1 2 x 19"; collection of Dr. and Mrs. S. Howard Padwee. 23. Providence Belle; attributed to William M.S. Doyle;circa 1820;25 x 20";collection of Shelburne Museum. 24. Unidentified Gentleman; attributed to William M.S. Doyle; circa 1820; 24 x 18"; private collection.

25. Unidentified Gentleman; attributed to William M.S. Doyle;circa 1820;dimensions unknown; private collection. 26. Captain Peter Douville; attributed to William M.S. Doyle; circa 1820; 24 x 19"; private collection. 27. Rebecca Olmstead Douville; attributed to William M.S. Doyle; circa 1820; 24 x 19"; private collection. 28. Child Seated in a Bamboo Chair; William M.S. Doyle; 1825;30 x 24"; pictured in 101 Primitive Water Colors and Pastelsfrom the Collection of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, pp. 67, 129. 29. Elizabeth Sparrow; William M.S. Doyle; 1826. 30. Molly Sparrow; William M.S. Doyle; 1826. 31. John Morgan; William M.S. Doyle; 1827. 32. Mrs. John Morgan; William M.S. Doyle; 1827. 33. Young Man with Folding Rule; attributed to William M.S. Doyle; circa 1827; 251 / 2 x 21K"; pictured in Drepperd, p. 116 and in 101 American Primitive Water Colors and Pastelsfrom the Collection ofEdgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, p. 33; present whereabouts unknown. 34. Lady with Red and Blue Sewing Bag; attributed to William M.S. Doyle; circa 1827; 251 / 2 X 211 / 4"; pictured in 101 American Primitive Water Colors and Pastelsfrom the Collection ofEdgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, p. 32 35. Self-portrait; William M.S. Doyle; 1828. *Signed portraits are so noted. Attribution of unsigned works has been made by the authors. See photo captionsforfurther information.

NOTES 1. Clara Endicott Sears,Some American Primitives: A Study ofNew England Faces and Folk Portraits, 1941, p. 117. 2. Exhibition of folk art from the collection of Bertram K. and Nina Fletcher Little. 3. George C. Groce and David H. Wallace, The New York Historical Society's Dictionary ofArtists in America 1564-1860, 1957, p. 187. 4. Andrew Oliver, Portraits ofJohn and Abigail Adams, 1967, pp. 115-117. 5. Located at The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities' Barrett House, New Ipswich, NH. 6. The signature on the portrait of Abigail Cook Smith Munroe differs from the others in that all letters are written rather than the typical printing of the first three. However, the same signature is observed on a receipt given to Isaiah Thomas by William M.S. Doyle now in the collection of the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, MA. 7. "Young Man with Folding Rule and Lady with Red and Blue Sewing Bag:' 8. Pictured in a Schoellkopf Gallery exhibition catalogue in 1982.

9. Seen by the authors at a Carl R. Nordblom auction on October 1, 1987. 10. Deaths Registered in the Town ofRoxbury 1850-1867, at the Boston City Hall Archives. 11. Theodore Bolton, Early American Portrait Painters in Miniature, 1921, p. 36 and Alice Van Leer Carrick, Shades of Our Ancestors, 1928, p. 32. 12. A list of British officers serving in America, 1754-1774, published in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 1894, Vol. XLVLII, p. 299 does not include the name of Doyle. Possibly the artist's father may have been an enlisted man rather than an officer. 13. The record of marriage intentions has his third name spelled "Strode!' 14. A Volume ofRecords Relating to the Early History ofBoston Containing Boston Marriages From 1752 to 1809, 1903, p. 115. 15. Ibid. p. 177. His third name is here spelled "Strode" and his second name spelled "Massy"; in the record of marriage intentions his second name is spelled "Massey" and his wife's name "Palfrey:' 16. These inconsistencies are common,especially where middle initials are concerned. 17. Abel Bowen, Picture of Boston, 1829, pp.

192-193. 18. 'bid, p. 193. 19. Henry Williams(1787-1830), portrait and miniature painter, who was born and died in Boston, had an occasional association with Doyle at the Columbian Museum. 20. Samuel Adams Drake, Old Landmarks and Historic Personages ofBoston. 1900, p. 42. Interestingly, Ethan Allen Greenwood in his diary (in the collection of The American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, MA)entry of March 28, 1808 records his calling on Doyle at the time of a visit to Boston very early in Greenwood's career as a portrait painter. 21. As recorded in the Registry ofDeeds, Boston City Hall, Doyle took out an additional mortgage on the museum in 1828, indicating that it must have been just the collection and not the building which had been sold to Greenwood. 22. A Register ofPublishments and Marriages in Boston 1801-1848, at Boston City Hall Archives. His second wife, Polly P. Doyle, died in 1831 and was reportedly buried with him at Copps Hill Burying Ground. No death record could be found for Mary Clifton Doyle.

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Tobacconist Figure; Anonymous; Wood with 3 4 polychrome;Found in Ohio;Circa 1920-30;45/ x 12 x 16";Private collection.

Scrimshaw Pie Crimper; Anonymous; New England whale ivory; 3 4";Private collection. Mid to late 19th century;8/

The Clarion

AMERICAN PRIMITIVE

Root Monster; Anonymous; Tree roots, glass eyes and applied carved wood; Found in Maine; Circa late 19th century; 20 x 64"; Blumert-Fiore collection.

MI photos: Frank Maresca with Edward Shoffstall

Fall 1988

Sculptural objects have always been particularly popular among folk art aficionados. Whether made for use — such as trade signs, decoys, weathervanes, canes and tobacconist figures — or for folly — whirligigs, carousel animals, whimseys, and decorative works — folk sculpture physically engages the viewer in a way that two-dimensional art never can. In their new book American Primitive: Discoveries in Folk Sculpture, dealers and collectors Roger Ricco and Frank Maresca expand the already rich field of American folk sculpture. Included are older, traditional forms that wear the ravages of age, weather, and, yes, pollution with boldness and grace, as well as vital examples of contemporary folk expression by recognized artists, and works by anonymous makers that reflect a distinct modernist sensibility. In their selection of objects, Ricco and Maresca reveal a taste for the eccentric. Whether they were made in the nineteenth or twentieth centuries, their examples reflect an audacity — a lack of convention — not always found in traditional folk sculpture. "What we responded to in each case,'they write in their Foreword,"was the underlying independence of the sensibility that produced the work, the clarity of vision, a quality of perplexity and mystery, of freshness of form and a surprising resolution that sets all the pieces apart from the common and brings them together, distinctly establishing a category of art separate from those pieces, however magnificent — factory weathervanes, quilts, samplers and the like — that emerged from a craft tradition:' Elegantly photographed by Frank Maresca, a fashion photographer, the selection and presentation of the pieces in American Primitive reflect not only the authors' particular aesthetic, but also their preference for an objectified, reverential approach to the exhibition and display of self-taught art. The following pages offer a small sampling from the book. Didi Barrett Editor 49

ETM

Elephant and Rider;David Butler;Chiselled and snipped tin with polychrome;Louisiana;Fourth quarter ofthe 20th century;26 x 34";Collection ofJack and Ali Clili

The Clat ion

Bust of Admiral Dewey;Anonymous;Pine with light grey paint; Found in New England; Circa 1898;16 x11"; Collection of William Greenspon.

Iconic Figure; Thomas Charlton; Carved wood, metal decorations; Inscribed "October 1926 carved by Tom Charlton, Deadwood South Dakota";Charlton was at one time a caretaker atSt. John's Episcopal Church in Deadwood South Dakota;63/ 1 2x 18"; Private collection.

Prancing Horse Weathervane; Anonymous; Heavily weathered pine, metal tail, wire bracing; New England; Circa late 19th century; 18 x 28"; Private collection. 51

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Female Figure; Raymond Coins; Stone; North Carolina; Circa 1980;23/ 1 2x 17"; Courtesy ofAarne Anton.

Acrobatic Rider Weathervane; Anonymous; Pine, metal, wire and traces ofpolychrome;Found in central Wisconsin; Circa late 19th-early 20th century; 32"; Collection Richard Levy and Sigrid Christiansen.

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Unfitted; Bessie Harvey; Wood with polychrome, composition, glass eyes, shells; Tennessee; Circa 1986;27x 27x 16";Collection of Cavin-Morris.

Nude Female Figure; Anonymous;Pine with polychrome. Found in a logging camp in Maine, thisfigure had been placed infront of a bunk house,presumably by it's maker,andfunctioned as camp pin-up;Early 20th century;51";Private collection.

American Primitive: Discoveries in Folk Sculpture by Roger Ricco and

Frank Maresca with Julia Weissman is being published this fall by Alfred A. Knopf. It can be ordered from the Museum of American Folk Art Book and Gift Shop, 62 West 50th Street, NY, NY 10112 (tel. 212/247-5611), for $75.00 plus $4.00 shipping and handling.

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The American Folklore Society The First Hundred Years by Roger D. Abrahams

Photo: Carl Fleischhauer/American Folklife Center

This October, the American Folklore Society formally begins the celebration of a hundred years of activity at its annual meeting in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Over the span of the next year â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that is, between the meetings of 1988 and 1989, in Philadelphia â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a number of events are planned which display and demonstrate how folklorists work. Folklorists document and study traditional performers and performances and craftworkers and their productions, which are found among Americans of all sorts. Folklorists have not only been involved in studying these traditions but in bringing them to public notice. In effect, they have been as interested in the folk as in their lore, and have made some effort to represent the interests of these tradition-bearers by finding a place of respect and even honor in more public settings. Through folk festivals, movies, museum exhibits, and phonograph recordings, as well as through writing for a variety of audiences, scholarly and popular, folklorists have been involved in activities that take them far from the Ivory Tower. It may seem a little strange for a professional society to engage in the hoopla of a centenary celebration but the American Folklore Society has never been an organization which followed the dictates of other essentially scholarly societies. Its members have always run the gamut from scholars to regional writers to journalists. Folklorists count among their numbers historians of local, national and worlds' cultures, as well as museum curators, philanthropists, and social activists. While there are respected undergraduate and graduate programs in folklore and folklife study all over North America, a great deal of work is being carried out by professional folklorists in public organizations â&#x20AC;&#x201D; federal, state and local arts and humanities organizations, museums, and special interest groups (such as the Coun-

Jessie Lee Smith andfolklorist Beverly Robinson at Smith's home in Tifton, GA. The Clarion

GT%1

Fall 1988

and caring, encouraging of individual artistry, and devoted to the enlightenment and entertainment of friends, neighbors and other like-minded people. Folklore, in the ideal, is passed on by folk through friendly, personal encounters, through word of mouth instruction, or by observation and imitation. Somehow, the very notion of authenticity is identified with this process, and with the objects produced or the songs, stories or dances performed. Even if folklore does not actually live on in such environments, and if the totally untouched folk community which produces for itself, and entertains itself, has never actually been discovered, the idea of such a folk community — and its craftwork and its performing arts — has maintained a hold on our imaginations. On the other hand, folklorists have discovered a great many master performers and craftworkers who do maintain earlier styles, and use archaic techniques. Such artists may be discovered in a number of unsophisticated environments, and their work and their persistence in maintaining the old ways of doing things is worth studying and celebrating. The American Folklore Society is marking its Centennial by celebrating the accomplishments of the profession in studying and presenting such traditions and their bearers. If there is a

major theme to the occasion, it is the role folklore and folklife study plays in the cultural life of North America. Members have given themselves the luxury of devoting two annual meetings to these topics. The first, in Cambridge, will be devoted to the consideration of the history of the discipline. The Philadelphia meetings, the second year, will focus on the future of folklore and folklife study and presentation. There will be public sessions at each meeting devoted to exploring what folklorists have done and continue to do to enrich public cultural life in North America. Meeting at these sites repeats the first gatherings of the Society held a century ago. The AFS was first brought into being in Cambridge, Massachusetts, early in 1888, followed by its first national convening of members in 1889 in Philadelphia. When the idea for an organization of folklorists in North America was first discussed in the late 1880's, some of the brightest luminaries in American intellectual life immediately indicated an interest. Among the anthropologists, for instance, were John Wesley Powell, the discoverer of the Grand Canyon, Franz Boas, Alice Cunningham Fletcher, Otis T. Mason, and Horatio Hale. All were collecting the lore of American Indians. Among the literary illuminati were James Russell Lowell,

