FRA K J. MIELE gallery — representing — Sylvia Alberts • Sandra Berry • Sally Cook • Richard Gachot • Josephine Graham • George (Tom) Grant • Stephen Huneck • Jean Lipman • Howard Parkhill • Susan Powers • Ed Rath • Sophy P. Regensburg (estate)• Mary Shelley • Fanny Lou Spelce • Brad Stephens • David Stuart • Maurice Sullins • Valerie Young • David Zeldis • Malcah Zeldis • Larry Zingale
— also works by — Jay Adams • J. R. Adkins • Sandra Anderson • Hope Angier • Jacob W. Cabnet • Ralph Cahoon • William "Ned" Cartledge • Lon Chanukoff • Gene Conley • John Cross • William R. Davis • John William "Uncle Jack" Dey • Charles Dieter • William Fellini • Dan Gayder • Alonzo Jimenez • Clementine Hunter • Susan Lakin • Joan Landis • Harry Lieberman • James C. Litz • Justin McCarthy • Quilian Lanier Meaders • Barbara Moment • Jack Moment • Charles Munro • Janet L. Munro • Mattie Lou O'Kelley • Joseph Pickett • Mark Sabin • Jack Savitsky • Chick Schwartz • Helen Smagorinsky • Jes Snyder • Daniel P. Stercula • Clarence Stringfield • Kristin Nelson Tinker • Kari Trotter • Robert L. Trotter • Inez Nathaniel Walker • Don M. Yoder, Jr.
— and — American folk art of the 19th century, including paintings, weathervanes, millweights, calligraphic drawings, furniture, gameboards, pottery, and sculpture.
1262 Madison Avenue New York, N.Y. 10128 (212) 876-5775
STEVE • AMERICAN FOLK ART •
"ROSEWOOD GRAINED ONE DRAWER POPLAR STAND" New England,ca.1830 This stand,rosewood grained with mustard highlights,is identical to stands often seen in the watercolor paintings by Joseph Davis.It is one of the most vivid examples of this early form of American painted decoration.Ex collection:Robert Natkin.
17 East 96th Street, New York, New York 10128 (212) 348-5219 Hours: 2:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. Tues. through Sat. & By Appointment
Yvonne Wells, Elvis Quilt. Cottons, cotton blends, synthetic fabrics, rick-rack,fringe, sequins, yarn, and buttons,80 x 48 inches, 1991. In lower right corner, the ghost of Elvis' mother. Mrs. Wells, whose work wasintroduced to a national audience in 1989through the Williams College exhibition,"Stitching Memories: African-American Story Quilts," was recently honored by having ten of her quilts selected for the African-American picture-quilt exhibition called "Narrations," at the event Louisville Celebrates the American Quilt, February and March, 1992.
Robert Cargo
FOLK ART GALLERY Southern, Folk, and African-American Quilts Antiques•Folk Art Open weekends only and by appointment
2314 Sixth Street, downtown Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35401 Saturday 10:00-5:00, Sunday 2:00-5:00
205/758-8884 Home phone
WINTHROP CHANDLER (1747-1790)
Overmantel landscape from the Kendall Tavern Leominster, Massachusetts, circa 1780 oil on pine panel, 28 x 40 inches
JOEL AND KATE KOPP
AMERICA HURRAH 766 MADISON AVENUE NEW YORK NY mon tel 212.535.1930 fax 212.249.9718
Summer Hours: Tuesday to Friday, 11 A.M. to 6 P.M. Closed Saturdays in June, July, and August
Aarne Anton
AMERICAN PRIMITIVE GALLERY
Tina Anton
212-966-1530
596 Broadway Suite 205 New York, N.Y. 10012
J I RA !VI I E
SkJ Co
Ivion.-Fri. 10-6 Sat. 12-6
tJ
24 x24 inches
We have an outstanding selection of paintings by Jimmie Lee Sudduth. His art is distinguished by his use of clay, earth, mineral and plant pigments which he applies with his fingers.
I-1
JOEL AND KATE KOPP
AMERICA HURRAH 766
MADISON AVENUE NEW YORK NY
10021
tel 212.535.1930 fax 212.249.9718
FAMOUS AMERICANS QUILT Pieced, appliqued and embroidered quilt depicting the important political, military and social figures of the 1940s and 1950s. Each personality is identified in embroidery with relevant annotations and quotations. Over 80 famous Americans are portrayed, and the list includes: Harry S. Truman Franklin Delano Roosevelt Eleanor Roosevelt and Fala Bess and Margaret Truman Alben Barkley, V.P. Dwight D. Eisenhower Herbert Hoover Sen. Robert Taft Dean Acheson Thomas Dewey John Foster Dulles J. Edgar Hoover Harold Stassen Henry Ford ll Earl Warren Alger Hiss Whittaker Chambers Walter Reuther Estes Kefauver Henry Wallace John L. Lewis Gen. Douglas MacArthur Gen. Omar Bradley Gen. Carl Speatz Gen. George Marshall Gen. Matt Ridgway The quilt is signed "Cradled in 1951 and 1952" "L. B. Evans"-90" x 61"
PICTORIAL TEXTILES WANTED 18th, 19th and Early 20th Century QUILTS, HOOKED OR SEWN RUGS, NAVAJO WEAVINGS Please call or write, photographs promptly returned
SOTHEBY'S ALWAYS POINTED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
No matter which way the wind blows, count on Sotheby's to bring the finest Americana to auction each season. This rare Statue of Liberty Weathervane, one of the few renditions known, will be included in Sotheby's Fine Americana sale. Auction: June 19 at 10:15 a.m. and 2 p.m. Exhibition: OpensJune 13 Illustrated catalogues are available at our offices and galleries worldwide. To order with a credit card, please call (800) 444-3709. Inquiries: Nancy Druckman at (212) 606-7225, Sotheby's, 1334 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021 A rare molded copper Statue of Liberty weathervane, probably New York, circa 1910, overall height: 40 in. (1.02 m.); length: 34I2 in. (87.6 cm.). One ofthe many fine examples ofFolk Artfrom the Collection of Milton and Marilyn Brechner included in the sale. Auction estimate: $40,000-60,000
THE WORLD'S LEADING FINE ART AUCTION HOUSE (â‚Ź) Sotheby's, Inc. 1992 John L. Marion, principal auctioneer, #524728
SOTHEBY'S FOUNDED 1744
JOEL AND KATE KOPP
AMERICA HURRAH 766 MADISON AVENUE NEW YORK NY 10021 tel 212.535.1930 fax 212.249.9718
Above: Antonio Jacobsen (1850-1925) "Breeches Buoy Rescue of the Crew of the Freight Steamer Gate City" signed: A. Jacobsen, 31 Palisade Av, West Hoboken NJ— dated 1903 oil on canvas-22" x 36" The Gate City ran aground in a dense fog near Moriches Inlet, Long Island, N.Y., and sank on Feb. 8,1900. Lifesavers on the beach used a breeches buoy to rescue all of her crew. At the time of her demise, she was bound from Savannah to Boston with a cargo of cotton and molasses. She was almost completely covered in sand until 1979, when an intense winter storm opened up Moriches Inlet and uncovered her. Today, the Gate City sits in 25 feet of water just east of Moriches Inlet. Right: Painted pine fireboard, Niagara Falls with a rainbow, mid-19th century, oil on panel, 36" x 45"
We are always interested in purchasing exceptional quilts and garden furnishings. Photographs returned promptly. Telephone responses welcome.
THE CLARION AMERICA'S FOLK ART MAGAZINE Museum of Amencan Folk An New York CM
I
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R I S
VOLUME 17, NUMBER 2/ SUMMER 1992
COVER: lbp: SNAKE SWALLOWING PIG; nineteenth century; polychromed wood, glass eyes, wire teeth; 35/ 1 4 x 6/ 1 2 x P/4" diam. Left to Right: SERPENT OF REBELLION; c. 1861-62; polychromed wood; 17 /8" metalferrule; 38/ 1 2x 37 /8 x I7 /8" diam. MAN WITH PARROT HEAD AND CANE;probably Iowa or Missouri; dated 1881; varnished 4 x3 stained and painted wood; 353/ x 11 / 4" diam. MAN STANDING ON A BARREL; nineteenth century; varnished stained hickory, nail eyes; 3/4" brass ferrule with lead tip; 36/ 1 2x P/8" diam.
AMERICAN FOLK CANES
30
George H. Meyer
SELLING SAND AND SEA: SAND SCULPTORS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ATLANTIC CITY RESORT (1897-1944)
38
Holly Metz
JAMES GUILD: QUINTESSENTIAL ITINERANT PORTRAIT PAINTER
48
Arthur and Sybil Kern
The Clarion is published four times a year by the Museum of American Folk Art, 61 West 62nd Street, NY, NY 10023, 212/977-7170. Telecopier 212/977-8134. Annual subscription rate for members is included in membership dues. Copies are mailed to all members. Single copy $5.00. Published and copyright C 1992 by the Museum of American Folk Art, 61 West 62nd Street, NY, NY 10023. 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 of the 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 or quality of 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.
I) F I' ,1 R I M I, N T S
EDITOR'S COLUMN
10
MINIATURES
12
DIRECTOR'S LETTER
17
BOOK REVIEWS
22
TRUSTEES/ADVISORS/DONORS
58
MUSEUM NEWS
62
TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS
71
LIBRARY NOTES
74
MEMBERSHIP
76
INDEX TO ADVERTISERS
80
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION •
EDITOR'S
COLUMN
ROSEMARY GABRIEL
s you will see from the many items in Museum News and Gerard Wertkin's letter, this has been a very busy and productive spring ... it looks like the pace will keep up throughout the summer! We re excited about the opening this week of Step Lively: The Art of the Folk Cane, the first full-scale museum exhibition of decorated walking sticks. My earliest memories of canes are of the rather severe, crooked-handled, "regulation" model on which my grandmother rested her warm and abundant self, the flashing stick that danced across the screen under the magic touch of Fred Astaire, and the gnarled, and — to my child's mind — scary item carried by an unknown, but frequently hid from, neighborhood curmudgeon. This issue's cover is a small sample of the folk canes included in Step Lively. Collector and Trustee George H. Meyer has written our lead story to introduce us to these wonderful pieces, and to highlight their sculptural qualities. This exhibition runs through September 13, 1992, at the Eva and Morris Feld Gallery. Sculpture takes another unexpected form in the amazing works made of sand and sea water, viewed by millions on the beaches of Atlantic City in the early part of this century. Holly Metz has written a gritty piece, Selling Sand and Sea: Sand Sculptors and the Development of the Atlantic City Resort (1897-1944). Her compelling essay, illustrated by souvenir postcards of the era, traces the work of these unsung folk artists, opening our eyes to the deliberate efOn the Boardwalk, Easter Sunday; Altantic City. forts of entrepreneurs and the Courtesy Robert Foster press to hide — and in one documented case to actually falsify — the ethnic background of African-American sculptors. Metz shows us a postcard of a black artist that was then retouched and reprinted to make the artist appear Caucasian. This essay is an important piece of research into a forgotten art form. Literally thousands of miles were logged in a six-year diary kept by portrait painter James Guild. Regular contributors Arthur and Sybil Kern write of fames Guild: Quintessential Itinerant Portrait Painter, and cover this period with a thoroughness and scholarship we have come to expect from them. illustrated by striking examples of the artist's work, the Kerns trace Guild's efforts from 1818, when he left his surrogate home after spending his young life as an indentured servant, throughout his struggle to make a decent living and gain respectability. The piece is flavored with lively quotes of this young artist's observations, successes and misfortunes. Until September, have a good read and a wonderful summer!
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TIE CLARION Rosemary Gabriel, Editor and Publisher Johnson & Simpson, Graphic Designers Me11 Cohen, Publications Associate Marilyn Brechner, Advertising Manager Hildegard 0. Vetter, Production Manager Craftsmen Litho, Printers Cosmos Communications, Inc., Typesetters MUSEUM OF AMERICAN FOLK ART Dr. Robert Bishop, Director 1977-1991 Administration Gerard C. Wertkin, Director Karen S. Schuster, Director of Museum Operations Luanne Cantor, Controller Maryann Warakomski, Assistant Controller Mary Ziegler, Administrative Assistant Sylvia Sinckler, Shop Accountant Jeffrey Grand, Accountant Brent Erdy, Reception Luis Fernandez, Manager, Mailroom and Maintenance Roberto C. Collazo, Mailroom and Maintenance Collections & Exhibitions
Stacy C. Hollander, Curator of Collections/Lore Kann Research Fellow Alice J. Hoffman, Director of Exhibitions Ann-Marie Reilly Registrar Catherine Fukushima, Director of the Eva and Morris Feld Gallery/Director of Public Programs Regina A. Weichert, Assistant Gallery Director Elizabeth V. Warren, Consulting Curator Howard Lanser, Consulting Exhibition Designer Departments Beth Bergin, Membership Director Marie S. DiManno, Director of Museum Shops Susan Flamm, Public Relations Director Edith C. Wise, Director of Library Services Janey Fire, Photographic Services Chris Cappiello, Membership Associate Catherine Dunworth, Senior Development Associate Alice J. Hoffman, Director of Licensing and Product Development Programs Barbara W. Cate, Director, Folk Art Institute Lee Kogan, Assistant Director, Folk Art Institute/Senior Research Fellow Phyllis A. Tepper, Registrar, Folk Art Institute/Director, New York State Quilt Project Dr. Marilynn 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 ofSpecial Projects Eugene P. Sheehy, Museum Bibliographer Arlene Hochman, Coordinator, Docent Programs Howard P. Fertig, Chairman, Friends Committee Katie Cochran, Coordinator, Fall Antique Show Museum Shop Staff Managers: Dorothy Gargiulo, Caroline Hohenrath, Rita Pollitt; Mail Order: Beverly McCarthy, Coordinator: Diana Robertson; Volunteers: Marie Anderson, Laura Aswad, Judy Baker, Olive Bates, Jennifer Bigelow, Frances Burton, Evelyn Chugerman, Rick Conant, Ann Coppinger, Lisa DeRensis, Sally Elfant, Annette Ellis, Tricia Ertman, Millie Gladstone, Morris Glayes, Elli Gordon, Inge Graff, Cyndi Gruber, Edith Gusoff, Lynne Hellman, Elizabeth Howe, Bonnie Hunt, Eileen Jear, Nan Keenan, Annette Levande, Arleen Luden, Priscilla Machold, Katie McAuliffe, Laura McCormick, Kathleen McNamara, Nancy Mayer, Theresa Naglack, Pat Pancer, Marie Peluso, Mary Rix, Julie Robinson, Frances Rojack, Phyllis Selnick, Lorraine Seubert, Myra Shaskan, Denise Siracusa, Lola Silvergleid, Susan Singer, Joan Sorich, Blair Sorrel, Maxine Spiegel, Doris Stack-Green, Sonya Stern, Mary Wamsley, Marian Whitley, Doris Wolfson. Museum of American Folk Art Book and Gift Shops 62 West 50th Street, New York, NY 10012 212/247-5611 Two Lincoln Square (Columbus Avenue between 65th and 66th) New York, NY 10023 212/496-2966
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RICCO/MARESCA
American Self Taught and Outsider Art
Carnival Ring Toss Figure Anonymous Wood with polychrome Found in Michigan Early 20th century 32" H Illustrated on page 177 of "American Primitive" by Roger Ricco and Frank Maresca. Published byAlfred A. Knopf 1988.
Gallery Hours are Tuesday-Saturday 11-6
105 HUDSON STREET/NEW YORK, NY 10013 212-219-2756/FAX-212.431.7996
FOR THE FINEST SELECTION OF SOUTHERN FOLK & OUTSIDER ART
Bottlecap Giraffe; unidentified artist; completed after 1966. Courtesy National Museum of American Art
COMPILED BY MELL COHEN
Folk Art at National Museum of American Art
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Folk Art Across America, a new installation designed both to recognize the creativity of self-taught artists and to delight visitors with its rich variety, is on view indefinitely at the National Museum of American Art. Drawn from the museum's diverse permanent collection, more than 60 objects ranging from a whimsical bottlecap giraffe and visionary paintings to colorful trade signs and fancy quilts are presented thematically in five galleries on the museum's redesigned first floor. This wide-range display will be revised from time to time.
The centerpiece of the new installation is the roomsize, shimmering visionary structure, The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations Millennium General Assembly by the twentieth-century selftaught artist, James Hampton. The National Museum of American Art is located at Eighth and G streets, N.W., at the Gallery Place Metro station, Washington, D.C.
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7
j11ronnormninr a Mose Tolliver, "Colorful Flowers in Vase acrylic on canvas 24" x 17 12" c. 1972
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Don Bundrick A.E.Barnes David Butler Leo Bryant Minnie Evans Rev. Howard Finster Lonnie Holley Clementine Hunter James Harold Jennings M.C.''5c Jones
Calvin "Red Dog" Livingston Woodie Long Annie Lucas Charlie Lucas Chris Munger Brother B.F. Perkins Bamma Quates Daca Ra Sarah Rakes
Juanita Rogers Bernice Sims Mary T. Smith Jimmie Lee Sudduth Annie Tolliver Johnny Tolliver Mose Tolliver Inez Nathaniel Walker Fred Webster And Others
eo LEON LOAM)GALLERY OF FINE ARTS' Montgomery, Alabama 36106 2781 Zelda Road (205)270-9010 1-800-345-0538 In Alabama 1-800-235-6273 in USA
12 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
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San Francisco to NV in One Hour; A. Maldonaldo; 1986. Courtesy National Museum of American Art
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Bookplates at the Montclair Art Museum As long as there have been books to own, bookplates have been used as marks of ownership. The Montclair Art Museum highlights the great variety of "ex libris," or bookplates, in the exhibition A Kaleidoscope of Bookplates from the Collection, on view through April 25, 1993. A unique branch of the graphic
arts, these works in miniature have covered every conceivable style and subject throughout the centuries, ranging from those created by book owners themselves to those created by noted artists. For information contact: Catherine Fazekas, 201/746-5555.
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Amon Carter Major Exhibition Ralph Earl: The Face of the Young Republic, a traveling show organized by the Wadsworth Atheneum, will open on May 16 and run through July 5, 1992, at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. One of the most skilled portrait and landscape painters of his time, Earl captured the likenesses of citizens from all sectors of the newly formed American Republic, from British Loyalists to fierce
patriots, from the New York elite who helped him get out of debtor's prison to rural New England townspeople who had never before benefited from the attentions of a highly trained artist. This exhibition is the first to fully examine Earl's oeuvre and to place his work in its proper historical, social and artistic context. For further information call 817/738-1933.
TA Giv444 Rea, iitte,14, esite Alle4Pefrtio,44, LATIN AMERICAN 8, HAITIAN FOLK ART
Marianne Drake; 1783; oil on canvas; 501 / 4 x 401/4 .
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Courtesy Count Charles de Sails, Switzerland
Carved votive sculpture from northeastern Brazil.
EX-VOTOS FROM BRAZIL Thursday, May 7 — Saturday, June 13 The Cooper-Hewitt Collections For the first time since CooperHewitt opened in 1976, the entire museum is devoted to the exhibition, The Cooper-Hewitt Collections: A Design Resource, revealing the richness and diversity of its own collections of design. Approximately 1,200 objects including drawings, prints, textiles, wall coverings, furniture, glass, jewelry rare
books and metalwork are on view through August 30, 1992. Continuing rotation of objects keeps the exhibition galleries fresh and alive with everchanging themes and examples of design. For more information call 212/860-6868.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE COLLECTION Thursday, June 18 — Saturday, August 1
DEVILS AND DEMONS Friday, September 11 — Saturday, October 17
NEW LOCATION:
,
560 BROADWAY A NEW YORK, NY 10012 A (212)431.0144
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
13
MINIATURES
SYBIL GIBSON (1908-
)
Master Folk Artists Honored
"Portralt of a Woman** 1986; watercolor on paper; 18T x 1,1"
Los Angeles—The Craft & Folk Art Museum (CAFAM) is pleased to present America's Living Folk Traditions, an exhibition featuring work by recipients of the nation's highest award for folk artists, on view from July 1 through September 2, 1992. These recipients—hailing from Maine and Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico, and every state in between—have been recognized as National Heritage Fellows by the Folk Art Program of the National Endowment for the Arts. The National Heritage Fellowships have by now become a wellestablished tradition. Likened to Japan's "Living Treasures" program, the awards are presented to artists nominated by their peers, who not only practice their craft with great distinction, but also make
Award-winning work; Basket of Eggs; Kepka Belton; 1990; decorated eggs. Courtesy Craft & Folk Art Museum
special efforts to continue and preserve its traditions. The Craft & Folk Art Museum is located on the fourth floor in the May Company, on the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax. For additional information call 213/937-5544.
CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN OUTSIDER/FOLK ART Representing: David Butler Rev. Howard Finster Clementine Hunter 0.W. -Pappy'' Kitchens Rev. McKendree Long Sr. Gertrude Morgan Jimmie Lee Sudduth Willie White and many other important Outsider artists
GASPER! GALLERY 320 JULIA STREET • NEW ORLEANS, LA 70130 (504) 524-9373
14 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
A previous folk art award recipient, Mealii Kalama, Hawaiian quilter. Courtesy Craft & Folk Art Museum
A REBUS FOR SUMMER... New York City's largest, most exciting selection of: antique quilts, coverlets, hooked rugs, paisley shawls, indian blankets,linens, vintage decorative objects and American folk art.
(212)838-2596 GALLER,8a.
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9
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AT V 141 ThEY titan Art &Antiques Center Hooked rugs—from area to room size.
The Nation's Largest 1050 Second Ave. at 56th St and Finest Antiques Center. New York, NY 10022 104 Galleries Featuring (212)355.4400 Furniture, Silver,Jewelry, Oriental Open Daily 10:30-6,Sun.12-6. and Other Objets d'Art. Convenient Parking. Open to the Public.
and introducing
INEZ NATHANIEL WALKER
SYBIL GIBSON
JUANITA ROGERS
BEN WILLIAMS
ANTON HAARDT GALLERY 1220 South Hull Street • Montgomery, Alabama 36104 • (205) 263-5494
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION 15
Specialists in Authentic American Antiques, Folk Art,and Shaker Furniture in New York City.
Exceptional baby giraffe carousel figure in original paint, Made by Gustav A.Dentzel Carousel Company, Carved by Daniel Muller (1872-1952),from a circa 1900 carousel in Fairmount Park,Philadelphia. Ht.66 112 inches. A complimentary copy of our most recently published brochure is available upon request.
