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BARRY

BRANDT STEELE,

the 'Life of ' I found a sentence that has been my guide all my life as well as the lives of many others. Here it is—'it is right and necessary that all men should have work to do which should be worth doing and be itself pleasant to do,- and which should be done under such

Brandt Steele in 1902. conditions as would make it neither overwearisome nor overanxious.'"

16 PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE HEIRS OF BRANDT T. STEELE AND THE INDIANAPOLIS MUSEUM OF UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED TRACES S HI F M A N

DESIGNER AND POTTER

So said Rembrandt Theodore Steele, son of the well-known Hoosier artist Design for a beer stein, Theodore C. Steele and his wife Mary Elizabeth Lakin Steele. Born in Battle Creek, about 1 898, Michigan, on 16 November 1870, Brandt Steele came to Indianapolis with his family in in watercolor 1873. At home Brandt and his sister, Margaret, often interacted with artists, craftspeople, and ink. teachers, writers, and musicians. The young Steele was influenced by his mother's love and knowledge of nature, and botany would be a lifelong interest for him.

Winter 19 9 4 Brandt Steele held an important place in Indianapolis during the first decades of this century. He was proba- bly the city's most active designer working in the and aes- thetic. Besides teaching at the John Herron Art Institute, he was an art potter and designer of stained , interiors, and metalwork. By studying for several years in Paris and Munich, Steele absorbed contempo- rary European taste. He combined aspects of the Nouveau style, German Jugendstil (style of youth), and English Arts and Crafts to create his own American vision. When his family moved to Munich in 1880, Steele came under the influence of German culture, lan- guage, and scenery. Because of these childhood years abroad and his study in Bavaria between 1895 and 1897, Steele reflected his love of Ger- many in his design work. Upon the family's return to Indianapolis in May 1885, he attended Indianapolis High Steele became a disciple of Morris School and graduated four years later. and undertook a career as a designer Joseph Moore Bowles, Bruce Rogers, working in the Arts and Crafts mode. "It is right and and Carl H. Lieber all exerted a pro- His goal was to have a career in archi- found influence on the young Steele. tecture and design. To this end he necessary that all men Of course, his parents also contrib- worked at the Indianapolis Terra Cotta uted to his education and outlook on Company, specializing in the creation should have WORK to life. His closest friend was Lieber, a of architectural and ornamental terra- member of a German family who cotta. Steele he needed further do which should be owned the H. Lieber Company, a fine education in architecture, so in the evenings he attended the Gewerbe- arts store and gallery well known in WORTH DOING and be the city. Meeting at the Portfolio schide, a private industrial training Club, Steele's group of lively friends school that became public in 1895 and discussed Morris, the Arts and Crafts would eventually be called Manual itself PLEASANT to do." Training High School. He took courses aesthetic, and other art-related top- in engineering, drafting, modeling, ics. Morris's book News from Nowhere, drawing, and geometry. Moreover, in published in 1890, made a strong order to acquire additional architec- impact on the budding artist. Accord- tural training, Steele sought employ- ing to Steele: ment with a number of Indianapolis architects. Those he worked for included The reading of this book and the subse- Bernard Vonnegut and Arthur Bohn, quent recital of a quotation from the same John Stem, Henry Hendrickson, and author made a profound impression upon Louis Gibson. While under contract me . . . made me decide then and there to with Gibson he helped design the give up being a great scientist. ... It was exterior ornamentation for the Manu- only after I had become really more factures and Liberal Arts Building at acquainted with my father and a friend by the World's Columbian Exposition of the name of Joe Bowles, that I found the 1895 in Chicago. goal I was looking for. 10 TRACES Left: Wall elevation, about 1900, in watercolor and ink.

Below, left: Three vases by Brandt Steele, about 1900.