Photo: Lyntha Scott Eiler/American Folklife Center

try Music Association) — as well as by phonograph and movie producers, and a number of people who regard collecting and performing folklore as an avocation. While folklorists have been engaged in bringing on-going traditions to the notice of the general public, the question of what folklorists actually do continues to arise. To a certain extent, this results from the ambiguity of the term folklore, inasmuch as it refers to both the materials studied and to the discipline by which the study is carried out. Folklorists look for the continuing evidence of creativity in performance and craft as it is found in small groups who exhibit common interests, enthusiasm and values. Members of the discipline have found the deepest reservoirs of on-going customary practices in communities relatively isolated from the outside world. But folklorists have also recognized, from their earliest days, that such lore might be found as readily on playgrounds in big cities, or in lodge halls, barber shops and other places of congregation in towns. Folklorists, then, have been — and continue to be — interested in identifying the survival of ancient traditions, and with recognizing newer types of traditions as they emerge, wherever the creative imagination can be seen to be operating on a group level. Thus there have been interesting studies made of, for example, the folklore of motorcycle bikers, trial lawyers, cowboys, highwire workers, and hunt clubs — that is whether the hunting is done from horses and the trophy a foxtail, or from the ground, at night, and the prize is a racoon or a possum. Some of the most forceful presentations of folklore in festival contexts has involved gatherings of tradespeople entertaining the public with the stories they share on the job about the problems, and the learned techniques, of their work. Here the storytellers have ranged from bartenders and cabbies to hucksters, auctioneers and street vendors. Judging by the number of festivals and other kinds of public events, the idea of"the folk"continues to be one of the most attractive fictions of our culture. Imagine communities which are, at the same time, self-sufficient

Mr. and Mrs. Josh Easter ofSurry County, NC,prepare applesfor drying with the assistance offolklife researcher Wally Macnow as Bob Fulcher and Terry Eiler videotape the process. 55

Samuel Clemens, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Edward Eggleston, and Joel Chandler Harris. The finest American historians of that age, Francis Parkman and John Fiske, as well as Henry Cabot Lodge and Moses Coit Tyler were all members. The great ballad scholar Francis James Child, the foremost literary scholar of his time, gave his strong backing,as did Samuel Longfellow,the poet's son. These two, along with Lodge, Higginson and Lowell, were neighbors on "Professors Row" in Cambridge. The announced purpose of the Society was to bring together those interested in the "mental tokens which belong to our own intellectual stock, which bear the stamp of successive age which connect the intelligence of our day with all periods of human activity ..."; this discussion was to be accomplished not so much through face-to-face encounters as through the publication of a scholarly journal. Indeed, the Journal ofAmerican Folklore was already into its second volume by the time the first annual meeting was held in Philadelphia on November 28 and 29, 1889. Particularly radical for its time, the Society not only encouraged a membership made up of people from a number of regional and ethnic backgrounds, but it was also the only such scientifically oriented organization to encourage women to join and be actively engaged in the proceedings. The first set of officers of the Society included the remarkable Alice C. Fletcher,then living and working on the Winnebago Reservation in Nebraska, and Mary Hemenway, a noted philanthropist who had a deep interest in American Indian peoples. When the original members of the American Folklore Society came together in 1888 they had more in mind than simply to sponsor and organize the study of traditional life on this side of the Atlantic. They expressly set out to recognize that American folklore existed by collecting and presenting the evidences of such traditions in this part of the world. This seems self-evident today, but their project had them confronting some of the most deeply held convictions concerning culture of their 56

day. For there to be folklore there had to be a folk. However, if the European definition offolk was to prevail — that is, a peasantry, an unsophisticated and unlettered people living in a subservient status to a more sophisticated class — Americans could rightly argue

C E. NORTON AND II J. CHILI) ABOUT Ifibi

In the late ninteenth century most thinking people regarded the question of the loss offamiliarly learned ways within the well-ordered and selfsufficientcommunity as the mostimportant moral question facing the West. In England, John Ruskin, Walter Pater and especially William Morris sought ways of maintaining a world in which all things would be made common by maintaining those traditions ofhandwork carried on within communities of craftspeople. In the New World, such ideas were central to the great teachers of the American Renaissance, with Emerson and Thoreau, and in the next generation, with Charles Eliot Norton and Frances James Child. These two greatfriendsfrom childhood days sought, in their own way, to maintain the viability of such values by studying what seemed to them — and many others of their generation — the lastflowering ofsuch societies at the end ofthe Middle Ages. Child was to go on to become the greatest scholar of the "medieval ballad" the world has known. He was also to serve as the first President of the American Folklore Society, when his student, William Wells Newell, organized this group. Norton, too, was to become a scholar — the first in America to teach art history — and to carry the message of Ruskin and Morris to those Americans willing to listen. He became afamiliar in the Ruskin. Carlyle and Morris households serving as literary executor for Ruskin on the latter's death. He was the founder and first president ofthe Boston Arts and Crafts Guild, an achievement late in his illustrious career. In this role, one could usefully argue that he was thefirst American theorist concerned withfolk art.

that there was no folk on this side of the Atlantic. For folklore to be revealed in North America,the very notion of who was to be regarded as folk had to be reinvented. Here visitors from the Old World, most notably the Frenchmen de Crevecoeur and de Tocqueville, recognized a kind of cultural distinctiveness of Americans which revealed a new notion of tradition, one arising from the self-sufficient and self-consciously communitarian life on the frontier. Among pioneers they discovered developing traditions, in some part based on the inherited technology and wisdom of the European past, and in part derived from those with whom they shared their New World existence: Indians and peoples of African ancestry. Of course, there was little question that Indians were both unlettered and bearers of tradition; but to study their lore was to accord them human status. As long as they were a threat to the pioneers, their lore was of little interest to Americans, with the exception ofthe remarkable Thomas Jefferson. After the Civil War, more and more Americans lived for a time in Europe and gained a cultural distance from the homeland. It was only then that the idea of an American folklore began to take shape, one made up of the blend of cultures brought together in America, including Indians and ex-slaves. When the members of the American Folklore Society came together to proclaim the inception ofthis organization, they were uncompromising on this point. In their charter statement, they pointed to the many American cultural groups as the source of folklore: In addition to the scarce remains of British countryside traditions, the groups considered worthy of serious study were the descendants of slaves, whose lore surely came in good part from Africa; the indigenous Indians;the French- and Spanish-speaking peoples from Canada and Mexico, as well as those already living in the United States. To the question of the social status of the individuals passing on these traditions, William Wells Newell, the organizer of the AFS, answered this question in a typically American fashion: "...if the wordfolk is to be defined, in the language of early dictionaries as The Clarion

plebs or vulgus, it must be admitted that our own grandmothers belonged to the vulgar!' Between the centennial of the Revolutionary War, celebrated in 1876, and the creation of the Columbian Exposition in 1893, this country went through an excited, if painful, self-examination of the American accomplishment. One feature of this assessment was the sense that, while much had been gained since the first settlements, much had also been lost, including the sense of divine purpose felt by the earliest pioneers. The virtues of those earliest days were encompassed in the idea of the "Age of the Homespun;' a time when the value of work and of self-sufficiency was tied in with the appropriate worship of an all-powerful God. Regard for the morally rigorous days of the past, shorn of their fear of an avenging God, emerged in the work of

the New England transcendentalists, especially Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, and found poetic formulation in romanticized fashion in the poetry of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The founders of the Society, especially the Cambridge group, were the inheritors of this tradition. Moreover, the relationship between, first Emerson and Thomas Carlyle in the middle of the century, and then Charles Eliot Norton and John Ruskin in the next generation, insured that the ideas of the seminal English writers on culture found voice in the vital work of American thinkers, writers, and orators in the late nineteenth century. Without being aware of it then, folklorists were the inheritors of the tradition of John Ruskin and, even more William Morris, that saw "all things made common" through recognizing the importance of "the lesser arts;' those which today we

Celebrating the American Folklore Society Centennial The Centennial celebration began this spring with an exhibit on the history of playground folklore organized in New York by City Lore, a Manhattan-based independent organization of public sector folklorists. In keeping with a continuing commitment to scholarly activity, a series of books on the history of the discipline will be published. In addition, folklore scholars and museum presenters are joining forces in creating public presentations covering a wide range of subjects, all centering on the work of folklorists and their role in bringing to light alternative American traditional forms of expression. Under sponsorship of the AFS Centennial Coordinating Council, there will be numerous shows. The Museum of Our National Heritage in Lexington, Massachusetts, for instance, opens an exhibit on the impact offolklore and folldorists on the American imagination as one feature of the beginning of the Centennial year. The Balch Institute in Philadelphia, similarly, will have a show during the second Centennial meeting on the folklore of family businesses among different ethnic communities. The Samuel Fleischer Museum, again in Philadelphia, will also have an exhibit on ItalianAmerican craft traditions and tradition-bearers. These last two shows have been organized by a new organization, The Philadelphia Folklore Project, itself an outgrowth of the Centennial effort. In addition, the Festival of American Folklife at the Smithsonian Institution, held from late June through the July Fourth weekend last summer, featured a tent in which folk performers and craftspeople were brought together with working folklorists as a living demonstration of what it is that folklorists do. This exhibit will be toured to other venues beginning with a showing at the Cambridge meetings. The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress is marking the event by issuing a poster in honor ofthe first hundred years ofthe Society. And twenty-five or so museums and libraries in the Boston and Philadelphia areas will have developed small exhibits featuring items from their permanent collections which were made by traditional peoples, or which illustrate on-going folk activities in their neighborhood or R.D.A. community.

Fall 1988

refer to as folkcrafts or folk art. Life was endowed with meaning and style through making beautiful the objects used in everyday life. Coursing through this style ofthought on both sides of the Atlantic was the idea that if a folk could be discovered, their traditions and practices would reveal a way for common man to make common sense. A century ago, as now, Americans eagerly sought alternatives to modernity. In that period of intense selfexamination between 1876 and 1893, a large-scale public discussion was carried on concerning how to maintain the spirit and the values which had made the "American Experience" such a success in the eyes of the world. The technological mastery which had contributed so strongly to this achievement throughout the nineteenth century maintained a strong hold on the imagination. Yet there were deep anxieties that were a by-product of this ability to build straight canals, turnpikes and railroads, and to mechanically reproduce objects in such profusion and with such ingenuity that all things seemed within the reach of anyone and everyone's purse. This anxiety took the form of a sense of loss of community, especially with regard to the moral guidance which small family-based groups engender. Moreover, there were many who saw in the past an abiding trust in the value of work, and especially handwork. In most ways, folklorists continue to look to the bearers of tradition as those who, in the face of the juggernaut of mass cultural forms, have maintained the smaller, simpler and often more commonsensical ways of expressing themselves. Getting back to the natural, smaller, familiar, human-sized style of life is an alternative that we do not wish to lose, even if we don't find ourselves choosing to live that way ourselves. In this way, folklorists and other enthusiasts of traditional arts continue to operate on the principles of these nineteenth century figures, including those farsighted people who started the American Folklore Society. Roger D. Abrahams is a Professor ofFolklore and Folklife at the University of Pennsylvania. He presently serves as chair of the Centennial Coordinating Council of the American Folklore Society. 57