DAVID
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SCHORSCI-1
fnco,/, 30 EAST 76TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10021 212-439-6100
LETTER
FROM
THE
DIRECTOR
GERARD C. WERTKIN
embers and friends who have followed the Museum's schedule of events through the years are familiar with the rich and varied nature of the institution's programming. For those of us on the staff, the scheduling of events is a constant challenge. Quality, timeliness, responsiveness to mission, effectiveness of outreach and a host of other concerns must be addressed each time a program decision is made. Whatever decisions are reached, programming always seems to proceed at a rapid — if not hectic — pace, the Museum calendar being punctuated by a series of opening receptions, special events and public programs. Perhaps I am drawn to these reflections because it is early April as my comments are being written, and this period, especially has been a whirlwind of activity at the Museum. I would like to share with you the sense of excitement and accomplishment experienced at the Museum during this brief period of time. On April 2, the Museum family joined Luis Cancel, the vibrant, newly appointed Commissioner of Cultural Affairs of the City of New York, for a special reception at the Museum galleries for distinguished guests from New York's Latino community Commissioner Cancel had visited us in January to view Santos de Palo: The Household Saints of Puerto Rico and was so moved by this extraordinary presentation of folk sculpture that he wanted to be certain that leading figures of Hispanic heritage had an opportunity to visit the Museum before the exhibition closed. With additional, very generous support from the exhibition's principal sponsor, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., the Museum organized a wonderful evening for an outstanding group of political, cultural and business leaders. Alan Moss Reveron, whose encyclopedic collection of santos was on display, led the Museum's guests on a walking tour through the exhibition, answering questions and sharing knowledgeable insights and his personal experiences as a collector. Among those present were Petra Barreras, Director, El Museo Del Barrio; Carlos Cuevas, City Clerk; Guillermo Linares, New York City Councilman; Olga Mendez, State Senator; Joseph Monserrat,
Frederick M. Danziger, Susan Flamm, Stacy Hollander, and Joan M. Johnson at the opening of the Philadelphia Antiques Show
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KAUFFMAN WOOD
CHEST: Artist unknown; Hudson River Valley, New York; dated 1792; painted pine; 24 x 48 x 20. Gift of Howard and Jean Lipman in honor of Cyril I. Nelson. Collection of Museum of American Folk Art 1983.25.1
Luis R. Cancel, New York City Commissioner of Cultural Affairs; Carlos Cuevas, City Clerk; Gerard C. Wertkin, Director: Olga Mendez, New York State Senator: Jesse Aguirre, Vice President, Corporate Relations, AnheuserBusch Companies; Guillermo Linares, New York City Councilman
DOME-TOP TRUNK; North Shop, Fly Creek, New York; c. 1830; painted tinplate. Museum of American Folk Art, Historical Society of Early American Decoration Collection. 76.10
HUGO IVAN MUNOZ
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION 17
LETTER
FROM
THE
DIRECTOR
former Chancellor, Board of Education; Josephine Nieves, Commissioner of Employment; and Shirley Rodriguez-Remeneski, Executive Director of Latino Cultural Affairs, New York State Governor's Office. Soon after Santos de Palo: The Household Saints ofPuerto Rico opened at the Museum, I received an especially welcome letter from my colleague, Charlene Cerny, the director of the Museum of International Folk Art in Sante Fe, New Mexico. She shared with me the comments of a friend who had visited the Museum and spoke of the exhibition as a "unifying event" for New York's Hispanic community. At its best, folk art has that power, a power grounded in authenticity and serving as a key to group identity and cultural heritage. The Museum has an enduring commitment to present the folk art of all Americans and to reflect in its exhibitions, publications and programming the diversity of American life. I am delighted to have welcomed so many new friends to the Museum and to know that some lasting associations have been established. My thanks to Commissioner Cancel for providing this important opportunity. The day immediately following the special reception for Commissioner Cancel, many of us were Philadelphia-bound for another significant event, the opening of The Art of Embellishment: Painted and Decorated Masterworksfrom the Museum of American Folk Art at the Philadelphia Antiques Show. Organized through the interest of Museum Trustee Joan M. Johnson, who serves as loan show chairman, the exhibition drew entirely from eighteenth- and nineteenth-century works in the Museum's permanent collection and from promised gifts to the collection. It was dazzling! As I surveyed this impressive gathering of objects, I could not help but reflect on the growth of the permanent collection over the last decade. Included were a highly important, eighteenth-century grisaille blanket chest from the Hudson Valley, a gift of Howard and Jean Lipman in honor of Museum Trustee Cyril I. Nelson; a striking grain-painted chest attributed to the Vermont shop of Thomas Mattison, also a gift from the Lipmans and given in honor of the Museum's late director, Dr. Robert Bishop; and a variety of richly painted objects acquired by the Museum last year from the Historical Society of Early American Decoration. The Art of Embellishment: Painted and Decorated Masterworks from the Museum of American Folk Art proves how colorful American homes of an earlier period were, and how even ordinary day-to-day objects and home furnishings could be turned into works of art at the hands of an inspired folk artist. The exhibition was selected by Ralph Sessions, serving as Guest Curator, and Stacy Hollander, the Museum's Curator of Collections. The Museum has arranged for reprints of the exhibition catalog, as originally published in the Philadelphia Antiques Show program. I recommend this wonderful publication to all members and friends of the Museum. Richly illustrated and containing essays by Mr. Sessions and Ms. Hollander, the exhibition catalog may be purchased from the Museum Shop at $4.95, together with postage of $2.00. The catalog provides a colorful introduction to an important part of the Museum's collection.
IS SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
Gerard Wertkin is joined by Jean LemMon and Terry McIntyre at Bloomingdale's "Spirit of America" opening night celebration.
I am delighted to report that The Art of Embellishment proved so successful that we have decided to present it this summer at the Museum's Eva and Morris Feld Gallery in New York, one of a series of exhibitions intended to utilize the resources of the Museum's permanent collection. If you were unable to see the presentation in Philadelphia, make it a point to visit with us this summer. I know that you will be pleased, and quite certain that you will be surprised, at this striking exhibition. I am deeply grateful to Ralph Sessions, Stacy Hollander and the Museum's Registrar, Ann-Marie Reilly; Howard Lanser for his design; and Joan M. Johnson and the following members of the Philadelphia Antiques Show Committee, without whom The Art of Embellishment would not have been possible: Mary Ellen Hagner, Mary Burr and Gerry Kinkead. Following the round of activities in Philadelphia, several members of the staff and I attended a special reception at Bloomingdale's in New York, celebrating the 10th anniversary of The America Collection, the Museum's licensing program with The Lane Company, its exclusive furniture licensee. In addition to marking this anniversary, Bloomingdale's also unveiled a large number of beautiful additions to The America Collection. For those members and friends who remember the scrubbed-pine finish long associated with The America Collection, a surprise awaits you. A rich, lustrous maple is the basis for the additions to the collection, together with a limited number of painted pieces. The America Collection is a key element in the Museum's package of support and revenue, contributing royalties generated from its sales. Please make a point of visiting your furniture retailer and considering an investment in The America Collection; you will be helping the Museum fulfill its mission. It was with pride that I accepted Country Home's "Gatekeeper Award" on behalf of the Museum at the Bloomingdale's reception. The Museum together with Lane and Bloomingdale's have been recognized for their joint efforts in helping to preserve American design and present it to the American public. My warm gratitude to Terry McIntyre, Publisher of Country Home, and Jean LemMon, Editor-in-Chief, for this special honor. All of that and more in less than one very busy week in April! None of this could be possible, dear friends, without your generous support and interest. Thank you for your caring commitment, and please join us for the wonderful programming arranged by the Museum throughout all twelve months of the year.
EPSTE1N/POWELL 22 Wooster St., New York, N.Y. 10013 By Appointment(212)226-7316 Jesse Aaron Rex Clawson Mr. Eddy Antonio Esteves Howard Finster Victor Joseph Gatto(Estate) Reverend Hunter James Harold Jennings S.L. Jones Lawrence Lebduska Justin McCarthy Peter Minchell Emma Lee Moses Inez Nathaniel Old Ironsides Pry Popeye Reed Max Romain Jack Savitsky ISHIIC Smith Clarence Stringfield Mose Tolliver Floretta Warfel Chief Wiley George Williams Luster Willis and others
Justin McCarthy
Janet Munro on Zebra
1891-1977
ink/paper 1961
LYNNE INGRAM SOUTHERN FOLK ART • ddie Aming "Coventry Square," 1970's Crayon on paper, 22" x 16" • Source available •
Contemporary art by the self-taught southern hand Clementine Hunter, Charlie Lucas, Ronald Cooper, Royal Robertson, Richard Burnside, Jimmy Lee Sudduth. Inez Nathaniel Walker, Bro. B.F Perkins, Chuckie Williams, Jack Savitsky (Pa.), James Harold Jennings, Willie Massey, Bernice Sims, Raymond Coins, George Williams, Charles Tolliver, Annie Tolliver, Mose Tolliver, S.L. Jones • 174 Rick Road • Milford, New Jersey 08848 •(908) 996-4786 •
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION 19
LITTER
FROM
'lilt,
DIRLC -I OR
Robert Bishop Memorial Fund Donors December 1991/March 1992 Above $5,000 Robert N & Anne Wright Wilson $1,000-15,000 Barbara Johnson, Esq. Johnson & Johnson The Lane Company, Inc. 11500-999 Mr. & Mrs. Edward V. Blanchard Tina & Jeffrey Bolton Allan L. Daniel Hon. & Mrs. Arnold G. Fraiman Mr. & Mrs. Baron J. Gordon Frederick Hughes Mr. & Mrs. Victor L. Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Harvey A. Kahn Mary Kettaneh Ed & Lee Kogan Kathleen Mahoney Mr. & Mrs. Samuel M. Palley Larry A. Shar Mr. & Mrs. Royall Victor Elizabeth Farrar Wecter
Under $500 Nathan S. Ancell Ben Apfelbaum Mr. & Mrs. David Barrett William Bernhard & Catherine Cahill Mabel H. Brandon Mr. & Mrs. Edward J. Brown Margaret Barry Bryan Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Buttenwieser Maureen Cogan Bea Cohen Suzanne Courcier & Robert W. Wilkins Catherine G. Curran Joan Davidson Mr. & Mrs. Gerald T. DiManno Mr. & Mrs. Arnold Dunn Mr. & Mrs. Albert Edelman Mr. & Mrs. Thomas M. Evans Dr. & Mrs. Eugene Flamm Dr. & Mrs. Michael Goldfarb Mr. & Mrs. Peter Goodman Cordelia Hamilton Lynda Hartigan Amb. & Mrs. Arthur A. Hartman
John A. Hays Mr. & Mrs. Walter W. Hess, Jr. Anne Sue Hirshorn Mr. & Mrs. David Howe Elizabeth C. & Richard R. Howe Meghan Hughes Karen Jones Gwen Kade Harry Kahn Lena Kaplan Marilynn Karp Leigh Keno Mr. & Mrs. David Krashes Faye S. Labanaris Stanley A. Lewis Mr. & Mrs. Richard Lewisohn III Mimi S. Livingston Leila & Charles Lyons Milly McGehee Dr. Dillon McLaughlin Steven Michaan Bettie Mintz Alan Moss Museum of International Folk Art
Mattie Lou O'Kelley Patrick Bell William A. Olsen Jeanne S. Riger Betty Ring Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Riordan Stella Rubin Betti H. Salzman Cynthia V.A. Schaffner Mr. & Mrs. Iry Schorsch Donna T. Schneider Aviva Sella Mr. & Mrs. Edward Silver Mr. & Mrs. Herbert M. Singer Robert Solomon Louise Strader-Hines Mrs. John W. Straus Jane Supino Mr. & Mrs. Robert Tiffany Hildegard 0. Vetter Mr. & Mrs. David Walentas Mr. & Mrs. Peter Warwick Mr. & Mrs. Harold Weissman Ann Wesson
American Mas erpieces : 40; \ Iry e , 4E: 47)) )1 oft , • ir a.,•so4r., fib 41" , Ah.
10 0
/1101. •Ofith
Felipe Benito Archuleta
14 A North Meramec St. Louis, MO 63105
20 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
Armadillo 12" x 44" Signed and Dated March 1st, 1982 FBA
Mon—Sat 10:00-5:00 or by appointment (314) 725-4334
home town (a new store)
come visit! country furniture • folk art • collectibles 131 wooster(at prince) soho new york 10012 tues-sun 11-7
212-674-5770
LYNNE INGRAM SOUTHERN FOLK ART L. to R.: Charles Lisk type Jerry Brown Louis Brown Albert Hodge Billy Ray Hussey Lanier Meaders
Contemporary art by the self-taught southern hand B.B. Craig, Jerry Brown, Charlie Brown, Louis Brown, Lanier Meaders, Charles Lisk, Billy Ray Hussey, Cleater and Billie Meaders, Albert Hodge, M.L. Owens, Michael and Melvin Crocker, Marie Rogers, Bob Armfield, Reggie Meaders • 174 Rick Road • Milford, New Jersey 08848 •(908) 996-4786 •
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
21
BOOK
Art From The Heart.
Wesley Stewart The Toothpick King We have a broad and varied selection of three-dimensional sculptures and wall pieces created entirely of toothpicks by folk artist, Wesley Stewart.
Call for more information. (803) 785-2318 Two Locations: 220 Cordillo Parkway Hilton Head, SC 29928 Highway 21 St. Helena's Island, SC
TAIAETRIDNAD The South's Premier Folk Art Gallery
22 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
Louanne LaRoche, Director
REVIEWS
Abstract Design in American Quilts: A Biography of an Exhibition by Jonathan Holstein The Kentucky Quilt Project Louisville, KY, 1991 230 pages $39.95 softcover It started innocently enough in the late 1960s, with weekend trips to Pennsylvania in search of American primitive art. Along with the artifacts displayed in the antique shops, there were always quilts, and slowly their images began to fill the memories of Jonathan Holstein and Gail van der Hoof. Sharing an intense interest in art, this couple from New York began to relate the distinctive style of the Pennyslvania quilts, and their simplicity of design, to modern painting. One day they came upon a quilt which fulfilled all their critical requirements, and they bought it. The next weekend they went back for more, and unintentionally became quilt collectors. Eventually they showed their collection to friends — artists and writers — whose enthusiastic response echoed their own. The simple designs could immediately be related to the work of well-known contemporary artists. Quilts that had been designated "decorative arts" were now being viewed from a new vantage point, and the idea for an exhibition began to form in the collectors' imaginations. So it was that the Whitney Museum's exhibition, Abstract Design in American Quilts, was curated by Jonathan
Holstein and Gail van der Hoof in 1971. It has often been cited as the most significant event in bringing about a new and unparalleled appreciation for American quilts. For the first time, a major museum showed quilts of powerful visual content as though they were modern paintings. The exhibition opened in late summer, at a time when museums do not generally show their best selections, but it succeeded in attracting a wide and enthusiastic audience. Reviews were lively, and encouraged by the response, the museum extended the duration of the show. Thanks to the attention received by this provocative exhibition, the definition of quilts was in the process of being changed from "decorative arts" to "art." An explosion of quiltmaking was under way. The book, Abstract Design in American Quilts: A Biography of an Exhibition, by Jonathan Holstein with Gail van der Hoof, is the compelling account of the collection and its encounter with the world. Once again breaking precedent, Holstein chooses the exhibition itself as the subject for a life story. From its initial presentation, this collection of quilts assumed an identity of its own, and became a demanding factor in the author's life. Jonathan Holstein did not intend to devote a major part of his life to quilts, but when the exhibition closed at the Whitney, that was only the beginning. Showings in Europe,
,„Atolit of Atlanta ESTABLISHED 1973 Asia, and across America followed, along with the search for more quilts, study, research, and writing. Other commitments were there, but the quilts were always a presence. Thoughtful, provocative, sometimes reflective, Holstein's writing rings with clarity and sparkling discernment. His eye penetrates the complexities and meanings of the quilts as he describes their impact on society. Using the Whitney exhibition as his primary focus, Holstein weaves around it a remarkable compilation of the past twenty years of quilt activity. Following the splash of media coverage in 1971, periodicals seized every opportunity to include photographs and articles about quilts. The "country look" became the fashion. Quilt fever spread across this country and abroad, creating a multimillion-dollar market of books, products, and supplies to satisfy every quiltmaker. Numerous quilt guilds were formed; quilt historians did research and conducted surveys; quilt workshops and shows multiplied. All of these activities continue to this day. The Whitney exhibition, and the subsequent acceptance of quilts world-wide as an art form, worked to change exhibition standards. In addition to strong graphic qualities — a primary requirement for inclusion in the Whitney show — today's
exhibition quilts are expected to be in excellent condition and to demonstrate superb craftsmanship. Such demands have primarily been brought about as a result of increased market value. According to Holstein, some of the quilts chosen for the original group would not meet today's standards. "Thus the exhibition comes full circle," writes Holstein in the introduction. "And the ragged, worn, sometimes peculiar quilts it includes remind us that there are basic design structures and sensibilities which underlie all that has been achieved in American quilts, and that these qualities are inherent in some quilts regardless of their condition, style, age or market value." To mark the occasion of its twentieth anniversary, Shelly Zegart and Jonathan Holstein arranged a reenactment of the original exhibition as the centerpiece for Louisville's Celebration of American Quilts, held in early 1992. It seemed appropriate to share the historic event with a new audience, the many who did not see the first presentation. The idiosyncrasies and inventions that originally caught the collectors' eyes are still there for all to enjoy. Bets Ramsey, the Director of the Southern Quilt Symposium since 1974, co-authored The Quilts of Tennessee and Southern Quilts: A New View, and has curated numerous quilt exhibitions. Ramsey writes a weekly quilt column in the Chattanooga Times and is an active, exhibiting fiber artist. (continued on page 26)
Specializing in Fine Quality 19th and 20th Century American Art Ralph Griffin, 1925-1992
"The King and Queen", 1990
Over Forty Self-taught American Folk Artists of the South 5325 ROSWELL ROAD, N.E. ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30342 (404) 252-0485 FAX 252-0359
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION 23
"Artist Chuckie" Williams (b. 1957) Collection includes: J.B. Murray, Howard Finster, David Butler, Sam Doyle, Mary T. Smith. Jim Sudduth, "Son" Thomas, Royal Robertson, James Harold Jennings, Mose T., Lonnie Holley, B.F. Perkins, Willie White, Raymond Coins, Charlie Lucas, William Dawson, Homer Green, Ike Morgan, Clementine Hunter, Herbert Singleton, Alvin Jarrett, Luster Willis, LeRoy Almond, Sr., M.C. 5c Jones and others.
7520 Perkins Road Baton Rouge, La. 70808 504-767-0526
"NBA. Johnsons" 24"x471/2""
Worlds of Art ... Worlds Apart Fenimore House NYS Route 80 Cooperstown (607) 547-2533 "Colonel Sellers," c. 1875 Artist Unidentified
The New York State Historical Association presents an important new show comparing folk art of the 19th & 20th centuries. Works by Edward Hicks, Samuel A. Robb, William Hawkins, David Butler, and many new acquisitions. Open through December.
24 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
"Statue of Liberty," 1992 Gregorio Marzan
RICHARD D. HAZEL AMERICAN FOLK ARTIST Richard D. Hazel invites you to visit his studio in historic and picturesque Warren County, New Jersey. Richard D. Hazel has been recognized by many to be the logical extension of the fine creative art of the late, great Peter Hunt. As a self-taught master of the hand-painted surface, his works have been placed in many prestigious collections. Each piece is signed and documented with a certificate of authenticity.
RICHARD D. HAZEL 14$ atterp
1775
Please call for an appointment(908)453-3762 • P.O. Box 253, Oxford, New Jersey 07863 Two-Drawer Server, 35M. x 16"w. x 34"1.
ROOK
REVIEWS
Southern Arizona Folk Arts By James S. Griffith 234 pages 74 black and white photographs The University of Arizona Press Tucson, AZ, 1988 $29.95 hardcover $14.95 softcover
"Medusa"(detail)52 Walking Stick by Miller & Bryant
CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN WALKING STICKS July 31 - August 6 William Miller and Ric Bryant Meet the Artists ALSO FEATURINGLarry McKee Tim Ratliff Hugo Sperger E.A. Banks Ronald Cooper R Cox
Elisha Baker Calvin Cooper Marion Conner Jack Floyd Ricky Keeton Tim Lewis
Denzil Goodpastor Erma Lewis, Jr. Thomas May Ernest Patton Russel Rice Henry York
inquiries welcome AR, Folk Art
40
Fine Art
Sailor's Valentine Gallery 40 Centre Street, Nantucket, MA 02554 (508) 228-2011
28 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
In this vividly informative regional survey, folklorist James Griffith introduces the reader to a broad spectrum of art forms and social customs in southern Arizona, including architecture, painting and sculpture, music and dance, cookery, personal adornment, and martial arts. After beginning with a brief social and political history Griffith presents a discussion of the multicultural complexity of this region defining the kinds of cultural phenomena he will focus on in succeeding chapters. The author's largely descriptive treatise is appropriately interspersed with insightful scholarly interpretations of a wide range of the cultural expressions that he labels "folk art." Since there is no uniformly accepted definition of the term "folk art," Griffith explains his own usage, and defines distinctions between "folk art," "popular art," and "idiosyncratic art." In the bibliographic essay section near
the end of the volume, he also presents a brief discussion of referenced works that define "folk art" in varying ways. For Griffith, folk art (which he also refers to as traditional art) consists of ". . . traditional expressive forms of the smaller communities without our greater society . . ." that reflect the traditional values and aesthetic standards of that community. This rather broad interpretation allows the author to define as works of art a number of activities that are typically and perhaps more appropriately referred to as "social customs," such as rope tricks performed on horseback, calf roping, barrel racing, harmonica playing, polka dancing, and cookery In his bibliographic essay Griffith helpfully points out the discrepancy between his own view of folk art and that of most regional folk art studies that focus on the visual arts. Irrespective of varying interpretations of the term "folk art," the author states that the primary intent of his book is ". . . to help the resident or visitor in our region to understand the various art forms that he or she is likely to encounter in public places: on the streets, in churches and cemeteries, in bars and restaurants, and at festivals and
public celebrations." The volume accomplishes this task extremely well in an informative, yet sensitive manner. Using an engaging conversational writing style that complements his subject matter, the author takes the reader on a tour through a remarkable array of southern Arizona art forms and customs ranging from Spanish Colonial churches, lowrider automobiles, and Norwegian rosemaling to Mexican cookery, old-time fiddling and Yaqui shrines. However, Griffith's greatest success in helping the reader to what he or she is now meeting for the first time rests not in the author's often colorful descriptions, but rather in his ability to place his subjects into meaningful contemporary and historic social contexts. For example, after discussing the baroque style of Spanish Colonial architecture that can still be seen in southern Arizona, Griffith describes a Yaqui yard shrine that is overlaid with square and curvilinear plastic tiles painted black, red, and blue. A white cross bearing a red plastic heart stands in the middle. Directly below it is an automobile decal featuring flags and Our Lady of Guadalupe. The shrine is
accented with tiny, colored lights that flash on and off. Upon acknowledging that, "For a person who is deeply immersed in the fine-art traditions of our culture, there may be only one word to describe such a shrine: Kitsch," the author hastens to explain that ". .. our shrine-maker is functioning within a basically baroque aesthetic as surely as were the artists and craftspeople who created [Spanish Colonial style buildings] almost two hundred years ago." Griffith has thus encouraged the reader, through informed explanation, to accept the existence of this canon of beauty, that is certainly valid within the context of a two-centuries-old aesthetic. Despite a confusing ordering of subheadings in Chapter 4, this book is an eminently readable catalog of fascinating information about colorful Arizona life-styles, that are at the same time familiar and exotic. Southern Arizona Folk Arts offers the interested outsider a ". . . glimpse into values and aesthetic systems other than his own."
