July 2006

THE 2006 VSA BOOK AWARDS
Presented at the Annual Meeting in St. Louis, MO, May 20th, 2006.

THE HENRY-RUSSELL HITCHCOCK AWARD
Named to honor the noted historian and early president of the Society
for a book on architecture or the decorative arts.

Bruce Davies, VSA President; Christof Mauch (co-editor); Dr. Cynthia Field, head Smithsonian Institution Architectural History and Historic Division; John Simonelli, VSA Executive Vice President

Adolph Cluss, Architect: From Germany to America
Co-edited by Alan Lessoff and Christof Mauch

For its international collaboration as well as its introduction of an important architect to the national canon, this book should serve as a model for future scholarship in the field of architecture in the United States.

CLICK THE BOOK TO PURCHASE AT AMAZON AND HELP THE VSA.

RELATED STORIES
□ Goethe-Institut Washington Newsletter
□ Washington Post article
□ 1892 map of Cluss buildings in Washington DC

Did you know?: Adolph Cluss was the only person to be personal friends of both Ulysses S. Grant and Karl Marx.

THE RUTH EMERY AWARD
Named to honor one of the founders of the Society for a book dealing with a regional topic.

Bruce Davies, VSA President; Anna T. D'Ambrosio (author); John Simonelli, VSA Executive Vice President

A Brass Menagerie: Metalwork of the Aesthetic Movement
by Anna Tobin D’Ambrosio.

With its elegant presentation of a dazzling assemblage of American decorative metalwork, this catalog will doubtless serve as a reference on its topic for years to come.

RELATED STORIES
□ Munson-Williams-Proctor Art Institute

THE W.E. FISCHELIS AWARD
Named to honor named to honor a member, writer, editor of the newsletter and 19th Century magazine
for a book dealing with 19th century art and artists

The Shipcarvers’ Art: Figureheads and Cigar-Store Indians in Nineteenth-Century America
By Ralph Sessions

For creating a new standard reference for the uniquely American art of wood-carving and for re-asserting the place of this art in the history of American sculpture.

CLICK THE BOOK TO PURCHASE AT AMAZON AND HELP THE VSA.

RELATED STORIES
□ Princeton University Press

Recommended reading

Other books commended and recommended by the Book Awards Committee.
Click on the books to purchase at Amazon and help the VSA.

	The Essence Of Line: French Drawings From Ingres To Degas (Paperback) by William R. Johnston, Kimberly Schenck, Cheryl K. Snay, Jay McKean Fisher (Editor), David P. Becker (Editor) From the Publisher Rarely seen drawings and watercolors by some of the most influential French artists of the nineteenth century are the subject of this richly illustrated publication from The Baltimore Museum of Art and the Walters Art Museum. From revealing preparatory sketches to exquisite finished watercolors, more than 100 works by artists such as Eugene Delacroix, Honore Daumier, Paul Cezanne, and Edgar Degas illuminate the range of French art over the course of a century of innovation. The BMA and the Walters have combined holdings of more than 900 French drawings from the nineteenth century, one of the nation's strongest and richest collections of French art from this period. The publication also includes works from the Peabody Institute Art Collection of the Maryland State Archives." "The Essence of Line offers the first comprehensive discussion of the formation of these collections and their significance for the history of French art.
	Modern Architectural Theory : A Historical Survey, 1673-1968 (Hardcover) by Harry Mallgrave Book Description This is the first book to provide a comprehensive survey of modern architectural theorem during three centuries of development. About the Author Harry Francis Mallgrave is a historian of modern architecture. He is the author, translator, and editor of various books including, Gottfried Semper: The Four Elements of Architecture and Other Writings, Otto Wagner: Modern Architecture, and Gottfried Semper: Architect of the Nineteenth Century, for which he received the Alice David Hitchcock Award from the Society of Architectural Historians.
	Dwelling Place : A Plantation Epic (Hardcover) by Erskine Clarke Review "Erskine Clarke's narrative of more than three generations of interlocking and enslaving families in Liberty County, Georgia, is epic in its scope and mastery. With extensively detailed research and evocatively restrained writing, "A Dwelling Place" is one of the best books ever on what it meant in day-to-day terms to be slaves and slave masters in the antebellum South."—Mark Noll, Wheaton College, author of "America's God, from Jonathan Edwards to Abraham Lincoln"
	The Makers of Trinity Church in the City of Boston (Hardcover) by James F. O'Gorman (Editor) Michael J. Lewis "...it makes you feel that you are seeing the building for the very first time." Leland M. Roth "The contributing writers are all outstanding in their respective areas and do excellent jobs in presenting their material."

VSA events

THE OFFICIAL VSA
ST. LOUIS PHOTO CD-ROM

280 superb digital images on one disk professionally prepared by Bob Chapman.

Obtain your copy for a $40 donation to the VSA Summer Schools.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

Rhinebeck: Tour of the Mid-Hudson Valley 2006
A reprise of the 2005 tour
SOLD-OUT..again.

If you registered you should have received a request for balance of payment. Please complete registration before August 15th.

...........................................