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BOOK REVIEWS

ADIRONDACK FURNITURE AND THE RUSTIC TRADITION by Craig Gilborn 352 pages, 307 illustrations and 50 color plates Published by Harry N. Abrams,Inc., New York $60.00 hardcover Adirondack Furniture and the Rustic Tradition is the long-awaited book on this special kind of American decorative art form to which Craig Gilborn, Director of the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake, New York, has devoted nearly fifteen years of research. And it is no disappointment. In fact, this is a thorough study of the historical developments of this furnituremaking tradition, complete with a discussion of the several different forms and decorative treatments, biographical sketches of the makers in the Adirondack region during the primary period, and an assessment of the current state of rustic furniture making in the United States. In addition, the book is a handsome production, profusely illustrated with good photographs and color plates of hundreds of examples, many of which are in private collections and very unlikely to be otherwise seen by the general public. In his introduction, Gilborn outlines several issues which he feels are important for the reader to keep in mind: Major factors which led to the great popularity of rustic furniture in the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; the significant influence of wealthy camp owners on the native artisans and their work; the development ofa truly Adirondack style; the lack of any similar study yet done in any other region of the United States; and the question of any measurable influence the Adirondack tradition had on furniture makers elsewhere. The chapter entitled "Rustic Taste in England and America" provides invaluable historical background for the many types and examples to follow. Gilborn has searched through eighteenth and early nineteenth century popular publications in order to develop a very thoughtful discussion of the history and evolution of popular aesthetics and influential tastemakers on the rustic tradition. It may be surprising to readers to learn that such construction existed in the 60

A rustic style bedfrom Adirondack Furniture and the Rustic Tradition.

mid-eighteenth century in England, when "ephemeral structures" like gazebos, benches, fences, and gates were becoming popular garden adornments for the country estates of the aristocracy. In fact, six handsome sidechairs now owned by the Victoria and Albert Museum closely resemble designs in a 1765 pattern book. But it was in the nineteenth century in the United States, when landscape planning for parks and cemeteries led to the popularization of rustic settings as an escape from noise, dirt, and heat of cities, that Americans' taste for the rustic really developed. Gilborn especially credits the publications of Andrew Jackson Downing with the great interest among the upper middle class in this style. By the first decade of the twentieth century, resort hotels and second homes in the wilderness drew people from the crowded cities; each of these structures needed to be furnished. Mass-produced, inexpensive hickory furniture, made mostly in factories in the Midwest and South and available in department stores and by mail order, was shipped into areas like the Catskills and the Adirondacks by the carload.

But the greatest interest for most collectors â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and the major focus ofthis book â&#x20AC;&#x201D; is with the individually crafted and designed pieces which are most closely identified with the Adirondack region. Gilborn asserts: "The best rustic furniture was one-of-a-kind and the best ofthat was made in the Adirondacks by men of talent, with no formal training, except for the skills acquired while working as loggers and carpenters:' This reviewer finds the chapter called "An Adirondack Aesthetic: From Shanty to Great Camp" to be the most interesting of all, for the author carefully examines the several complex factors which have contributed to the phenomenon of fascination for the region and this particular art form associated with it. Beginning with some discussion of the simplest kinds of shelters, built of poles and bark and meant only to protect loggers or hunters from the elements, he moves to very detailed descriptions of some of the huge enclaves of many luxurious structures built for some of America's most prominent and wealthy families of the time. He devotes considerable attention to the way of life and background of the men who were employed to build these camps and,subsequently, many ofthe decorative features and furnishings. He says: "Most Adirondack camps came by their rustic style and character by heritage, since the materials of rustic construction and decoration originated in the strictly utilitarian or subsistence buildings that were still being erected in the region, principally for logging camps, until the Depression... The rustic materials and techniques were their own,although interest in natural materials and the effects of color, texture, and mass very much belonged to the medley of domestic styles of the period between the Civil War and World War 17 The next two chapters are devoted to the two major categories which Gilborn creates for discussing the many different types of furniture associated with the rustic tradition in the Adirondacks. First, he considers "Adirondack Tree Furniture:' all examples made of native materials to create forms and decorated surfaces of great variety. Stick, rustic cedar, peeled pole and branch, applied bark, taxidermy, and mosaic twig work are the combinations of technique and materials employed by native craftsmen, most of whom were also loggers, guides, The Clarion

BOOK REVIEWS

and estate caretakers who worked in the off seasons to produce furniture for their employers and their friends. Page after page of wonderful examples — from small jewelry boxes to grand dressers, clock cases, and desks — illustrate the great and exciting range of materials that craftsmen turned into masterful works of art. Of all the techniques discussed, Gilborn suggests that mosaic twig work is the most refined and most specifically associated with furniture actually created in the Adirondack region. Using a great variety of woods, the peeled twigs were often applied in elaborate designs that were basically of local composition. One can notice the influence of traditional quilting patterns and Native American design motifs, both also popular in the Victorian period, in several illustrated pieces in this section. Numerous examples of "Cottage and Bungalow Furniture;' sturdy, functional, and relatively inexpensive, and mostly imported to the region, is extensively documented as well. In this section, Gilborn states that the widely-acclaimed "Adirondack chair" — common lawn furniture with slatted backs and seats and wide arms — has only its name to connect to the region. He adds,"Its provenance remains a mystery ... It has not yet been proven to have originated in the Adirondacks at all!' Oh, well! In his final chapter, Gilborn discusses the rise and fall in popularity of rustic furniture in the region and beyond. Despite its amazing popularity for 50 years — from 1890 to 1940 — a decline in camp construction after the Depression and World War II, and the subsequent development of inexpensive, portable tubular aluminum lawn furniture, meant that rustic furniture was fast becoming historical artifacts. In recent years, with an increased interest in the Adirondacks and other wilderness areas being shown by tourists, and new camps being built in the region, a few people have revived the tradition and some are making fine examples again. The traditional native woodsman/carpenter/jack-of-all-trades is difficult to find in the region anymore, but the regained popularity of such a simple but elegant craft, and the awareness of the region's heritage that such a magnificent book as this can bring, may just mean that it could all come back again. Adirondack Furniture is a very important Fall 1988

addition to the basic library of anyone seriously interested in American decorative arts. It's also a good read for a dreary afternoon in any season when one wishes he or she could be in the Adirondacks but just can't get there. — Varick A. Chittenden Varick A. Chittenden is Professor of English at SUNY College of Technology at Canton and director of Traditional Arts in Upstate New York.

MARKERS V: JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR GRAVESTONE STUDIES Edited by Theodore Chase Published by University Press of America Lanham, Maryland, 1988 237 pages with black and white illustrations $18.00 softcover For those interested in gravestones, Markers V: The Journal Of The Association For Gravestone Studies holds a trove offascinating information. Here are seven articles spanning three centuries and two North American countries. Necropolises in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Illinois, as well as Ontario and Nova Scotia, are taken into consideration. We read about and view through photography the specific and the general from traditional to modern examples. The opening essay, written by Meredith M. Williams and Gray Williams, Jr., and titled "'Md. By Thos. Gold': The Gravestones Of A New Haven Carver:' centers on the all-but-overlooked late eighteenth century artist, Thomas Gold. Because his work has definite merit,the reader is given details about his style, periods, geographic range, influences and numbers of stones, all of which place him in the history of Connecticut carving. Data about Gold's personal life and his craft are gathered from original sources such as probate records of the period. With the former in hand, logical deduction also plays a role. While learning about Gold, we also learn about the field in general. The similarities and differences of tombstones,trademarks,and materials used (sandstone, marble, slate) are enumerated. Economics also played its role: The fancier, more expensive carvings had fewer gram-

matical errors and the text was properly centered. Shifts in the taste of buyers of the time are considered, too. Superb footnotes, appendices and photographs by Daniel & Jessie Lie Farber accompany the article. Thomas E. Graves wrote the splendid second piece,"Pennsylvania German Gravestones: An Introduction!'The study begins in the 1740s, sixty years after the start ofthe German immigration, and focuses on the Catholic and Protestant graveyards of Berks, Lancaster, Lebanon, Schuylkill, Lehigh and Montgomery counties. The broad cultural trends of the stones of these people from the Palatinate are noted, which in turn gives us the evolution of its decorative carving. As would be expected, the earlier markers are more primitive in style, pattern and material and the language is almost exclusively German. Not until 1820 does English begin to appear and it wasn't until 1933 that German completely disappeared. When German ceased to be used, it meant that that language could no longer be read. For a while bilingual stones were seen. Also, German lettering gave way to English handwriting. The Pennsylvania German folk art Taufscheine played its role. Flowers seen in fraktur, the tree of life and even hex signs found their way in some form onto these gravestones. Though the decoration changed, the content remained the same: Birth and death dates were always given while immigration dates, marriage dates and family size were optional. One oddity was the unexplainable existence of decorated but unlettered stones. All these carvings should be considered as ethnic markers. A companion piece to the Graves article is "Early Pennsylvania Gravemarkers7 Here are 36 top-notch photographs with text by Daniel and Jessie Lie Farber. Next the reader is taken north to Canada to learn about "Ontario Gravestones" through the words ofDarrell A. Norris. Five thousand nineteenth-century stones in 105 cemeteries in the Province of Ontario are considered. By this time, gravestones are not pure craft and/or folk art, but we continue to look at form, motifs, size, materials, and orientation. Manufacture is now an added dimension. This is true whether the location is a farm burial ground or a large cemetery. Mr. Norris wisely points out that these markers are cultural 61

BOOK REVIEWS

indicators because of their "widespread distribution, visibility, durability, relative immobility and sheer numbers:' Individual histories, religions and symbolic tastes can still be determined in the graveyard. In addition to who made the work one must now also consider who commissioned it and who sold it. Perhaps most interesting are the five roles of a nineteenth century gravestone. It is a memorial first of all, but it also tells that that person belonged to a group and what place he or she had in that group. Finally it is a signal of mass material culture in an industrial age ... a commercial consumer good. The fifth section is a "Research Report On The Graveyards Of Kings County, Nova Scotia" by Deborah Trask and Debra McNabb. The authors say that little is known of life during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries in this part of Canada. They contend they can find valuable information about and from existing gravestones. This is what the report deals with but it is, by the authors admission,only a beginning. In its present form we have a good overview of a work in progress. "Poems In Stone: The Tombs Of Louis Henry Sullivan" by Robert A. Wright brings us back to the United States, this time in the late nineteenth century. Students of Sullivan, who is often called the Father Of American Architecture, know that his mausoleums were important milestones in his development as an architect. For him it was a way to test his design skills and architectural principles on a pure form whose utilitarian function was minimal. This can be witnessed in three works dating 1887, 1890 and 1891. His wealthy clients from the Midwest benefitted. Until this time most American mausoleums imitated past styles; Sullivan's did not. They exemplified his ideas, which were influenced by Egypt and the Islamic religion and tempered by his three—pronged formula of imagination, thought, and expression. Even though we are seeing the maker, and not the buried through these edifices, we are being exposed to the rural cemetery movement which combined a romantic notion of burial with manmade nature. The thought was that "a picturesque landscape relieved grief and nourished positive feelings:' The final segment in this volume is "Seven Initial Carvers Of Boston 62

1700-1725:' The writers, Theodore Chase and Laurel K. Gabel, break new ground by not dealing with the obvious. During this period of time Boston was the center of gravestone carving in the New World. Ignoring the well-documented carvers, we move on to seven who have not received much attention. Though they only initialed the 43 works under consideration, which means that we are not sure of their names, they all shared certain characteristics. All worked in Boston during the same period; all the stones are early examples of their craft; and all display very good workmanship. All the stones are different, and many ended up in yards outside of Boston. The initialing, it might be noted, was not for advertising, simply because the letters are too discreet and obscure. While the real purpose is not clear, we do know that this phenomenon occured selectively in the early eighteenth century in Boston before a carver became a master at the trade. For those interested in gravestones and for those who might be interested, Markers V is an intelligent, well written, thoroughly researched and annotated compilation of essays on Canadian and U.S. tombstones. For those who never thought they were interested, give it a whirl — you might be pleasantly surprised. — Michael McManus Michael McManus is Director of Exhibitions of the Museum of American Folk Art.