Jusr
PLAIN
RALPH VOL; AND DER GAY HEIDE JULY 4 SPEIRBHEAN -JULY 20
Dr Trudy Thomas is Curator of Fine Arts at the Museum of Northern Arizona. She is currently organizing an exhibition and a book on nonconformist native artfrom four regions: the Southwest, the Plains, the Northwest Coast, and the Hawaiian Islands. The title of the project is "The Cutting Edge of Creativity."
CaY S • The prfelrbhealt. Medi, Yer Raz 7f • 1114 x ° 7"cl ob ed , 21/2 X 7/2feet— ' , ,
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Museum quality, but not a museum.
200 Old Santa Fe Trail / Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501/(505)988-3103
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION 27
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CHUCK CROSBY CLEMENTINE HUNTER JAMES HAROLD JENNINGS M. C."5 C" JONES CALVIN LIVINGSTON WOODIE LONG ANNIE LUCAS CHARLIE LUCAS REV. B. F. PERKINS SARAH RAKES
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JUANITA ROGERS BERNICE SIMS CLEMENTINE HUNTER, H
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JIMMIE LEE SUDDUTH ANNIE TOLLIVER CHARLES TOLLIVER MOSE TOLLIVER BILL TRAYLOR MYRTICE WEST
MARCIA
WEBER/ART OBJECTS, INC.
3218 LEXINGTON ROAD • MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36106 • BY APPOINTMENT 205/262.5349
28 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
OF
AMERICAN
FOLK ART
2661 Cedar Street Berkeley, California 94708 510/845-4949 Bonnie Grossman Director
• We specialize in exceptional 19th-20th Century handmade objects. Our extensive selection of quilts, carved canes, tramp art, folk paintings and sculpture are available for viewing. Phone for exhibit hours or information.
Gout stool with assorted canes and walking sticks
Photo: Ben Blackwell
Arr Aft'dt, - • f.
11 AP,•$ ,— sr lb •
Marlene and Dan Coble Eldred Wheeler Gallery • 3941 San Felipe • Houston,Texas 77027 • (713) 622-6225
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION 29
Long treated only as craft, folk canes, which speak of our national heritage and capacity for self-expression, are now recognized both as an important form of folk art and as sculpture.' GEORGE H. MEYER One of the reasons for the delayed appreciation of walking sticks as works of art may be that since approximately the first World War, canes have been used primarily to provide support for the elderly and infirm. Seemingly forgotten is the long and honorable service of canes as badges of authority and prestige, weapons, repositories of gadgets, and a required accessory to a man's fashionable attire. Curators, collectors, and dealers have been aware of American folk canes for years, but surprisingly little has been written about them. Nor, to the author's knowledge, have American folk canes been the subject of a comprehensive exhibition with a national scope until now.2 For convenience, folk canes can be divided into those made before 1970, and those made after that date; the latter may be considered "contemporary" The comments that follow mostly concern the older, or "period" canes. The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries marked the heyday of the fashionable use of canes in America. A large part of the male population routinely carried (or "wore") walking sticks. These were mostly mass-produced, but occasionally custom-ordered, and typified by a gold-handled ebony stick. During the same period, however, many Americans used handcrafted walking sticks. Most of these were simple and unadorned. Some were more elaborate, but very few achieved the status of sculpture. The majority of period folk canes were probably "one-of-akind," but occasionally the same person made a number of canes. These were frequently different from one another, but sometimes similar enough to indicate the use of a pattern. Different makers also made canes with nearly identical symbols and themes, indicating the existence not only of common image sources, but probably local "schools." Many
AMERICAN FOLK CANES
30 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
FIGURE 1 SNAKE; late nineteenth century; painted vine, nail eyes; 361/4 x 63/8 x 11/2' diam.
FIGURE 2
SERPENT OF REBELLION; c.1861.62; polychromed wood; 11/8" metal ferrule; 381/2 x 37/8 x VA" diem.
carvers did not limit their endeavors to canes, but also carved other kinds of objects. Most seem to have carved canes as an avocation, not as a profession. Like other art forms, American folk canes need to be classified, but organizing canes by the common classifications of region, period, or maker is presently very difficult for a number of reasons. Folk canes are found virtually throughout the world, so in cases where the carver is unknown, establishing whether or not a folk cane is American may not be that easy. Factors such as provenance, material, design, and imagery are useful, but when this information is unclear or unavailable, identifying a cane as American is problematic at best.' It is often particularly hard to ascertain the specific state or geographical area within the United States in which a cane was made. Canes were — and are — made in all fifty states. Few distinctive state or regional characteristics have been de-
32 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
termined that can reliably be used to establish a cane's place of origin. With the exception of scrimshaw and glass canes, almost all period folk canes were made of wood. That a cane was made from a local kind of wood may certainly help to determine its source, but using the wood to establish a cane's origin is not so easy. Although woods like maple, walnut, cherry, and hickory seem to have been preferred, all kinds were used. Accurate identification of many woods, even with the help of a microscope, is very difficult. There are nearly 800 varieties and species of North American trees, and it has been estimated that there are perhaps 1,000 additional species and varieties of woody shrubs in the United States, many of which are also found abroad. More than 40,000 species of woody plants are estimated to exist worldwide.4 Therefore, the kind of wood used for a particular cane may often be unidentifiable. Determining the time period in which a cane was made is also diffi-
FIGURE 3 CUPOLA, ALLIGATOR, FROG, AND SNAKE; probably AfricanAmerican; probably Michigan; late nineteenth century; polychromed wood; 361/2 x 2" diam.
cult. A few are dated, but in most cases other factors must be relied upon. A commercial decorative cane can often be dated by the form of its handle. Yet this is not of much help in dating folk canes, particularly those made after the mid-nineteenth century, when handles of all kinds were used, including burls, roots, and the common "crook" handle. Determining the maker's name presents another problem. As is the case with other period American folk art, very few makers signed their work. When a name or initials do appear, they may refer to either the maker or the user, although the latter is more likely The result is that the cane makers of the past are still largely unidentified. Cultural identity is of great interest in the field of folk art. Except in those instances where the heritage of a past or present cane maker is clearly known, or when there is a solid provenance, determination of ethnic identity has been based on iconography or style. This is a risky
practice, as there are many cross-influences among various cultures — African-American, Native American, Anglo-American — in this, as in other areas of American folk art. All of the above-mentioned methodological difficulties strongly indicate the need for further research and study of folk canes and their makers. One of the things that we do know is that all folk cane makers, past and present, share the same artistic problems. Among these challenges is the limitation of the form — a narrow wooden stick about three feet long. The wood may be a tree limb, vine, sapling, shrub, root, or occasionally a piece of milled wood. The wood may be used as found, or carved with other forms. About half the time, the handle of the cane is an extension of the shaft. The decoration may be an embellishment on the flat surface of the wood, or it may involve additional carving to achieve the desired form. Carvings may be enhanced with ink or paint. The marriage of material and form is especial-
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION 33
FIGURE 4
ly apparent in snake canes, where the carver sometimes uses the twists of a vine to capture the essence of a snake (figure 1). The folk cane often served as a unique vehicle for communication between the owner and his peers and the outside world. A contemporary corollary may be found in such personal modes of expression as T-shirts and car bumper stickers, although the period folk canes' symbolism and imagery was generally more subtle. Canes were often designed to meet the needs of a particular owner. A handcrafted cane was sometimes cut to fit the length of a specific user's arm, and the handle was designed to fit his hand. Both physically and psychologically, the walking stick served as an extension of his arm and himself. Canes also recorded history. They reflected not only the personal history of the maker, but also his time and culture. The SERPENT OF REBELLION cane (figure 2) depicts southern politicians as men with ani-
34 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
mal heads to show scorn and contempt. This powerful cane is extensively carved with allegorical scenes which record bitter feelings toward the Civil War. Nature was a favorite theme of folk carvers. On one cane, two alligators and other animals carved below them reach toward a small railroad locomotive enclosed in a cupola. This cane was reportedly carved by an African-American cook in a northern Michigan lumber camp (figure 3). Canes were also carved to be presented as gifts. One elegant cane, which is covered with carefully worked carvings and sayings, was carved by a businessman who made canes to give to politicians and others he admired. (See figure 4.) Another cane features a sensitive head (figure 5), which is possibly a portrait of its user. Still another replicates what is apparently an auger, emphasizing the beauty, grace, and design of this common tool (figure 6). The period folk cane was also commonly decorated to identify its
BIBLICAL ANIMALS; Alanson Porter Dean (1812-88); New York; 1884; possibly varnished American boxwood, 3 nickelsilver ferrule with steel washer and / 4x 6 x screw; 351 diam.
I I(il EL 5
PENSIVE MAN; late nineteenth—early twentieth century; varnished stained wood; 381/2 x 21/8" diam.
user as a member of a group. As Alexis de Toqueville observed in Democracy in America in 1838, America was a country of "joiners." An example of group membership often found on late-nineteenth century canes was the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), an organization mostly composed of former Union veterans that greatly influenced postCivil War American politics. G.A.R. canes were commercially made by the thousands for reunions and other veterans' gatherings, but extraordinary canes were also individually handcarved. Other common examples of organizational canes are those of the Masons, the Odd Fellows, The Order of the Eagle (T.O.T.E.), the Junior Order of American Mechanics, and the Elks. Many men of the time belonged to a number of secret organizations — including more than one fraternal society — and the mixing of different fraternal symbolism along with Civil War imagery on the same cane was not uncommon. It has been said that a cane
may have sculpture on it, or it may be sculpture itself. Regardless of whether decoration is located on the handle, the shaft, or both — as beautifully illustrated in the biblical theme cane (figure 4) — a walking stick needs to be viewed as a whole, like any other sculpture. Even a single carving, and any paint or other surface decoration, should be related to the cane and considered as integral to its overall form. Canes are still being carved. Sometimes these are made for the art market instead of for use. Like their earlier counterparts, contemporary canes reflect the themes of the time in which they are carved, including nostalgia for the past. Modern materials such as felt tipped markers and found objects are now used. These canes no longer portray Ulysses S. Grant and William Jennings Bryan, but Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley instead. The colors are usually bright, and the designs are bold, reflecting today's visual outlook. (See figure 7.) The paradoxes within the sculptural form of a cane are part of
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION 35
FIGURE 6
INTERLOCKING PIECES; possibly Georgia; probably twentieth century; stained walnut; 351 / 4 x 11 / 4" diam.
its artistic value. The cane is carved for a private individual, but it is generally intended to be displayed in public settings. A cane is meant to be viewed both at a distance and at close range. The complexity of the surface carving is often a counterpoint to the erect line of the simple stick form. In folk canes, the carvings often encompass not only the handle, but also encircle the shaft. Thus the entire design is rarely visible at once, and it is only upon turning the stick that the artist's full intent is understood. Even where the carving is only on the handle, it cannot be seen in full without turning the handle, or at least removing one's hand. In contrast to sculpture on a larger scale, the cane is a miniature world of art, to be held in one's hand and enjoyed both visually and physically. The best American cane makers transformed a small, relatively simple utilitarian object into something aesthetically beautiful and challenging, an object to be seen and touched. At the same time they made objects that reflected both the culture of the period and their own position in that culture. American cane makers accomplished this by using an extraordinary variety of personal styles, forms, and subjects — encompassing them within the narrow confines of a three-foot-long piece of wood. In doing so, they made the American folk cane a work of art.*
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American Folk Art Canes: Personal Sculpture by George H. Meyer, the first comprehensive book on the subject, has been published in connection with the exhibition of his collection of canes at the Museum ofAmerican Folk Art, June 4 through September 13, 1992. This article is based on the book, which pictures many additional canes in the author's collection. George Meyer, an attorney and a member of the Museum's board of trustees, has been a serious collector of American folk canesfor over 15 years. He is also the editor of Folk Artists Biographical Index (1987).
NOTES: 1. The terms "cane," "walking stick," "walking cane," and "stick" are treated as interchangeable, since I have found there is no generally accepted distinction among them. A cane is usually waist high, while a staff is generally chest high. 2. There has been one state-wide exhibition of canes, which was accompanied by an excellent catalog: Larry Hackley, Sticks: Historical and Contemporary Kentucky Canes (Louisville, Kentucky: Kentucky Art and Craft Foundation, 1988). 3. There are few if any regional characteristics that establish the particular country or area of origin for a European folk cane. European folk canes were generally hardwood, rarely painted, and when painted, it was with dark colors. (Conversation with Catherine Dike, an outstanding authority on European canes.) 4. Estimates of many different kinds of wood provided by Professor Alan Sliker, Forestry Department, Michigan State University.
MAN AND SADDLE; probably African American; second half twentieth century; maple, basswood, and mixed woods, glass eyes; / 4" / 4 x 21 351/4 x 83 diam. I 1(,1 kl
-
Sand Sculpture; artist unknown; c. 1906. Courtesy Libra of Congress. African-American sand artists' contributions to the art form have been neglected or obscured. The artist has sketched in the sand "I do this work for a living."
3
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okwoOl ,
SELLING SAND & SEA Sand Sculptors & the Developement of the Atlantic City Resort 1897-1944. ITOLIA:METi
4111110‘,
uilt on a sand bar, Atlantic City, New Jersey was transformed during the 1850s and succeeding years into a resort capable of drawing millions of visitors annually. In addition to advertising the city's spectacular natural resources, boosters publicized its original man-made attractions, including independent beachfront sand sculptors. Newspaper articles, hotel brochures, and picture postcards featured the sand artists so regularly that tourists came to associate this attraction with Atlantic City, the "Playground of the World." Old postcards and lantern slides capture ephemeral sculpted images of lovers and sea nymphs, touring cars and battle scenes, presidents and suffragettes. For half a century (1897-1944), free-lance sand artists created these scenes out of sand and sea water, "selling" the resort's natural resources to tourists, who rewarded the skilled craftsmen with their pocket money. (The artists could not, of course, literally sell their works, but instead sold their skills, regularly creating new scenes to delight and entertain.) Who were these artists working alongside the city's famed boardwalk? How did they learn their craft? What techniques did they use? And what was their relationship to the resort? Last year, I set out to answer these questions. By researching oral histories, and examining back issues of local newspapers, brochures, postcards, and photographs, I ventured to document the aesthetic development of this nearly-vanished New Jersey art form, and to affirm the sculptors' contribution to five decades of Atlantic City's recreation history, which includes the use of their work to promote area tourism. Sand sculpture was, from the very beginning, an art form tied symbiotically to the fortunes of this burgeoning resort town. Sand artist Philip McCord's 1897 "debut" on the Atlantic City beachfront, hailed by the press as "a sensation," followed the opening of the resort's expansive new boardwalk by one year.' On the ocean side of the distinctive 40-foot-wide elevated promenade, the
40 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
artist sculpted a compacted dune, drawing to the modern steel railings thousands of strolling visitors eager to watch ". . . the figure grow under the artist's touch," to see ". . . a lifelike thing emerge from a pile of shapeless sand."3 Not much is known about McCord, but he must have been very skilled to draw such attention from the frenetic land side of the boardwalk, described by one writer as a " . . wonderful kaleidoscope of merry-go-rounds, haunted forests, shell bazaars, bath houses, swimming pools, shooting galleries and bric-abrac stores."' According to historian Charles Funnell, Atlantic City at the turn of the century — and particularly its boardwalk — was a place where performances and exhibitions were expected. Conventioneers from professional and fraternal organizations, as well as lower-middle-class vacationers from Philadelphia, New York, Delaware, and beyond, sought diversions that were uniquely both natural and urbane. For these pleasures, resort visitors freely parted with spare change.' Sand art flourished in this setting. Philip McCord was soon joined by other enterprising sculptors, who worked most of the year shaping beach sand into figures and scenes that represented current interests and events. A January, 1900 article on the front page of the Sunday Gazette reports a savvy beachfront "sand man" who, upon recognizing the daughter of former president Ulysses Grant, immediately began molding a bust of the retired general. The artist was rewarded with a "greenback" after he also sculpted a scene he called Cast Up By the Sea — a mother with seaswept hair, clasping a baby in her arms. Shipwrecks were not uncommon at the turn of the century, so the image of a marooned mother and child was especially poignant for visitors.'(See figure 1.) Enthusiastic reviews of sand art appeared regularly on the front pages of Atlantic City's local papers, especially during the resort's early years, but the sculptors often went unnamed. Although dozens of artists worked the beach over the years, I have been able to identify just eight,
listed here with the approximate dates of their activity at Atlantic City: Philip McCord (1897), James J. Taylor (1900-1909), Owen Golden (1907- ), Charles A. Ross (1912- ), Dominick Spagnola (1909-1944), Lorenz Harres (1914- ), George Spetsas ( -1944), and John Paul Jones (around 19371944). For some of these artists, visual and biographical documentation is limited. I will focus here on artists for whom I have been able to establish some visual or personal record. The nameless artist featured in the Gazette, for example, may have been James J. Taylor, often labelled " . . the originator of pictures in sand," and certainly one of the first depicted on a picture postcard — a
FIGURE 1
CAST UP BY THE SEA; artist unknown; original photo postcard; c. 1906. Courtesy Robert Foster
FIGURE 2
CAST UP BY THE SEA; Jas. J. Taylor; c. 1906. Courtesy Robert Foster
A sand sculpture could take as little as a few days, an average of two weeks, and as much as three months.
European invention "naturalized" by an Atlantic City hotelier in 1895. Within a few years, Atlantic City headlines would declare that over six million postcards were mailed from the resort alone.' A 1900 postcard, printed by the Detroit Photographic Company, shows a "sand man" dressed in dark suit and derby hat at work on several sculptures, including one of a mother and child. Six years later, this suited sculptor was identified as Taylor via the artist's own set of postcards. (See figures 2-4.) Taylor's souvenirs exhibit skillfully-modelled cupids, matrons gathered for tea, and three-dimensional religious parables, including one entitled Suffer Little Children To Come Unto Me. Often the artist sketched into the sand "Remember the Worker," an expression adopted by generations of self-employed Atlantic City sand artists. "The sand artist has a notice out that 'every little bit helps' — his way of requesting you contribute a dime or two to help him get a living," one visitor wrote a friend in 1912, on the back of a sand art postcard. "They are quite clev-
FIGURE 3
LOVE'S LABOR; Jas. J. Taylor; c. 1906. Courtesy Robert Foster After this sculpture appeared on the beach, an Atlantic City Press columnist wrote: "It is an artistic portrayal of several Dan Cupids wasting their efforts on unrequited love, and attracts merited attention."
er," she continued, ". . . and I think he gets the living."' Local news articles indicate sand artists were primarily independent operators who chose their own subject matter, although they sometimes scratched out advertisements in the sand for convention sponsors, placing the slogans alongside their sculptures. Eventually the city decided these "sand advertisements" were unbecoming and banned them, along with the modelling of "clotheless figures."9 Later, religious figures were also banned (figure 5). One old postcard shows a work of sand art contracted by a city entrepreneur. In 1907, former circus showman Frank Hubin, a self-proclaimed "postal card king" and manager of a boardwalk menagerie called "Roving Frank's Gypsy Camp," commissioned James Taylor to sculpt the figure of an elk in sand, along with the fraternal order's greeting. The resulting postcard declares the "original idea" was conceived by Hubin. (See figure 6.) More than 8,000 Elks packed into the resort for two weeks in July, buying countless souvenir postcards, along with decorated napkins and stationery enhanced with Elk insignia. Hubin, who was also an officer in the Elk's Atlantic Lodge, campaigned the following year to bring the free-spending conventioneers back to the resort, distributing thousands of sand art Elk cards at the brotherhood's Dallas convention.m Although Taylor's work is visually well-documented through postcards, little is known about his personal life or artistic training. An art education would likely be mentioned by status-conscious reporters, who regularly extolled the education and social standing of professionals visiting the resort. A newsclipping from 1909 reports the artist was persuaded by a booster from nearby Asbury Park to leave Atlantic City, and to work for a salary Taylor was later lured to Long Beach, California, where his sand art was exhibited "under canvas." The public was said to gladly pay admission to view the work." The execution of a patron's "original idea" could militate against Taylor's classification as a folk artist, if one considers folk art to be part of 64
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SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION 41
a consistent aesthetic tradition in which the artists alone dictate how, what, and when they create. Wrestling with definitions, however, would subsume this article and its purpose — to document Atlantic City sand art's 50-year aesthetic development, and to affirm the sculptors' contribution to the resort's history. Postcards demonstrate that Taylor's Elk sculpture was aesthetically consistent with his non-commissioned works, which consisted of both freeform sculptures and bas-relief figures sculpted into slanted embankments. Moreover, his approach to materials was part of a tradition sustained by subsequent generations of beachfront artists — sculptors who habitually described themselves as self-taught, telling reporters they learned the craft by imitating unrelated practitioners or by working alongside kin.12 Newspaper reports reveal that sand art took two forms: sand modelling (sculpture) and sand sketching. The latter was often practiced by local boys, some younger than 12 years old. As early as 1902, Atlantic City Press articles report both black and white youths sketching "photographs" with their hand-made "sharp-pointed sticks." Working where there [was] likely to be the greatest crowd," the young artists " . . applied their stick and their wits with their drawing abilities" to a smooth patch of sand. In about half an hour the young artists produced " . a number of sketches that would do credit to a caricaturist," including likenesses of President Teddy Roosevelt, Admiral George Dewey, William Penn, and Britain's King Edward. Although reporters generally praised the best of these, their highest admiration was reserved for the sand modeler, " . . an artist in his line, for few can excel his work." Expert sand sculptors understood the importance of creating a densely-packed pile of sand to work with, for if done incorrectly, the form would collapse during carving. Once compacted, the higher grades of sand found on Atlantic City's beaches would dry rock hard and stand for months, according to the sand artists." "We would build a big sand platform, sometimes flat, sometimes at different angles . . . it all depended . ..
42 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
FIGURE 4
AFTERNOON TEA; Jas. J. Taylor; c. 1906. Courtesy Robert Foster
on what scene or subject we were going to make. We'd pack the sand real hard, using sea water to constantly wet it down to just the right degree of firmness," veteran sand artist Dominick Spagnola told an interviewer in 1965.'5 Born in Calabria, Italy in 1897, Spagnola began sculpting soon after he arrived in Atlantic City — sometime during Teddy Roosevelt's 1901-1909 administration, he said. He reportedly skipped grade school classes to work on the beach, usually assisted by his brothers Tony and Frank. Tony was responsible for clearing the chosen location — after 1909, a prime spot next to Young's Million Dollar Pier at Arkansas Ave-
I I( iRE s
Sand Modelling; artist unknown; Detroit Publishing Co.; c. 1908. Courtesy Robert Foster According to a 1937 Time magazine article, religious figures were banned from the beach around 1920, when a colored life-size crucifixion remained intact after a rainstorm and such throngs of the pious came to kneel and pray before it that bathers were inconvenienced."
