VSA e-newsletter

THE 2005 VSA PRESERVATION AWARDS Presented at the Annual Meeting in Puerto Rico, May 8th, 2005. Awards presented by Charles J. Robertson, Preservation Chair Historic Essex County Courthouse Newark, New Jersey AWARD For the complete restoration, after 14 years of closure, of this richly decorated 1907 courthouse by architect Cass Gilbert, including reclamation of murals, statuary and skylights and the installation of modern systems. Anthony Pugilisi, Public Information Officer, accepting on behalf of Essex County. The City of Newark in 1904 was a prosperous metropolis with numerous industries and businesses and a haven for immigrants. A new courthouse was needed, and the city fathers spared no expense in hiring nationally prominent architect Cass Gilbert to design a marble beaux arts structure worthy of the community. A virtual who’s who of noted American artists and sculptors were commissioned to decorate the courtrooms and other public areas with murals, statuary, and mosaics. Tiffany provided the stained glass skylights. By the 1980s, however, the building had fallen into such disrepair that the county courts sued the city to compel a renovation. The $20 million bond issue, unfortunately, was diverted elsewhere, and the courthouse was closed in 1990. A new county executive in 2003 revived the project for a complete restoration at a cost of $50 million. Missing decorative elements were replaced; all wood, stone, and other finishes were cleaned and repaired; and new HVAC and other systems were installed. The seven large courtroom murals, the stained glass, and the sculptures were restored, including a monumental statue of Lincoln by Gutzon Borglum. Today the courthouse continues to serve its original function in magnificently refurbished splendor. Web site: http://www.essexbar.com/courthouse.htm Related stories: Baristanet (local news) Student Voices Newark Martin Mitchell Mansion Naperville, Illinois AWARD For the the state-of-the-art exterior and interior restoration of this home and carriage house built in 1883 by a local industrialist and since 1936 open as a house museum which is now part of the Naper Settlement museum village. Winifred Gerulat of the Greater Chicago Chapter accepting on behalf of the Naperville Heritage Society. In 1883 George Martin retained local architect James Mulvey to construct his fashionably eclectic 12-room home which showcased Mitchell's masonry products and served as an office for his extensive building materials business. After his death, his wife and daughters carried on the business until 1917. The last surviving daughter deeded the house, its original furnishings, carriage house, and 212 acres to the City of Naperville to be opened as a house museum. The property has now become the site of the Naper Settlement Village, with 19 endangered historic structures relocated there to form an interpretative center for public education. The Martin Mitchell Mansion is its centerpiece. Over the years the mansion slowly deteriorated until a complete restoration was required. The $2.8 million work included mechanical and electrical systems upgrading; rebuilding and replacement as necessary of roof, windows, porch, and landscaping. On the interior, furnishings were restored, wall coverings matched, and floor coverings replicated from old photographs and paint samples. The Naperville Heritage Society currently manages the house and its programs for some 120,000 visitors each year. Web site: Naper Settlement Related stories: Naper Settlement Press Release Paul Laurence Dunbar House Dayton, Ohio COMMENDATION For the restoration of the house museum of America's first African-American literary figure and particularly for the replication of 25 wallpapers by digital process. Sallie R. Wadsworth of the Ohio River Valley Chapter accepting on behalf of the Ohio Historical Society. This middle class Victorian house, built in 1888 by developer Samuel Chadwick, was purchased in 1904 by the mother of poet and author Paul Dunbar, the first African-American to gain national prominence for his literary work. Dunbar, who was a friend of the local Wright Brothers, lived and worked in the house until his early death in 1906. His mother remained until her death in 1936, after which the State of Ohio purchased the house and its furnishings as a memorial to the poet. Under the jurisdiction of the Ohio Historical Society, three downstairs rooms and Paul's bedroom were opened to the public. Though there were periodic restoration efforts, the house slowly decayed. Then with a Save America's Treasures grant in 1999 and state funding, a restoration was undertaken of the carriage house, roof, and exterior walls. Special attention was devoted to the interior furnishings and finishes, all of which were restored or replaced. The most significant innovation was the exploitation of modern digital technology to replicate from actual samples or period designs the 25 different wallpapers which had been used throughout the house. Today the house and its visitors' center next door are again open to the public as a partner in the Dayton Aviation Heritage Historic Park. Web site: http://www.ohiohistory.org/places/dunbar/ Dunbar House photos: courtesy of AGI Photographic Imaging. Bayard Condict Building New York, New York COMMENDATION For the meticulous restoration of the terra-cotta façade of architect Louis Sullivan’s only building in New York City. Mary Rowan of the New York Metropolitan Chapter accepting on behalf of the Shulsky Family. Constructed as lofts in 1899 by Silas Condict, this is the only building in New York City designed by the famous American architect Louis Sullivan. In fact, Sullivan said it was his favorite design of all of his buildings. It is not well known because it is tucked away on Bleeker Street in the Village. Nevertheless, it glories in its richly decorated 13-story terra-cotta façade which incorporates exuberant foliate motifs, lion's head gargoyles, and six 15-ft. tall angels with outstretched arms below the cornice. With the inevitable deterioration of the terra-cotta over the years, Marvin Shulsky, whose family has owned the building for over 60 years, decided it was time for a complete $1.2 million restoration of the façade. Some 1,300 of the 7,000 elements of the façade were removed, repaired, reinforced, and where necessary replaced during the course of the work. The long missing first floor was rebuilt. Corroded cast iron columns and steel beams were cleaned and painted. The pieces were then reattached with stainless steel anchors, and the entire façade was repointed and cleaned. The magnificently restored structure once again welcomes visitors and Sullivan devotees to its presence.