AMERICAN COUNTRY POTTERY: YELLOWWARE AND SPONGEWARE William C. Ketchum, Jr. 138 pages plus Appendix and Bibliography Photographs by Schecter Lee Published by Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1987 $19.95 softcover Anyone fortunate enough to have studied pottery under Bill Ketchum is well aware of his prodigious knowledge and appreciative understanding of American pottery. Ketchum can start with the ecological accounting for the clays in which various pottery types originated, take you through the physical and aesthetic evolutions of each type and form, tell you the professional histories of leading as well as obscure individual artisans and manufacturers, and then relate all this information to variations in product! He is even frequently and easily able to identify the work of an individual potter from details most of us don't see although they're pointed out for us, and from these details place the work in time and space. He knows his subject. Bill Ketchum admires pottery, for sure,

Yellowwarejugsfrom American Country Pottery: Yellowware and Spongeware.

The Clarion

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"The Animals Two-by-Two" applique quilt, wool. c. 1890.

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and is, moreover, a consummate and indefatigable researcher. I have meandered into the New York Public Library in the morning and have seen him perusing microfilmed eighteenth and nineteenth century newspapers. I have left the library, gone about my business and returned many hours later to find him still at the same reader; his grasp of the field is superlative. His works on pottery reveal the thoroughness of his admiring scholarship in a field with a serious shortage of quality literature. American Country Pottery: Yellowware and Spongeware presents the reader with everything needed to begin to know the many forms of these two important and frequently encountered pottery types and their manufacture. Its appendix includes lists of pottery makers, their locations and periods of activity. It is a better source than the Folk Artists Bibliographical Index certainly; its bibliography is complete. The text has important, insightful details throughout: It differentiates clearly between American and British examples, a must for the collector. It displays superb examples of each form and gives complete catalogue information within the captions to the photographs. And those photos! Schecter Lee has done himself and Ketchum proud! And furthermore, the adroit selection of examples here is unmatched in the literature of country pottery. At last! Pictures of what one actually sees at shows and sales! To summarize, this handsome little book ably and painlessly serves as both primer and advanced text on the history of the forms and the industry of American yellowware and spongeware pottery. It is so thorough that both students and collectors will be satisfied with the way in which it addresses their particular concerns. It is intelligently designed, and easy to read despite its richness offactual detail. And it's useful. Price guides are helpful to some people, I suppose, and collectors' guides — including some of Ketchum's own earlier works — may sometimes serve. But a serious read or two of this view of the field can really inform and educate. Did you know, for example, that one can identify unmarked yellowware bowls by the color and width of slip bands around them? I hope that Bill Ketchum someday turns his hand to a complete history of American pottery replete with all the wonderful historical and 64

anecdotal detail his research has uncovered. I also hope that he will one day have the opportunity to write in a more personal style and share his very special sense of humor with us. For the time being,however, we can make do with this very good and useful book. — Ben Apfelbaum Ben Apfelbaum is a Ph.D. candidate at New York

University.

SHAKER VILLAGE VIEWS: ILLUSTRATED MAPS AND LANDSCAPE DRAWINGS BY SHAKER ARTISTS OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY by Robert P. Emlen 208 pages, 16 color plates and 120 black and white illustrations Published by University Press of New England, Hanover, New Hampsire, 1987 $35.00 softcover In the summer of 1834, Brother Isaac N. Youngs in company with Rufus Bishop, embarked on a three-month administrative tour of Shaker settlements in New York, Ohio, and Kentucky. Youngs kept a diary of their visits to each village and made a careful inventory of Shaker properties, improvements,and mechanical inventions. He also drew a map of each settlement to bring home with him on his return east. Brother Youngs' visits occasioned a flurry of social activity, and in Kentucky, particularly, were so interspersed with invitations from his hosts to eat ripe watermelons, he admitted he was hard pressed to carry out his duties. In turn, Youngs and his companion entertained their hosts by showing them maps and views of Shaker villages in the eastern states, especially his map of the spiritual home of Shakerism, the village in New Lebanon, New York. Brother Youngs' sketch maps and the illustrated watercolor maps and landscape drawings of other nineteenth-century Shaker artists are the subject of Shaker Village Views by Robert P. Emlen. Assembling and researching the work of eighteen Shaker cartographers and watercolor artists known by name or distinguished by their individual styles, author Emlen brings to light a new and hitherto unsuspected dimen-

sion to the cultural legacy produced by this American religious sect which gathered after 1790 into disciplined utopian communities based on celibacy, plain style, and hard work.(The sect was popularly named after a form of dance used in their religious services.) Never regarded as objects of art by their makers, the maps and landscape drawings described in this book were treated as working documents by Shaker officials, and after the closing and sale of Shaker properties they were largely forgotten. A handful were transferred to Shaker archives; others were purchased by private collectors or found their way into libraries and museums; an unknown number were lost, among them the original copies of the sketches prepared by Isaac Youngs and his companion on their western tour. The villages depicted in these watercolor maps and landscape drawings were organized into "families" or orders, with separate residential facilities for Elders, novitiates, and children. Buildings were identified by means of a color code, faithfully reflected on the maps themselves, in which residences and shops were painted yellow; barns and backbuildings, reddish or dark in hue; and the community's meeting house (recognized by a gambrel or barrelshaped roof), white with a "blueish shade" within. Fields and orchards surrounding the villages were also identified on the maps, as were features such as water conduits and mill-pond systems, saw mills, pig sties, herb shops, wash houses, tan houses, stables, and animal drinking troughs. Architectural structures are considerably out of scale with the surrounding topography, and are shown with their sides or gable ends facing up, a technique cartographers term projecting an elevation on a plan. It is this characteristic, more than any other, that gives these documents their distinct naive appearance. Some maps depict Shaker holy grounds which were later razed when the sect discontinued their use. Others include illustrations of figures, carriages, visitors to the village, and farmyard animals. In some instances the maps were pieced together over a period of time from several sheets. As Emlen points out, the practice of projecting or "laying down" the fronts and sides of buildings on a cartographic plan was not unique to Shaker mapmakers. The practice was followed on scores of memory The Clarion

TWENTIETH CENTURY QUILTS: 1900-1950 By Thomas K. Woodard & Blanche Greenstein In writing the first comprehensive book on the history of twentieth-century quilts, Thomas K. Woodard and Blanche Greenstein—the authors of Crib Quilts and Other Small Wonders(1981)—reveal that there exists a fundamental lack of knowledge about the continuing tradition of quiltmaking. Twentieth-century quilts are the least-documented quilts in American quilting history. With TWENTIETH CENTURY QUILTS 1900-1950, the authors place the twentieth-century quilt in its own historical context, carefully linking the changes in the way that the quilts of this period were made, how they look, and the reasons for making them to the artistic, social and political environments. Illustrated with almost 200 color plates, TWENTIETH CENTURY QUILTS: 1900-1950 fills an important gap in the history of American quilting, and its readers will be enlightened, enriched, and entertained. $35.00 hardcover, $22.50 softcover.

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maps, right-of-way maps, and border-controversy maps produced in the early history of New England and New York by both trained and untrained mapmakers. Professional land surveyors commonly used this method to reference a particular feature for a cartographically unsophisticated mapreader. What was unique, however, was the retention of these techniques by mapmaking Shaker artists — typically school teachers and printers — who continued to use them long after commercial mapmakers and surveyors in America had abandoned them. In part, the techniques were retained because Shakers themselves were "old fashioned:' Although the stated purpose of these maps was to inventory the architecture and topography of Shaker properties, these documents circulated widely among lay members of the Society who were keen on learning more about the order and appearance of each others' dispersed communities. The naively-conceived and "inaccurate" schema of Isaac Youngs' maps, which like all Shaker maps simultaneously projected a perspective on a plan, may have conveyed realistically to his brothers and sisters the everyday details of Shaker life that on a correctly drawn map would have appeared distorted or obscured. The most compelling chapter in Emlen's study describes the stages by which one artist's mapping vocabulary was influenced and eventually subverted by his own technical expertise as well as by academically trained alternates. In a stunning sequence of maps and map-like landscapes drawn in 1848 and 1849 by Elder Joshua H. Bussell, the artist progressively shifted the perspective of his map from a ground level point within the center of his village, to points higher and away from the village until it was transformed into a formal bird's-eye view. This phase of the artist's evolution was apparently self-taught; but, as Emlen demonstrates, a later view by Bussell of the Shaker village in Canterbury, New Hampshire, made about a year later, in 1850, was clearly copied after a printed source — in this instance a popular woodcut view of Canterbury that had appeared previously in a number of American periodicals. In a revival of his watercolor views later in the century, Joshua Bussell took this process towards realism one step further, possibly using miniature-scale replicas of 66

buildings arranged before him as a model. Emlen is cautious in applying the term folk art to his subject, suggesting instead that the maps and views of Shaker villages "form a distinct artistic genre with no exact equivalent in the history of American art:' Nevertheless, the materials he writes about are so aesthetically compelling that they probably come closer than any other group ofdocuments in American landscape art and cartography to the elusive and partially selfcontradictory concept of "folk mapping:' Equally important, perhaps, they bring to the surface some of the key but often unstated assumptions collectors and scholars make about American folk art and folk objects. How,for example, are we to understand Joshua Bussell's continued use of north directional pointers on his village views long after they had ceased to be maps? As Emlen points out,these incredible markers float in the sky like "gigantic kites"; but are they folk art, or are they brilliant Shaker idiosyncrasies? No convenient answer comes to mind. If, on the one hand, we apply a broad definition of folk art — that it represents a "refracted" aesthetic generated by cultural inequalities — the enormous cultural distance between a group of nineteenth century self-trained Shaker mapmakers and landscape artists and educated twentieth century readers places Bussell's kites, and with them the entire genre of Shaker village maps and views discussed in this volume, squarely in the mainstream of American folk art. Appropriately, once Joshua Bussell became aesthetically more sophisticated, as he did toward the end of this lifetime, the "folk" elements of his maps and views significantly waned. If, on the other hand we look at these documents from the viewpoint of their intended audiences, they are perhaps best understood in Emlen's terms as a sectarian language. While we cannot now be certain that the inaccurate images of Shaker villages and fields made much better sense to Shaker eyes and experience than any produced by professionally trained landscape artists and cartographers, or for that matter by photographers, it is very likely that they did. Under these circumstances, what appears to us as compelling folk art was to the Shakers themselves simply a form of communicating Shaker realities.

Just how coherent or widespread this communication was among Shakers we may never know. A casual reader of Emlen's work, including scholars of Shaker history, might be led to conclude that Shaker mapmaking was pursued with the purposeful and rigorous concentration that went into Shaker agriculture, seed cultivation, waterworks, and furniture-making. The study is organized around the premise that there were originally many more than the fortyone surviving documents (seventeen of them signed or attributed to the same artist, Joshua H. Bussell). This impression is quietly reinforced by the sequential numbering of the same illustrations in the text (many of them details of the same maps or views), rather than holding to a numbered checklist of forty-one known works. Yet Emlen is unable to satisfy the reader's curiosity as to how organized or how extensive such map-making practices really were, and whether these practices ever went beyond the occasional work of a handful of Shaker artists and administrators. Although some readers may question the publisher's choice of uncomfortably small type in a book design which leaves one out of every five pages blank, the exquisite color reproductions included in this volume will ensure Shaker Village Views a valued place alongside existing studies of Shaker hymnody, furniture, architecture, and religious drawings. Map historians and decorative arts scholars who have struggled to bring together a dispersed body of documents or paintings will be encouraged by Emlen's extraordinary success with ephemeral material. Museum curators concerned with the privatization of American cultural artifacts will in turn be encouraged by the number of collectors who have donated Shaker maps and views to cultural institutions and public libraries — among them Joshua Bussell's brilliant 1848 View of Alfred, Maine, given to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in 1978. These gifts to institutions are fittingly served by the author's equally selfless contribution of energy and talent to produce this superbly researched and well written volume. —Peter Benes Peter Benes is Director and Editor of The Dublin Seminarfor New England Folklife, of which he was a co-founder. He is a cultural historian and author.