FIGURES
Elk Modelled in Sand; James J. Taylor; Atlantic City, NJ; c. 1907; Frank B. Hubin's Big Post Card Store. Courtesy Robert Foster
African-American sculptors regularly worked on Atlantic City's beaches.
nue — and for keeping the sand wet while the sculpture was in progress. Several early postcards of sand artists show their assistants in the background, hauling buckets of water to the site. According to Dominick, a sculpture could take ". . . as little as a few days, an average of two weeks, and much as three months . . . depending on their size and complexity." Dominick occasionally sculpted alone, but more often he worked alongside Frank, or with a partner whose name was unfortunately unrecorded. "We would sketch the outline of our subject in the sand roughly, and build up a mound of sand in relief," Dominick said. "Using our hands, and a pointed stick, we would fashion the sculpture, and finishing off the very fine details with a nailfile. Smooth areas would be worked with a paint brush, and always, we would use sea water to make the sand firm." Although Dominick asserted that ". . . sand artistry was practiced in my native Italy through the centuries," he emigrated at age four, before he could reasonably acquire a working knowledge of traditions es-
tablished in his former homeland. He probably learned on Atlantic City's beaches; he recalled studying the skillful sculptors who worked along the boardwalk during his youth, including James J. Taylor, and two one-armed artists, one of them African-American. This one-armed black artist may have been Owen Golden, who is shown, surrounded by sculpted lions, in a photograph that appeared on the front page of the August 12, 1907, Atlantic City Daily Press. The caption below advised that "Owen Golden, the one armed sand artist, never attempted this work before this season. The figures he carved out of sand have attracted general attention, and more especially because he can only work with one hand." Library of Congress images from the period show — and earlier news reports confirm — that AfricanAmerican sculptors regularly worked on Atlantic City's beaches. (See photograph, pages 38-39.) Yet, in the course of my research, I discovered that the artistic contributions of these sculptors received less and less publicity over the years, and were often deliberately neglected or obscured. Two Atlantic City sand art postcards provide graphic evidence, illuminating significant aspects of the resort's social history, which can only be briefly outlined here. The 1910 postcard labeled "The Sand Artist, showing Automobile made out of Sand, Atlantic City, N.J.," copyrighted by photographer Herman Becher and printed in Germany, depicts an unnamed AfricanAmerican artist standing next to the touring car he carved out of a sand embankment (figure 7). The sculptor created a woman driver — considered a novelty at the time — and added props, including fenders, wheels, and a steering wheel, to enhance the illusion. Along the bottom of this scene he created a frieze with witty commentary on ". . . what they call it" — that is, money — which he would like visitors to toss down to him from the railings. A later version of the very same image, credited to Herman Becher but reproduced in the United States (figure 8), shows that the features of this black artist have been re-touched to make him appear Cau-
casian — a common practice, according to postcard archivists.'6 The mutually beneficial relationship between sand artists and area promoters — in which the latter used images of the former to draw tourists — would now exclude AfricanAmerican sculptors. For although Atlantic City ". . . was highly dependent on black labor" in its hotels and restaurants — by 1910, fully 95 percent of the resort work force was African-American — city boosters were ". . . not anxious to advertise the presence of blacks to potential white customers," notes Charles Funnell in his history of Atlantic City. By then, as many as 300,000 visitors per day were pouring into the resort. One scholar asserted the city's white promoters essentially believed the racist adage described by W.E.B. DuBois: "Negroes are servants; servants are Negroes." African-Americans played an important part in building the resort, but by 1915, they were barred from amusement piers, restaurants and hotels (except to work), and could only bathe in one section of the beach, at Missouri Avenue.'' Evidence exists of AfricanAmerican sand artists' continued presence on Atlantic City beaches through 1914. But these photographs were part of one woman's visual diary; they were not for reproduction in city newspapers, brochures or postcards. Lida Hall, described by her chroniclers as ". . . an Atlantic City working woman," photographed the city every day from 1913 through 1925; some of her glass negatives were discovered decades later and published in Atlantic City Remembered.'° One photograph, identified by the author as". . . the sand sculptor, near Steeplechase Pier, October 23, 1914," shows a black sand artist working on an elaborate display, including sketches of top-hatted men at the railing, several water nymphs, sculptures of Hannibal, Caesar, and King Neptune on his throne, as well as two figures embracing by an overturned boat. Unfortunately, this image cannot be reproduced here, but several postcards showing the same display later carved on Asbury Park beaches, credit the work to the sculptor Lorenz (or Lorentz) Harres. (See
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
43
:Pr -1110rr
Sand Artist, showing Autoobi1e made out' Sand. Atlantic City,
1(,1 ki Sand Artist Showing Automobile Made Out of Sand; artist unknown; Atlantic City, NJ; 1910; Herman Becher. Courtesy Robert Foster African•American artist appears in original photo.
44 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
figure 9.) Little else is known about this skilled artist, or why he began work in Asbury Park, which also maintained a "color line" that restricted African-American residents' access to resort beaches and amusements. Atlantic City newspapers and promotional literature continued to selectively feature sand art and their makers over the next 30 years, but with less frequency. Some artists took to coating their finished creations in a wash of cement to protect them from storms, and this allowed for the application of vivid paints. "While we're touching on things col-
orful, if you haven't seen the Seaside came a sign painter, and George Block sand-artist painting the seat of Spetsas, another sand artist, went on the crouching Indian's bright red to paint portraits." But for them, and shorts, then you haven't seen any- the millions of tourists who marveled thing!" chortled the local gossip col- at their creations every year, Atlantic umnist. As in earlier days, reporters City would never be the same. 1944 lavished praised on the most adept marked the end of an era — 50 years artists, like Dominick Spagnola, who of selling sand and sea through a popmade sand sculpting his life's work, ular seaside attraction.* and whose creations were said to be ". . . worthy of place in any art gal- Holly Metz writes on cultural, legal and lery in the country." social issuesfor The Progressive, The Although Spagnola sculpted New York Times,and The Independent busts of celebrities like Caruso, Va- (film and video monthly). Researchfor this lentino, Chaplin, and portraitist Wil- article was supported by a grantfrom the liam Chase (who told him to "keep it New Jersey Historical Commission. up"), and produced tributes to notables like aviator Charles Lindbergh NOTES (figure 10), he was best known for 1. For example, the lead article in the his monumental masterpieces, includ- Atlantic City Daily Press [hereafter listed ing the Lion of Lucerne, The Lost as ACP], September 18, 1901, notes that Battalion in Argonne Forest — show- resort hotels, supported by the railroads, hired a major advertising company to ing ". . . the terror and the bravery place promotional material in 50 on the faces of gallant warriors await- newspapers nationwide. Promotional ing the arrival of their own soldiers or brochures like Atlantic City, New Jersey: death" — and exquisite re-creations The World's Greatest Resort, issued by of well-known paintings like Victor the city's publicity bureau in 1911, highlighted sand sculptures. And writers Giraud's Slave Merclu2nt.2° The increasing use of cement for Time maintained " . . by 1910, sand coatings made sand art more permanent, but also more static, and city representatives complained that it was becoming less like traditional sand art. Spagnola pioneered the use of lights, drawing night strollers to his displays. Yet most visitors — who could, after all, view live incubator babies or vaudeville acts or aviation displays — still craved performance. Some artists substituted quick paper sketches, offering them to passersby for a few coins. By 1940, its reputation well-established, the resort no longer needed sand art to attract tourists; it assigned a mercantile tax to exhibitors. In 1944, Atlantic City dropped sand sculptors from its list of attractions. That was the year the resort was radically changed by a hurricane that destroyed the famous Heinz Pier, miles of boardwalk, and the elaborate stands that the sand sculptors had constructed around their work. According to local press reports, Dominick Spagnola's display was overwhelmed by a wall of water, ". . . but at the peak of the flood, the words 'Buy Bonds' remained readable above the tide." The city tore down what remained. Spagnola be-
FIGURE 8 (Detail) Sand Artist Showing Automobile Made Out of Sand; artist unknown; Atlantic City, NJ; c. 1910; Herman Becher. Courtesy Robert Foster Image of black artist has been retouched to make him appear white.
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION 45
sculptors . . . had become as much an Atlantic City fixture as its [rolling] chairs, fortune-tellers and Million-Dollar Pier:' June 21, 1937, p. 37. See also: The Ambassador, Atlantic City, New Jersey: The World's Most Beautiful Resort Hotel, c. 1935, featuring D. Spagnola's sculpture, The Lion of Lucerne. 2. Recalled by Frank Butler, "Roving Reporter" column, ACP, December 4, 1942. No 1897 reference to McCord could be found in available issues of the Press; most were destroyed in a fire. 3. Frank Butler, "Roving Reporter," ACP, December 4, 1942. 4. John E Hall, The Daily Union History of Atlantic City and County, New Jersey (Atlantic City, NJ: The Daily Union, 1900), p. 255. 5. See Charles E. Funnell, By the Beautiful Sea: the Rise and High Times of That Great American Resort, Atlantic City (New York: Knopf, 1975) 37-47. 6. "An Incident Along The Beach; Mrs. Satoris Saw Her Father's Face Moulded in Sand," The Sunday Gazette, January 28, 1900. The comments on shipwrecked figures come from Jake French, in a letter to the author, March 22, 1991; Mr. French worked at the resort for many years with his wife, who rode the Diving Horse off of Steel Pier. 7. A letter, ACP, July 21, 1909, asserts ". . . fifteen years ago [1894] sand art was introduced by James J. Taylor." No corroborating evidence has been found. For postcard history see: New Jersey: A Guide to its Past and Present, Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration (New York: Viking Press, 1939), p. 195; and Atlantic City Press, July 25, 1908. 8. Postcard of "The Sand Modeler — Atlantic City" postmarked August 30, 1912; collection Robert Foster. 9. See ACP, April 5, 1910; May 13, 1910; June 15 and 16, 1910; July 10, 1910. Ordinance No. 27 resulted from local vendors' charge that they were not permitted to erect billboards, so the same should hold true for sand artists. The ordinance established a permit requirement for the artists, to be secured from the mayor. The permits also designated where they could work, thus restricting them to a set location for the first time. 10. See ACP, July 16 and 17, 1907; July 14, 1908. 11. "Beach Artists Have a Defender," letter to the editor from H.H. Grant, ACP, July 21, 1909. 12. See for example: ACP, March 3, 1902; July 5, 1926; also "Sand Sculptors," Time, June 21, 1937,pp. 37- 38. 13. Atlantic City Press, March 3, 1902; June 23, 1902; June 30, 1902; July 13, 1903.
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14. See Ted Seibert, The Art of Sandcastling (Seattle, Washington: Romar Books, Ltd., 1990), p. 124. Contemporary sand artist Norman Richard Kraus noted in conversation (March 6, 1991) that sculptures have been sprayed with sugar, beer, or soda to hold them. 15. Unless otherwise noted, all information on Dominick Spagnola is from Jack E. Boucher, "Atlantic City's Famed Sand Sculptors," Atlantic County Historical Society Yearbook 1965-66 (Somers Point, N.J.: Atlantic County Historical Society, 1966), pp. 140-144; William McMahon,"AC. Boardwalk once studio site for sand artists;' The Press, November 26, 1989; and Frederick and Mary Fried, America's Forgotten Folk Arts (New York: Pantheon, 1978), pp. 180-185. 16. Conversation with Debra Gust, researcher at Curt Teich Postcard Archives, Lake County Museum, Wauconda, Illinois, February 6, 1990. See also: "A Fair Society Motorist," Atlantic City Press, August 16, 1911. 17. Funnell, By the Beautiful Sea, p. 29. See also: Herbert James Foster, "Institutional Development in the Black Community of Atlantic City, New Jersey: 1850-1930," in The Black Experience in Southern New Jersey (Camden, N.J.: Camden County Historical Society, 1985), pp. 33-46. Visitor estimates from Atlantic City, New Jersey: World's Greatest Resort, 1911. Black tourists were welcomed one day out of the year, after Labor Day, when the season for whites had ended. See: "Thousands of Happy Colored People Will Crowd Atlantic City To-Day," ACP, September 6, 1906: "The darkies were all agog .. . preparing for the greatest of all days to them — the colored excursion. Annually the colored people come here to spend a short period. Merry-go-rounds, theatres, all places of amusement decline to draw the color line this eventful twenty-four hours. . . ." 18. Judith Nina Katz and Chester Perkowski, eds., Atlantic City Remembered; Thirty-two Postcards Made From Antique Photographs (Atlantic City, N.J.: Chelsea Press, 1979). Also published by the editors, same press: An Atlantic City Album,(1978). 19. Charlotte Johnson, "Cast Up By the Sea," column, ACP, July 6, 1933. On Spagnola's work, see: ACP July 7, 1926. 20. See notes 15 and 19; also Time, June 21, 1937. 21. ACP, September 18, 1944. For the artists' new professions, see: Polk's Atlantic City Directory, 1955-56. Spagnola's brother Anthony is listed as a news distributor. Dominick Spagnola died in 1977; Spetsas' date of death is unknown.
I if
12 II
H
Performer from the Bert Smith Revue with Topical Sand Sculpture: CHARLES A. LINDBERGH AND THE "SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS"; Dominick Spagnola; Atlantic City, NJ; C. 1927. Photograph by Tony Spagnola. Originally published in Frederick and Mary Fried's America's Forgotten Folk Arts (New York: Pantheon, 1978). Reprinted with permission of Frederick Fried.
FIGURE 9
Sand Sculpture; Lorenz (Lorentz) Harres; Asbury Park, NJ; c. 1914. Courtesy Robert Foster The work of AfricanAmerican sand artist Lorenz (Lorentz) Harres, who also worked the Atlantic City beaches.
absitc. „AIN*
4.;
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
47
James Guild Quintessential Itinerant Portrait Painter ARTHUR & SYBIL KERN
ames Guild, one of the most fascinating figures in the history of American folk art, has been known almost entirely because of his remarkable diary which, in covering the years of 1818 to 1824, paints a vivid picture of the life of the itinerant.1,2 Despite lack of familiarity with his work, Guild has nevertheless been severely criticized, based entirely on the superficial reading of his diary.' The most damning critique comments that "When [John] Neal wrote that the painters who satisfied the public's demand for pictures were adventurers and cheap workmen, he clearly had men like Guild in mind."4 The recent discovery by the authors of two portraits by James Guild stimulated a two-phased investigation: first, a thorough review of his diary, and second, a search for additional examples of his work. The original diary is a pen-and-ink, hand-written account on each side of 77 sheets of paper, each page 4 inches, bound together by cord in 1 measuring 77/8 x 6/ book form, with leather-trimmed cardboard covers mea4 inches. In addition, there is one sheet / suring 81/8 x 71 inscribed with pencil sketches of figures and men's heads along with a list of common objects (fig. 3); others contain difficult spelling words, a record of his expenses, poems, calligraphic renderings of the alphabet (fig. 4), and an ornate calligraphy announcing the presence in New York of James Guild, writing master, along with a sample of his short-hand (fig. 5). Finally, there are approximately 500 names, believed to have been subjects or students during the last four years of his account; for all but about 70 of these, the place of residence is recorded. The diary begins October 15, 1818, in Tunbridge, Vermont. Guild records that he was given his freedom on July ninth of that year, on his twenty-first birthday, after having been an indentured servant with the Hutchinson family of Tunbridge since he was nine years old.' He was born in Halifax, Vermont to Nathaniel and Mehitable Gaines Guild. His mother was left a widow early in life,6 and her inability to properly care for James and his three
J
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I lid RI I
siblings may have been responsible for her placing James as an indentured servant.' Upon gaining his freedom, Guild's first decision was that he did not have the disposition to continue as a farmer.' He used the 70 dollars in his possession to purchase goods so that he could commence life as a peddler. He went through the towns of northern and central Vermont, at one point commenting on the fact that he had, ". . . traveled 3 days and selling but 30 cent worth of goods, and I believe I gave away more than that, for when I came to a poor house where they wanted a needle or atoo or a few pins, I could freely bestow them on the poor although it was but little I posest." Guild's life as a peddler was not a happy one, but he would not consider going back to being a farmer. Instead, he started traveling about as a tinker.9 This also was not to his liking, and after a short time he gave it up to become part owner of a traveling bison show. Meager earnings, plus the fact that his associate was a drinker, led Guild to go off on his own when the show arrived in Lebanon, New Hampshire. In Albany, New York, he obtained a job playing the "tamborin" with a museum band. Although he had
JANME McARTHUR BAILEY; 1819; watercolor on paper; 2 x 21/2" Inscribed 1 3/ in banner below, "1 Bailey 1819 By James Guild." Inscribed in ink on bottom of backing paper, "Mrs. Phineas Bailey." Collection of the authors.
ARTHUR KERN
I 1(,I 121 2
PHINEHAS BAILEY; 1819; watercolor on paper; 3% x 21/2' Inscribed in banner below, "P Bailey 1819 By James Guild." Collection of the authors.
never before played the instrument, he performed well enough to be hired for one month, at a salary of fifteen dollars. It was during this time that he learned how to "cut profile likenesses." Riding with a traveler a distance of 119 miles to the west, at a price of one cent per mile, he arrived in Chickamoney and there he called himself "a profile cutter." After twelve days, he continued on to Canaseraga, New York, about 200 miles west of Albany. Guild describes an incident there in which about 20 local men tried to have sport at his expense, but he extricated himself from this situation with soft words rather than by being belligerant. He next traveled about 100 miles east to Cazenovia, and then ten miles west to Pompey Hill. In the former town, he writes of the people being principally of "dutch" ("deutch" or German) extraction. He visited a fortune-teller who told him that his life would be tempestuous until the age of 20, and after that he would ". . . go into a painters shop an my profiles would look so mean to their painting that I should give them a small sum to learn me to paint." In Pompey Hill, Guild was active cutting silhouettes, and bought a diamond so that he could cut glass for framing. Shortly thereafter, while
in Elbridge, 20 miles west of Pompey, he exchanged the diamond for 300 frames. The large number suggests that he was quite busy cutting silhouettes. Writing of his stay in Auburn, ten miles west of Elbridge, he confesses to feelings of inferiority for having been a farm boy without education and unable to carry on polished conversation. At his next stop, in Geneva, about 30 miles to the west, he boarded with a Mr. and Mrs. Beach; it was a short stay because Beach not only insisted on Guild's paying for meals he missed, but refused to pay for the likenesses done of Mrs. Beach as well." Guild then writes of going to Skunk's Misery where he demonstrated his prowess as a wrestler. This was followed by another short visit to Geneva, and then a trip to nearby Gorham, where he loaned two of his cousins thirty dollars. He next traveled 130 miles southeast to Bethel, where he writes of repeatedly throwing the town wrestling champion. His next reported stop was in Canandaigua, 110 miles to the northeast." His stay there was of considerable importance, for he reports that "Here I went into a painters shop, one who painted likenesses, and I my profiles looked so mean when I saw them I asked him what he would show me one day for, how to distinguish the coulers & he said $5, and I consented to it and began to paint." The painter he observed was Edwin Weyburn Goodwin, who produced about 800 portraits in Upstate New York."06 According to the diary, Guild went from Canandaigua to Bloomfield, 16 miles to the west, and ". . . took a picture of Mr goodwins painting for a sample on my way."" On the way to Bloomfield he ". . . put up at a tavern and told a Young Lady if she would wash my shirt, I would draw her likeness. Now then I was to exert my skill in painting. I opperated once on her but it looked so like a rech I throwed it away and tried it again. The poor Girl sat niped up so prim and looked so smileing it makes me smile when I think of while I was daubing on paint on a piece of paper, it could not caled painting, for it looked more like a strangle cat then it did like her. However I told her it looked like her and she believed it, but I cut her profile and she had a profile if not a likeness." On the basis of this description of his first attempt at portrait painting, Guild has been accused of being a scoundrel and a deceiver. However, he honestly admits to the poor quality of his first painting, attempts to compensate for it by cutting a profile for the young girl, and thereafter regularly attempts to improve his skill by studying with more experienced painters. As he traveled on, he stopped at every house to inquire if the inhabitants wanted their portraits painted, and just for the sake of learning, he would do so even if he was not to be paid. He does write, without much evidence of modesty, that in about three days he was "quite a painter," receiving one dollar for a painting. On reaching Bloomfield, he visited the home of a Mrs. Marvin who, impressed by his samples, requested of her husband that they have the children's portraits taken. To Guild he responded, ". . . no, get out of my house in a minute or I will whip you, you dam profiters and pedlers, you ought to have a good whipping by every
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION 41
one that sees you." It should be noted from Guild's description of the events of that day that not only had Mr. Marvin neglected to examine the samples of Guild's work, but his remarks were directed against itinerants in general, rather than specifically against Guild. After traveling 20 miles north to Rochester, he boarded the stage which carried him 200 miles east to Stephentown, New York. Here, in addition to being physically ill, he suffered another one of his recurrent periods of depression. He obtained a ride to Salt Pond Lake, and was able to resume the painting of likenesses, before starting the return trip to his home in Vermont. At a tavern en route, he observed some men cheating others in a game. He describes how he and a friend then turned the tables on the deceivers by a deception of their own. Demonstrating his ability to laugh at himself, he describes how he fell into the cistern at the home of a Mr. Bodwell. The next morning he continued east to Hartford, New York where he met an old friend.'째 Reflecting his loneliness, Guild writes that he was so pleased to see his friend that he ". . . drew his likeness and gave him a dinner, and this was the second person I had seen since I left home that I new" Anxious to get home, he continued on, stopping in Rutland, Vermont, 30 miles east of Hartford, and from there got a ride to Hancock, about 25
"...although I had but little Instruction I learnt faster than my scholars."
miles to the north, where he painted the portraits of members of the Strong family. The following account in the diary illustrates how the itinerant obtained work: "While I ware drawing them, there was a young merchants wife who heard of it and sent word to me that she wanted hers painted, and when I got through I went there and was painting the young Gentlemans and Ladies Likenesses." Guild's account of the merchant's response upon his return home demonstrates, once again, the very low esteem in which itinerants were generally held: ". . . what you got here some paint daubed on paper? No, Sir, its painting. Well I do not want any thing of that kind here. If you want to do any thing of that kind, you must clear out of my house." However, this opinion was not shared by all, indicated by Guild's report that a neighbor of the merchant gave him a ". . . polite invitation to go to his house where I was treated in stile." The following day he want three miles south to Rochester, Vermont, where he again enjoyed the company of friends, and where he ". . . drew their likenesses and that introduced many others, and I drew likenesses for about one forthnight, and then I had the misfortune to break my leg." He was cared for by the Tracys,'9 who then transported him to Royalton where he stayed with his old master and mistress, the Hutchinsons. There Guild ". . . took the family likenesses and . . . found
50 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
enough employ to make a tolerable good business while I was lame." He next traveled the seven or eight miles to Chelsea, where he spent about three weeks painting portraits. It was probably during this period that he did (figs. 1, 2) those of Phinehas and Janette McArthur Bailey.2째 From Chelsea, Guild went to nearby Randolph, where he painted the portraits (figs. 6-8) of members of the Belknap family.2' Although undated, his portrait of Cheney Keith (fig. 9) of nearby Barre, Vermont, was probably also done about this same time.22 These six portraits, of the Baileys, Belknaps and Cheney Keith are all stylistically similar. All are ink and watercolor on paper, and similarly conceived: bust length with a horizontal base line, face and trunk in profile, little facial modeling, receding chin, heavy eyebrows, coasely delineated hair, and the men wearing strikingly similar jackets, shirts and patterned vests. Paper size ranges from 3 x 2/ 1 4 inches to 4 x 33/8 inches. From Randolph, Guild went to Tunbridge where he heard of a writing school in Royalton, 12 miles away; perhaps because his painting commissions had been falling off, he decided to enroll. Dissatisfied with the school because the director was unable to maintain order, he visited another school in Royalton, run by a Mr. Fox," where he ". . . found they acted more like fools than anything else." From Royalton, Guild traveled 25 miles west to Middlebury, where he introduced himself as a writing master. He admits in the diary that calling himself a writing master after only 30 hours of instruction was indeed a bold action. After obtaining a room, he went around the village telling people that he was going to teach writing, and that they would have to pay nothing if not satisfied. His efforts were successful, for he soon had 20 students. He writes ". . . although I had but little instruction I learnt faster than my scholars." The school was continued for two months, and during this time he attended the funeral of Gamaliel Painter, judge of the Addison County Court, who died in Middlebury in May 1819.24 Considering the fact that his account had begun only about ten months before, Guild had by this point traveled a great deal, and assumed many careers, within a short period of time. After closing the writing school in Middlebury, he moved 12 miles northwest to Vergennes where he established another one. He studied the rules of penmanship in various books, and remembers that "This furnished me with a bold face when I was assaulted . . . I could look them in the face and explain the Rules of writing which they could not, and by this means I could stop their mouths." He then went 20 miles north to Burlington to discover that a school had been founded there just a few weeks before, and so took the stage 30 miles southeast to Montepelier. Again unsuccessful in opening a school, Guild returned to Tunbridge, 25 miles south, and from there went eight miles to Chelsea where a great revival meeting was taking place. At this point in the diary, he comments on his need for religion and his attachment to members of his real and adopted family, noting that he was then 23 years of age. This entry not only provides us
FIGURE 3
Very crude and probably early attempts by Guild at sketching heads and a full-length figure; the possibility does exist, however, that these drawings were added later by someone else. On this same page is Guild's practice writing of simple words, many misspelled. Courtesy Vermont Historical Society.