New Bedford, Massachusetts/ Providence, Rhode Island: Study Tour Weekend
October 27, 28 & 29, 2006
You are cordially invited to a fall weekend of touring two historic coastal New England cities.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE

RITUAL SPACES & PLACES:
Memory and Commemoration in the 19th Century
Co-sponsored by the Victorian Society in America

The 10th Annual Conference on Cultural and Historic Preservation

SEPTEMBER 14-16, 2006

SPECIAL DISCOUNT
FOR VSA MEMBERS
Click here to request a discount application form

One of the many speakers at the conference RITUAL SPACES & PLACES: will be long time VSA board member C. Dudley Brown, FASID. His subject will be: Congressional Cemetery, Washington, DC: The Ups and Very Deep Downs of America's First National Cemetery

Members

WINTERTHUR MUSEUM, GARDEN, & LIBRARY

Institute: Perspectives on the Decorative Arts in America

Fall Institute 2006
September 4-15, 2006

Winter Institute 2007
January 15-26, 2007

These intensive courses of study offer an in-depth two-week study of stylistic patterns and cultural contexts of domestic furnishings made or used in America and appeal to individuals interested in American decorative arts.

Each day begins with lectures by Winterthur staff and/or guest speakers. Most afternoon programs are conducted in museum period rooms or with artifacts in classrooms or field trips. Guide specialists lead groups of five in "room studies," and workshops are small to allow close examination of the objects.

During the program, participants may take special-subject tours in the museum, which allow in-depth study of particular styles and media. The cost of these optional activities is included in the tuition fee.

Participants will have time to undertake small research projects while attending Winter Institute and Fall Institute, and they are encouraged to become familiar with the Winterthur Library facilities during scheduled free time.

Perspectives on the Decorative Arts in America

Institutional Members

The Victorian Society in America is proud to list among its members many historic homes, museums, libraries, historical societies and universities.

We thank them for their generous support as partners in our mission to keep the spirit of the nineteenth century alive.

A special page is devoted to them where you will find a link to their web sites.

Link: Institutional Members

Contributing Members

The Victorian Society in America wishes to thank its Contributing level members for their generous support as partners in our mission to keep the spirit of the nineteenth century alive.

A special page is devoted to them where you will find them listed.

Link: Contributing Members

Old House Interiors

We are pleased to announce a new benefit for members.

Annual Subscription to Old-House Interiors Magazine at a Special Member Rate: just $12 for six issues, one year – a savings of 50% off the regular subscription rate of $24.

Now in its eleventh year, Old-House Interiors is intelligently written and beautifully photographed. It offers homeowners, interior designers and restorers expert advice on finishing, decorating and furnishing period homes of every era, from the modest to the extravagant.

Use the box opposite to request a form.

CHAPTER NEWS

A sampling of Chapter notices and newsletters

PDFs open in a new window

Falls Church Apr/May Newsletter
Falls Church June/July Newsletter NEW
Greater Chicago Lecture
Michigan Spring Meeting
Michigan Newsletter
Washington DC Events
Northern NJ Newsletter
North Star May Newsletter
North Star July Newsletter NEW

To be featured in this section, please send your Notices or Newsletters in document form to the VSA webmaster. This may either be the original draft format, e.g. MS Word, or a finished PDF.

NNJ Chapter

Saturday, September 30, 2006 - 9:30 - 5 pm.
Bus departs promptly from Montclair at 9:30 AM

The N. NJ Chapter is sponsoring a bus trip to the Doris Duke estate and gardens on Sept 30th, 2006.

Duke Farms, most recently home of Doris Duke, includes a tour of the Country Manor house, a walking tour of indoor display gardens and a bus tour of the 700-acre nature park.

Boxed lunch on premises included.

$75 for members of VSA; non-members $85.

For more information call Michele at 973-233-9887.

Open to all Chapters.

Temperance Tantrums

The Philadelphia Inquirer called them a "bizarre but entertaining blend of theatre, fervent anthems of sobriety and audience participation". They are, in fact, VSA business member Temperance Tantrums: a quartet of classically trained, yet high-energy, singers and actors in period costume poking fun at the temperance movement.

Based in historic Woodbury, NJ, Temperance Tantrums can enhance your business, festival or special event across the country at taverns, historical societies, museums, wineries, tradeshows, antique malls, and lawn parties or fairs.

For more information contact Andrea at: A123Reed@aol.com or call 856-845-5960
or visit them on the web at www.temperancetantrum.com

Located near the historic village of East Aurora, New York, is one of the area’s most beautiful bed and breakfast inns, a grand old Victorian with Italianate influences.

Like the surrounding western New York area, it contains much history - dating back to the early settlement of the area. Now owned by VSA member Peter Dunlop, The Lilacs sits majestically atop serene landscaped surroundings, and is the essence of a country estate.

For more information visit them on the web at: THE LILACS

Paned Expressions

Paned Expressions are glass artists specializing in the design, and fabrication of stained, etched & carved glass for home and office applications. All pieces are unique creations signed by the artists.