Below, right: Iron candelabrum, about 1902.

he met the distinguished ceramist Steele clearly was familiar with the William De Morgan, discussed schools most current taste in . with him, and visited Kelmscott House Steele went to Munich around with hopes of meeting William Morris. 1895 to continue his art educa- Upon arriving in Paris, Steele attended tion. At that time the German the Ecole Normale d'Enseignement du style of decoration, Dessin (Normal School of Design known as Jugendstil (a variation Teaching), founded in 1881, which of the English Arts and Crafts style and MacMonnies had selected for him. the French Art Nouveau aesthetic) was Steele studied under Eugene Grasset, popular in Munich. Well aware of this, who was head of the program in deco- Steele was eager to participate in the rative composition. Grasset designed activities of the lively and cosmopolitan posters, furniture, stained glass, jewelry, city. Some of the leading artists included and interiors, among other things. Bernhard Pankok, August Endell, and Steele also studied at the Academie Richard Riemerschmid, who created Julian, the most popular and success- masterpieces in architecture, furniture, ful commercial academy in Paris, at and metalwork. Steele settled in the the Academie Colarossi, a private village of Schleissheim, where he had school in Montparnasse, and at the Uni- lived as a youth and where he would be Steele's father, T. C. Steele, the sculp- versity of Paris. He quickly absorbed among old friends. Sometime in about tor Frederick William MacMonnies, the Parisian Art Nouveau style, and it 1896 Steele was said to have studied and Gibson all felt the young student appeared in his work thereafter. with Riemerschmid, one of the most distinguished European architects and should study art in Paris for a number Since his days at work for the Indi- designers. He therefore acquired a taste of years. Brandt Steele was excited anapolis Terra Cotta Company in Indi- for German architecture, furniture, about the prospect of studying abroad anapolis, Steele had wanted to pursue metalwork, and glass. but wanted to explore England for his interest in ceramic production. possible schools, too. It was during this One of the elements of the Ecole Normale During his stay in Munich, Steele period that he created several designs d'Enseignement du Dessin was the study entered a competition to design a beer for Bowles's Modern Art, such as a dec- of a related . For brief periods in stein symbolic of the city. The stein, orative border and the initial "I" for 1894 and 1895 he worked at a showing the Munich skyline dominated the spring 1894 issue. in Brolles, making ceramic vessels and by the great Frauenkirche with its twin On his way to France in 1894, Steele clay pipes. During his visit to France, towers, won first prize and was soon stopped briefly in England, where Steele also became acquainted with produced commercially. When Steele the work of Clement Massier, who had returned to Indianapolis in 1897 his in the early 1880s established his own metalwork showed German influence. workshop in Golfe-Juan where he per- For example, a wrought iron candle- fected the technique of lustre decora- stick he designed between 1902 and tion. Besides Massier, Steele was aware 1905 showed similarities to some of of the reputation of Jean Carries, Riemerschmid's pieces. Furthermore, founder of the modern method of pot- Steele looked to a number of contem- tery manufacture. One of the most porary German publications, such as important Art Nouveau potters work- Kunst und Handiverk (Art and Craft), for ing in France, Carries is especially additional inspiration. known for his ceramics in the style of Steele worked in both the French Japanese rustic pottery. Two other cele- and German traditions. In 1898 he brated French Art Nouveau potters designed stained glass doors for the that Steele knew of were Adrien-Pierre interior of his father's newly purchased Dalpayrat and Auguste Delaherche. house, later named the Hermitage, in

