newsletter spring 2014 Volume 22, Number 1 Decorative Arts Society DAS Newsletter Volume 22 Editor Gerald W.R. Ward Number 1 Senior Consulting Curator & Spring 2014 Katharine Lane Weems Senior Curator of American Decorative Arts and The DAS Sculpture Emeritus The DAS Newsletter is a publication Museum of Fine Arts, Boston of the Decorative Arts Society, Inc. The Boston, MA purpose of the DAS Newsletter is to serve as The Decorative Arts Society, Inc., is a a forum for communication about research, exhibitions, publications, conferences and Coordinator founded in 1990 for the encouragement other activities pertinent to the serious Ruth E. Thaler-Carter ofnot-for-profit interest in, theNew appreciation York corporation of, and the study of international and American deco- Freelance Writer/Editor exchange of information about the rative arts. Listings are selected from press Rochester, NY decorative arts. To pursue its purposes, releases and notices posted or received the Society sponsors meetings, programs, from institutions, and from notices submit- Advisory Board seminars, tours and a newsletter on the ted by individuals. We reserve the right to Michael Conforti decorative arts. Its supporters include reject material and to edit materials for Director museum curators, academics, collectors length or clarity. Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute and dealers. We do not cover commercial galleries. Williamstown, MA The DAS Newsletter welcomes submis- Officers sions, preferably in digital format, submit- Wendy Kaplan President ted by e-mail in Plain Text or as Word Department Head and Curator, David L. Barquist attachments, or on a CD and accompanied Decorative Arts and Design H. Richard Dietrich, Jr., Curator by a paper copy. Images should be provided Los Angeles County Museum of Art of American Decorative Arts at high quality (400 dpi), preferably as Los Angeles, CA TIFFs or JPEGs, either color or black-and- Philadelphia Museum Art Philadelphia, PA white, with detailed captions. Charles Venable The newsletter of the DAS is published Director & CEO two times a year at this time. Submission Indianapolis Museum of Art Vice President deadlines for 2014: March 31 for the Indianapolis, IN Nicholas Vincent spring issue; September 30 for the fall Research Associate, American issue. Please send material to: Gillian Wilson Decorative Arts Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, Curator emeritus, Department of Metropolitan Museum of Art DAS Newsletter Coordinator Decorative Arts and Sculpture New York, NY 2500 East Avenue, #7K J. Paul Getty Museum Rochester, NY 14610 Los Angeles, CA Treasurer Stewart G. Rosenblum, Esq. [email protected] Ghenete Zelleke New York, NY Samuel and Patricia M. Grober Curator, 585-248-8464, phone European Decorative Arts Secretary 585-248-3638, fax Art Institute of Chicago Veronica Conkling Chicago, IL To better serve our contributors and Independent Research Consultant the decorative arts community, the DAS Washington, DC website may provide information about events that fall between issues. Please send change-of-address information by e-mail to Secretary@ Cover image: DecArtsSociety.org. Vitrine, silver, moonstone, opal, lapis, lazuli, mother-of-pearl, baroque pearls, onyx, marble, ivory, enamel, glass and Macassar ebony veneers (replaced), for Newsletter design by Plum Crane. the 1908 Kunstschau, 1908, Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshops), Vienna, All content ©2013 Decorative Arts Society. Austria, 1903–32, maker; Carl Otto Czeschka (Austrian, 1878–1960), designer; Josef Berger (Austrian, 1874/75–?), goldsmith; Josef Hoszfeld, Austrian (1869– 1918), Adolf Erbrich (Austrian, 1874–?), Alfred Mayer (Austrian, 1873–?), silversmiths; Josef Weber (dates unknown), cabinetmaker; Wabak, Albrech, Plasinsky, Cerhan, unidentified craftsmen. Photo courtesy Richard Nagy Ltd., London; Dallas Museum of Art; Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc. See Acquisitions. DAS news DAS plans July trip to sites in and around Providence lans are underway for a Decora- Fuller Craft Museum (Brockton, Stanley Weiss tive Arts Society (DAS) tour of MA), Jonathan Fairbanks, executive Accommodations will be at the Pmuseums and other sites of in- director; • Hotel • collectionProvidence, of with meals at the terest in the Providence, RI, area from New Bedford Whaling Museum Providence Art Club, John Harvard’s July 18–20, 2014. (New Bedford, MA), Christina Con- Brewery & Ale House, Freestones City Tour venues and leaders will in- nett •, curator of Collections and Exhibi- Grill (New Bedford, MA), and Joe’s Old clude: tions Canteen. Art Club, with its galler- New Bedford Museum of Glass, Participants will be on their own ies and famous Fleur de Lys studio Kirk Nelson, president and executive for