FIGURE 4
Guild's sample of calligraphic rendering of the alphabet, probably used by him in his writing schools. Courtesy Vermont Historical Society.
FIGURE 5
This calligraphy may have been done in practice for preparation of a display piece when he worked in New York as a writing master. Courtesy Vermont Historical Society.
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with a glimpse of his state of mind, but also allows us to date the time as the latter half of 1820 or the first half of 1821.25 After visiting his mother in Hartford, Vermont, he traveled by stage 40 miles south to Walpole, New Hampshire, where he met a young grammar teacher. The two men decided to open a school together, and traveled 60 miles west to Bennington, Vermont, but could not find sufficient encouragement. They also failed in nearby Hoosick, New York, again in Lansingburg, New York, about 225 miles west by stage, and finally in Waterford, New York, back 200 miles to the east. With his funds reduced to six dollars, Guild went off by himself on foot to Schenectady, 12 miles to the west. There his school registered only a few students, so he went on to Manlius, 45 miles west, where he enrolled 15 scholars. He writes of meeting a young woman who was very much attracted to him, but he did not reciprocate, repeating a statement frequently seen in the diary to the effect that he would not keep company with anyone unless he intended to marry her. When this school closed he tried to open another, but was unsuccessful even when he offered to allow six students to attend without charge. He decided that if he could not earn money as a writing master, he would do so by drawing likenesses, and he did, in fact, succeed in obtaining commissions for 30 portraits.
"...if I did not say but little and be careful how I spoke, they would not mistrust me that I was nothing but a plowboy." Guild then proceeded 15 miles west to Onondaga where he opened another writing school. He stayed at a boarding house, writing of the owner's attempt to cheat him out of his money. In Skaneateles, 20 miles west, where he taught a term of three weeks, he introduced a new style of writing for business which was quite successful. He taught this same style in the adjacent town of Auburn, advertising that he could teach students to write a good running hand in 12 days. Despite opposition from all the schoolmasters, Guild was able to get six students by demonstrating that he could reproduce the handwriting of others better than they themselves could, thereby increasing enrollment to 115 in three months. Although pleased by his achievement, he again complains of his loneliness as an itinerant. Continuing 45 miles west to Geneva, he mentions in the diary that he had there ". . . dashed out an advertisement." Found on page three of the May 17, 1820 issue of the Geneva Gazette, it announced Guild's proposal to open a writing school. His charge was $1.50 for each 12-day term, which he felt was sufficient to learn a "good running hand or business hand," with no charge should he fail. Those desiring to learn "Shorthand, German Text, Italian, or Secretary hand" were
52 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
FIGURE 6
MOSES BELKNAP; attributed to James Guild; 1819; watercolor on paper; 1 2" Inscribed 31/2 x 3/ below, "Moses Belknap Aged 65." It is believed that he was living in the Randolph-Royalton area of Vermont when his portrait was painted. Collection of William Burmeister.
also invited to attend. This advertisement is significant in that it permits us to place Guild in Geneva in May 1820, a little less than two years after he obtained his freedom. After traveling five miles southwest to Gorham, he visited the cousins to whom he had loaned thirty dollars the year before. Unable to repay him, they gave him an old horse on which he rode seven miles northwest to Canandaigua. There he visited a Judge Howell, to whom he showed letters of recommendation and samples of his writing. The judge was impressed, for he sat down and wrote a letter to the head of the local academy, recommending that Guild be given a teaching position. He proceeded to conduct a writing school there, with 30 boys and 15 girls. Although he had come with what he considered good clothing, Guild nevertheless felt inferior in this town, which he describes as high class, and recalls, "I thought that if! did not say but little and be careful how I spoke, they would not mistrust me that! was nothing but a plowboy" After the school had run for 12 days, the fourth of July arrived and he vividly describes the town celebration of the holiday. On completion of the school session, Guild mounted his horse and rode about 45 miles west to Batavia, where he had no difficulty in opening a penmanship school. Despite his success, there was an incident in which one of the students made insulting remarks concerning Guild's ability. When the school closed, he then spent an additional week in Batavia painting profiles and ". . . met with much encouragement." Continuing approximately 35 miles west from Batavia, he came to Buffalo, where he taught one term of writing school. Although his students appeared to be pleased with their improvement, Guild writes of feeling as though his teaching of penmanship was not worth as much as his painting, and resumed doing profiles, with success. In poor health, with his horse having been stolen, he decided to continue his trip west from Buffalo by steamboat over Lake Erie. After a 90 mile voyage, he left the boat in Erie, Pennsylvania, where he describes the
FIGURE 7
SARAH BELKNAP; 1819; watercolor on paper; 4 x 33/8" Inscribed below, "Sarah Belknap Aged 64 years/ By James Guild 1819." Inscribed on a label attached to the reverse side "Sarah Belknap/ Picture made 1819/ Age 64/ Born 1755/ Died ..../ Mother of Chester." Collection of William Burmeister.
people as mostly "dutch" and not to his liking. Continuing on foot through the woods, Guild developed a painful boil on his hip. He finally obtained a ride in a wagon loaded with furniture which proved to be a hard passage, but better than walking. Between walking and riding in the wagon, he traveled 40 miles west to Ashtabula, Ohio where he painted for a short time. He then continued 30 miles west along the shore of Lake Erie to the town of Grand River and found a great many people there ill with some type of epidemic fever. While waiting for the steamboat, Guild describes going into a tavern where he had to pay 25 cents for a quart of milk and half a glass of whiskey with sweetening and comments, "Dear living this for Guile." The steamboat then carried him another 20 miles west to Cleveland, completing the 200 mile trip from Buffalo. After an unpleasant two-week stay, he decided to return to Buffalo, but his departure was delayed by a severe gale. During his stay in Buffalo, Guild was successful in opening two writing schools, as well as in convincing a young lady to accompany him on his first visit to Niagara Falls. From Buffalo he continued east, probably by stage, to Auburn, New York. There he taught school, presumably penmanship, for six weeks. He then moved 45 miles southeast to Eaton and from there 13 miles northeast to Sangerfield, opening successful writing schools in both towns. He resumed the painting of profiles in the latter town where, when asked whether he could paint miniatures, he answered, "0 yes but the profile comes much cheaper." One gentleman replied that he didn't mind the price, and Guild's comment was ". . . having great confidence in myself, I thought I would try although it was the first time, and I made him a very good miniature. This gave me encouragement to pursue it." He then describes obtaining an Indian horse which was so bad that nobody would dare ride it. After being thrown five times, however, Guild finally "broke" the animal and was able to complete the ten mile trip north to
Clinton on horseback. There he taught penmanship at a "college," but called himself a miniature painter and ". . . found a good deal of encouragement." In Utica, ten miles northeast, he concurrently ran a writing school and painted miniature portraits, but as so often in the past, bemoaned the unhappy life of the uneducated itinerant. He again painted likenesses (six at one dollar each) and conducted writing schools 58 miles east in Galway, where he was ultimately forced to stop because of a severe snowstorm. Traveling on horseback, and stopping occasionally at taverns to sleep, Guild passed through Middlebury, Vermont and over the Green Mountains to Rochester, a distance of about 85 miles. After staying overnight with his friend Seth Tracy, he rode the 12 miles east to Royalton, where he enjoyed a short visit with a "Mr. Backus."" From there he traveled five miles north to Tunbridge where he stayed at his old home for about three months, but once again poor health made his visit unpleasant. Resolving to go south and ". . either make something or nothing, either gain my health or lose it," he crossed the border into New Hampshire and, 45 miles to the southeast, stopped in Charlestown where he painted some miniatures. When a gentleman here asked if he could paint on ivory, as in the past when the inquiry was made concerning his ability to do something with which he was unfamiliar, Guild replied in the affirmative: "oh yies but I am out of Ivory Very well I have a piece and you may paint my mineature, so for the first time I attempted Ivory painting and went so much beyond my expectations that I thought I would soon be a dabster." After stops in Walpole, New Hampshire, ten miles south, and another in Charlestown in connection with the theft of some of his money during the earlier visit there, he rode 45 miles south to Brattleboro, Vermont where, in a short time, he accumulated 50 dollars. Guild then rode about 70 miles west to Albany where he sold his horse for 40 dollars, and reported his net worth at that time to be 90 dollars. Demonstrating the continuous desire to improve his painting skills he writes, "I then dashed about in this City and to gain information in painting, I visited all the different painters and learnt all I could and then started for New York." His passage to New York City was on a sloop which sailed down the Hudson River carrying about a dozen men and women through a dangerous storm. Again seeking improvement, he writes that he ". . . dashed around visiting with the different painters and getting all the information I could." From New York City he went south to Philadelphia, was sick there, and then traveled 80 miles west to York, Pennsylvania, where his time was divided between painting portraits and teaching penmanship. These activities were apparently successful, for he writes of earning 200 dollars. Deciding that he had improved enough, Guild went 95 miles south to Baltimore. Here he carried a subscription paper stating that if he could get 12 students signed up he would take them at half price in order to get started. This number was obtained in a short time, but his
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION 53
health failed again, and he gave up painting to go into business with a Scotchman who had led him to believe that he was wealthy. He soon discovered, however, that his partner was in very poor financial condition. After severing the partnership, and twenty-five dollars in debt, Guild went back to painting and in a little while was able to pay his debts and still have 60 dollars in his pocket. It was probably at this time that he did the full-length standing portrait of a child (fig. 10). From Baltimore he went south about 200 miles to Norfolk, Virginia, rented a room, and advertised that he would both teach writing and paint miniatures. Now charging five dollars per painting, he had as much as he could do, and in a short time, also had 40 students enrolled in his writing class. Guild's success is further indicated by the fact that during his six-month stay there he earned 300 dollars. He notes that after becoming established, four or five other painters arrived, but of these, only one was successful and this did not hurt him much. A gentleman from Currituck, North Carolina, who was visiting in Norfolk, was so pleased with his miniature that he invited Guild to his town. From there he went about ten miles southwest to Camden and to the adjacent Elizabeth City, earning about 300 dollars in three months, returning to Norfolk for the fourth of July celebration. He gives an amusing description of a party he
"...exerting myself every way I could to improve myself in painting...[and] sacrifice every pleasure for the sake of improvement."
attended, where he survived the heavy drinking by surreptitiously disposing of his drinks. "They ware all as drunk as coots but myself, and they all wondered how I came out so sober. . . ." Guild then comments on the fact that the most important thing for a man to learn about is himself, that he must practice self-denial and ". . . if he wishes to be respected, he must respect himself." An 11 day passage from Norfolk to New York City left Guild ill again. After recovering, he writes of giving the miniature painter, Mr. Inman, $30 to paint his likeness (fig. 11) so that he might watch him at work." He spent three months in New York ". . . exerting myself every way I could to improve myself in Painting." As he points out, he was willing to ". . . sacrifice every pleasure for the sake of improvement." Boarding a ship again, he sailed to New Bern, a North Carolina coastal city about 150 miles south of Currituck. On October 4, 1823 the following advertisement appeared in the Carolina Sentinel of New Bern, "JAMES GUILD. — Painting. James Guild, informs the Ladies and Gentlemen of Newbern, that he has taken a Room at Mr. Bell's, where he will Paint Miniatures in elegant style on Ivory, and on the most reasonable terms.
54 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
His price will be from 8 to $16 each. From his experience, he flatters himself with being able to give satisfaction to all who encourage him — where he fails, he will make no charge." After four months, and with a profit of $400, he left New Bern in the company of a local clergyman with whom he had become very friendly. They traveled 35 miles north to Washington, North Carolina, where he was introduced by the clergyman to the first families of the town. He boarded at the home of Dr. Telfares and, reflecting Guild's own sense of values, he describes the family as ". . . prudent discreet and reserved with dignity and respected; they ware good sensible and indulgent, and ware beloved and adored by their friends." In Washington, a wealthy man by the name of Ashley Atkinson was so pleased with his miniatures that he took Guild to his home, 50 miles away, to paint portraits of his family members. The diary describes Guild's spending ". . . a fortnight in the most agreeable manner. Every day we ware sporting with the hounes, hunting rabits, etc." Following this he proceeded to nearby Tarboro, where he remained for three weeks, then 100 miles southwest to Fayetteville where he spent another three weeks,and after that 75 miles southeast to Wilmington, North Carolina. Of this last town he remarks, "This of all places is one of the worst for a Young man of a weak mind, but a strong mind might learn the weakness and folly of man. . . . Their time (young gentlemen's) is mostly spent at a nine pin ally and a place of disipation. I took no part in their mode of spending their time." By coastal ship, Guild then made an 11-day voyage to New York City. His financial condition was much improved, for he was now worth about $2,000 and in better spirits, writing that ". . . by good conduct my profession would always furnish me with the best society." He spent about nine weeks in the city, during which time he took some instruction from a Mr. Rodgers." After a week's stay with friends in Albany and Kingston, New York, he once again crossed the Green Mountains in Vermont, spending two months visiting his mother, sister, and brothers in Hartford, x' and the Hutchinsons in Tunbridge. He then traveled south to Boston, where he remained for a week. Guild continued to New York City by way of Providence, Rhode Island, and in October 1824, made the 70 hour 700 mile sea voyage to Charleston, South Carolina. Demonstrating his knowledge of human nature, Guild writes, `After a short time I found a little more Stile was necessary in order to get in with the more stilish part of the community. I rented three rooms in an Elegan house, well furnished one for painting and another to receive company and Exhibited Some of my finest production at the window" A month later, he placed advertisements in the November 17 and 24 issues of The Courier announcing that he had taken a room for the painting of miniatures. His success is indicated by the fact that in seven months he earned $13,000. Of the city he wrote, "The best water they have is rain water. . . . The streets are very narrow and but few of them are paved. The inhabitants, many of them, are poor and proud which is a double curse. They are maintained
FIGURE 8
CHESTER BELKNAP; 1819; watercolor on paper; 4 x 33/8" Inscribed below, "Chester Belknap Aged 25/ 1819." Inscribed in a different hand on a label attached to the reverse side, "Chester Belknap/ Picture made 1819/ Age 25/ Born 1794/ Died ..../ Son of Moses and Sarah." Chester was married in 1819; his portrait and those of his parents may have been commissioned in celebration of his wedding. If so, a portrait of his wife was undoubtedly also painted at that time. Collection of Wilma Belknap Keyes.
FIGURE 9
CHENEY KEITH; attributed to James Guild; circa 1819; watercolor on paper; 41/8 x ve Collection of Barre Museum.
5
by the income of a few Slaves, and live from hand to mouth." His last advertisement appeared in the February 7, 1825 issue of The Courier, indicating that the period covered in the journal does not end in 1824, as suggested by the subtitle of the published diary, " but in fact extends into 1825. In Charleston, Guild boarded the ship Edward bound for Liverpool, England ". . . in pursuit of not only fame but fortune." After a month's rough and unpleasant crossing, they finally reached port, and from there he went by stage to London. His diary ends with the following: "I commenced my profession as an artist; I then delivered my letters of introduction . . .; I was introduced into a club of artist where they met once a week for the purpos of learning the human figure; the first subject we had was a young lady, stript to the beef and placed on a pedistal, and we twenty Artists sitting round her drawing her beautiful figure, perfectly naked; Se Sie " The meaning of Se Sie is not clear, but it is obvious that painting from a nude model was a new and stimulating experience for this former Vermont farm boy. Some additional information concerning the life of James Guild can be reported. It is elsewhere stated that he ". . . was awarded several medals in Europe for superior portrait and miniature painting."" On September 22, 1831, at the age of 34, he married Maria Buckland Phelps in her hometown of Hartland, Vermont. 33 Significantly, the marriage record gives New York City as the place of residence of the groom, indicating that Guild had returned from Europe at some time prior to September, 1831. In the genealogy for the Guild family, it is stated that ". . . on account of ill health the last years of his life were spent in the West Indies." 34 We have been unable to confirm this. Furthermore, his probate record notes a debt and payment to his estate of $500 by Phelps and Evans of Puerto Cabello, a town on the Caribbean coast of Venezuela."Since his wife was a Phelps, it is likely that it was to Venezuela rather than to the West Indies that Guild went due to the poor health that bothered him most of his life. The Guild genealogy further reports, without indicating its source, that he died about 1841 in New York City while returning to his home in Springfield, Vermont. A search for his death record in New York was unsuccessful, but cemetery records were found for both Guild and his wife in Springfield. 36 According to these, he died June 11, 1844, at the age of 47 years, and she on September 13, 1868, at the age of 66. In view of these findings, it is likely that he was living in Springfield at the time of his death, although the possibility of his death in New York and subsequent transportation to Springfield cannot be excluded. A visit to the Summer Hill cemetery in Springfield did lead to the final resting place of this highly traveled man."His probate record showed a total estate of $1,238, including personal effects appraised at $176, with no real estate holdings. Included are 34 "unfinished miniature pictures," the total appraised at three dollars, and one dozen finished miniature pictures in frames, also appraised at three dollars. No mention is made of paints, brushes, empty frames, paper, or glass, suggesting that in his later
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION 55
Arthur and Sybil Kern have previously published essays in The Clarion on Jane Anthony Davis, William M. S. Doyle, Benjamin Greenleaf, William Murray, Royall Brewster Smith, Thomas Ware, and Joseph H. Davis. Publications elsewhere include those on Almira Edson, Joseph Stone and Warren Nixon, Jane Anthony Davis and Joseph Partridge. The Kerns were guest curatorsfor the recent traveling exhibition, Painters of Record: William Murray and His School, and will curate the upcoming exhibition, Matters of Health in American Folk Art, both sponsored by the Museum of American Folk Art. NOTES 1. Brief references to James Guild appear in the following: Joyce Hill, "New England Itinerant Portraitists," in The Dublin Seminarfor New England Folklife: Annual Proceedings 1984: Itinerancy in New England and New York, ed. Peter Benes, Boston University, 1986, pp. 153, 154; Karen C. Carroll, Windows to the Past: Primitive Watercolors From Guilford County, North Carolina in the 1820s (Greensboro, North Carolina: Greensboro Historical Museum, 1983), pp. 1114; Diane E. Forsberg, A Useful Trade: 19th Century Itinerant Portrait Artists, (Brattleboro, Vermont: Brattleboro Museum Arts Center, 1984), p. 40; Margaret T. Smalley, "Notes on Early Vermont Artists," Proceedings of the Vermont Historical Society, new series, Vol. XI, No. 3-4, September 1943, pp. 150, 151; Ray Nash, American Penmanship 1800-1850: A History of Writing and a Bibliography of Copybooks from Jenkins to Spencer (Worcester, Massachusetts: American Antiquarian Society, 1969), pp. 5, 6; Ray Nash, "Early Writing Masters in Vermont;' Proceedings of the Vermont Historical Society, new series, Vol. IX, No. 1, March 1941, pp. 34-37; Questfor America 1810-1824, Edited with an introduction by Charles L. Sanford, New York: Doubleday & Co., 1964), Document 9. 2. James Guild, "From Tunbridge, Vermont to London, England — The Journal of James Guild, Peddler, Tinker, Schoolmaster, Portrait Painter from 1818 to 1824r Proceedings of the Vermont Historical Society, ed. Arthur Wallace Peach, new series, Vol. V, No. 3, September 1937,
U SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
RICHARD MERRILL
years Guild may no longer have been active as a portrait painter. The journal of James Guild presents a wonderful picture of the life of the itinerant in early nineteenthcentury America. Most apparent is the loneliness that accompanied him on his lengthy trips by foot, horse, wagon, stage and boat over a considerable section of the eastern part of this country. Characteristic of the itinerant, he had a number of occupations, and as is generally true of the folk artist, he was almost entirely self-taught. He constantly tried to improve himself by practice, by studying, and by observing the work of those more experienced. A review of the small number of his known portraits indicates that he did achieve some degree of success. Judging from his diary account, these represent only a very small percentage of those he actually painted. Considerate of the feelings of others, usually honest and generous, and with a resonably good ability to delineate the features of his subjects, Guild does not deserve the previously-noted description of "adventurer and cheap workman." Although often lacking modesty and exceedingly bold, it was this drive to achieve and to raise himself from the poverty into which he was born, that was responsible for what he did accomplish during his short life.*
pp. 249-314. The original hand-written journal is in the collection of the Vermont Historical Society, Montpelier, Vermont. 3. Only Nina Fletcher Little, whose collection includes two works by Guild, writes of him based on knowledge of his portraits: Little by Little: Six Decades of Collecting American Decorative Arts,(New York: E.P. Dutton, Inc., 1984), pp. 267, 268, 274, 275). 4. John M. Vlach, Plain Painters: Making Sense of American Folk Art, (Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1988), pp. 65-69. 5. It was the family of Amos and Jerusha Hutchinson with whom Guild lived. In the very first paragraph of his diary Guild writes of the sorrow, on gaining his freedom, that separation from Aunt Jerusha and others in the Hutchinson family had caused. His close and warm relationship to members of the this family is frequently noted in the journal. 6. Charles Burleigh, The Genealogy and History of the Guild, Guile, and Gile Family, (Portland, Maine: Brown Thurston & Co., 1887), pp. 75, 76. 7. It is not known whether or not any of the other children were similarly placed. 8. Should the name Guild be pronounced as to rhyme with wild or with build? The diary answers the question. On many occasions Guild refers to himself as Jim Guile or as Guile. 9. He does not mention his mode of transportation, so it can be assumed that it was by foot. 10. He does not indicate who it was that taught him to cut silhouettes.