Award photos: Bruce Davies
EVENTS
Fall Study Tour: Mid-Hudson Valley The VSA regrets not being able to accommodate the overwhelming demand for this tour which is now sold out. Registrations were taken only after printed brochures were being received all over the country, and we sympathize with members who, for reasons beyond our control, did not receive their brochures in a timely manner despite a simultaneous mailing.	ANNUAL MEETING 2006 ST. LOUIS Looking ahead. St. Louis 2006 PowerPoint presentation Microsoft PowerPoint required
PR GALLERY III Bruce Davies A selection from Bruce Davies' photographic record of the 2005 Annual Meeting in Puerto Rico.	PR GALLERY IV John Simonelli A selection from John Simonelli's photographic record of the 2005 Annual Meeting in Puerto Rico.

MEMBERS

Kathleen Bennett, Bruce Davies and Gwen Koch relax in San Juan, PR

MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS CELEBRATE

St. Louis Chapter in the News
from: St. Louis Today

QUEEN VICTORIA'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Last Sunday, members of the Victorian Society in America, St. Louis chapter, gathered in glorious weather to celebrate Queen Victoria's 186th birthday with a luncheon and house tour held at Greystone Cottage and Farm, owned by society members Joe and Jane Gleason. Greystone is a small Victorian house dating from 1867 and done in the Gothic Revival style of architecture. It sits on 200 acres high above the banks of the Mississippi in Pevely, Mo., looking every bit like a fairy-tale cottage in a very romantic setting. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places. This Someplace in Time provided the Victorians with an unforgettable afternoon.

The annual event began with chapter president Don Bergmann's toast to the queen and an alfresco luncheon served up in true Southern style. Diane Martin and her staff from Bistro 517 offered a buffet of fried chicken, country ham, biscuits, and assorted salads displayed prettily in large baskets lined in red-checked gingham. All were set out on a floral tablecloth surrounding a centerpiece silver epergne overflowing with fresh fruit.

Some members, such as Lynne Thien and Gail Linn, delighted in dressing for the occasion, by wearing exact costumes of the early Victorian-Civil War period. Sheila Hoover and guest Carole Beth Diskerud-Kriss preferred to wear the frothier attire of the late Victorian 1880s. Victorian Society members don't take themselves too seriously and always prove that Victorians have fun. The queen would certainly be very amused.

The Victorian Society in America brings together lovers of Victorian architecture, decorative arts, music, literature, gardening and much more. Founded in 1966, the National Victorian Society, with 16 local chapters throughout the United States, has been a leader in fostering appreciation and preservation of 19th-century America. The St. Louis chapter was founded in 1977 to celebrate the great 19th-century heritage of St. Louis, when the city was truly the gateway to the American West; membership includes 85 members who enjoy Victorian programs, house tours and speakers throughout the year. The national society will hold its annual meeting in St. Louis next year in May.

Washington Metropolitan Chapter and Falls Church Chapter
Celebrate Queen Victoria’s Birthday at the Brewmaster’s Castle

On June 21st members of two VSA Chapters gathered to celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday. at the Christian Heurich House.

The house was completed in 1894 for Washington’s most successful brewer. Fifty years ago this month Mrs. Christian Heurich gave the family home at 1307 New Hampshire Avenue to the Columbia Historical Society (now The Historical Society of Washington, D.C.) as a memorial to her late-husband, and to serve as the Society’s first ever permanent headquarters, which organization was founded the same year the home was completed, 1894. Mrs. Heurich retained the right to reside in the home until her death, which occurred only eight months later, in January 1956. In 2003 when the Historical Society moved to the Carnegie Library Building, two of the Heurich’s grandchildren established the Heurich House Foundation to purchase and conserve the house and its contents.