Winter 1 9 9 4 19 Brookville, Indiana. The building was used as a studio by both T. C. Steele and J. Ottis Adams. The stained glass for the project, as well as for many oth- ers by Brandt Steele, is thought to have been executed by Ulysses Grant Cassady of Indianapolis. At the large art exhibi- tion, called the First Exhibition of the Arts and Crafts, held in 1898 at Short- ridge High School, Steele displayed designs for , ceramics, and metalwork, as well as examples of his pottery. The following year he showed additional selections of pot- tery. His work was clearly inspired by French Art Nouveau ceramics, remi- niscent of rustic Japanese and drip glazes. During this period Steele organized the Brandt Steele Pottery on Shelby Street. Unfortu- nately, a fire in the kiln went out of control and destroyed everything. In 1901 the artist designed the wrought iron gate at the southwest entrance to Crown Hill Cemetery. He established the Indiana Ornamental Iron Work in 1902 in order to create his designs in metal. Later that year, and in 1903, Steele displayed some of these new designs, including frames, candle- sticks, and a knife, at the annual exhibition of the Richmond Art Asso- ciation. Some of his metalwork could also be seen at the Seventh Annual Exhibition of the Society of Western Artists, which was presented at the John Herron Art Institute in 1903. In 1902 Steele married Helen Eliza- lectures on topics such as "History of East Drive in Woodruff Place. The beth McKay, daughter of Horace Ornament" and the "Origin and Devel- design of the house departs markedly McKay and Martha Nicholson opment of Decorative Forms." from that of the other houses built at McKay, leading members of the From about 1902 Steele, who formed the time. It includes an applied half- artistic and intellectual circles in his own architectural practice, designed timber and stucco facade, while the Indianapolis. Helen McKay had stud- stained glass and interiors Arts and Crafts taste predominates in ied at the Art Institute of Chicago and for, among others, several members of the interior design. Most important, often exhibited her work and taught the Lieber family. By its active patron- stained glass throughout the house children's classes at Herron. age of Steele, the Lieber family played reflects Steele's love of nature. It is Like his wife, Steele was a teacher an important role in the expansion of here, too, that his acceptance of the and lecturer of design at Herron. He the in the philosophical concepts of Morris is taught a design course called "Modern city. Herman P. Lieber's house, created most evident. Ornament" from 1902 until 1909. The about 1909, shows Steele's use of Among Steele's possessions are jour- subjects discussed included enamels, stained glass windows throughout the nals such as Kunst und HancLwerk, metalwork, illuminations, entire building. • Modern British Domestic Architecture and and textiles, leather, and interior deco- One of the most unusual houses cre- Decoration, Das Interieur (The Interior), ration. Other activities by Steele at ated in Indianapolis at the turn of the and The Studio. These periodicals illus- Herron included lectures or series of century was Steele's own residence on trated examples of the latest artistic 10 TRACES Above: Brandt Steele residence designed and executed in 1 904.

Top right: Brandt Steele displayed this pottery at the X o 5 Second Exhibition of Arts and Crafts, Shortridge High School, X Indianapolis, 14 through 22 April 1 899.

Lower right: Steele designed the principal's office of photography. He joined the India- School No. 45, 2 3d and Park Avenue, Indianapolis. napolis Camera Club, one of the The plan was executed about 191 0. most important organizations of its kind in the country, when it was Opposite, top: Design for stained glass windows for the founded in 1928. He exhibited at the First Invitational Club Exhibit of Pic- Herman P. Lieber home, Indianapolis, about 1909, torial Photograph held at the John in , ink, and watercolor. Herron Art Institute in 1934. His photographs also appeared in exhi- Opposite, below: Design for a cabinet for the Robert Lieber home, bitions elsewhere in the United about 1905, in watercolor and ink. States, as well as in South America and Japan. Throughout his life, Steele was trends in England, Scotland, Germany, between 1913 and 1914. Again, the win- always busy. He renewed his interest in and Austria. Steele especially valued dows clearly reflect Steele's use of pottery making and around 1945 the interiors and furniture designed by forms derived from nature. shared his hobby with Kurt Vonnegut M. H. Baillie Scott and Charles Voysey rom about 1910 until 1930, Sr., a longtime friend. He remained as well as works by Charles Rennie Steele worked in the design de- active with both the Camera Club and Mackintosh in Scotland, among others. partment at H. Lieber Company. the Portfolio Club until his death at In late 1905 Brandt, as vice president There he created catalog covers, the age of ninety-four in March 1965. of the Arts and Crafts Society of Indi- moldings, picture frames, man- anapolis, designed the interior of the Ftelpieces, and mirrors. The company, The author is indebted to Theodore L. craft shop at the society's new home established in 1854, was a large art- Steele and Elizabeth Steele Creveling who on East Ohio Street. Some five years related establishment that also had gave free access to the work of Brandt Steele later, he designed the interior, book- artists' materials, photographic sup- in their possession. Moreover, they always cases, and stained glass windows for plies, and manufactured picture were available for consultation and the principal's office at School No. 45 frames and moldings. Because of ill answered many questions about Brandt at the corner of 15th Street (now 23d health, however, Steele only worked Steele. Both read the manuscript and made Street) and Park Avenue. Steele later part-time after 1925. many helpful comments. The author also designed the stained glass for All Souls Upon retiring from work, Steele thanks Thomas Lakin Creveling for his assis- Unitarian Church in Indianapolis, built renewed his long-standing interest in tance on this article.

Winter <994 21