DIGITAL ISSUE 3 2021
VIDEO MESSAGE FROM THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
(Cover Page Caption) Martin, Henry, and George Birge founded M.H. Birge & Sons in the 1870s. The Buffalo based firm produced high-end paper hangings and grew a worldwide reputation for its quality. Renowned local artist Charles Burchfield designed papers for Birge throughout the 1920s. Our cover features two Birge patterns. On the left is a pattern used in the restoration of Dwight Eisenhower’s childhood home in Abilene, Kansas; to the right, paper used in the restoration of Ronald Reagan’s childhood home in Dixon, Illinois.
2
AN ARMISTICE DAY REMEMBRANCE OF EDWIN PETRIE By Walter Mayer Senior Director of Museum Collections
The life of Edwin Petrie (1894 – 1919) was a short one like others of his generation that fought and died in World War I. He was employed by the Larkin Company of Buffalo when he was drafted and assigned to the 306th Infantry Company D. Edwin Petrie, Age 6, remembered for his big heart and broad smile. Ca. 1900.
On March 3rd, 1919, Pvt. Petrie succumbed to wounds suffered in the fall of 1918. Though a short life, he left his mark on others judging from his obituary in the Larkin Company’s staff publication:
“It is our fortune in passing thru this world to come in contact with men who have big hearts and broad
Bicycle pictured in Petrie photograph.
smiles. The day was never so gloomy but that his smile could make it brighter; he always had a cheery word ready for the greeting. Let his monument be the vision of the smile he never lost.” Sitting on his bike at age six, Edwin was innocence personified, clearly unaware of the cruel destiny that life had in store for him. Let’s remember him as they did in 1919 for his big heart and broad smile. “You liked him impulsively, you were won by that smile, he was one in whom
you could confide, a real friend.”
3
WHO WERE BUFFALO’S FIRST ARTISTS? By Cynthia Van Ness Director of Library & Archives
Johnson’s Cottage. Completed by Wilgus at the age of 14, this painting has been part of our collection since 1867. Self-portrait of painter William John Wilgus (1819-1853).
This year marks not only the bicentennial of the founding of Erie County, but also 200 years of artists working in Buffalo.
Wilgus worked primarily as a portraitist. In our collection are the following paintings:
We thought we would identify some of Buffalo’s first painters, sculptor, and photographer.
John G. Wheelock, ca. 1840
FIRST PAINTERS
Lavinia (Clark) Wheelock, ca. 1840
John Lee Douglas Mathies (1780-1834) was the first artist known to work professionally in Buffalo. He lived in Canandaigua, NY but was in Buffalo in November 1821, when he painted two scenes of the wreck of the Walk-In-TheWater steamboat. He also painted a view of Niagara Falls and a portrait of Red Jacket, which is in the National Portrait Gallery. Mathies, like most of his contemporaries, made a living as an itinerant artist. At the time, there wasn’t enough work in any of the communities of Western New York to support an artist year-round.
Frank A. Wilgus, ca. 1840
The first painter to establish himself in Buffalo full-time was William J. Wilgus (1819-1853), who was born in Troy, NY. The Wilgus family moved to Buffalo when William was 9. His father Alfred was in the bookselling and publishing trade. Likely influenced by the prints he saw in his father’s shop, Wilgus took up drawing as a child. One of his earliest paid commissions was a painting in 1832 of Ebenezer Johnson’s cottage on Delaware Avenue, which was demolished in 1919. This work is in our collection and is on display in our exhibit Continuum. Wilgus was about 13 at the time. 4
Bryant Burwell, M.D. Self Portrait Charles Smith Red Jacket James McKnight Major General William F. Barry And one landscape.
FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN PAINTER Born around 1818, William H. Simpson is Buffalo’s first known African-American artist and possibly the first Buffalo born-and-raised artist. He left Buffalo in 1854 to study under William Henry Wilson, a Boston, MA miniaturist and portraitist. Simpson was active in the abolition cause and painted portraits of Rev. Jermain Wesley Loguen, the Syracuse abolitionist and Underground Railroad agent who became the bishop of the African Methodist Church in New York State. Simpson returned to Buffalo in 1866 and died in 1872.