The Clarion

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rrA BOOK REVIEWS ST. EOM IN THE LAND OF PASAQUAN by Tom Patterson. Photography by Jonathan Williams, Roger Manly and Guy Mendes. Foreword by John Russell. 265 pages, 59 color plates, 35 black and white prints Published by The Jargon Society, Winston-Salem, NC, 1987 $30.00 softcover Tom Patterson's book on the life and works of Eddie 0. Martin (a.k.a. St. E.O.M.) is the most thorough work on an environmental/folk artist to date. Oral history techniques are perceptively used to let St. E.O.M. tell his own story. Too often the primary source is ignored for ponderous analysis by the writer. The omnibus approach used in many "coffee table" folk art books gives the artist short shrift in the form ofa thumbnail sketch. Here for the first time we find a zealous researcher interviewing his sometimes gruff subject at great depth. Patterson stuck with the project through St. E.O.M:s last days of illness, and untimely Fall 1988

death by his own hand. The rest of the narrative is peppered with no less dramatic events, which employs Patterson's editorial skills. He forges the text into a seamless autobiography that allows the reader to follow St. E.O.M. through the life process that brought him, inexorably, to his final environmental work. St. E.O.M:s life began on a farm in Buena Vista, Georgia. He left at the tender age of 14 to travel to New York City and the perilous life of a street hustler. He was "schooled" by folk practice to regard the moon and stars as allies, and this helped his transition from the street to becoming a tea leaf reader on Times Square. The last circular stage in Eddie's attempt to"keep his eyes open, and see everything;' was the founding of his own religion and its environmental shrine back in Buena Vista. The path of his journey is inflected with the Southern tunes of his early Black friends, and the hipster lingo of New York. We get a sense of texture in these words, as they rocket, bap, dip and bop through St. E.O.M:s exciting and dangerous world. As

much as St. E.O.M. can be considered an eccentric or "outsider:' his life shows direct connections to a distinct social milieu, and a historic continuum. This critical explanation pales in comparison to St. E.O.M:s vibrant anecdotes. There is entertainment here, as well as art. The photography is excellent as is the layout and printing. The Jargon Society is to be congratulated for publishing this volume, and administering St. E.O.M:s last request that his share of royalties from the book be put into maintaining Pasaquan. Not only does Patterson present an artist, his work, and the way they merge to make an environmental art statement â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but his efforts are going one step further and preserving the site. Appreciation of this site, or any environment,can best be gained by viewing it in person. Short of a trip to Georgia, this book is a highly suggested alternative. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Daniel C.Prince Daniel C. Prince, a sculptor, published his first article on folk environments in American Art Review in 1975. He has since written widely on the subject.

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*(0.-W1.1. I.

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FOLK ORT FESTIVAL FORMERLY BUTTERMILK COUNTRY Featuring One Hundred of America's Finest Traditional & Contemporary American Craft & Folk Artists and Antique Folk Art & Early Quilt Dealers

OCTOBER 6,7,

1988

Main & Pico, Santa Monica, California

Gala Preview, Thurs., Oct. 6: 7-9 pm Fri., Oct. 7: 10 am -8 pm - Sat., Oct. 8: 10 am -6 pm

Early Buyers — Sat 9 AM — S15.00 Hours. Sat. 11-6, Sun. 11-5 Adm. 55 00

MECCA AUDITORIUM 500 W. Kilboum Milwaukee, Wisconsin

SANTA MONICA CIVIC AUDITORIUM

Caskey Lees: PO. Box 1637•Topanga, CA 90290•213-455-2886

SPECIAL EVENTS Friday evening, November 11,6-9 p.m.

Guilt Dispkry: "Old and New :The Red, White and Blue!" -

Special preview party

American Quilts and Flags

to benefit the

Los Angeles County Museum of Art American Quilt Research Center 550 per person — For reservations and information call 213455-2886

Doll Exhibition: "America's Contemporary Dolls and Dollmakers" Traditional American Craft Demonstrations: Ozaukee County Historical Society General Admission: $3.00

Thursday:

Robert Cargo

FOLK ART GALLERY Southern, Folk, and Afro-American Quilts Antiques • Folk Art

Gala Preview Party

featuring Country Living Magazine's American Regional Cuisine-Elegant Hors d'oeurves Meet Joanne Hayes, Editor/Food:Country Living Magazine

Exhibitor Booth Premier Doll Exhibition Preview and Reception: America's Contemporary Dolls and Dollmakers -Preview Admission: $9.50

*American Folk Ort and Guilt Symposium - Friday 9 am - 6 pm Six Generations of the Moses Family Artists Sheri Scott-Welty: Gallerina Folk Arts, Goshen, IN

American Regional Cooking Joanne L. HayesEditor/Food:Country Living Magazine

America's Guilts and Coverlets Dr. Robert Bishop,Director: Museum of American Folk Art, NYC

Contemporary Wisconsin Folk Art Dr. Robert Teske, Director: Cedarburg Cultural Center

America's Contemporary Dolls and Dollmakers Luella Doss, Dollmaker/Designer Symposium Admission: $15.00 (Includes all presentations, as well as Friday -Saturday Admissions to the SPIRIT APAERICAI Exhibitors)

Sat., Oct. 8,1988: 10AM -2 PM _Juneau Hall MECCA Pilot Program: "Wisconsin Guilt Project" DOCUMENTING WISCONSIN QUILTS MADE FROM 1800-1900: STATEWIDE SEARCH. Free Admission: Open to persons bringing Wisconsin Quilts dated 1800-1900. They will be historically documented and photographed for possible historical publication and future exhibition. Contact: Luella Doss(414)377-9116 Mose Tolliver, Woman, 18" X 26/ 1 2, housepaint on plywood panel, 1986.

Robert Cargo FOLK ART GALLERY 2314 Sixth Street, downtown Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35401 205/758-8884 Open weekends only Home phone and by appointment Saturday 10:00-5:00, Sunday 1:00-5:00 In New York area call 201/322-8732.

*** Preview and Symposium Registration *** Event Gala Preview Party Folk Art & Quilt Symposium Special Pre-Registr. Show Admission Total Admission Make Check Payable to:

Raspbeny Hill Associates 2277 Edgewood Dr. ra on,

Price

No. Atd.

Total

9.50 15.00 2.75 Sub-TotaL 5% Wis. Tax Total Enclosed

DEVELOPMENTS

aSQaU'eld

The Museum of American Folk Art is delighted to announce that the new branch gallery at Two Lincoln Square will open to the public in March 1989. As reported by Dr. Robert Bishop in the Spring issue of The Clarion, the Museum will operate this gallery on a 90year lease in an agreement with the owners of the building and the City of New York. Through this arrangement, the Museum will maintain an open gallery, free-of-charge to the public, seven days a week,from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. A regular schedule of exhibitions, lectures, tours, performances, demonstrations and workshops designed to enhance the visitor's enjoyment and understanding of American folk art will be presented at the Lincoln Square branch. Construction of the branch has been made possible through the generosity of two major donors: Mrs. Eva Feld, a devoted friend of the Museum for many years, and Two Lincoln Square Associates and general partners, Samuel J. Landau and Joel I. Banker, the owners of the building in which the museum will be constructed. To ensure the presentation of quality programming in the future, a campaign goal of $1.5 million has been established by the Board of Trustees to create an endowment fund for the Museum of American Folk Art/Eva and Morris Feld Gallery at Lincoln Square. A number of attractive opportunities to make commemorative or memorial gifts toward the endowment fund will provide donors with outstanding recognition in various locations throughout the gallery. Spectacular spaces and architectural details, from the sky-lit Atrium to the expansive South Wing to the Garden Court planters, have been designated named giving opportunities to comprise $1 million of the endowment goal. An additional $500,000 will be raised through the Sponsorship for the Museum of American Folk Art at Lincoln Square program. Gifts to the

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LINCOLN SQUARE CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED

Left to right, Museum Trustees Mrs. Dixon Wecter, Frances Martinson, and William Schneck;Honorary Trustee Eva Feld, and Paul Martinson.

Donors to the Lincoln Square Endowment Campaign were honored at a party at the Sea Grill in New York City. Clockwise,from left, Sanford L. Smith with Director Robert Bishop;Mr. and Mrs. Richard Taylor with Frances Martinson;and Mr. and Mrs. Ted Kesselman. Maureen Taylor and Ted Kesselman are Museum Trustees.

Sponsorship program will be acknowledged on a bronze plaque which will be prominently located in the Garden Court. The Museum is pleased to announce a number of generous leadership gifts to the campaign for Lincoln Square, each of which will serve as an inspiration to future donors. A dinner party held at the Sea Grill in New York City on June 20, 1988 provided an attractive

and lively atmosphere for the acknowledgement of several generous donations. Frances Martinson, a trustee of the Museum, and her husband Paul announced a gift from The Joseph B. Martinson Memorial Fund of $75,000 with an additional challenge of$25,000 toward the endowment of the North Wing in memory of Burt Martinson, a founder of the Museum. Two gifts of $1,000 each, from Sanford L. Smith The Clarion

EPSTEIN/POWELL 22 Wooster St., New York,N.Y. 10013 By Appointment(212)226-7316

Jesse Aaron

Steve Ashby

William Dawson

Peter Charlie

Charlie Dieter

Antonio Esteves

Mr. Eddy

Howard Fluster

Victor Joseph Gatto(Estate) S.L. Jones

Justin McCarthy

Emma Lee Moss

Sister Gertrude Morgan Inez Nathaniel Old Ironsides Pry

Jack Savitsky Clarence Stringfield Mose Tolliver Luster Willis and others

Nellie Mae Rowe

and Michael and Marilyn Mennello, have been received to date toward the challenge. The North Wing will be an intimate exhibition space dedicated to in-depth presentations of small-scale works of American folk art. A gift of $10,000 from Theodore L. Kesselman, also a trustee of the Museum, will endow the Kiosk, an information center located on West 65th Street which will direct visitors to the museum entrance on Columbus Avenue. Mrs. Martinson and Mr. Kesselman will serve as the Co-chairmen of the campaign steering committee. Two additional gifts were made to the campaign after the Sea Grill dinner. Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream is the first major corporate sponsor to contribute toward the endowment goal. A gift of $150,000 will endow the Garden Court, a spacious area of dramatic ceilings, lush plants, and ample public seating which serves Fall 1988

as a welcome entryway to the entire gallery. A selection of sculptural objects from the Museum's permanent collection, including carousel animals, weathervanes, and cigarstore figures, will be exhibited in the Garden Court. In speaking about why Ben & Jerry's decided to support the new branch, Allan Kaufman, Executive Director of Sales and Marketing for the company stated "the Museum of American Folk Art helps to preserve and promote one of our most important cultural resources â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the art of the common people. The museum is also one of the last to offer free admission and be open seven days a week, twelve hours a day. It truly serves all of New York and deserves our support!' A generous gift of $10,000 from Kathleen S. Nester will endow the Atrium Central Bench/Planter in memory of John Robert Nester. The Mu-

seum's soaring St. Tammany weathervane will preside over the Central Bench/Planter in the Atrium, a dramatic, skylit crossroads offering access to every wing. This area promises to be one of the most striking in the gallery. The Museum of American Folk Art greatly appreciates the generosity of these special friends and hopes that each of its members will also want to be a part of this exciting new branch. Although these leadership gifts are an important part of the campaign, significant support is still needed to meet the endowment goal of $1.5 million. A package of material about the Museum of American Folk Art at Lincoln Square and the campaign will be sent to members in late September. The Museum looks forward to reporting additional gifts to the endowment fund at that time and anticipates a strong commitment of support from the membership. 77

MUSEUM OF AMERICAN FOLK ART BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Executive Committee Ralph Esmerian President Frances Sirota Martinson Esq. Executive Vice President Lucy C. Danziger Vice President Karen S. Schuster Secretary George F. Shaskan, Jr. Treasurer Karen D. Cohen Judith A. Jedlicka Theodore L. Kesselman Susan Klein Kathryn Steinberg