FIGURE I o PORTRAIT OF A CHILD; 1820; watercolor on paper. 61/4 x 4/ 1 4 Signed at lower right, "James Guild/ Baltimore 1820." This portrait demonstrates the move of Guild from profile bust-length figures to threequarter, full-length ones. It is also much bolder, with its inclusion of trees, grass, toys and bonnet. Collection of Nina Fletcher Little.
Fic,t Ri I Portrait of lames Guild; attributed to Henry Inman; circa 1823, oil on panel; 181/2 x 141/2" Inscribed at lower right, "lames Guild/Penmanship." The possiblity exists that this is a selfportrait. However, Guild is not known to have worked in oil, the style is more academic than that demonstrated by him in earlier paintings, a self-portrait would probably identify him as an artist rather than as a writing master, and in his diary he does write of paying thirty dollars to Inman to paint his likeness. Collection of Nina Fletcher Little.
11. The authors have been unable to determine the specific location and present name for the town of Chickamoney; the same applies to Skunk's Misery and Salt Pond Lake which Guild visited later. 12. According to a communication from Mrs. Robert E. Clise, Archivist, Geneva Historical Society, this must have been Elias and Lucinda Beach, Elias being listed in the 1820 census for Geneva. 13. In view of the large distances he traveled, it is likely that Guild has failed to mention visits to towns between Gorham and Bethel and Bethel and Canadagua. 14. Guild's diary was not recorded daily, but only irregularly as time permitted. Based for the most part on his memory, there are undoubtedly numerous errors relative to the time and sequence of events. The almost identical wording here and in the earlier report on the fortune teller's prediction suggests that both were written at the same time. 15. George C. Groce and David H. Wallace, The New York Society's Dictionary of Artists in America 1564-1860,(New Haven Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1957), pp. 265, 266. 16. A communication from Ben Apfelbaum reports the earliest known oil on canvas portraits by Goodwin to date from 1822. However, his watercolor miniatures on paper would appear to have been done even earlier since Guild's work with him was prior to 1820. 17. Although those inclined to think the worst of Guild would argue that he was passing Goodwin's portrait off as his own, he was probably just using it as a model.
18. Many towns in New York and Vermont share the same name, at times causing difficulty in following Guild's travel on the map. It is believed that his stop was in Hartford, New York rather than Hartford, Vermont since the former would have been en route to Rutland and then Tunbridge. 19. The Vermont 1820 Census Index shows a Seth Tracy in Rochester, Vermont. 20. Phinehas Bailey was born in New Hampshire, November 6, 1787. One of 17 children, his parents placed him with his sister and her family from ages five to fourteen. Like Guild he kept a detailed diary, and like him he was a man of many occupations: initially a clock-maker, then a peddler, a tinker, a teacher of and author of books on stenography, and finally a minister. Janette McArthur, daughter of John and Margaret Aiken McArthur, was born September 4, 1791, at Ellington, Connecticut, married Phinehas Bailey in August 1810, and died in August 1839. 21. Moses, the son of Simeon Belknap, was born September 7, 1754, at Ellington, Connecticut. On March 9, 1775, in Somers, Connecticut, he married Sarah Kibbe, and died September 21, 1836 at Randolph, Vermont, where he is buried. Sarah was the daughter of Daniel and Mary Pratt Kibbe of Somers. Their son, Chester, was born at Randolph in 1794, married Hannah Cole in 1819, had nine children, and died in 1871. 22. Cheney, the son of Judge Chapin Keith, was born in January 1798, married Judith Wood, is described as a leading and influential business man in Barre, Vermont, and died August 8, 1864. 23. Jacob Fox, born 1772, died 1853, speculated in land and in mills, and had an inn which housed the writing school. The latter still stands in Royalton under the name of Fox Stand Restaurant and Inn. 24. Communication from Mrs. William Cunningham, Acting Librarian, Sheldon Research Center, The Sheldon Museum, Middlebury, Vermont. 25. Since more than a year must have elapsed between his visits to Middlebury and Chelsea, he has obviously omitted a good deal. 26. Guild is here using the term "miniature" to refer to the more difficult three-quarter or full-face watercolor portrait in contrast to the profile view which he had previously been painting. 27. This was probably Stephen Backus, born 1759, of Royalton: Evelyn M.W. Lovejoy, History of Royalton, Vermont,(Burlington, Vermont: The Town and the Royalton Woman's Club, p. 664). 28. Groce & Wallace, Dictionary of American Artists, p. 340. 29. 'bid, p. 544. 30. His brothers were Jacob, born 1794, a farmer in Hartford until 1845, and Luther, born circa 1800; his younger sister was Rachel, who married Benjamin Porter of Hartford, Vermont. 31. James Guild, "From Tunbridge, Vermont to London, England — The Journal of James Guild, Peddler, Tinker, Schoolmaster, Portrait Painter from 1818 to 1824," Proceedings of the Vermont Historical Society, Vol. V, No. 3, September 1937, pp. 249-314. 32. Burleigh, The Genealogical History of the Guild, Guile, and Gile Family, p. 75. 33. Office of Vital Records, State of Vermont, Montpelier. 34. Burleigh, The Genealogical History of the Guild, Guile and Gile Family, p. 75. 35. Office of Probate and Land Records, State of Vermont, Montpelier. 36. Town Clerk's Office, Springfield, Vermont. 37. His tombstone bears the simple inscription "JAMES GUILD/Died/ June 11, 1844/ AE. 47."
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION 57
TRUSTEES/ADVISORS/DONORS
MUSEUM
OF
AMERICAN
FOLK
ART
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Executive Committee Ralph Esmerian President Frances Sirota Martinson, Esq. Executive Vice President and Chairman, Executive Committee Lucy C. Danziger Executive Vice President Bonnie Strauss Vice President Peter M. Ciccone Treasurer Mrs. Dixon Wecter Secretary Karen D. Cohen Judith A. Jedlicka Joan M. Johnson Theodore L. Kesselman Susan Klein Cynthia V. A. Schaffner George F. Shaskan, Jr.
Members Florence Brody Daniel Cowin David L. Davies Barbara Johnson, Esq. George H. Meyer, Esq. Cyril I. Nelson Kathryn Steinberg Maureen Taylor Robert N. Wilson
Honorary Trustee Eva Feld Trustees Emeriti Adele Earnest Cordelia Hamilton Herbert W. Hemphill, Jr. Margery G. Kahn Alice M. Kaplan Jean Lipman
DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Judith A. Jedlicka Theodore L. Kesselman Co-Chairmen
Lewis Alpaugh Hoechst Celanese Corporation Gordon Bowman Corporate Creative Programs Frank Brenner Hartmarx Corporation John Mack Carter Good Housekeeping Jerry Kaplan Better Homes and Gardens
Allan Kaufman Francine Lynch Rachel Newman Country Living Thomas Troland Country Home Barbara Wright NYNEX Worldwide Services
Joanne Foulk Jacqueline Fowler Ken & Brenda Fritz Ronald J. Gard Robert S. Gelbard Dr. Kurt A. Gitter Merle & Barbara Glick Baron & Ellin Gordon Howard M. Graff Bonnie Grossman Lewis I. Haber Michael & Julie Hall Elaine Heifetz Terry Heled Anne Sue Hirshorn Josef & Vera Jelinek Eloise Julius Isobel & Harvey Kahn Allen Katz Mark Kennedy Arthur & Sybil Kern William Ketchum Susan Kraus Wendy Lavitt Mimi Livingston Marilyn Lubetkin Robert & Betty Marcus Paul Martinson Michael & Marilyn Mennello Steven Michaan
Alan Moss Kathleen S. Nester Helen Neufeld Henry Niemann Donald T. Oakes Paul Oppenheimer Ann Frederick & William Oppenhimer Dr. Burton W. Pearl Dorothy & Leo Rabkin Harriet Polier Robbins Charles & Jan Rosenak Joseph J. Rosenberg Le Rowell Randy Siegel Sibyl Simon Susan Simon Ann Marie Slaughter Sanford L. Smith R. Scudder Smith Richard Solar Hume Steyer Jane Supino Edward Tishelman Tony & Anne Vanderwarker Clune Walsh John Weeden G. Marc Whitehead Alice Yelen
INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
Frances Sirota Martinson, Esq. Mrs. Dixon Wecter Co-Chairmen William Arnett Didi Barrett Frank & June Barsalona Susan Blumstein Judi Boisson Gray Boone Robert & Katherine Booth Barbara & Edwin Braman Milton Brechner Raymond Brousseau Edward J. Brown Charles Burden Tracy Cate Margaret Cavigga Joyce Cowin Richard & Peggy Danziger Marian DeWitt Davida Deutsch Charlotte Dinger Raymond & Susan Egan Margot Paul Ernst Helaine & Burton Fendelman Howard & Florence Fertig
IS SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
CURRENT
MAJOR
DONORS
CURRENT MAJOR DONORS The Museum of American Folk Art greatly appreciates the generous support of the following friends: $20,000 and above Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. Asahi Shimbun Balair Ltd. Air Charter Company of Switzerland Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc. Better Homes & Gardens Judi Boisson Marilyn & Milton Brechner Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Chinon, Ltd. Estate of Thomas M. Conway Country Home The Joyce and Daniel Cowin Foundation Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Frederick M. Danziger Mrs. Eva Feld Estate of Morris Feld Ford Motor Company Foundation Krikor The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation William Randolph Hearst Foundation James River Corporation/Northern Bathroom Tissue Kodansha, Ltd. Jean & Howard Lipman Joseph Martinson Memorial Fund Steven Michaan National Endowment for the Arts New York State Council on the Arts New York Telephone PaineWebber Group Inc. Philip Morris Companies Inc. Pro Helvetia, Arts Council of Switzerland Dorothy & Leo Rabkin Restaurant Associates Industries, Inc. Schlumberger Foundation Samuel Schwartz Two Lincoln Square Associates United States Information Agency Mrs. Dixon Wecter $10,000419,999 ABSOLUT Vodka Estate of Mary Allis Amicus Foundation Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Martin Brody Lily Cates Country Living David L. Davies Mr. & Mrs. Alvin Deutsch Adele Earnest Fairfield Processing Corporation/Poly-fil* Daniel & Jessie Lie Farber Walter and Josephine Ford Fund Taiji Harada Barbara Johnson, Esq. Joan & Victor L. Johnson
Shirley & Theodore L. Kesselman Masco Corporation Kathleen S. Nester Mrs. Gertrude Schweitzer & Family Mr. & Mrs. George E Shaskan, Jr. Peter and Linda Soloman Foundation Springs Industries Mr. & Mrs. Robert Steinberg Barbara and Thomas W. Strauss Fund Robert N. & Anne Wright Wilson Wood Magazine $4,00049,999 The Bernhill Fund The David and Dorothy Carpenter Foundation Tracy & Barbara Cate Mr. & Mrs. Edgar M. Cullman Mr. & Mrs. Richard Danziger Department of Cultural Affairs, City of New York Jacqueline Fowler Richard Goodyear Hoechst Celanese Corporation Margery and Harry Kahn Philanthropic Fund Mr. & Mrs. Robert Klein Wendy & Mel Lavitt George H. Meyer The New York Times Company Foundation, Inc. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. Sallie Mae/Student Loan Marketing Association S. H. and Helen R. Scheuer Family Foundation The William P. and Gertrude Schweitzer Foundation, Inc. Herbert and Nell Singer Foundation, Inc. Sotheby's Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Tananbaum Tiffany & Co. Time Warner Inc. John Weeden The H. W. Wilson Foundation Norman and Rosita Winston Foundation The Xerox Foundation $2,00043,999 American Folk Art Society Estate of Abraham P. Bersohn The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Edwin M. Braman Mr. & Mrs. Edward J. Brown Capital Cities/ABC The Coach Dairy Goat Farm Mr. & Mrs. Peter Cohen Mr. & Mrs. Joseph F. Cullman III Mr. & Mrs. Donald DeWitt Mr. & Mrs. Alvin Einbender Margot & John Ernst Richard C. and Susan B. Ernst Foundation Colonel Alexander W. Gentleman Cordelia Hamilton Justus Heijmans Foundation IBM Corporation Johnson & Johnson Manufacturers Hanover Trust Marsh & McLennan Companies Christopher & Linda Mayer
Morgan Stanley & Co., Incorporated Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation Betsey Schaeffer Robert T. & Cynthia V. A. Schaffner Mr. & Mrs. Derek V. Schuster Mr. & Mrs. Ronald K. Shelp Randy Siegel Joel & Susan Simon L. J. Skaggs and Mary C. Skaggs Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Austin Super William S. Taubman Mr. & Mrs. Richard T. Taylor Alice Yelen & Kurt A. Gitter $1,00041,999 American Savings Bank William Arnett The Bachmann Foundation Didi & David Barrett Michael Belknap Adele Bishop Edward Vermont Blanchard & M Anne Hill Bloomingdale's David S. Boyd Mabel H. Brandon Sandra Breakstone Ian G. M. & Marian M. Brownlie Morris B. and Edith S. Cartin Family Foundation Edward Lee Cave Chase Manhattan Bank, N. A. Liz Claiborne Foundation Conde Nast Publications Inc. Consolidated Edison Company of New York Consulate General of Mexico Judy Angelo Cowen The Cowles Charitable Trust Crane Co. Susan Cullman Gerald & Marie DiManno The Marion and Ben Duffy Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Arnold Dunn Echo Foundation Ellin F. Ente Virginia S. Esmerian Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Ferguson Janey Fire & John Kalymnios First Financial Carribean Corporation Louis R. and Nettie Fisher Foundation M. Anthony Fisher Susan & Eugene Flamm Evelyn W. Frank Emanuel Gerard The Howard Gilman Foundation Selma & Sam Goldwitz Mr. & Mrs. Baron Gordon Renee Graubart Doris Stack Greene Carol Griffis
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
139
CURRENT
MAJOR
DONORS
Terry & Simca Heled Stephen Hill Alice & Ronald Hoffman Mr. & Mrs. David S. Howe Mr. & Mrs. Yee Roy Jear Judith A. Jedlicka Dr. & Mrs. J. E. Jelinek Isobel & Harvey Kahn Ka!lir, Philips, Ross, Inc. Lore Kann Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Leslie Kaplan Lee & Ed Kogan Kyowa Hakko U.S.A. Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Lauder Estate of Mary B. Ledwith William & Susan Leffler Dorothy & John Levy James & Frances Lieu R. H. Macy & Co., Inc. Robert and Betty Marcus Foundation, Inc. Marstrand Foundation C. E Martin IV Helen R. Mayer and Harold C. Mayer Foundation Marjorie W. McConnell Meryl & Robert Meltzer Brian & Pam McIver Michael & Marilyn Mennello The Mitsui USA Foundation Benson Motechin, C.P.A., P.C. Mattie Lou O'Kelley Paul Oppenheimer Dr. & Mrs. R. L. Polak Helen Popkin Random House, Inc. Cathy Rasmussen Ann-Marie Reilly Paige Rense Marguerite Riordan Dorothy H. Roberts Mrs. John D. Rockefeller III Daniel & Joanna S. Rose Willa & Joseph Rosenberg Mr. & Mrs. Jon Rotenstreich The Salomon Foundation Inc. Mr. & Mrs. William Schneck Mr. & Mrs. Richard Sears Rev. & Mrs. Alfred R. Shands III Mrs. Vera W. Simmons Philip & Mildred Simon Mrs. A. Simone Mr. & Mrs. Sanford L. Smith Mr. & Mrs. Richard L. Solar Mr. & Mrs. Elie Soussa Robert C. & Patricia A. Stempel Sterling Drug Inc. Swiss National lburist Office SwissAir Phyllis & Irving Tepper Mrs. Anne Utescher
110 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
H. van Ameringen Foundation Tony & Anne Vanderwarker Elizabeth & Irwin Warren Weil, Gotshal & Manges Foundation Wertheim Schroder & Co. Mr. & Mrs. John H. Winkler 11500-$999 A&P Helen & Paul Anbinder Anthony Annese Louis Bachman Arthur & Mary Barrett Mr. & Mrs. Frank Barsalona David C. Batten Robert Baum Roger S. Berlind Mrs. Anthony Berns Peter & Helen Bing Robert & Katherine Booth Michael 0. Braun Iris Carmel Classic Coffee Systems Limited Edward & Nancy CopIon Edgar M. Cullman, Jr. D'Agostino's Allan L. Daniel The Dammann Fund, Inc. Gary Davenport Days Inn窶年ew York City Andre & Sarah de Coizart Mr. & Mrs. James DeSilva, Jr. Ross N. & Glady A. Faires Helaine & Burton Fendelman Howard & Florence Fertig John Fletcher Timothy C. Forbes Estelle E. Friedman Daniel M. Gantt Ronald J. Gard General Foods Barbara & Edmond Genest Mr. & Mrs. William L. Gladstone Irene & Bob Goodkind Great Performances Caterers Dr. & Mrs. Stanley Greenberg Grey Advertising, Inc. Connie Guglielmo The Charles U. Harris Living Trust Denison H. Hatch Arlene Hochman Mr. & Mrs. Albert L. Hunecke, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Thomas C. Israel Guy Johnson Cathy M. Kaplan Louise & George Kaminow Mary Kettaneh Barbara Klinger Janet Langlois Peter M. Lehrer Mr. & Mrs. Richard M. Livingston Adrian B. & Marcie Lopez
Lynn M. Lorwin Hermine Mariaux Michael T. Martin Robin & William Mayer Mr. & Mrs. D. Eric McKechnie Gertrude Meister Gad Mendelsohn Pierson K. Miller Mrs. & Mrs. Arthur O'Day Geraldine M. Parker Dr. Burton W. Pearl Mr. & Mrs. Stanley M. Riker Betty Ring Mr. & Mrs. David Ritter Trevor C. Roberts Richard & Carmen Rogers Toni Ross Richard Sabino Mary Frances Saunders Schlaifer Nance Foundation Skidmore Owings & Merrill Smith Gallery Smithwick Dillon Karen Sobotka Amy Sommer Jerry I. Speyer David E Stein Edward I. Tishelman Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Tuft David & Jane Walentas Clune J. Walsh Jr. Marco P. Walker Maryann & Ray Warakomski Washburn Gallery Frank & Barbara Wendt Anne G. Wesson G. Marc Whitehead 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. Karen D. Cohen Cynthia V. A. Schaffner
American Folk Art
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SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION Si
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COMPILED BY MELL COHEN
At the Museum in 1968 for presentation of Amml Phillips: Portrait Painter 1788-1865. At rear, Phillips's portrait, Mrs. Ostrander and her son, Titus.
MARY CHILDS BLACK: In Memoriam n March 18, 1992, a large group of friends and associates gathered at the New-York Historical Society to pay tribute to the late Mary Childs Black, director of the Museum of American Folk Art from 1964 to 1969, and consulting curator since 1982. Mary Black died February 28, 1992, at her home in Germantown, New York. She waged a courageous battle against serious illness for several years. Even in the face of deteriorating health, Mary maintained her characteristic joy for life, and enthusiasm for the work to which she had devoted her distinguished career. Mary Black established a reputation for the tireless pursuit of research in the field of American folk art when little was known about the "anonymous" limners whose engaging
O
12 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
portraits were drawing the intense interest of collectors. She served as curator of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center at Colonial Williamsburg in the late 1950s, and was appointed director of that institution in 1961. At Williamsburg and later at the Museum of American Folk Art she became known not only for the important information that she established through her research, but for the special quality of the installations that she supervised. She had an intuitive sense of design and presentation. Even though the Museum of American Folk Art occupied cramped quarters, I recall being overwhelmed by the simple beauty of Mary's presentation of The Shaker Order of Christmas in 1969, when I first had the pleasure of meeting her. At the New-York Historical Society meeting held in Mary Black's memory, Norman Rice,
Director Emeritus of the Albany Institute of History and Art, observed during his tribute that many of her interests stemmed from her own family history and upbringing in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Family portraits of her Merrill ancestors by Erastus Salisbury Field sparked her interest not only in that painter but also in other portrait painters working in the region between the Hudson and Connecticut Rivers, from which her own family came. Among her most important exhibitions were Ammi Phillips: Portrait Painter 1788-1865, presented at the Museum of American Folk Art in 1968, and Erastus Salisbury Field: 1805-1900 organized by Mary for the Springfield, Massachusetts, Museum of Fine Arts and presented at the Museum of American Folk Art in 1984. Mary Black left the Museum of American Folk Art
in 1969, to accept an appointment as curator of painting, sculpture and decorative arts at the New-York Historical Society, where she brought renewed vigor and public interest to that institution's exhibition program. During this period, she retained an affectionate regard for the Museum of American Folk Art. Bob Bishop and I visited with her from time to time at the Historical Society to seek her counsel and advice. When her career there came to an end in 1982, it was with pleasure that we welcomed her back to the Museum as consulting curator, a post she held until her death. As consulting curator, Mary Black contributed richly to the life of the Museum. In addition to providing invaluable advice,she wrote for The Clarion, and became a popular and warmly esteemed teacher and mentor to students at the Museum's Folk Art Institute. Only her illness interrupted her active participation. Mary Black published several significant works of lasting importance to the field of American folk art, including American Folk Painting with Jean Lipman in 1967 as well as the Phillips and Field catalogs. She also published works on New York history and photography, and was active in
Mary Childs Black in the mid-1960s
LTON
architectural and historic preservation efforts in New York, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and other parts of the country. Her home at the time of her death was the historic Rockefeller Tavern in Germantown, New York, which she had restored. Speaking at Mary's memorial meeting, Ralph Esmerian, President of the Museum's Board of Trustees, recalled being chided by her when she asked him to substitute for her in a lecture at the Folk Art Institute on the painter, Jacob Maentel. When he raised a question about some obscure detail, Mary laughed
with her customary gusto and reminded him that the main issue was the artistry of the painter. Virtually every speaker at the memorial service recalled Mary's infectious and warm laughter. Although Mary may have enjoyed the pursuit of research, it was to the art that she was really drawn. Mary's special ability to bring the wonder of American folk art to her audiences will be her lasting legacy to the Museum and to the field.