The richness and beauty of ever changing light streaming through the texture and color of stained glass is a wonderfully satisfying medium in which to work and create. Every window captures the essence of subject without compromising to technical difficulties of line and cut.

It's like painting in stained glass.

Visit them at: www.panedexpressions.com

Cherry Creek Inn, NY

VSA members Sharon and Lester Sweeting run this delightful bed & breakfast inn in Cherry Creek, NY. George N. Frost, a well-known race horse breeder and one of Cherry Creek’s founding Fathers built this splendid Italian Villa in the 1860s., now lovingly restored. Great for Winter being only two miles from Cockaigne Ski Area.

Cherry Creek Inn
1022 West Road (Cr-68)
Cherry Creek , NY 14723
innkeeper@cherrycreekinn.net
716-296-5105

Member renewals by email, please!

To reduce administration time and costs members are encouraged to receive renewal reminders by email.

Would members who are willing to be reminded this way please indicate by email to the business manager.

Thank you.

Email newsletter archive

If you have missed an issue of the VSA email newsletter, or which to revisit an article, you can now browse our back issue archive of email newsletters from the earliest text-based issues in 2003 up to January/February 2006.

Miscellany

WEBSITE OF THE MONTH

July 2006

Wikipedia
Victorian Era

Wikipedia is a revolutionary Internet resource: an encyclopedia written collaboratively by its readers making thousands of changes an hour, all of which are recorded on article histories and recent changes. Inappropriate changes are usually removed quickly, and repeat offenders can be blocked from editing. The link above is the Wikipedia article on the Victorian Era, and related links

PREVIOUS WEB SITES OF THE MONTH

PRESERVATION AWARDS 2006

ARTS & CRAFTS

The Neue Galerie New York has an exhibition opening on October 21^st, ‘Egon Schiele: The Ronald S. Lauder and Serge Sabarsky Collections’. For details Neue Galerie.

Waking Dreams: The Art of the Pre-Raphaelites - For details Delaware Art Museum
Frick Art and Historical Center in Pittsburgh (July 29 - October 8, 2006)
Cincinnati Art Museum (Oct 28, 2006-January 7, 2007)
Saint Louis Art Museum (February 3 - April 15, 2006)
San Diego Museum of Art (May 5 - July 15, 2007)

Frank Lloyd Wright and the House Beautiful - For further details Naples Museum of Art
Boise Art Museum, ID, July 15, 2006 – October 22, 2006
Columbia Museum of Art, SC, November 9, 2006 – February 4, 2007
Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art Midland Center for the Arts, MI, March 3, 2007 – May 27, 2007
Portland Museum of Art, ME (Reserved), June 2007 – September 2007.

The Handmade Tile Association and the Tile Heritage Foundation is planning a 4 day conference in Minneapolis, running from 13^th – 16^th September 2006. For further information Tile Heritage

Crosscurrents: Art, Craft and Design in North Carolina, an exhibition at the Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, running until August 6^th. For further details Mint Museum

Louis Comfort Tiffany: Artist for the Ages - For further details Toledo Museum of Art
Dallas Museum of Art, May 30 - Sept. 3, 2006
Carnegie Museum of Art
Pittsburgh, Oct. 14, 2006 - Jan. 14, 2007

Domestic Treasures; Tiffany Art Glass for the Public, an exhibition at the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, running until January 12^th 2007. For further details Morse Museum

Louis Comfort Tiffany and Laurelton Hall: An Artist’s Residence, an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, November 21, 2006 - May 20, 2007. For further details Metropolitan Museum

Letters to the Editor

A SAMPLING OF QUERIES WE RECEIVE AT THE VSA - CAN YOU HELP?

Dear VSA,

I am a volunteer for San Francisco Architectural Heritage and am attempting to research Peter Schmidt.

Schmidt was the architect for the Haas-Lilienthal House, the only Victorian-era house museum open to the public in San Francisco. Volunteers for our organization staff the museum and our organization's offices for preservation advocacy are in the upper levels of the house. We are hoping to expand our very limited records about Schmidt, not only because he designed our house museum, but also because we know there are approximately 60 extant Schmidt houses in San Francisco alone.

In an attempt to collect information and photos about Schmidt, I have absolutely hit dead ends everywhere I turn. I am trying to put out feelers to others in the industry to see if anyone can help. Would there be a place that I could post a request for information in case someone out there has information they are willing to share?

Thanks and Regards,

Kaleene Kenning

Home: 415.885.4842
Cell: 415.987.4447

And finally, your staff of one at the email newsletter reminds you that 2006 is the VSA's 40th anniversary. The VSA was incorporated on December 30th, 1966 in the State of New York, and through many ups and down is still going strong today.

I would be pleased to receive members' memories of the VSA, of its founding, its events, and its organization and people. Given a sufficient response, I shall publish a retrospective in a future issue. Here are some links to jog your memory:

About VSA

The President's Award

Life Members

Annual Meetings

Study Tours/Symposia

Let us know what you think of the e-newsletter and what you like to see in it.

UNTIL NEXT TIME
visit us on the web at www.victoriansociety.org

The Victorian Society in America
205 S. Camac Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
info@victoriansociety.org

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