(continued)
FIRST SCULPTOR On September, 1846, p. 3, the Buffalo Commercial reported that J. Sangster of Buffalo, age 14, exhibited a wood sculpture at the New York State Fair. This was James Sangster (18311898), who worked as an artist, patent attorney, and inventor in Buffalo. He was born in Kingston, Ontario and the family moved to Buffalo when he was an infant. James studied under New York sculptor Henry K. Brown. His better-known brother Amos Sangster was a printmaker, the creator of a popular folio of Niagara River etchings in 1886-1889. We were unable to determine if any of James’ sculptures survive.
FIRST PHOTOGRAPHER One year after photography was invented and patented in France in 1839, Dr. Elliott Burwell (born ca. 1808) opened a daguerreotype studio at 268 Main St. in Buffalo. The daguerreotype process, named for its inventor Louis Jacque Mande Daguerre, was a cumbersome portrait medium for its first decade or so. It required bulky equipment and sitting perfectly still under steady light for as long as 8 minutes to produce a daguerreotype, making exterior image capture difficult. Buffalo’s earliest known outdoor photograph dates to 1850. We were unable to find Dr. Burwell’s death date. The last Buffalo city directory in which he appeared was 1842. We do not know if there are any surviving examples of his daguerreotypes.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26 3 P.M. TO 8 P.M. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27 10 A.M. TO 4 P.M. FEATURING MAKERS, FROM ARTISTS TO AUTHORS, CRAFTERS, AND MORE SHOP LOCAL WHILE FINDING THE PERFECT GIFTS FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON!
ONE MUSEUM COURT, BUFFALO, NY 14216 | 716.873.9644 | BUFFALOHISTORY.ORG
Sources Consulted Rossi, Dale T. Photographing the Queen (City): A century of photography in Buffalo, N.Y. 1839-1949 Unpublished manuscript, 2000 Sellstedt, Lars G. Life and works of William John Wilgus, artist, 1819-1853 Privately printed, 1912 Krane, Susan The wayward muse: Historical survey of painting in Buffalo Buffalo, NY: Albright-Knox, 1987 5
SHOP UNIQUELY BUFFALO GIFTS AT THE BUFFALO HISTORY MUSEUM’S SHOP AND A SELECTION OF GIFTS ONLINE AT
buffalohistory.org/shop
PHOTO ALBUM
FROM THE COLLECTION
Smith and Seely Baked Goods wagon.
Exterior of Roycroft Inn, 1940, photographer unknown.
Larkin Company perfume lab, showing H.H. Larkin and Mr. Booth, September 1921.
Phil Christiano is a barber and a metalworker. He builds special interest autos (one of which he drives) and is an advanced metalworker. Many of the parts, particularly for the car bodies and detailed exteriors, are refashioned from scrap. Phil is a connoisseur of scrap yards and knows his metals well. 1987.
SHOP HISTORIC BUFFALO PHOTOS AT OUR PICTURE STORE 6
Interior view of workers at Buffalo Pottery located at 1454 Seneca Street, 1904.
Pouring steel into ingots of the open hearth department of the Bethlehem Steel Company in Lackawanna.
Hotel Lafayette located in Downtown Buffalo and designed by Louise Blanchard Bethune; opened in 1904.
Kittinger Furniture Co. employee, December 14, 1936.
SHOP HISTORIC BUFFALO PHOTOS AT OUR PICTURE STORE 7
FROM THE COLLECTION
A SEAT FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE By Rebecca Justinger Registrar The Buffalo History Museum is very fortunate to have in our collection two upcycled bus seats that were created as part of a public art project called “A Seat for Social Justice”, which debuted on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 15th, 2007. Local artists and community members transformed recycled bus seats into symbols of civil rights movements. This art project was led in Buffalo by the West Seneca Youth Bureau, Western New York AmeriCorps, and the Arts Council in Buffalo and Erie County. These bus seats were on display throughout the city in 2007. This entry, donated to the Museum by the Gay & Lesbian Youth Services of Western New York (GLYS WNY, Inc.), features a painted rainbow along with
newspaper articles, magazine articles, images, and biographies pertaining to the LGBTQ+ community with an emphasis on LGBTQ+ youth. The articles applied throughout the seat include mini biographies of several LGTBQ+ historic figures including Melissa Etheridge, Johnny Mathias, and Georgia O’Keefe as well as a short history of the 1978 rainbow flag designed by Gilbert Baker of San Francisco as a symbol of the gay and lesbian community. The assemblage also features pink foam triangles, a symbol of pride, resilience, and solidarity within the community. The inverted pink triangle was reclaimed as early as the 1970s, as a reminder of the past and a show of solidarity with LGBT victims who were sent to concentration camps in Nazi Germany.