The house’s significance lies in its intact late-Victorian interiors, fireproof construction, and modern technologies. The interiors were designed in 1893 by Charles and Hugo Huber, 174 Fifth Avenue, New York. Many of their watercolor designs are on special view today in their respective rooms.

The group's itinerary:

3:00 to 5:00 Tea and refreshments in the garden throughout the afternoon.

3:15 Victorian period songs by Katie Katinas, a chorister with the Washington National Opera, accompanied by Angela Enright on piano.

3:30 Remarks by Gary Heurich, grandson of the original owner, on the significance of the house and conservation plans for the house and its contents

3:45 –5:00 Visit the basement, first, and second floors to see past and planned conservation. Also on display are the 1893 watercolors of the interior designs by the Huber Brothers of New York City

4:30 More songs by Katie Katinas, accompanied by Angela Enright on piano.

BUSINESS MEMBERSHIPS

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MISCELLANY

BOOKS

The Publications Committee commends recently published books as recommended reading. We conclude our monthly selection in this email newsletter:

Bloomsbury Rooms: Modernism, Subculture, and Domesticity
by Christopher Reed

The first decades of the twentieth century brought enormous change in Britain. Men's and women's roles came under scrutiny, class and social structures were transformed. This book casts new light on the notorious Bloomsbury Group and how the issues of their day influenced their interpretation and decoration of the home.

The Civil War Up Close: Thousands Of Curious, Obscure, And Fascinating Facts About The War America Could Never Win
by Donald Cartmell

The Civil War Up Close is a thoroughly researched book that features numerous essays on fascinating aspects of the war that have been, for the most part, overlooked by modern historians.

Rockingham Ware in American Culture 1830-1930: Reading Historical Artifacts
by Jane Perkins Claney

A groundbreaking case study that links social and cultural interpretation with descriptive classification and historical context.

Books or ANY purchase at Amazon made within 24 hours of visiting their web site via the Amazon logo here or on our website will benefit the VSA.

CLICK ON THE LINK ABOVE TO SHOP NOW

WEBSITE OF THE MONTH

Horizons: Canadian and Russian Landscape Painting (1860-1940)
Canadian Heritage Information Network / Virtual Museum of Canada

Discover the breathtaking landscapes of Canada and Russia through this unique virtual exhibit, featuring 250 art works by renowned artists.

http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Horizons/

PREVIOUS WEB SITES OF THE MONTH

Honoring Founders

Margot Gayle

More than anyone else eminent preservationist and author Margot Gayle can be said to have been a founding member the Victorian Society in America, as it was around her table the Victorian Society in America was organized in 1966. Margot chaired the first ever Planning Committee to form the VSA, was its first Secretary, first Membership chair and one of the first group of Vice-Presidents and remains to this day a loyal supporter and life member. May 14th this year was Margot Gayle's 97th birthday.

She is also the founder of the Friends of Cast Iron Architecture and is credited with raising public awareness nationwide of the significance of iron-fronted buildings of the Victorian era. Her preservation efforts extend from the 1960s when she successfully campaigned to save the Jefferson Market Courthouse in Greenwich Village (see below) to a drive in the 1990s to restore the Yorkville sidewalk clock on Third Avenue near 85th Street.

Jefferson Market Courthouse
interview with Margot Gayle

"In the early 1960s," Margot Gayle, the recalls, "the Jefferson Market Courthouse on Sixth Avenue and 10th Street, which was about half a block from where I lived, was put up for auction. They said they couldn't locate any agency that find any use for that odd building."

"But I knew that with really strong community demands, things that were not considered worthy at that time could be saved....And so we founded this organization called the Village Neighborhood Committee for the Clock on the Jefferson Market Courthouse. At that time, everything old was being torn down. People didn't think about conserving old buildings."

"Our committee, which included Lewis Mumford, Maurice Evans, and e. e. cummings, was in the forefront of something new. We met in my apartment. We had no money. But we did have an artist with us who designed Christmas cards of the Jefferson market, and we sat on the steps of the Jefferson Market and sold these Christmas cards. We got petitions signed. It was a heck of a fight that went on for about a year, but we succeeded."

"Philip Wittenberg, a well-known lawyer, felt very strongly that the Village needed a new library. There was only a small library on Sheridan Square, and the Village was a highly literate part of town. He brought pressure that the Jefferson Market become a big central library. But here's a funny thing. When the mayor said he would restore it for the New York Public Library, the library said, 'That's really nice. But we'd like to tear down the building and build a nice modern library.' 'No way,' said Mayor Wagner. He was a friend."