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The Great American Quilt Festival Becomes an Annual Event he Museum of American Folk Art is pleased to announce that beginning in 1993, The Great American Quilt Festival—held biennially in the past—will become a yearly event. The Great American Quilt Festival 4 is planned for May 12-16, 1993, at Pier #92 in New York City. To underscore this new development, the Museum is sponsoring a very special invitational contest, open only to members of the Museum of American Folk Art Quilt Connection. Quilt Connection members will be asked to submit a maximum of four slides representing their finest work. All slide entries must be received by August 15, 1992.
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Judges will select 25 talented finalists to create brand-new, never-before-seen quilts to debut at The Great American Quilt Festival 4 in the "Quilt Connection All-Stars" exhibit. Quilts should measure no less than 45 x 54", and be no greater than 72 x 72". The choice of subject matter will be left entirely to the quilter, and quiM are to be completed by February 1993. From these finalists, a winning quilt will be chosen by the curatorial staff of the Museum of American Folk Art on the basis of originality, overall appearance, craftsmanship and needlework. A prize of $1,000 will be awarded for the winning quilt. For more information about becoming a member of the Quilt Connection and receiving the contest rules, please contact Cathy Rasmussen, The Great American Quilt Festival 4, at (212) 977-7170.
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Internship Program Provides a Learning Experience for New York City High School Students nthe summer of 1991, while many students were at camp or working odd jobs, two special high school students learned how museums operate by working at the Museum of American Folk Art's Eva and Morris Feld Gallery at Lincoln Square. Amy Ly, now a sophomore at Stuyvesant High School, and Kessa Maurus, now a junior at LaGuardia High School, were the winners of the Museum's first Myra and George F. Shaskan, Jr. Public High School Internship. Amy and Kessa began their seven-week internship by interviewing staff members in each Museum department to better understand how the Museum operates as a whole. The interns then began their main project — researching a component of the Museum's school outreach teacher's packet for the exhibition Santos de Palo: The Household Saints of Puerto Rico. Amy and Kessa spent a great deal of time at the Museum of American Folk Art Library and the New York City
i
Public Library researching the geography, history and culture of Puerto Rico. The interns then applied their own special talents in developing activity sheets to be used by school groups who visit the Museum. Kessa, a talented artist, drew images for a seek-and-find puzzle, and Amy, who excels in math and science, created word puzzles and a maze. While Amy and Kessa learned practical skills, such as word processing and general office administration, their experience at the Museum went far beyond understanding how to run the photocopier. Amy became aware of a variety of art forms ". . . in ways of expression I never considered, like quilts and tea kettles." Kessa, who is of Puerto Rican heritage, noted that she ". . . learned a lot about my culture and learned to appreciate it." Both interns discovered the importance of working together as a team.
Intern Kessa Maurus working with Museum docent Bernice Berkower.
64 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
"We had two very different ethnic backgrounds but, by spending a lot of time working together, [we]found out we had a lot of things in common," said Kessa. The internship program was funded in 1991 with a fiveyear grant by an anonymous donor in honor of Myra and George Shaskan. Mr. Shaskan has been a member of the Museum's Board of Trustees for ten years, and both he and Mrs. Shaskan have been active members of the Museum's Friends Committee for even longer. They have been avid supporters of a variety of Museum projects, and have always had a special interest in educational programs. The Shaskans' record of service has been an inspiration to many others, who have followed their lead in generously supporting the Museum. The Museum is now announcing internship opportunities for 1992 and is seeking donations to expand this program. Individuals interested in supporting the internship program with a contribution in honor of Myra and George F. Shaskan, Jr., should contact the Development Office at (212) 977-7170 for further information.
WHIRLIGIG; Laurentino Rosa; Brazil; c. 1990; wood, paint, wire; 51/4 x 19 x 12. Collection of the Museum of American Folk Art. IR90.358 September Gallery Opening isiones del Pueblo: The Folk Art of Latin America, a traveling exhibition of the bold, vibrantly colored folk art of Latin America —much of it unknown and previously unrecorded—is scheduled to open at the Museum's Eva and Morris Feld Gallery at Lincoln Square on September 17, 1992, and will run through January 3, 1993. The exhibition will then travel to San Antonio, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Miami. Guest curator, Dr. Marion Oettinger, Jr. has selected more than 250 objects from 17 countries, honoring cultures throughout Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Accompanying the show is a full-color catalog published by Dutton Studio Books in association with the Museum. For school and group tours, please call (212) 595-9533. Visiones del Pueblo: The Folk Art of Latin America and its national tour have been made possible by Ford Motor Company.
V
JERRY FARRELL
ALPHA ANDREWS MILTON BOND WILLIAM BOWERS LESTER BREININGER BETTY BROWN TUBBY BROWN JOHN CARLTON JOHN CISNEY CROCKER POTTERY CHUCK CROSBY JOHN CROSS JERRY FARRELL JESSICA FARRELL SGT. PATRICK FAURE TINO FERRO NED FOLTZ TRINIDAD GILMORE SYBIL GIBSON DAVID GOTTSHALL JUNE AND WALTER GOTTSHALL MARIE GOTTSHALL KRISTIN HELBERG LONNIE HOLLY
EDWIN JOHNSON MARIE KEEGAN SUSAN LAKIN WOODIE LONG COLUMBUS MC GRIEF NANCY MC GUIRE BOB MAHALICK SAM MANNO GARY MATTESON LINDA MEARS R.A. MILLER CHARLES MUNRO JANET MUNRO BRUCE MURPHY REV. B.F. PERKINS MARY SHELLEY BERNICE SIMS HELEN SMAGORINSKY JES SNYDER BARBARA STRAWSER JIMMIE LEE SUDDETH MOSE TOLLIVER ANNIE WELLBORN
20th CENTURY RUSTIC FURNITURE IN
SARATOGA SPRINGS,NEW YORK JERRY FARRELL "ONE OF THE GREATEST MAKERS OF RUSTIC FURNITURE"
OPEN HOUSE TOAD HALL SARATOGA AUGUST 8TH 2-6 PM
TOAD HALL SARATOGA 350 BROADWAY SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK 12866 518-583-0149
MUSEUM
NEWS
Quilts Sought for Museum Publication he Museum of American Folk Art's quilt collection, comprised of more than 300 textiles dating from the early nineteenth century to the present, is one of the largest museum collections in the United States. Highlights of the collection have been studied and published throughout the past twenty years, yet the entire collection has never been thoroughly researched and presented in a single volume. The task of cataloging all the quilts was begun this year, and the information is due to be published in 1994 by Dutton Studio Books. Co-authored by Elizabeth V. Warren, former Curator of the Museum of American Folk Art, and Sharon L. Eisenstat, a guest curator, the book is considered the second in a series of publications devoted to quilts in American museums. It follows the 1990 presentation of American Quilts & Coverlets, which represents the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. As part of the cataloging process, each quilt in the collection is being examined and evaluated in terms of its historical and cultural significance, as well as its craftsmanship. The researchers are looking at the fabrics and sewing technqiues employed, verifying or establishing estimated dates of execution, and where possible, checking family genealogies and confirming the anecdotal information that is often handed down with quilts. One bedcover that is currently under
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IS SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
Sarah Morrell Album Quilt; 1843; cotton; 923 / 4 x 96". Gift of Jeremy L. Banta. 1986.16.1
investigtion is the Sarah Morrell Album Quilt,(see illustration) dated at the latest 1843 and signed by residents of Philadelphia and neighboring New Jersey communities, including members of the wellknown Biddle Family. Who Sarah Morrell may have been — and why she was presented with this magnificient signature quilt — is the subject of ongoing research. Also under investigation are the origins of the important fabrics used in the early quilts, the sources of the patterns used to create some of the twentieth-century quilts in the collection, and the cultural significance of the quilts — both antique and contemporary — for the lives of their makers. In addition, each quilt will have a completed file that includes a description of the sewing techniques and patterns
employed, dimensions, Mennonite quilts. Wellmaterials, exhibition and documented and significant publication histories, and quilts of all varieties are also references. being sought. Potential donors At present, the Museum's are advised that all the quilts in collection is especially strong the collection will be included in several areas: Midwestern in the catalog. Amish quilts, Victorian fancyIt is also the aim of this work quilts, and twentiethproject to photograph as many century pattern quilts. There of the quilts in the collection are also fine examples of as possible. A large number nineteenth-century calamanco, will be featured in color in the whitework, and album quilts, catalog; a smaller number will as well as unique products of be represented in black and the quiltmaker's art including white. Funds are being sought the often-published "Pieties," to guarantee that significant "Sacret Bibel" and "Bird of quilts will be represented with Paradise" quilts. However, in the best color photography order to present a comprepossible, and that photography hensive collection to the of all the bedcovers can be public, the Museum is seeking available for both scholars and textiles in a number of the interested public. Anyone categories that are currently interested in donating either underrepresented. These quilts or funds for photography include whole cloth chintz should contact the co-authors quilts, nineteenth-century through the Museum offices. applique work (especially (Museum News continued on page 70) broderie perse), Lancaster County Amish quilts, and
Two important books ... Published by The Kentucky Quilt Project, Inc.
Abstract Design in American Quilts: A Biography of an Exhibition Foreword by Shelly Zegart By Jonathan Holstein, the Author of The Pieced Quilt ... collecting quilts in the sixties to the now famous 1971 from Jonathan Holstein tells his personal story of discovery followed has that all Whitney Museum of American Art exhibit and An absorbing history of the late 20th century quilt movement,this 240 page book includes first time color photographs of the installation and all 61 quilts in the original exhibition.
Always There: The African-American Presence in American Quilts Forewords by Jonathan Holstein & Shelly Zegart by Cuesta Benberry, Cuesta Benberry, noted quilt scholar and lecturer, through her exhibition and this catalogue, looks for the first time at the African-American presence in the mainstream of American quilt-making from pre-Civil War through the present.
Order Now Abstract Design in American Quilts: $39.95 plus $4.95 S/H Soft Cover $100 plus $4.95 S/H Deluxe Limited Edition slip-cased- signed cloth, fine hardbound Elegantly presented in author and numbered by the Always There: The African-American Presence in American Quilts $24.95 plus $4.95 S/H Soft Cover
HILL C. JOHN AMERICAN INDIAN ART
Ordering information: For Retail and Wholesale Information Telephone: The Kentucky Quilt Project Office (502)587-6721 Mail Orders to: The Kentucky Quilt Project, Inc., P.O. Box 6251, Louisville, Kentucky 40206-0251 Method of Payment: Visa or MasterCard or Check
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SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION 67
SOUTHERN FOLK EXPRESSIONS III Three Shows In Rabun County, Georgia
July 25 - August 15, 1992 Featuring Work By Over 50 Artists Main Street Gallery 706/782-2440 641 Main Street Clayton, GA
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Self Portrait Enamel on "No Parking" Sign 18" x 12" 1962
Portrait of Wife Enamel on "No Parking" Sign 18" x 12" n.d.
IRWIN RABINOV (Issac Irwin Rabinoffsk 1898-1972
Naive Enamel Painter
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
PHOTO:SUSAN EINSTEIN
MUM..
Claire's American Ciapic triEl
CLAIRE MURRAY'S art. is a reflection and celebration of America. Her love o early colonial crafts brings Folk Art to the 20th century. Claire introduces her own 1992 collection of heirloom quality hand hooked rugs exclusively for the Museum of American Folk Art. Catalog $5(refundable on first purchase) 1-800-252-4733
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SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
19
MUSEUM
NEWS
Wood carvers Rick Bryant and William Miller talking to Adrian Swain, curator of the folk art collection at Morehead University in Morehead, KY.
Folk Art Explorers' Club News KENTUCKY wenty-two Museum members enjoyed the Folk Art Explorers' Club four-day trip to Kentucky in February. The group spent two days participating in "The American Quilt Celebration Weekend," which included conferences, lectures, tours, gallery walks and evening celebrations. Our members also had the opportunity to spend two days visiting private collections and galleries in Louisville, Lexington and Morehead. Special thanks to the following people who helped make this trip a success: Virginia Coleman, Mrs. Frank Simon, William and Mary Furnish, The Portland Museum, Mrs. Leonard Leight, C.J. Pressma and Marcelle Gianelloni, Rev. and Mrs. Alfred Shands, Adrian Swain, Curator of the Morehead University Folk Art Collection, Miriam and John Tuska, and Heike Pickett of the Heike Pickett Triangle Gallery A very special extra thank you to Rita Steinberg, Director of the Kentucky Arts & Crafts Gallery, who helped make the arrangements for many of our visits to private collections.
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PHILADELPHIA n Sunday, April 5, 1992, fifty-seven Museum members joined a group of Museum of American Folk Art Trustees, to visit two private collections and spend a special afternoon at the Philadelphia/HUP Antiques Show. We split up to have lunch at the homes of Museum Trustee Joan Johnson and her husband Victor, Shelly and Nick Schorsch, and Bonnie and Peter Schorsch. The entire group enjoyed tours of the former two residences. We then traveled to the antiques show, where the Museum presented an exhibition entitled The Art of Embellishment: Painted and Stenciled Masterworksfrom The Museum of American Folk Art. The group spent some time at the show and then attended a social hour and lecture about the exhibition given by Gerard C. Wertkin, director of the Museum.
O
Coverlets Warm Up Museum he field of American woven coverlets does not always receive the attention it deserves, but that was certainly not the case Thursday evening, March 5, 1992, at the Museum's exciting opening of the exhibition Woven for Warmth: Coverlets From the Collection of the Museum of American Folk Art. Guest curator Martha Leversuch selected twenty beautiful, early-nineteenthcentury coverlets, assembled primarily from two major gifts to the Museum — the collections of Margot Paul Ernst and Cyril I. Nelson. The exhibition, scheduled to run through May 7, 1992, has been extended and will remain at
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Alice Kappenberg demonstrates a coverlet pattern for Museum members and guests.
Curator Stacy Hollander and Guest Curator Martha Leversuch at opening.
the Eva and Morris Feld Gallery until September 6, 1992. The highlight of the opening on March 5, 1992, was the participation of a group of weavers from the Paumanok Weavers Guild in Riverhead, Long Island: Alice Kappenberg, Phyllis Buoniello, Jeanne Downs, Betty Lou Norris, Helga Michel and Ingrid Berg. Working with compact, collapsible floor looms, they demonstrated the various styles of coverlet patterns for Museum members and their guests. The demonstrations proved so successful that the gallery staff exacted a promise from the guild members to return again on June 6, 1992, between 2 and 4 p.m.
TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS New York State Quilt Project Reception
Mark your calendars for the following Museum of American Folk Art exhibitions when they travel to your area during the coming months:
he exhibition New York Beauties: Quiltsfrom the Empire State has been postponed for later presentation. However, to celebrate the publication of the book, also titled New York Beauties: Quiltsfrom the Empire State, the Museum will host a reception on Thursday, June 18, 1992, at the Eva and Morris Feld Gallery at Lincoln Square, from 5 to 7 p.m. Museum members and guests are invited to meet the authors Jacqueline Atkins and Phyllis Tepper, and participate in a ceremony in which the Long Island Quilter's Society will present a quilt to the state of New York. Clarion readers will be informed as soon as new dates are chosen for the New York Beauties exhibition.
June 22. 1990-June 27, 1992 The Romance of the Double Wedding Ring Quilt American Adventure Pavilion EPCOT Center Walt Disney World Orlando, Florida 407/824-4321
MaN 1841.11\ 13. 1992 Young People's America: The Great American Quilt Festival 3 Lied Discover) Children's Museum Las Vegas, Nevada 702/382-3445
April 6-June I. 1992 Swiss Folk Art: Celebrating America's Roots Indiana State Musuem Indianapolis, Indiana 317/232-1637
May 25-July 20, 1992 Santos de Palo: The Household Saints of Puerto Rico Bass Museum of Art Miami Beach, Florida 305/673-7530
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Recipes: Call for Submissions
D
u ring the holiday
season our thoughts often center around visiting family and friends. Frequently it is a time for the preparation of favorite foods handed down in recipes from past generations. Please join with us by sharing your family menus and recipes. Include the recipe and its history, which you may record on tape if you prefer. After receiving and editing your responses, we will compile a Museum cookbook for sale for the benefit of the Museum's Education Program. Send your letters and tapes to: Katie Cochran Museum of American Folk Art Two Lincoln Square New York, NY 10023
April I3-June 8, 1992 Harry Lieberman: A Journey of Remembrance Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences Peoria, Illinois 309/686-7000 April 20-June 15, 1992 The Cutting Edge: Contemporary American Folk Art from the Rosenak Collection Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences, Inc. Savannah, Georgia 912/232-1177 April 25-June 20, 1992 The Romance of Double Wedding Ring Quilts Historical Society of Talbot County Easton, Maryland 301/822-0773 April 27-June 22, 1992 Access to Art': Bringing Folk Art Closer Huntsville Museum of Art Huntsville, Alabama 205/535-4350
June 15-August 10, 1992 Access to Art': All Creatures Great and Small West Virginia State Museum Charleston, West Virginia 304/348-0220 June 27-October 18, 1992 Patterns of Prestige: The Development and Influence of the Saltillo Sarape The Oakland Museum Oakland, California 510/238-3842
July 20-September 14. 1992 Access to Art': Bringing Folk Art Closer Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada 901/424-7542 August 15-October 11, 1992 Santos de Palo: The Household Saints of Puerto Rico Terra Museum of American Art Chicago, Illinois 312/664-3939 August 30-September 31, 1992 Continuing Traditions in American Folk Art (USIA) Museo National de Bellos Artes Santiago, Chile August 31-October 26, 1992 Access to Art5:All Creatures Great and Small Museum of Arts and Sciences Macon, Georgia 912/477-3232
June 28-July 30, 1992 Continuing Traditions in American Folk Art(USIA) Museo Nacional de Artes Plasticas Montevideo, Uruguay June 29-August 24, 1992 Harry Lieberman: A Journey of Remembrance Skirball Museum of Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio 513/221-1875 July 1-September 4, 1992 Swiss Folk Art: Celebrating America's Roots Museum of American Frontier Culture Stanton, Virginia 703/332-7850
For further information contact Alice J. Hoffman, Director of Exhibitions, Museum of American Folk Art, Administrative Offices, 61 West 62nd Street, New York, New York 10023, Telephone 212/977-7170.
(Museum News continued on page 74)
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION 71
LESLIE MUTH GALLERY Contemporary American Folk Art
Specializing in folk artists of the Southwest 1992 Summer Exhibition Schedule: June 12-July 11 Johnny Banks Retrospective
July 17-August 15 Eyes of Texas 12 Year Reunion Show
August 21-September 12 Art Vigil Pueblo Figurative Potter and
Navajo Folk Art Johnny Banks,"Noah's Ark", mixed media on paper, 16"x28", 1987.
225 East de Vargas St.• Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 •(505)989-4620
MARY GREENE Georgia Memory Painter
Clening for Granny Oil on Canvas 16"X 20"
TIMPSON CREEK GALLERY Art and Antiques Route 2, Box 2117 Clayton, Georgia 30525 706.782.5164
72 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
KELTER-MALCE
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MUSLUm
LIBRARY
Nt:wS
NOTES
WILLIAM C. KETCHUM, JR.
n conjunction with the exhibition Patterns of Prestige: The Development and Influence of the Saltillo Sarape, the Museum hosted a symposium entitled Traditions in Transformation: Meaning, Form and Use in Mexican Masks and Textiles on Friday, January 28, 1992. The symposium was coordinated with the Mexican Cultural Institute of New York, and hosted by PaineWebber Group, Inc., who lent their wonderful facilities for the event. The morning session focused on the historical development of textile forms, as well as unique aspects of the Saltillo Sarape. A talk, which addressed the importance of weaving in the socialization of rural women, provided valuable insight into Mexico's cultural environment. The morning's
highlight was a special viewing of the many Saltillo sarapes that were brought in for the symposium. The afternoon began with a presentation on the promotion and preservation of Mexican popular arts, providing a framework for scholarship in masks. The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring the use of masks in Mexican festivals. The entire day was marked by a spirit of sharing knowledge between participants. The Museum wishes to thank the Mexican Cultural Institute of New York and PaineWebber Group, Inc. for making this day possible.
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MICHAEL MELLA
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74 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
Recognizing the need to preserve examples of early periodicals dealing with the fields of folk art and antiques, the library is on acquiring copies of focusing he Art of Recent publications. such Embellishment: Painted gift membership by additions and Stenciled Masterworks include a complete run of the from the Museum of American Pennsylvania-based magazine, Folk Art celebrates the tradition Antique Collecting, as well as of ornamental painting, a broken files of Spinning Wheel, primary form of decoration in The American Collector, American households Antiques, The Antiques American throughout the eighteenth and Art In Delineator, Journal, nineteenth centuries. This Collector. Western and America of range exhibition highlights a Readers having additional copies painted and stenciled of these or other early collector decorations on different periodicals are encouraged to surfaces, including wood, tin, contribute to what we hope will and fabric. The artists become one of the nation's most represented — professional and art and antiques complete amateur alike — employed a libraries. reference create to techniques of variety membership Museum these often colorful and to the needs respond to continues expressive patterns. The exhibit gifts Recent library. the of opens in New York following include funds for a copy stand its enthusiastic reception at the and lights (given by Jill Keefe Philadelphia Antiques Show. It and John Hood in memory of will be on view from May 14 Robert Bishop), a two year through September 6, 1992, at subscription to the publications the Eva and Morris Feld The Early American of Gallery. Association (William Industries Curator Stacy C. Hollander and a generous cash Ketchum), Esther year's this presented and Burt Helene from gift Stevens Brazer Memorial Lecture, wish to also We Fendelman. entitled The Art of Embellishfor her Hamilton Cordelia thank ment, on May 15th. gift of various out-of-print books, early issues of journals, and various ephemeral items, all in the area of American folk art. However, the need remains Dr. Ruth Lechuga. great; there continue to be former Deputy association memberships and Director of the periodical subscriptions which Museo Nacional de are not available due to limited Artes e lndustrias funds. Populares in Let's all pitch in! And, Mexico City, remember, it is your library. If discussing Mexican you have a research problem or textiles at the are just passing through New symposium. York City and want to look over the facility, give the Director, Edith Wise a call. She will be glad to see you. The Art of Embellishment: Exhibition and Lecture
Symposium on Mexican Masks and Textiles
MAIN STREET ANTIQUES and ART Colleen and Louis Picek Folk Art and Country Americana
Wft,
(319) 643-2065 110 West Main, Box 340 West Branch Iowa 52358 On Interstate 80
We have an ever-changing inventory of windmill weights in stock.