Assemblage Buffalo, NY Metal/Vinyl/Foam/Paper 2007
8
Commemorating 200 Years of Erie County
Created in coordination with Erie County’s bicentennial celebration, Continuum offers a glimpse into our region’s history—a history dating back thousands of years. Inside, guests will discover the people, events, and innovations that helped build our county and view one-of-a-kind artifacts that illuminate its past. Among the many objects on display are Evelyn Rumsey Cary’s Spirit of Niagara painting, a rare Lewis lighthouse lens from early Buffalo, and the Iver-Johnson revolver used to shoot President McKinley in 1901. Continuum also features nine cutting edge augmented reality experiences available though your own personal phones or tablets. The 3,400-square foot exhibit features over two hundred unique objects, some dating back thousands of years before surveyors drew lines on a map. We wanted to create an experience for our guests which would lay the framework for our region’s history. Our goal is for each visitor to come away with a basic understanding of why this place matters. Whether you’re young or old, an historian or a casual visitor, Continuum has something for you. - Anthony Greco, Director of Exhibits and Interpretive Planning.
9
A LOOK AT THE LIFE OF LOUISE BLANCHARD BETHUNE By Patrick Ryan Programs & Volunteer Coordinator In the mid-19th century, women in the United States struggled to find equality with their male counterparts. The demands were simple: voting rights, equal pay, and equal opportunity for American women. By 1848, the suffrage movement had begun in the town of Seneca Falls, NY. Just about five miles away in the small town of Waterloo, NY, a woman who embodied the sentiment shared by suffragists was born, Louise Blanchard Bethune. Bethune was born July 21st, 1856 and from a young age, found herself interested in architecture. Undoubtedly influenced by the suffragist movement happening essentially in her backyard, Bethune had a desire to continue her education past that of most young girls at that time. At age 11 she started attending school in the City of Buffalo, and it was here that her early passions for architecture truly blossomed. At Buffalo Central School, after a classmate made a negative remark about the possibilities of her succeeding in such a competitive field, Bethune made it her goal to become the nation’s first female architect. Her determination paid off, and she was accepted into the prestigious school of architecture at Cornell University. However, she declined to attend and instead took a position with Richard Waite in Buffalo. Waite was a noted architect in the area and Bethune became the first woman to serve as a draftsman at an architectural firm in the United States. That was not enough for someone with ambitions as lofty as Bethune. 1881 was an important year for the young aspiring architect. She opened her own architecture firm and married her 10
colleague from Waite’s office, Robert Bethune. With the establishment of their practice, Louise Bethune officially became the first fully fledged female architect in the United States. Buffalo was growing rapidly after the introduction of the Erie Canal and new structures were being built at an incredible rate. In accordance with a plan set forth by Buffalo Public Schools, Louise and her husband designed 18 schools in the area. This ambitious project put Bethune & Bethune on the map, and solidified Mrs. Bethune’s reputation as an architect. After the project was complete, she was asked to become a part of both the Western Association of Architects and the Buffalo Society of Architects, making her the first woman to
(continued) receive an invitation to said groups. Even after receiving these honors, Bethune had further ambitions. While she did enjoy designing schools and residential buildings, she realized it was her duty as the first female architect to show that women were capable of designing a wide variety of buildings. She had her chance in 1891, when a design contest was held for the prospective Women’s Building, which was to be built at the Chicago World’s Fair. The fair was scheduled for 1893, and if she were selected, it would have propelled Bethune’s career into the limelight. However, it was at this juncture, that Bethune’s staunch support of women’s rights was put on full display yet again. When word came out that male architects hired by the Chicago World’s Fair made on average around $10,000, compared to $1000 received by their female counterparts, Bethune was outraged. Although she was the logical choice to design the aforementioned building, she refused out of principle. After making her thoughts known, she turned her focus back to Buffalo, this time with a reignited fire to prove that women deserved the same accolades and pay that men received. In the early 1900s, Bethune got the chance to show off her architectural prowess, when her firm was commissioned to design Hotel Lafayette in downtown Buffalo. The building opened in 1904, and its French Renaissance-inspired design captured the praise of Americans, and ire of rival architects across the country. This is considered Bethune’s most impressive work and once it was completed, she received recognition not only in Western New York, but across the country. Bethune stayed active in her home city until her death in 1913, serving as an active member of groups like the Buffalo Genealogy Club and Women’s Wheel and Athletic Club. Bethune was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery and as of 2012, her magnum opus, the Hotel Lafayette, has been restored to its former glory. 11
NEW EPISODES EVERY TWO WEEKS Found on Spotify, Apple Music, and other podcast platforms.