getting to the Providence area for building, • the led by Rob Emlen, university director; • this exciting event. curator, Brown University; First Unitarian Church (Tiffany Contributors to the DAS should Rhode Island School of Design mosaic), Kirk Nelson; have received full details by mail. Museum of Art, Elizabeth Williams, • Henry Lippitt House Museum, Further sign-up details are at the DAS curator; • Carrie Taylor, director; and website: www.DecArtsSociety.org • From the president DAS tours offer wonderful sights and insights By David Barquist, H. Richard Dietrich, Jr., Curator of American Decorative Arts, Philadelphia Museum Art, Philadelphia, PA; DAS president e are at the midpoint of 2014 Our thanks go to Nicholas Vincent collectors and, most importantly, our and already are looking for his work in planning and organizing Wback at some very successful this trip, which not only ran smoothly And another opportunity is almost events sponsored by the Decorative but was enhanced by beautiful spring atcolleagues hand: You in should the field. have received the Arts Society, Inc. (DAS) this year. Our weather. announcement of our upcoming trip goal is always to create opportunities I would also like to offer our heart- to Providence, Rhode Island, on July for contributors to experience familiar felt thanks to Jeannine Falino for gen- 18–20 (details above). This prom- and unfamiliar sites and collections erously offering a May tour of Gilded ises to be another wonderful mix of with a focus on decorative arts. New York, the sumptuous exhibition museums, historic sites and private We had a wonderful trip to that she co-organized at the Museum collections with unique, behind-the- Philadelphia in April, with venues of the City of New York. scenes access. I encourage each of our that ranged from early 18th-century These trips are one of several contributors to pass this information homes to a spectacular collection of reasons that the DAS is very special – along to someone you know who might post-World War II craft—and, with the we bring together people with shared enjoy joining the DAS and participating Philadelphia Antiques Show on at the interests in the decorative arts and in these programs. same time, there truly was something offer access to important collections On a personal note, I’m delighted for everyone. with generous attention from private to report that Nick Vincent was ap- pointed vice president of the DAS, just a few weeks before his marriage to Eliza Stoner. Our warmest congratula- DAS tour-goers tions to Nick on both fronts! in rose garden of Wyck. See more about this In this issue wonderful tour on page 2. DAS news 1–2 Book review 3 Events 4 News 5 Acquisitions 7 People 9 Exhibitions 16 Newsletter of the Decorative Arts Society, Inc. Spring 2014/1 Wyck, home of the Wistar-Haines family from 1690–1973 (above). Treasures from storage at Wyck brought out specially for the DAS—Schnapshund pitcher (right), glass, c. 1740–55, attributed to Wistarburgh Glass Manufactory (Alloway, NJ); collection of Wyck (Germantown, PA), and sconce frame (left), silk embroidery on silk moiré, 1738, Margaret Wistar, Philadelphia, PA; collection of Wyck (Germantown, PA)—surprisingly crisp and fresh almost 300 years later. Deshler-Morris House (Germantown White House), Philadelphia DAS tour participants at the home of Helen Williams Drutt English. residence of George Washington. Stenton, home of James Logan, secretary to William Penn. DAS tour participants arriving at Grumblethorpe, “John Wister’s Big Photos by Stewart Rosenblum and David Barquist. House,” 1744 Colonial German country seat with two-acre garden. 2/Spring 2014 Newsletter of the Decorative Arts Society, Inc. Book review Companion handbooks provide insights into Arts and Crafts movement in England The Arts and Crafts Movement in the North East of England: A Handbook and The Arts and Crafts Movement in Yorkshire: A Handbook, by Barrie and Wendy Armstrong. authors in 2013 by Oblong Creative Ltd., 416 Thorp Arch Estate, Wetherby LS23 7BJ, UK Reviewed by Sandra Jenkins, Independent Decorative Arts Scholar Both first published by the hese companion publications place during the heyday of the A&CM, phenomenon with outposts in provide a wealth of information from the 1880s to the First World Birmingham and the Cotswolds Ton the artists, architects, crafts- War, but studying, too, the roots of the and contacts in Glasgow. Neverthe- people and other practitioners of the movement during the mid-19th cen- less, the Movement’s ideas arrived Arts and Crafts movement (A&CM) in in the North East by way of writ- two regions of England. Both publica- the 20th century. ings of prominent and respected tions, or gazetteers, are combination tury,Both and itspublications lingering influences follow the into tour book