Members Mabel H. Brandon Florence Brody Daniel Cowin Barbara Johnson, Esq. Margery G. Kahn Alice M. Kaplan William I. Leffler George H. Meyer Cyril I. Nelson Cynthia V.A. Schaffner William Schneck Ronald K. Shelp Bonnie Strauss

Maureen Taylor Mrs. Dixon Wecter Robert N. Wilson Honorary Trustee Eva Feld Trustee Emeritus Adele Earnest Cordelia Hamilton Herbert W. Hemphill, Jr. Louis C. Jones Jean Lipman

NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL

Frances S. Martinson Chairman Mary Black Gray Boone David Davies

Howard M.Graff Lewis I. Haber Phyllis Haders Barbara Kaufman-Cate Robert Meltzer

Paul Oppenheimer Alfred R. Shands, III Randy Siegel Hume R. Steyer

CURRENT MAJOR DONORS

The Museum of American Folk Art thanks its current major donors for their generous support: $20,000 and above *American Express Company *Bear, Steams & Co., Inc. Ben & Jerry's Homemade,Inc. Judi Boisson Country Living Mr. & Mrs. Frederick M. Danziger Mrs. Eva Feld Estate of Morris Feld *Hartmarx Corporation

*IBM Corporation Jean and Howard Lipman Joseph Martinson Memorial Fund National Endowment for the Arts New York State Council on the Arts *PaineWebber Group Inc. *Philip Morris Companies Herbert and Nell Singer Foundation, Inc. *United Technologies Corporation Mrs. Dixon Wecter *The Xerox Foundation

$10,000-$19,999 Atnicus Foundation

Coats & Clark, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Peter Cohen The Joyce & Daniel Cowin Foundation Inc. Adele Earnest Fairfield Processing Corporation/Poly-filo Theodore L. Kesselman The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Kathleen S. Nester *Restaurant Associates Industries, Inc. *Schlumberger Foundation, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. George E Shaskan, Jr. Peter and Linda Solomon Foundation Springs Industries Mr. & Mrs. Robert Steinberg Barbara and Thomas W. Strauss Fund The Clarion

CURRENT MAJOR DONORS

$4,000-$9,999 *American Stock Exchange *Bankers Trust Company The Bernhill Fund *Bristol-Myers Fund Mrs. Martin Brody Tracy Roy and Barbara Wahl Cate *Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. The Clokeys Inc. The Cowles Charitable Trust Mr. & Mrs. Edgar M. Cullman Colonel Alexander W. Gentleman Richard Goodyear *Hoechst Celanese Corporation Barbara Johnson, Esq. Margery and Harry Kahn Philanthropic Fund Mr. & Mrs. Robert Klein George Meyer *The Salomon Foundation The L.J. Skaggs and Mary C. Skaggs Foundation Sotheby's *Squibb Corporation Robert N. & Anne Wright Wilson Norman & Rosita Winston Foundation

$2,000-$3,999 *Chemical Bank *The Coach Dairy Goat Farm Country Home *Exxon Corporation Janey Fire Justus Heijmans Foundation International Paper Company Foundation *Marsh & McLennan Companies *McGraw-Hill, Inc. *Metropolitan Life Foundation *Morgan Stanley & Co., Incorporated New York City Department of Cultural Affairs *New York Telephone Company *Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation *J.C. Penney Company,Inc. *The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. Robert T. & Cynthia V.A. Schaffner Mrs. Richard T. Taylor *Time Inc. Vista International Hotel

$1,000-$1,999 *Bill Blass, Ltd. Edward Lee Cave *Liz Claiborne Foundation *Consolidated Edison Company of New York *Culbro Corporation Joseph E Cullman 3rd Mr. & Mrs. Richard Danziger Mr. & Mrs. Alvin Deutsch *Echo Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Alvin H. Einbender Virginia S. Esmerian Fall 1988

John L. Ernst Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Ferguson Mr. & Mrs. Walter B. Ford II Emanuel Gerard Renee Graubert Judith A. Jedlicka *Ka!lir, Philips, Ross, Inc. Susan Kudlow *Macmillan, Inc. *R.H. Macy & Co., Inc. *Manufacturers Hanover Trust Robert & Betty Marcus Foundation, Inc. Marstrand Foundation Christopher & Linda Mayer Helen R.& Harold C. Mayer Foundation Meryl & Robert Meltzer Michael & Marilyn Mennello Steven Michaan *National Westminster Bank USA *Nestle Foods Corporation New York Council for the Humanities *The New York Times Company Foundation, Inc. Mattie Lou O'Kelley Leo & Dorothy Rabkin Mrs. John D. Rockefeller HI Schlaifer Nance Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Derek V. Schuster Mr. & Mrs. Richard Sears Rev. & Mrs. Alfred R. Shands III Ronald K. Shelp Mrs. Vera W. Simmons Philip & Mildred Simon Mrs. A. Simone Mr. & Mrs. Elie Soussa Sanford L. Smith Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Tananbaum That Patchwork Place H. van Ameringen Foundation Tony & Anne Vanderwarker David & Jane Walentas *Wertheim Schroder & Co.

$500-$999 Louis Bachman The Bachmann Foundation, Inc. Mr.& Mrs. Frank Barsalona David C. Batten Marilyn & Milton Brechner Edward J. Brown Edward & Nancy CopIon Judy Angelo Cowen The Danunann Fund,Inc. David Davies Andre & Sarah de Coizart Mr. & Mrs. James DeSilva, Jr. Marion & Ben Duffy Foundation Richard C. & Susan B. Ernst Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Howard Fertig Jacqueline Fowler Grey Advertising, Inc.

Cordelia Hamilton The Charles U. Harris Living Trust Denison H. Hatch Terry & Simca Heled Holiday Inn of Riverhead Mr. & Mrs. Thomas C. Israel Cathy M. Kaplan Mary Kettaneh Jana K. Klauer Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Lauder Wendy & Mel Lavitt William & Susan Leffler Helen E.& Robert B. Luchars Herrnine Mariaux Robin & William Mayer Gael Mendelsohn Burton W. Pearl, M.D. Joanna S. Rose Jon & Sue Rotenstreich Foundation Richard Sabino Mary Frances Saunders Mrs. Joel Simon Smith Gallery Richard & Stephanie Solar Robert C. & Patricia A. Stempel Syracuse Airport Inn Texaco Philanthropic Foundation, Inc. Mr.& Mrs. John R. Young Marcia & John Zweig

The Museum is grateful to the CoChairwomen of its Special Events Committee for the significant support received through the Museum's major fund raising events chaired by them. Karen D. Cohen Cynthia V. A. Schaffner Karen S. Schuster

The Museum also thanks the following donors for their recent gifts to the Permanent Collection and Library: Gayle Potter Basso Robert Bishop Mary W. Carter Bequest of Ed Clein Joseph W. Fiske Richard C. Johnson & Jay Johnson Donald McKinney Steven Michaan Adrian Milton Sam Pennington

*Corporate Member 79

MUSEUM NEWS COMPILED BY WILLA S. ROSENBERG

FALL EXPLORERS' CLUB ACTIVITIES

Plan to go west to the tenth anniversary Opening Night Preview of the Fall Antiques Show at the Pier which benefits the Museum of American Folk Art. Ralph Lauren will be the honoree at the gala event on Wednesday, October 19, 1988, from 6 to 10:30 p.m. at Pier 92, West 52 Street and the Hudson River. Honorary Chairman of the benefit evening is Mrs. Nancy Reagan. Honorary CoChairmen are Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Audrey Hepburn, Annette Reed, Steven and Courtney Ross, Marvin and Lee Traub, and Bruce Weber. Museum Trustee Karen Cohen is Chairman of the gala benefit and Corporate Chairmen are Edgar M. Cullman and Trustee Lucy C. Danziger. CoChairmen are Trustees Cynthia V.A. Schaffner and Karen S. Schuster. The Preview Chairman is Susan Klein, a Trustee, and Trustee Bonnie Strauss and Karen Karp are Dinner Chairmen. The Program Chairman is Trustee Kathryn Steinberg. In a departure from previous years, two previews will be held â&#x20AC;&#x201D; an early Benefactor's Preview from 6 to 8 p.m. and a Preview Party from 8 to 10:30 p.m. Benefactor tickets are $750 per person and Corporate Benefactor tickets are $10,000 for a table of 10 which include the preview and the Benefactor's dinner beginning at 8 p.m., re-admission throughout the show, a catalogue and a copy of the new book American Family Style by Mary Randolph Carter. Early admission Patron tickets at $250 are also available and include re-admission throughout the show and a catalogue. Tickets for the Preview Party from 8 to 10:30 p.m., which include a lavish buffet and a catalogue, are $100 per person. David Ziff Cooking Inc. will cater. Based upon the theme American Folk Art in the Pioneering Spirit, Pier 92 will be designed by Ralph Lauren. A special loan exhibition "Folk Art of the Westward Movement" will highlight folk art objects that have motifs drawn from the West. In addition to assisting the Museum in its efforts to continue its excellence in preserving America's folk art legacy into the next century, proceeds

On Thursday,October 27,1988,the Folk Art Explorers' Club will sponsor special guided tours of Manhattan graveyards of historical and cultural importance. Private guided tours will be led by Roberta Halpern, Director of the Center for Thanatology Research and Education, and Miriam Silverman, Director of the Trinity Gravestone Project. Visits will include Congregation Shearith Israel Cemetery, St. Paul's Chapel Yard, and the Trinity Church Graveyard. The tour will conclude with an exclusive guided tour of the Museum's "Portraits in Stone" exhibition of gravestone photographs, led by collectors Daniel and Jessie Lie Farber. The Folk Art Explorer's Club has organized a trip for the weekend of November 4-6, 1988 to historic Pennsylvania, visiting Bucks County, Lancaster and Bethlehem. The weekend will include visits to the fascinating Mercer Museum and Tile Works,the unique Ephrata Cloister, the Moravian Museum in Bethlehem, as well as Bucks County antique dealers and private collections in the area. Authentic Pennsylvania Dutch food and overnight accommodations at old colonial inns will add special historic and cultural flavor to an ambitious and exciting trip. For more information call the Membership Office at 212/481-3080.

laqW4 0!SSaf pus jawyci

from the evening will benefit the Museum of American Folk Art at Lincoln Square Endowment Fund and the Building Fund for the new Museum of American Folk Art on West 53 Street. Tickets may be purchased through the Museum's administrative offices at 444 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016, 212/481-3080. A Preview Walking Tour, preceding the public opening of the show, will be conducted at 11 a.m. by Dr. Robert Bishop, Director of the Museum, Helaine Fendelman, noted author and collector, and Rachel Newman,Editor of Country Living magazine. Tickets for this guided tour, which will highlight the season's new collecting trends, are $35 per person and include admission to the show, a catalogue and refreshments. The Fall Antiques Show at the Pier, produced and managed by Sanford L. Smith and Associates, with more than 110 exhibitors, has garnered national attention as the country's foremost American antiques show. It is of interest for the serious collector and casual browser alike. The show opens to the public on Thursday, October 20 and runs through Sunday, October 23, 1988. Hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $8. A free shuttle bus runs between the Museum of American Folk Art Book and Gift Shop, 62 West 50 Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues, opposite Radio City Music Hall) and the Pier on the half hour opening night and throughout the show.

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FALL ANTIQUES SHOW AT THE PIER

Photo detailfrom the exhibition ofgravestone photographs from the Dan and Jessie Lie Farber Collection at the Museum ofAmerican Folk Art which runs from October 3 to November 11, 1988 at Federal Hall National Memorial, 26 Wall Street, New York City.

The Clarion

F014

Fhae4

since March, 1980

THE HIGH TOUCH NEWSLETTER of contemporary folk art

Personal vignettes of folk artists, topical news, calendar, commentary, new finds and new directions in 20th century folk art.

Amply illustrated. Four issues per year, $12.