LOUISE
BLANCHARD
BETHUNE
FAIA: ARCHITECT AND FEMINIST
FEATURING KELLY HAYES MCALONIE,
DIRECTOR OF CAMPUS PLANNING AT THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1 | 6 P.M.
PAY WHAT YOU WISH ADMISSION
MEET DESIREE PEACOCK To celebrate her joining staff, we sat down with Desiree, the new Administrative Assistant. Q: Welcome, Desiree, to The Buffalo History Museum team! What are you most excited to do now that you’re here? A: As a native Buffalonian who just returned after living out of state for nearly a decade, I am excited to be immersed once again in this city’s rich culture and history. Even more so, I am thrilled to be a part of the Museum as it enables the members of the community to experience the history of Buffalo, as well as their own. Q: What is your favorite color? A: I love the colorways of the late 1950s, so it’s probably a tie between the classic trifecta of turquoise, pale yellow, and venetian pink. Q: What facet of history interests you most? A: I have always loved architectural history and historic preservation. Structures can get overlooked, but they were designed with intent, have witnessed countless lives as they were lived, hold memories and values for so many, and have the ability to transport each of us back in time by allowing the past to be present. The stories those walls could tell… Q: What is your favorite food? A: I will never refuse an opportunity to eat Indian food. So much flavor!
12
Q: What are you currently reading? A: All the Better Homes & Gardens, Popular Mechanics, and architectural/interior design books of the 1950s/1960s I can get my hands on. Q: What is your favorite exhibit at the Museum? A: Our new exhibit, Continuum, delivers an experience that encompasses why I have always loved history. It tells a story that spans across multiple generations and each of their perspectives, through both struggles and triumphs, and organically encourages visitors to relate to it personally. Whether it be through the city itself and places they recognize, or through the stories of its people, forming a connection is inevitable. Q: Is there anything else you would like our members and broader history friends to know? A: I am excited to be a part of the Museum, and am looking forward to meeting everyone!
UPCOMING PROGRAMS 12/1/21 | 6 P.M. “Louise Blanchard Bethune, FAIA: Architect and Feminist” with Kelly Hayes Mcalonie. Buffalo architect Louise Blanchard Bethune, FAIA, was the first professional woman architect in the United States, and despite popular opinion, also a feminist. Join Bethune biographer Kelly Hayes McAlonie as she brings this Gilded Age icon to life. 12/8/21 | 6 P.M. “Owing to the Most Criminal Negligence” with the Executive Director of Old Fort Niagara, Robert Emerson. This presentation examines the British capture of Fort Niagara on December 19, 1813 and also includes an overview of the fort’s role in the War of 1812. 12/15/21 | 6 P.M. “Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor at the Buffalo History Museum”. The MSAAHCC’s four Cultural Anchors (Michigan Street Baptist Church, the Nash House Museum, the Historic Colored Musician’s Club, and WUFO Black Radio History Collective) will each talk about their rich history and how it is guiding the future of the Corridor. 1/5/22 | 6 P.M. “The Early life of Millard Fillmore” with curators Kathy Frost and Rachelle Francis from the Millard Fillmore Museum. The lecture will focus on the early life of Fillmore, in accordance with his birthday the same week. The pair will delve into the topic using early 19th century biographies and papers about the former president. 1/12/22 | 6 P.M. “The Niagara Movement” with Dr. Steve Peraza (Buffalo State). Dr. Peraza will lecture on the history of the Niagara movement and its role in local history. While highlighting figures such as Mary Talbert and W.E.B. Dubois, Dr. Peraza will feature content from our research library and collections during his lecture. 1/19/22 | 6 P.M. “Elbert Hubbard and the Arts & Crafts Movement” with Alan Nowicki from the Roycroft Campus.