Further reading: http://www.lookoutjazz.com/projectsbell.htm

Other links: NY Chapter Margot Gayle Fund

Reinstallation of the Yorkville Clock by Margot Gayle

Flaming June

And finally, your staff of one in the art critic department of the VSA newsletter discovered a favorite work in the Museo de Arte de Ponce, in Puerto Rico: Frederic Leighton's Flaming June.

Members sat pondering the shimmering sea or the subject's protruding left foot, but one wondered how did the painting come to be in Puerto Rico? I owed it to readers to find an answer. Docents had to be probed; research had to be done. A fascinating story ensued.

Flaming June, (1895) Lord Frederic Leighton, Museo de Arte de Ponce, PR

Flaming June was painted c.1895 and first exhibited at the Royal Academy in London. It was not sold however, and, as Leighton died the following year, it came to reside with his family.

By the 1930s when Victorian art was out of fashion, and Leighton's work could be had for £200, Flaming June ended up in a hairdresser's salon in Albemarle Street, Mayfair. There were surely other owners, but eventually the painting was so unappreciated that it was walled-up, hidden behind paneling in a house on Clapham Common, S. London. This wasn't known until 1962 when, during demolition work, the painting was uncovered.

The revelation however, was not to be the painting's salvation. The demolition contractors were clearly modernists and naturally thought nothing of the artwork, so they sold the piece for the value in its frame. This was not an unreasonable notion as Victorian subjects were not only unfashionable by this time, but distinctly passé. Yet the frame was of Leighton's distinctive tabernacle style strongly influenced by Renaissance altarpieces and Greek architecture. A Polish frame-maker in Clapham concurred and priced the painting at £50 and the frame at £60. At this point the original frame appears to have been lost.

As for the painting, £50 proved too expensive for at least one potential buyer, who saw Flaming June in a shop window without its frame with a £50 price tag on it - and didn't buy it. "I was 15," he said, "and I didn't have fifty pounds". That young man was Andrew Lloyd-Webber, now one of the world's leading collectors of Victorian art.

The painting finally arrived for sale in London's West End. The interest in historically correct framing and the centenary exhibition of Lord Leighton's work at the Royal Academy prompted a reproduction of the original frame to be made by Arnold Wiggins & Sons. Information from the Wiggins Picture Frame Archive and drawings and casts made from Leighton's original frames made it possible for an accurate reproduction to be made.

You can see the original below in the photograph of Leighton's studio taken in 1895, and the reproduction in which it is now framed in the Museo de Arte de Ponce.

The painting fell to the Victorian picture-dealer Jeremy Maas, who tried to persuade every museum director in England to buy it - without success. Mr. Maas eventually sold it to the Governor of Puerto Rico, Luis A. Ferre, who presided over a most astonishing increase in the picture's value.

Sotheby's and Christie's visited Puerto Rico every year for two decades, lavishing lunches and dinners on Mr. Ferre and trying, and failing, to persuade him to sell.

Of course, by now, in 1996 to be precise, Lord Lloyd-Webber had managed to scrape together his fifty pounds. He offered six million for it. He sent letters of appeal. Nor was his offer the only one. It is wanted by Isabel Goldsmith, John Schaeffer and Jerry Davis, the big hitters in this market; and wanted by every art collector who sees this as the most luscious Victorian painting.

Charming, smiling, Don Luis resisted more than 50 offers and kept the picture for 40 years until his death three years ago at the age of 99. He left a large art collection, much of it hanging in the Museo de Arte in Ponce, but his trophy is Flaming June.

With thanks to the Museo de Arte de Ponce and the Puerto Rico Herald.

From Loggia.com
http://www.loggia.com/art/19th/leighton05.html

Of all of Frederic Leighton's paintings, Flaming June is perhaps the artist's most recognizable and best loved work. It is an image of splendid beauty that compels the viewer to gaze in wonder at the rapturous symphony of color and composition. In this painting, Leighton reveals his genius as both a colorist and a Classicist.

Although Flaming June does not tell a specific story, it is clear that the artist is inviting the spectator to contemplate the figure of the sleeping girl. Some scholars have suggested that this painting is Leighton's homage to a grand tradition in art history that goes back to Giorgione and Titian, in which images of slumbering women were represented. These sleeping women, who were usually at least partially nude and often referred to by the mythological name Venus, were meant to inspire sensuous thoughts (and reactions) in their primarily male audiences.

However, the Victorian era is notorious for its outwardly prudish attitudes toward overt sensuality. And while the model in Flaming June is certainly not nude, her fiery garments are meant to excite and arouse the senses. Indeed, the girl's dress is the most astonishing shade of orange, and this voluptuous color draws the eye. The vibrant orange is complemented by a soft band of blue in the background, and this effective combination of elements is but one of the characteristics that mark this painting as one of Leighton's most accomplished masterpieces.

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