MAKERS OF COLONIAL AND EARLY AMERICAN LIGHTING FIXTURES

AUTHENTIC DESIGNS 17 The Mill Road, West Rupert, Vermont 05776 (802) 394-7713 Catalogue $3.00

Standing Mustached Man, John Vivolo, 1976. Painted wood, height 29/ 1 2".

Folk Art Finder, 117 North Main, Essex, CT. 06426. Phone 203/ 767-0313.

Background: "Stripes and Bands" Quilt by Clementine Hunter —"Angel,Howard Finster — "Blue Whale,- David Butler — "Gourd with Figures," Clementine Hunter —"Train," David Butler —"Seated Blond," "Seated Brunett," "Owl," "Self-Portrait,- James "Son- Ford Thomas.

Fall 1988

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:S0011

MUSEUM NEWS

Artist Ralph Fasanella, whose Subway Riders was used to illustrate the exhibition poster, with Gerard C. Wertkin, curator of "City Folk:'

From left, folklorist Kathleen Condon of the Brooklyn Arts Council, photographer Martha Cooper, and Robert Baron, of the New York State Councilfor the Arts.

CITY FOLK OPENING "City Folk: Ethnic Traditions in the Metropolitan Area;' organized by Gerard C. Wertkin, Assistant Director of the Museum of American Folk Art, opened to enthusiastic response on June 13,1988 at the PaineWebber Art Gallery in New York City. The exhibition included approximately 100 objects, all made in the New York City area, and presented the colorful diversity of New York's ethnic communities and the continuing artistic traditions of these immigrant groups.

Opening night guests received a copy of the "City Folk" poster and checklist,

Dollmaker Lila Branford was one of many "City Folk" artists and craftspeople to attend the opening.

Puerto Rico-born Gregorio Marvin with two of his works at the exhibition opening.

Museum friends with Gregorio Marzon's "Horse with the Head ofa Man:'

The Clarion

U.111

MUSEUM NEWS

ADIRONDACK SHOP BRANCH

tween the Museum and David Eastwood, a well-known developer in the area. It is open seven days a week under the capable management of Bonnie Hutchinson.

QUILT DAYS Peconic, Long Island, was the site of the third New York Quilt Project Quilt Day on June 18, 1988. It was coordinated by Aurelie Stack with volunteers from the cosponsoring agencies, The Eastern Long Island Quitters and the Cutchogue-New Suffolk Historical Council Society; 134 quilts were brought in to be photographed and documented in space donated by the Town of Southold in its Recreational Center. Special thanks go to Stuart McCallum, photographer for the Eastern End Community Arts Council, and Al Schwartz, for their services as volunteer photographers. A wonderful coincidence occurred with the registration of a family album quilt commemorating a family reunion held in Orange County on June 18, 1841, with all the signatures still legible. The Project wishes to thank Outcheon Patchworks, Inc., New York City, for its generosity in donating fat quarter yards of fabric to volunteers assisting at future Quilt Days. We would also like to thank the Holiday Inn, Riverhead, for donating six nights of accommodations for the New York Quilt Project coordinator during the Long Island Quilt Days. Special thanks also goes to the Airport Inn, Syr-

Fall 1988

From left, David Eastwood,Bonnie Hutchinson and Marie DiManno are all smiles as Maynard Baker, Warrensburg Town Supervisor, cuts the ribbon to officially open the Museum's new shop.

MALCAH ZELDIS OPENING acuse, for donating two rooms and a conference room for the New York Quilt Project committee during the August 17, 1988 planning conference in Syracuse. The next Quilt Day is scheduled for October 15, 1988 at Parrish Museum, Southampton, NY. New York City will have a Quilt Day on Saturday, November 5, 1988, at the Museum of The City of New York, at Fifth Avenue and 103rd Street. It will be co-sponsored by The Museum of The City of New York and the Empire Quilters and staffed by volunteers from both organizations. A volunteers' orientation session will be held by the Empire Quilters on October 8, 1988. Please call or write the New York Quilt Project for more complete details. Regional coordinators are completing scheduling for future Quilt Days to be held throughout the state; check your local news sources and future editions of The Clarion for dates and locations. Individuals wishing to volunteer at Quilt Days are encouraged to contact Phyllis Tepper, Director of the New York Quilt Project, Museum of American Folk Art, 444 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016, telephone 212/481-3080 for further information.

"Malcah Zeldis: American Self-Taught Artist;' a retrospective exhibition organized by Henry Niemann and presented by the Museum at 80 Washington Square East Galleries, opened July 20 and ran through September 9, 1988. Approximately 60 paintings from 1972 to 1987 vividly explored five main themes: fantasy idols and historic figures; genre paintings; childhood memories,family and religion;scenesfrom the Bible; and historic events. This marked the first museum retrospective for New York City folk artist Malcah Zeldis. 171121/4 SBjOtION :01014d

The Museum of American Folk Art Book and Gift Shop, Adirondack Branch, opened July 2, 1988, in Warrensburg, New York,in the Lake George resort region, near Saratoga Springs. Marie INManno, Director of Museum Shops, was on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony which commemorated the opening of the first satellite shop outside of the New York City area. The building is listed in the National Historic Register of Buildings and contains an exhibition area which this season features "Liberty With Liberty7 a framed poster exhibition. The branch shop resulted from a collaboration be-

Three generations: Malcah Zeldis, right, was joined by her daughter, Yona McDonough, and mother, Tania Brightman at the opening ofher exhibition.

G71

MUSEUM NEWS

EXPLORERS IN GEORGIA

IN MEMORY

tunecuajdv uag 0:soloild

Ben Apfel ba um, guest curator of the Museum's recent exhibition, "Tobacco Roads;'led a group of Museum members on a unique Explorer's Club trip to Georgia from June 3 to 5, 1988. The whirlwind tour explored a range of contemporary folk art expression in Georgia, and included visits with Reverend Howard Finster at his "Paradise Garden" in Summerville; Leroy Almon, the carver, minister, and protĂŠgĂŠ of Elijah Pierce, in Tallapoosa; artist Knox Wilkinson and his family in Rome; Bill Arnett, a leading collector of Southern African-American folk art; and Robert Reeves, collector and dealer ofSouthern folk art; as well as a private tour by the curator Barbara Archer of the exhibition "Outside the Mainstream: Folk Art in Our Time" at the High Museum at Georgia-Pacific Center in Atlanta. The trip proved to be a fine introduction to regional artistic expression as seen in home, studio, backyard and museum settings.

Reverend Howard Finster signs a sculpture for David Barrett as his wife, Didi Barrett, Marian DeWitt, June Shelp and her husband Museum Trustee Ronald Shelp, Donald DeWitt, Betty-Carol Sellen and Willa Rosenberg look on.

Esther Ipp Schwartz, a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of American Folk Art, passed away on July 5, 1988 in Paterson, New Jersey. A lifelong resident of New Jersey who was particularly interested in local art, she and her husband Samuel assembled a major collection of American decorative arts. American folk art was well represented. An extraordinary researcher, she was eager to document the material in their collection. In addition to her support of the Museum of American Folk Art, Mrs. Schwartz was active in the Friends of the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Friends of the Yale University Art Gallery; the Friends of the Library of the University of Delaware; the Museum of American Jewish History, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;the American Jewish Historical Society where she served as the first woman officer; the New Jersey Historical Society where she was the chairman of the museum committee for many years; and she directed the restoration of the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island. Close examination of museum checklists and catalogs would reveal many pieces generously lent from the Schwartzes' collection. Often museum directors and curators alike called upon Mrs. Schwartz for information, based upon her own research, from her extensive private library. One of the most important works in the Schwartzes' collection is a late eigh-

teenth century Bible from Pennsylvania, hand-illustrated and illuminated by Ludwig Denig. The Museum of American Folk Art and the Pennsylvania German Society are currently planning to publish a facsimile of the Denig Bible, with an introduction and translation by Dr. Don Yoder of the University of Pennsylvania. In this connection, the Museum plans to circulate an exhibition of photo panels of illustrations from this Bible. At the time of her death, Mrs. Schwartz was actively involved in the planning of this project. Gertrude Soule, an eldress of Canterbury Shaker Village in Canterbury, New Hampshire, passed away on June 11, 1988 at the age of 93, leaving only two survivors in a community which once numbered 400. At the age of 11 years, when her mother died, she was placed in the Sabbathday Lake Community of Shakers. She later became an eldress of the Sabbathday Lake Society. Eldress Gertrude moved to Canterbury in 1972.

SUMMER JOBS PROGRAM

Artist Leroy Almon and his wife, Mary Alice stand with Museum Trustee Ronald Shelp and his wife, June, and Tern McCaffrey outside the Almon home.

The Museum's name was up in lights during the week of July 22-31, 1988 when it was thanked for supporting the Summer Jobs '88 program in New York City. The Corporate Contributions Committee of Philip Morris underwrote the program which was coordinated by New York Newsday. Beth Bergin, Membership

Director, was pleased to have Norman Thomas High School student Sherrie Broughton ably assist her. High above Times Square, the New York Newsday electronic sign flashed "Museum of American Folk Art" in an alphabetical listing every 30 to 60 minutes throughout the day.

The Clarion

IMPORTANT AMERICANA & FOLK ART AT AUCTION Sunday, October 16, 1988 I 1:00 AM including a Major Collection of Quilts

Unusually folky example of an eagle quilt, fine quilting and dramatic graphics, Pennsylvania, ca. 1870, red, green, & yellow, 78 x 77"

EXHIBITION Saturday, Sunday,

October 15 October 16

10:00 AM to 5:00 PM 8:30 AM to 10:45 AM

SPECIAL NEW YORK CITY 2 DAY EXHIBITION: Tuesday & Wednesday, October II & 12 at the Gallery of Judith & James Milne, Inc., 506 East 74th Street.

LITCHFIELD AUCTION GALLERY Litchfield, Connecticut Box 1337, Route 202, Litchfield, CT 06759 (203) 567-3126

Auctioneer: Clarence Pico

Buyer's Premium: 1W,

Utl

OUR INCREASED MEMBERSHIP CONTRIBUTIONS MAY-JULY 1988

We wish to thank the following members for their increased membership contributions and for their expression of confidence in the Museum:

Patricia Drummond, Fairhaven, NJ Mr. & Mrs. Alvin Einbender, New York, NY

Mr.& Mrs. Peterson Nelson, Denver, CO Mr & Mrs. David Fischer, Edna, MN Mr. & Mrs. Ryan Frank, Los Alamos, NM

A. Annese, Westfield, NJ Susan Apsley, Jersey City, NJ Mr. & Mrs. Bernard Barenholtz, Marlborough, NH ME & Mrs. W. Scott Blanchard, Cedarhurst, NY Louis H. Blumengarten, Brooklyn, NY Peter Brams, Guttenberg, NJ Mr. & Mrs. David Chambers, Ann Arbor, MI Margaret C. Couch, Watertown, NY Margaret Craig, Wyckoff, NJ David Davies, San Francisco, CA

Dr. & Mrs. Lawrence R. Ludwig, Haddonfield, NJ

Jeffrey Gold, Los Angeles, CA Joyce Golden, New York, NY Barbara Goldfarb Interiors, Little Silver, NJ Les Goldman, Ridgewood, NJ Charles M. Grace, Los Angeles, CA Hollis Heintz, Bedford Hills, NY John Heminway, New York, NY Mrs. Edith Herrick, Princeton, NJ

Paul L. Oppenheimer,Pomfret, CT Mr. & Mrs. Leo Rabkin, New York, NY Paige Rense, Los Angeles, CA Chuck & Jan Rosenak, Tesuque, NM Mary P. Savard, Intervale, NH Joe Scotti, Hamburg, NJ Sharon Souther, New York, NY Marilyn Thompson, Eureka, CA

Marianne Jaspen, Jackson Heights, NY

Mrs. Jeffrey Urstadt, New York, NY

Stephen & Barbara Leigh, New York, NY

Carole A. Yeager, Freehold, NJ

OUR GROWING MEMBERSHIP MAY-JULY 1988

The Museum trustees and staff extend a special welcome to these new members:

Mary M. Ahern, Jackson Heights, NY Malcolm P. Aldrich, Jr., New York, NY American Portfolio, Freehold, NJ Mary Anton, Chicago, IL Louise Ashford, Salem, OR

Duane Henry Baker, Dallas, TX Mary Jo Barbre, Tulsa, OK Donna Bargar, Lakewood, OH Ervin Beck, Goshen,IN Barbara J. Bennett, New York, NY Mr. & Mrs. Charles H. Bentz, Westfield, NJ Julie M.Bernson, Newton, MA

Robin Biderman, New York, NY Phyllis D. Bigbee, Minneapolis, MN Rebecca A. Blackburn, Lafayette, LA 86

Rose Lieberman Blake, Los Angeles, CA Leslie P. Blank, Mamaroneck, NY Anne Bloom, Raleigh, NC Priscilla Brandt, New York, NY Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah Patricia Broderick, New York, NY Mrs. Robert H. Brown, Woodbury, NJ Jeff Brunner, New York, NY Charles E. Burden, M.D., Bath, ME

Gretchen Calvit, Minneapolis, MN William P. Cama.chi, Jr., Memphis,TN Georgia Kay Carter, Hattiesburg, MS Mickey & Janice Cartin, W. Hartford, CT Mrs. Alan Cartoun, New York, NY Ellen & Neil Carver, Merion, PA Nancy L. Cassin, Woburn, MA Elizabeth Chadis, Newton Highlands, MA Mrs. L.O. Chandler, Athol, MA Cori Chertoff, New York, NY Jeri Chesebrough, Big Sur, CA David M. Childs, New York, NY Oscar Colchamiro, New York, NY Kathleen A. Connors, Baltimore, MD

Elizabeth Cooley, E. Islip, NY John Corbett, Victoria, Australia Regina Cornelius, Cheverly, MD Michael Creese, San Antonio, TX Dorota Czarnocha, West Orange, NJ

Carolyn D'Alfonso, Philadelphia, PA Ms. Ma Dahl, Houston, TX David T. Dalton, Chicago, IL Carlos DeMattos, Westlake Village, CA Catherine Dempsey, Brooklyn, NY Alice M.Dixon, Lynbrook, NY Jeannine Dobbs, Merrimack, NH Jay Drucker, New York, NY Deborah Dunn, New York, NY Edward E Dwyer, Syracuse, NY

Sarah M. Earley, Garden City, NY Peter R. Eiseman, Scarsdale, NY

Lucy & John Fagot, Beverly Hills, CA Sandra Famolare, New York, NY The Clarion

%In OUR GROWING MEMBERSHIP

Paul J. Famolari, Beverly, MA Mrs. H.E. Fillinger Jr., Horsham,PA Susan Strier Fisher, Hermosa Beach, CA Louise M. Follett, Benicia, CA E. Jane Foust, Palmetto, FL Betty Ann Foy, New York, NY Mrs. R.M. Franzblau, Tampa,FL Emma Fried, New York, NY Jeffrey L. Fried, Highland Park,IL Max Friedman, New York, NY

Judy Garrett, Lawton, OK Jennifer Gavin, Baraboo, WI Robert 8i. Alene Gelbard, Washington,DC Barbara J. Gerchakov, Coral Gables, FL Ivan Gilbert, Columbus,OH Mr. & Mrs. Irwin Gittleman, New York, NY Kitty & Herbert Glantz, Brooklyn, NY Susan Goodwin, New York, NY David B. Grant, Southfield, MI Muriel & William Green, Princeton, NJ Blanche Greenstein, New York, NY

Susan Hale, Cedarburg, WI Richard R. Hallock, Pacific Palisades, CA Carl Hammer, Chicago,IL Mr. & Mrs. Marvin Hammerman, New York, NY Mrs. John F. Hammes,Cedarbttrg, WI Cappy Hanlan, Edgewater, NJ James & Dana Hansen, New York, NY Jane Hardy, Southold, NY Elizabeth Harley, Reading, VT Richard D. Harty, Chicago, IL Keiko Hasegawa, New York, NY Jeanette Haskell, Lac Du Flambeau, WI Kathleen M. Healy, Brooklyn, NY Arlene & Leonard Hochman, Jersey City, NJ Henry B. Holt, Montville, NJ Katie Homer, Shawnee Mission, KS Maryse Horstein, St. Barths, FVVI Mrs. Rebecca Huffman, Summit Park, UT

Margaret E. Inglese, Metuchen, NJ Judy Ireland, Cambridge, MA Julie Isaacs, Kansas City, MO

Cynthia Jensen, New York, NY Peggy A. Jones, Santa Fe, NM

Louise R. Kaminow, Hewlett, NY Mr. & Mrs. Richard Kanter, Rydal,PA Fred & Anne Kantrowitz, Dover, MA Claire Roderick Keerl, New York, NY Patricia Kellis, New York, NY Michael Keselica Jr,Springfield, NJ Ms. Mari Kitoh, Hartsdale, NY Fall 1988

Thelma Klein, New York, NY Barbara Klinger, Hillside, NJ Erma J. Knight, Borger, TX Susannah K. Koerber, Indianapolis, IN Werner Kohn, West Germany Lynn Kranz, Bay Village, OH

Juliet Lam, New York, NY Karen Lewis, Cambridge, MA Jeffrey D. Libin M.D., New York, NY Bernard L. Lifshutz, San Antonio, TX Celia LoPinto, San Franciso, CA Mr. & Mrs. C.W. Lovell, E. Bridgewater, MA Barbara Luck, Williamsburg, VA Anne Lunn, New York, NY

Lois Mac Farland, Massapequa, NY David Neil MacDonald, Ontario, Canada Joyce Maloment, New York, NY Mrs. Peter R. Mann, Los Angeles, CA Chris Martin, Nazareth, PA Laura Maslon, Venice, CA David Melby, Leavenworth, KS Alan Milton, New York, NY Birgit Mizrahi, New York, NY Paul E. Montgomery, Corpus Christi, TX Helen Montgomery, Lebanon, PA Keith Scott Morton, New York, NY Emma Lee Moss, San Angelo, TX Chris Murphy, Seattle, WA

Deborah Neff, Brooklyn, NY Mrs. Kathleen Nester, Mohnton,PA Mary J. Norton, New York, NY Rosemarie Norton, Oradell, NJ

Maria R. O'Brien, Marblehead, MA Kenji Ooe, Chiba, Japan Jim Owen, E. Hampton, NY

Beverly Padway, Santa Monica, CA Vivian Patterson, Wiliamstown, MA Betsy A. Pearson, Greenville, SC Rosalind Perry, Santa Barbara, CA Beverly B. Phelps, Pittsford, NY Photosearch, New York, NY Stefano Pipemo, Rome,Italy Ana Rosa Pocius, Brooklyn, NY Sandra Pope, Grafton, WI Mary Jo Prince, Houston, TX

R. Redd, New York, NY George C. Reid, Atlanta, GA Roberta Reiman, Lido Beach, NY Beverly Reisberg, Brooklyn, NY Norma W. Rinschler, Locust Valley, NY

Constance A. Roberts, Iowa City,IA Mr.& Mrs. Ira Earl Robinson, Valley Forge,PA Mary Louise Romano, Yonkers, NY Juliet Roseberry, Fredericksburg, TX Alexander & Beatrice Ross, North Hollywood, CA Nanette S. Ross, New York, NY Cynthia Ross, Cos Cob,CT Amy K. Rubin, Newton, MA Sharilyn Rudman,Kansas City, MO Ann Ryan, Hyde Park, MA Raymond J. Ryan, Long Island City, NY

Patricia S. Sabo, Canfield, OH Stanley Sackin, Atlanta, GA Diane Sandler, New York, NY Mrs. Susan Savage, E. Calais, VT Schlaifer Nance Foundation, Atlanta, GA Diane Schulz, Montclair, NJ Ingela H. Semels, N. Guilford, CT Myra Sharpe, Minneapolis, MN Daymel G. Shklar, Woodside, CA Judy M. Siccama, West Haven,CT Paula Silver, New York, NY Kathleen E Silvia, S. Dartmouth, MA Sybil Simon, New York, NY Jerome V.H. Sluggett, Orchard Lk., MI Graciela Smink, Buenos Aires, Argentina Magda G. Smith, U.S. Virgin Islands Kathy Sobb, New York, NY Harry & Marion Sparshott, Leesburg, VA Anna Squatriti, New York, NY St. Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, MO Ms. Aurelie Stack, Mattituck, NY Corinne Sweeny, Williamsville, NY Mary Jane Sweet, Lincoln, NE Regina & Michael Swygert Smith, Washington, DC

Aliette Texier, Paris, France Frank W. Triarico, Santa Cruz, CA

Lydia S. Van Buskirk, New York, NY

Margaret Walch, New York, NY Patricia Abbott & Larry West, New York, NY Mrs. Raymond Whelahan, Virginia Beach, VA Linda Wilken, Minneapolis, MN Janet M. Williams, Norwood, MA Victoria Wilson, New York, NY John H. Winkler, New York, NY Thos K. Woodard, New York, NY

Susan L. Yarnell, Alpine, CA

Peter & Florian Ziegler, West Germany

Twilight by Rita Hicks Davis oil on masonite 19 x 23inches

N JAY JOHNSO America's Folk Heritage Gallery JAY JOHNSON

RUBENS TELES

1044 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10021 Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.(closed Monday) 628-7280

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS America Hurrah Americana by the Seashore American Antiques & Folk Art American Festival Cafe American Primitive Gallery Ames Gallery of American Folk Art Mama Anderson Art Underfoot Inc. Authentic Designs Nancy Barrett & Co. Battered Brush Ruth Bigel Antiques Robert Cargo Folk Art Gallery Cherishables Antiques Christie's Double K Gallery William Doyle Galleries E.P. Dutton Leslie Eisenberg Folk Art Gallery Epstein/Powell Laura Fisher Folk Art Finder Pie Galinat The Gallery of Folk Art Elaine Garfinkel Gallery 88

7,9 72 68 72 32 12 31 69 81 69 70 71 75 23 17 13 14 65 59 77 63 81 71 70 20

27 Pat& Rich Garthoeffner Antiques 27 Gasperi Folk Art Gallery 22 Sidney Gecker American Folk Art 81 Gilley's Gallery 59 Pat Guthman Antiques 67 Phyllis Haders 26 Hayes Antiques Inside Front Cover Herrup & Wolfner Inside Back Cover Hirschl & Adler Folk International Folk, Ethnic & 75 Textile Arts Fair 88 Jay Johnson 16 Jones Road Antiques 5 R.E. Kinnaman/B.A. Ramaekers T.P. Langan American Folk Art Gallery 73 85 Litchfield Auction Gallery 67 Leon Loard Gallery of Fine Arts 23 Main Street Antiques and Art 3 Ken & Ida Manko 4 Frank Maresca/Roger Ricco 68 The Marston House 1 Steve Miller 6 Mongerson-Wunderlich Galleries Museum of American Folk Art Book 71 and Gift Shop

29 Robert E Nichols 22 Outside-In 72 Pantry & Hearth 2 Susan Parrish 21 Primitivo 21 The Quilt Gallery 8 Quilts of America, Inc. 31 The Rainbow Man 58 Rising Star Gallery 30 Rona Gallery 16 Stella Rubin John Keith Russell Back Cover Antiques,Inc. 58 Sale of Hats 73 Kathy Schoemer 18 David A. Schorsch 30 Shapiro & Stambaugh 74 Sanford L. Smith & Associates 75 The Spirit of America 28 Sweetgum Galleries 15 The Tartt Gallery 20 Don Walters Art & Antiques 10 Thos. K. Woodard 70 Shelly Zegart Quilts Zon International Publishing Company 68 The Clarion

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Hirschl & Adler Folk 851 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10021 (212) 988-FOLK

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