13
1/26/22 | 6 P.M. “Mysteries of Ancient Africa” with historian and best-selling author Emmanuel Kulu. This program
will delve into the history of some of Africa’s ancient kingdoms, in an effort to uncover mysteries about a region that is often misrepresented and understudied. 2/2/22 | 6 P.M. “Buffalo Black Achievers Museum Lecture” with Herb Bellamy, who will lecture on what the Black Achievers Museum does and how it influences the local community. 2/9/22 | 6 P.M. “The Assassination of McKinley and the Inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt” with Mark Lozo, education Director at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site. This presentation corresponds with the display in our new Continuum exhibit that houses the assassination items. 3/9/22 | 6 P.M. “To Walk About in Freedom” with Dr. Carole Emberton, who will be giving a lecture on her new book To Walk About in Freedom. Emberton turns to the historically overlooked first-person accounts of slavery detailed in the Depression-era Federal Writers Project, adding depth to our understanding of formerly enslaved people’s struggle for freedom. Grounded in Priscilla Joyner’s life story, To Walk About in Freedom reveals the deeply personal and highly emotional long process of emancipation. Joyner’s life provides a glimpse into the inner thoughts and feelings of enslaved people, while also showing how newly freed people experienced emancipation in varied and distinct ways. 3/23/22 | 6 P.M. “More Than Our Pain Lecture” with Dr. Steve Peraza and Dr. Beth Hinderliter. This lecture will focus on the book written by the pair, More Than Our Pain: Affect and Emotion in the Black Lives Matter Era. Confronted by a crisis in black American leadership, state-sanctioned violence against black communities, and colorblind laws that trap black Americans in a racial caste system, Black Lives Matter activists and the artists inspired by them have devised new forms of political and cultural resistance. More Than Our Pain explores how affect and emotion can drive collective political and cultural action in the face of a new nadir in race relations in the United States.
A winter view of The Buffalo History Museum
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Melissa Brown
ART DIRECTORS
Tamara Bdour, Desiree Peacock
CONTRIBUTERS
Rebecca Justinger, Walter Mayer, Desiree Peacock, Patrick Ryan, Cynthia Van Ness
THE BUFFALO HISTORY MUSEUM STAFF Melissa Brown John Connelly Jenna Curran Robert DeGuehery Antonio Diaz Elizabeth DiPaola Robin Foley Anthony Greco Megan Hahin Kristin Hatch Rebecca Justinger Walter Mayer Desiree Peacock Kelsey Reed Patrick Ryan Olivia Schneggenburger James Urbanski Cynthia Van Ness
14
BOARD OF MANAGERS OFFICERS
Greg D. Tranter - President Kevin Brady - Vice President Cassie Irish - Vice President Jennifer Liber Raines - Vice President Mark L. Martin - Vice President Bill O’Donnell - Vice President Mark Taylor - Vice President Anne Conable - Secretary Brian Dempsey - Treasurer MANAGERS
Gaile Amigone Dr. Lisa Marie Anselmi, PhD Joan M. Bukowski Noel Emerling Terry Gilbride Karna Holmes Dr. Bharat Kohli, M.D Dr. Barbara A. Seals Nevergold, PhD Alexander Schimert Aaron Siegel Rachel Weissfeld Hon. Penny Wolfgang
The Buffalo History Museum is a private not-for-profit organization tax exempt under Sec. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. We receive operating support from the County of Erie, the City of Buffalo, New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and from donors, members, and friends.The Buffalo History Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
LEARN MORE AT
BUFFALOHISTORY.ORG
VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR HOURS, EVENT INFORMATION, NEWS, AND MORE!
15
THE BUFFALO HISTORY MUSEUM IS SUPPORTED BY
AND ALSO BY DONORS, MEMBERS, AND FRIENDS OF THE MUSEUM.
THANK YOU! 16