Send a self-addressed stamped envelope for our monthly Folk-Art and Americana price list
MARKETI'LACE Brazilian Folk Art & Amazonian Indian Art. Several hundred items on display. Carved wooden votive sculptures,(ex-votos), Macumba Candomble altar icons (fetramentos), Carrancas, and various Indian art of fifteen tribes. Tribe Gallery, 196 7th Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11215. 718-499-8200
Offering Works from the private collection of Millard and Ramona Lampell, by artists featured in their book, "0, Appalachia": S.J. Jones, Noah and Charley Kinney, James Harold Jennings, Cher Shaffer, and others. Rt 1, Box 308A, Meadow Bridge, WV 25976. (304) 484-7224. (214) 292-2224
Folk Art of Oaxaca, Mexico — The Day of the Dead. Explore the craft villages of Oaxaca during "El Dia de los Muertos," October 24— November 5, 1992. Information: Linda Craighead, 525 West End Avenue, 12F, New York, NY 10024. 212/496-5337
Mary Shelley Pahded Woodcarvings — Artist carves Saturday mornings at Steamboat Landing Outdoor Farmers Market, Ithaca, N.Y. Visit if you're in the area. For further information write the artist at 109 Park Place, Ithaca, N.Y. 14850. 607-273-6235 evenings 5-10 P.M.
The Pardee Collection: Featuring Midwestern folk & outsider artists: Anthony Yoder, Paul Hein, Oliver Williams, Greg Dickensen, Rollin Knapp & others. For catalog send $10 to Sherry Pardee, P.O. Box 2926, Iowa City, IA 52244. (319) 337-2500 We Buy Folk Art Collections. We purchase folk art collections from individuals and handle deacquisitions for museums and estates. If you have art to sell, please contact us with details. If you are interested in buying, write for current inventory P.O. Box 3075, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
hledern Primitive Gallery,Atlanta: Adkins, Almon,Burnside, Finster, Jennings, Miller, Perkins, Sudduth, Tolliver, Sybil Gibson, S. L. Jones, Bruce Burris, Alyne Harris, Archie Byron,0. L. Samuels, Lorenzo Scott, Lonnie Holley, Terry Turrell, Valton Murray, Purvis Young, Carolyn Lassiter, Fred Webster, Columbus McGriff.(404)892-0556 Faux & Folk Finishes. Painting, graining, marbelizing and murals. Custom work furniture and architectural designs. Free estimates. Rubens Teles 914-365-2917
,`Anlignes anctglecatalive,
604 93zoatitualf 93wriwyatifli4
Teak"eizsey, 08006
(609)1194-0656 Country furniture, quilts, woven coverlets, folk art, toys, paintings, decorative arts. OPENING MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND FOR 1992 SEASON Call for Hours MARGARET RAPP
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
75
MEMBERSHIP
INCREASED MEMBERSHIP CONTRIBUTIONS DECEMBER 1991-FEBRUARY 1992 We wish to thank the following members for their increased membership contributions and for their expression of confidence In the Museum: Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Atkins, Bedford, NY Roger 0. Austin, Penfield, NY Marianne Bosshart-Littman, Croton-on-Hudson, NY Nancilu Burdick, Orchard Park, NY Elaine M. Carlson, East Greenwich, RI Dr. John S. Cassella, Lenox, MA Andrew J. Clausen, Brooklyn, NY Jean R. Cleland, Wilmette, IL Esther Colliflower, Miami, FL Robert R. Conrad, Redwood City, CA Jane A. Conway, Birmingham, MI Nancy Dalton, Jackson Hts., NY Gary Davenport, New York, NY Judith H. Dem, San Francisco, CA C. Kurt Dewhurst, E. Lansing, MI Mrs. W. Lamar Doyle, Houston, TX Mrs. Robert E. Eichler, Southwest Harbor, ME Susan Eshelman, Orrville, OH Daniel & Jessie Lie Farber, Worcester, MA Anne M. Friedland, Poughkeepsie, NY Sharon W. Fuelling, Arcadia, CA Ann Gehlbach, Sarasota, FL
Mrs. George G. Grattan IV, Earlysville, VA Ms. Nellie V. Hadden, New York, NY Mr. Fritz Hatt, Birmingham, MI Stephen W. Hayes, New York, NY Shirley A. Horn, New York, NY Mr. & Mrs. David S. Howe, New York, NY Dr. A. Everette James, Nashville, TN Sylvia H. Korton, Atlanta, GA Miss C. J. Loughran, New Brunswick, NJ Mr. & Mrs. Joseph F. O'Connell III, Chestnut Hill, MA Mildred Orlans, New York, NY David Pai Ritchie, Glendale, CA Mr. & Mrs. David Ritter, New York, NY Ms. Betty D. Robins, Columbia, MO Marjorie K. Rosser, Williamsport, PA Mary Sams, Cornwall, Cr Phyllis Selnick, New York, NY Mr. & Mrs. M. B. Shure, Highland Park, IL Dr. & Mrs. E. C. Sterling, Honolulu, HI Mr. & Mrs. Thomas P. Sullivan, Westlake Village, CA Peter Tishman, New York, NY Antonio Valdes-Rodriquez, Kingsport, TN T. G. Walker III, Stuart, FL Charles Webber, Houston, TX Grace White, Topeka, KS Mrs. Anne Utescher, Alassio, Italy
GROWING MEMBERSHIP DECEMBER 199I-FEBRUARY 1992 Dr. Charles L. Abney Jr, Atlanta, GA Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Akey, Metuchen, NJ Akron Art Museum Library, Akron, OH Ms. Jane Alpert, New York, NY Ms. Annette Amler, Putnam Valley, NY Ms. Sandra Anderson, Stockbridge, GA Ms. Jane Armitage, Oberlin, OH Marion Armstrong, New York, NY Gayle Austin, Toledo, OH Dominick Avellino, New York, NY Mr. Larry Ballard, Downers Grove, IL Ms. Sandra Baron, New York, NY Frances J. Bassett, Scarborough, NY George & Sharon Bensch, Stockton, CA Berkeley Public Library, Berkeley, CA Silvana Biasutti, New York, NY Ms. Cathy Billings, New York, NY Mr. & Mrs. Leonard Birnbaum, New York, NY Ms. Sally Blackledge, Dunmore, PA Ms. Susan Blank, Roslyn Heights, NY Ms. Gloria Blasenheim, Lambertville, NJ Ms. Carolyn Boesl, E. Aurora, NY Mr. Marc W. Bono, W. Redding, Cr Mr. David S. Boyd, San Francisco, CA Brandeis University, Waltham, MA Ms. Laurie Jo Braun, Livermore, CA Ms. Patricia Buckley, New York, NY Ms. Elinor Burnside, Pawlet, VT Mr. & Mrs. Joe Camp, Gulfport, MS Mary S. Campbell, New York, NY Lyse R. Caron, Montreal, Canada Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Catcher, Miami, FL Alta M. Cerna-Turoff, Riverdale, NY Ms. Krissi ChichiIla, Mill Hall, PA Mrs. Ruth G. Chittick, Ossipee, NH Lorimer T. Christensen, Salt Lake City, UT Mr. Gene Clancy, Katonah, NY Ms. Carole Clark, Linwood, NJ Mrs. Stewart B. Clifford, New York, NY Rosalyn S. Cohen, New York, NY Paulette Cole, New York, NY Ms. Prudence Colo, Scottsdale, AZ
76 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
Ms. Elisabetta Contessa, Sonoma, CA Mr. & Mrs. John Cooney, New Canaan, CT Mr. Anthony Corvette, Greenwich, CT Dominique D'Anna, New York, NY Ms. Rebecca B. Danziger, New York, NY Ms. Jane Leslie Dees, Montgomery, AL Ms. Susan H. Delagrange, Jeromesville, OH Tom Denolf, Dallas, TX Ms. Sybil Gibson DeYarmon, Dunedin, FL R. Lawrence Dunworth MD, Huntington, WV Ms. Alexandra DuPre, Long Beach, NY Ms. Doris Ecelbarger, Rockville, MD Ms. Marla D. Eist, Philadelphia, PA F. Elgindi, Chagrin Falls, OH Ms. Jennifer Ellsworth, Mountain View, CA Lee Essex, New York, NY Ms. Judy Eunin, New York, NY Mr. Allen T. Everett, Edmunds, WA Mr. Ken Fadeley, Ortonville, MI Ms. Jane Feder, New York, NY Ms. Barbara Fimbel, New York, NY Hadley Fine, New York, NY Linda K. Finley, Tallahassee, FL Ms. Marie Firmenich, Begnins, Switzerland Ms. Esther Fishman, Chicago, IL Ms. Barbara Fitzgerald, Philadelphia, PA Ms. Elaine M. Flowers, Glen Ridge, NJ Mrs. Paul H. Flynn, Mountainside, NJ Ms. Laura A. Foster, Winthrop, NY Katherine M. Francis, Water Mill, NY Yvonne Freund, New York, NY Mr. & Mrs. David Friedman, New York, NY Ms. Marion Fukushima, Swarthmore, PA Victor Gail, Long Beach, CA Ms. Catherine M. GalMeth, Brooklyn, NY Christine Gallo, Bayport, NY Ms. Ruth Avis Gardner, New York, NY
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"STATUE OF LIBERTY"
"The Beaver" 'The Beaver" wishes to thank the Very Special Arts Gallery at The Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.
for allowing him to be in their AMERICANA FOLK ART SHOW
and by placing one of his works on their special invitation.
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT
Robyn Beverland - House Paint on Plywood
Wanda's Quilts QUILTS FOLK ART P.O. Box 1764 Oldsmar, Florida 34677 Phone: (813)855-1521
Special RARE BLACK MAMMY GEORGIA
QUILT Circa Early 1900's
\I\11 k
Iii ( I \RION
77
Ms. Louisa M. Gartner, Jamaica Estates, NY Mr. Douglas Gitter, Metairie, LA Ms. Susan R. Glasser, New Orleans, LA Mr. Edgar A. Glick, Reston VA Ms. Sue Goldstein, New York, NY Ms. Susan Golick, New York, NY Mr. William F. Greis, Malvern, NY Carol Griffis, New York, NY Ms. Jill Grose-Fifer, New York, NY Ms. Sandy M. Guettler, Chicago, IL Ms. Karen Gundersheimer, Washington, DC Ms. Kathy J. Gunser, E. Northport, NY Ms. Karoly S. Gutman, Brooklyn, NY Ms. Cynthia Guyer, New York, NY Ms. Zelda Haber, New York, NY Ms. Ha!lie Halpern, Chatham, NY Ms. Catalina Hannan, Rye, NY Mrs. Carl C. Hansen, Southhampton, NY Mr. William J. Hansen, Hackensack, NJ Mrs. Kathy Hanson, Raleigh, NC Ms. Penelope Hardy, Brooklyn, NY Mrs. William D. Hart Jr., New Canaan, CF Jeanne Havemeyer, Chicago, IL Mr. Richard Helphand, Glendale, CA Sheila Hewett, New York, NY Antonio Hidalgo, New York, NY Ms. Susan H. Hitchcock-Lowe, McLean, VA Ms. Ann Hoffman, Brooklyn, NY Mr. Andrew S. Holmes, New York, NY Mr. Ronald Holstein, Fairview, PA Ms. Diane L. Horton, New York, NY Mr. Matthew Howard, Garrison, NY Ms. Meghan Hughes, New York, NY
Ms. Susan Jackson, Brooklyn, NY Mr. Thomas M. Jackson, Dallas, TX Ms. Shirle Jankowich, Riverside, cr Len Jenkins, New York, NY Ms. Jane Jones, Iowa City, IA Ms. Mary Julian, Utica, NY Ms. Jane Kaczmarek, New York, NY • Ms. Edith E. Katz, Sands Point, NY Ms. Maureen A. Kelly, Teaneck, NJ Ms. Kathyrn Hughes Kelson, Laguna Hills, CA Ms. June Kent, Redding Ridge, CT Ms. Linda Kline, New York, NY Yukiko Koide, Evanston, IL Mr. Robert Koontz, Atlanta, GA David H. Koota, Arlington, VA Hedi Krueger, Fort Wayne, IN Juergen Kuehn, Redding, CT Ms. Patricia Arscott LaFrance, Santa Fe, NM James V. Lamb, Beloit, WI Ms. Jan Lisa Landwehr, Linden, NJ Terry Langston, Mercer Island, WA Ms. Barbara LaPlaca, Bethpage, NY Mr. John LaRock, Ridgewood, NJ Nancy L. Larsen, Fairfield, CT Ms. Susan Marietta Lederer, New York, NY Ms. Karla Leopold, Glendale, CA Ms. Brenda Levin, New York, NY Ms. Leslie Levitan, New York, NY Dorothy Levorse, South Amboy, NJ Lewis Memorial Library, Memphis, TN Ms. Victoria Lindgren, New York, NY Ms. Sylvia Lipton, Flushing, NY
Ms. Mary Loftus, Valley Cottage, NY Ms. Margot R. London, New York, NY Ms. Monica Longworth, New York, NY Mr. & Mrs. James Love, Summit, NJ Mrs. Margaret Lucas, Warrnambool, Australia Ms. Barbara A. Lupucy, New York, NY Ms. Linda Major, Lincoln, NE Ms. Elsie Malay, Atlanta, GA Ms. Ruth P. Manunen, Pittsboro, NC Rev. Robert W. Marron, Cannel, IN Mr. Peter M. Marshall, Port Washington, NY Ms. Carolyn B. Maruggi, Pittsford, NY Ms. Jane Maxwell, New York, NY Mrs. John C. McCall, LaJolla, CA Caroline McCrillis, New York, NY Ms. Debra McCullough, Naperville, IL Ms. Brandy McDaniel, Durham, NC K. E. McGuigan, St. Louis, MO Mr. George H. Megrue, New Canaan, CT Ms. Gwen Meister, Lincoln, NE Leithter Meulen, New York, NY June Meyer, New York, NY Ms. Cristina Middleton, New York, NY Ms. Molly Miles, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA William Miller & Rick Bryant, Louisville, KY Mr. Warren E. Miller, Cresco, PA Paul Monska, Spencer, NY Ms. Jane Moore, Evanston, IL Ms. Samantha Moore, Brooklyn, NY Mr. & Mrs. Monroe Morgan, Santa Monica, CA Ms. Teresa Morris, Suffern, NY Mrs. Helen Munroe, North Reading, MA Gudsun Mutzel, Turkeim, Germany
40.11.•
4.11.
The Huntington Museum of Art announces
BLACK BEARS By Kentucky folk artist Minnie Adkins for Pilgrim Glass Corporation. edition of fifty.
JACK SAITITT GALLERY At CAMELOT (Route 100 between Macungie and Trexlertown)
Macungie, Pennsylvania 18062
Jack Savitt, Representing Inquiries: Curatorial Department Huntington Museum of Art 2033 McCoy Road Huntington, WV 25701 (304) 529-2702, ext. 22
78 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
4".
JACK SAVITSKY 20th Century American Folk Artist • Oils • Acrylics • Drawings For Appointment Call
(215)398-0075
AMERICA OH,YES, Folk Art Americana Early Photographs
Cachet gives presence to the lifestyle old world keepsakes evoke...with a timeless point of view. Discover Cachet...an historic house...brimming with pillows of Victorian lace and vintage chintz... heirloom quilts and cushy English eiderdowns... exquisite china and gleaming antique silver... needlepointed stools and little tables, some in twig... one-of-a-kind objects of many dimensions... hand-picked in Europe and America.
Private dealer for serious collectors, galleries and museums. Masterworks by America's leading "outsiders" at insider prices.
Call for a brochure. 1-800-FOLK-ART
Judy Rosley, ASID
* 1 * 8(X)* FOLK * ART
1
Indulge in the pleasures of the old world.
Nancy Hagen lir
( Rt. 11/30, Manchester Center, VT 05255
802 362-0058 ,F•11 -1-
1Cr e ll a 6Atil %WW1W ill
1 1.W4
MEMBERSHIP
Milo M. Naeve, Chicago, IL Barry & Pat Nottle, Allentown, PA Ms. Nancy O'Brien, Baldwin, NY Ms. Yvonne O'Reilly, St. Catherines, Canada Ms. Judith J. Osborn, Rosemont, PA Oxford Earthen Ware, Oxford, NJ Ms. Linda Pardue, New York, NY Mr. Paul W. Patton, Maple Hgts., OH Ms. Susan Millar Perry, New York, NY Mr. Dennis G. Phillips, Haughton, LA C. J. Pigford, Birmingham, AL Mr. Geoffrey Piker, Chevy Chase, MD Mr. & Mrs. B. Steven Polikoff, New York, NY Ms. Gerta G. Posner, New York, NY Barbara & Ted Randazzo, Halcott Ctr., NY Ms. Adele R. Ray, Carthage, NC Jill Jayne Read, Lexington, KY Ms. Susan Ritter, Worthington, OH Ms. Clarissa C. Roesler, Hauppauge, NY Mr. Timothy M. Rohan, Upper Saddle River, NJ Mr. George Roller, New York, NY Ms. Flora Rosefsky, Binghampton, NY Ms. Joan T. Rosenbaum, South Orange, NJ Marjorie K. Rosser, Williamsport, PA Mr. Eric Rota, Brooklyn, NY Ms. Ruth Rothstein, New York, NY Rowe Pottery Works, Inc. Cambridge, WI Ms. Susan Roy, New York, NY Mr. Frederick Ruffner, Grosse Pointe, MI Dr. Alvin Ruthenberg, So. Orange, NJ
San Francisco Craft & Folk Art Museum, San Francisco, CA Ms. Dinah Sargeant, Valencia, CA Ms. Lauren Satter, Tega Cay, SC Mr. William Scarvie, Fremont, CA Manya Schaff, Beverly Hills, CA Ms. Marjorie Schnader, New York, NY Mr. William Scourtes, Daphne, AL Susan Sewell, Lincoln, MA Mr. Thomas J. Shamon, Auburn, NY Marion C. Shapin, Brooklyn, NY Mr. Bruce B. Shelton, Nashville, TN Ms. Jenifer Shockley, Alexandria, VA Mr. & Mrs. Charles H. Siegel, Atlanta, GA Faith Sippel, Kenmore, NY Ms. Linda Solano, Baltimore, MD Mrs. Sidney Solomon, New York, NY Southart, Inc., Montgomery, AL Donald Stadler, Durham, NC Ms. Janet Stancliff, Grand Junction, CO Marguerite 0. Standish, Sewickley, PA Mr. & Mrs Ronnie Steine, Nashville, TN Ms. Virginia A. Stevens, Raleigh, NC Richard A. Stringfellow, Lafayette, IN Jill Simon Svoboda, Chicago, IL David Syrek, Chicago, IL Ms. Anne F. Tafel, Louisville, KY Ms. Sandra Tananbaum, New York, NY Lanell Taylor, Hazelcrest, IL Elva N. Thompson, Westport, CT Cecile D. Thompson, Clayton, GA Ms. Mary C. Tiedemann, New York, NY Alice Timothy, New York, NY Ms. Barbara Tirola, Westport, CT
Ms. Kathleen Tobin, Sparta, NJ Donata Traverso, Giorieta, NM Mrs. Audrey Troy, Plandome, NY Tom Tsy, Baton Rouge, LA Ms. Roslyn Tunis, Oakland, CA Ms. Caroline Pool Turoff, Palisade, NY University of Oregon, Eugene, OR U.N.L.V., Las Vegas, NV Ms. Yolanda Van de Krol, New York, NY Patricia T. & Theodore G. Walker, Stuart, FL Lynn L. Warden, Burr Oak, MI Mr. Bruce Webb, Waxahachie, TX Jessica M. Weber, New York, NY Stephanie Welson, Great Neck, NY Ms. Kay Werner, Lincoln, NE Mr. George H. Wessler, Sante Fe, NM Ms. Kathryn A. White, Jamaica, NY Julia Whiteneck, Bedford, MA Lt. Moses Willard, Milford, OH Ms. Brenda Willson, Old Greenwich, CT Andrea L. Wisnewski, Willimantic, CT Cynthia Wolf, Natick, MA Mr. Leon Yaun, Glenville, NC Steve & Jan Yon, Lexington, KY Kazuko Yonekura, Nishi-ku, Japan Mr. & Mrs. Albiln Zak, Chicago, IL Ms. Susanna Zetzel, New York, NY Ms. Nancy Zonana, New York, NY
SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
79
\ de AMERICAN FOLK AND OUTSIDER ART ore
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Hours: TUES.-SAT.11-6
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6909 MELROSE AVENUE LOS ANGELES CA 90038 213.933.4096
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/ 2"x 431/4 . ANDREW BLOCK."SCENES FROM THE BOOK OF REVELATION". OIL ON CARDBOARD. 251 PART OF AN EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF AVAILABLE WORKS BY THE ARTIST.
INDEX TO
ADVERTISERS
3, 5, 7 America Hurrah 79 America Oh, Yes 20 American Masterpieces 4 American Primitive Gallery 75 Americana by the Seashore 29 Ames Gallery of American Folk Art 69 ANB International 28 Art Inside 77 Beaverland Enterprises 79 Cachet 2 Robert Cargo Folk Art Gallery 68 Double K Gallery 19 Epstein/Powell 15 Laura Fisher Antiques 25 Gallery 1775 14 Gasperi Gallery 61 Sidney Gecker American Folk Art 24 Gilley's Gallery 13 Grass Roots Gallery 69 The Grey Squirrel
80 SUMMER 1992 THE CLARION
15 Anton Haardt Gallery 67 John Hill American Indian Art 21 home town 61 Leslie Howard 78 Huntington Museum of Art 19, 21 Lynne Ingram Southern Folk Art 73 Kelter-Malce 67 Kentucky Quilt Project 23 Knoke Galleries 67 Jim Linderman 12 Leon Loard Gallery 63 MCG Antiques Promotions, Inc. 75 Main Street Antiques 68 Main Street Gallery 75 Marketplace Inside Front Cover Frank J. Miele Gallery 1 Steve Miller 69 Claire Murray 72 Leslie Muth Gallery 24 New York State Historical Association 80 Outside-in
22 Red Piano Art Gallery 61 Revival Promotions 11 Roger Ricco/Frank Maresca John Keith Russell Back Cover Antiques, Inc. 26 Sailor's Valentine Gallery 27 Santa Fe East 78 Jack Savitt Gallery 16 David A. Schorsch 6 Sotheby's Inside Back Cover The 'Partt Gallery 72 Timpson Creek Gallery 65 Toad Hall 77 Wanda's Quilts 28 Marica Weber/Art Objects, Inc. 29 Eldred Wheeler of Houston 8 Thos. K. Woodard
THE TARTT GALLERY
John's Hobo Family, 1990, acrylic on paper,4 panels: 36 x 47"
introducing
JOHN STOSS
Continuous Inventory includes works by: Leroy Almon, Z.B. Armstrong, Georgia Blizzard, Alexander Bogardy, Raymond Coins, Ralph Griffin, Joe Hardin, Lonnie Holley, Pappy Kitchens, Justin McCarthy,Jake McCord, Ronald Musgrove, Butch Quinn, Mary T. Smith,Jimmy Lee Sudduth, Son Thomas, Mose Tolliver
Tel 202-332-5652
2017 QUE STREET, NW WASHINGTON,DC 20009
Fax 202-462-1019
JOHN K,EITH RUSSELL ANTIWES,INC.
The Rarest Order Amongst The Celibate Shakers The Children's Order Had Little Furniture Made Specifically For It. These Rare Examples Of Shaker Seating Offer The Collector A Unique Opportunity.
SPRING STREET,SOUTH SALEM, WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N,Y. 10590
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