From the Collections: Emma Stewart

Robbins Hunter, Jr., called this painting his most important piece. Looking at her, it is easy to understand why. The strong pyramidal shape, with the lighting focused on her neck and shoulders, the vivid blue of her wrap and the delicate lace of her dress, all against a dark background, Emma Stewart gazes directly and intently at the viewer and, by extension, the artist. Her complexion, with a delicate, feminine blush on her cheeks, suggests her youth and recalls the first blush of love. That the subject was the bride of the artist, and it was painted shortly after their marriage, makes the viewer feel an intimate sense of the couple’s affection for one another.

Mary Emma Stewart (1835-1889), known throughout her life as Emma, was the first wife of an artist with the wonderful name of Eliphalet Frazer Andrews. The couple was married in 1857, when they were both 22 years old: Emma was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1835 and Andrews was born in Steubenville, Ohio in 1835. He graduated from Marietta College and the Royal Prussian Academy in Berlin and finished his studies at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris before returning to Ohio where the couple married.

Following the election of Andrews’ friend Rutherford B. Hayes to the presidency in 1877, the couple moved to Washington, D.C.

Most noted as a portrait painter, several of his images are now in the White House, including posthumous full-length portraits of Martha Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Johnson. Other portraits hang in the Capitol Building. Andrews did not limit himself to portraits, and fourteen of his paintings, including interior and nature studies, as well as landscapes, are held by the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. The images came to the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery (formerly the Corcoran Gallery of Art) after the Corcoran was dissolved in 2014 by court order.

Andrews’ connection to the Corcoran came about in 1878 when he was hired by William Wilson Corcoran to establish what would become the Corcoran School of Art and design, a post he held until 1902. Originally, Andrews taught students visiting the Corcoran Gallery. Corcoran, realizing the importance of what Andrews was doing, donated the funding to formally establish the school which was to be associated with the gallery. The school was founded for the purpose of “encouraging American Genius.” After Corcoran’s death in 1888, a small building was built for the expressed purpose of housing the school. Under Andrews’ tenure, the school greatly expanded the scope of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the oldest and largest non-federal art museum in Washington, through the encouragement of young, talented artists. Many of the “new” artists’ paintings were accessioned into the collections of the Gallery.

In 1902, Andrews then became the director of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, which had become a major center of American art, both historic and contemporary. With its extensive collection of 18th, 19th, and early 20th century American art, the Gallery represented the most significant American artists but it also had a fine collection of European art. Andrews continued Corcoran’s philosophy of encouraging modern and American artists by showing and purchasing their work. Andrews began the Corcoran’s “Biennial” exhibitions, which highlighted young artists.

You can enjoy seeing Emma Stewart beginning in April when the museum will open the exhibition “A Collection of Treasures.” Interestingly, another painting will hang in the exhibition that has a direct relationship to Andrews and the Corcoran. It is the museum’s Carl Springer untitled snow scene. This painting was exhibited at the Corcoran Gallery Biennial in 1916, a year after Andrews’ death. Whether the two men knew one another is a puzzle currently being researched.

Plaque on back of Carl Springer snow scene

Emma Stewart Andrews died in 1889 and was buried in Steubenville. E.F. Andrews died in 1915, his body was returned to Ohio, where he was buried in Steubenville beside Emma.

President’s Letter

In December, the Museum was visited by a record number of visitors including the 3750 people who came on the one day of the Candlelight Walking Tour. People came to bring their children to see Santa, to see the fabulous gingerbread houses, and, always a favorite, to see the wonderful Christmas trees put up by the dedicated volunteers of the Robbins Hunter museum. A special favorite among the trees, moved into the Sitting Room this year, was the 1950’s themed tree with its bubble lights. Scores of visitors waiting to see the gingerbread houses commented that they remembered the lights from their childhood.

The search for the new Executive Director is well underway, with several interesting candidates. We hope to have an announcement soon.

As we move forward into 2020, we have a number of exciting and fun programs planned, including three Victoria Woodhull: Phoenix Rising round tables, the Garden Stroll and Garden Soiree, the Woman of Achievement Award celebration, the Scarecrows and, of course, the 2020 Christmas Candlelight Walking Tour.

This summer, the Museum’s collection of Clarence White photographs will be featured in a joint exhibition at The Works and the Columbus Museum of Art. The importance of White in the history of photography cannot be underestimated. He was self-taught, but with an eye that attracted the attention of the nation’s great photographers. Alfred Stieglitz came to Newark to meet him after seeing one of his images in an exhibition, and together the two brought the world of photography to Licking County. The pair hosted two exhibitions, one in 1898 and the other in 1899, that were held at the Newark YMCA. The shows featured an array of the vanguard of photography at the time. I encourage you to attend both The Works’ and Columbus Museum of Art’s exhibitions to learn more about the man who is credited as the teacher of Edward Steichen, Margaret Bourke-White, and Dorothea Lange. You will not be disappointed.

I am particularly pleased to be able to announce that we have three exciting new membership benefits:

·       A 10% discount at Alfie’s Wholesome Food

·       A 10% discount at Just WRITE

·       Reciprocal arrangements with over a thousand museums nationwide that members can visit for free or at a reduced admission, including discounts in the museum cafes and gift shops

These benefits are in addition to all that we have offered in the past, which, depending on your membership level, include discounts on rentals of our spaces, and, of course 221 Broadway East.

Speaking of rental spaces, the wonderful Octagon room can now be rented for intimate dinner parties, luncheons, teas, or even business meetings. This is through the generosity and hard work of board member Kevin Kerr, who has done an outstanding job of preparing the room for this use. I can literally say that people who see this space gasp. The room can be rented on a do-it-yourself basis or we can handle everything for you.

2020 promises to be an exciting year, jam packed with programming and fun events. I look forward to seeing all of you as we get ready to open the doors in April.

Volunteer Spotlight

In 1979, when Robbins Hunter, Jr. died, he left his splendid Greek Revival home and its contents to be a museum. As an antique collector and dealer, Hunter’s home was literally packed to the ceiling with items he had spent a lifetime collecting. To establish an endowment for the museum’s future, he also directed that properties he owned in Granville and elsewhere in Licking County be sold.

 John David Jones, executor of Hunter’s estate, would spend the next ten years of his life fulfilling Hunter’s wishes. He began by gathering his friends and fellow businessmen in Granville into a committee that would become the Board of Governors. One of these, Buck Sargent, was a master at talking his friends, family, and co-workers into volunteering their help. One of the first tasks at hand was to clean out the contents of the museum, determine what should be kept and what should be sold, and then to begin renovating and repairing the building.

 By 1982, the Robbins Hunter Museum began giving tours. The very first docent to lead one was Dorothy Garrett. A retired teacher, Dorothy had learned about the collections and house by serving on the committee that Sargent had formed. A historian first and foremost, Dorothy loved telling the stories of the house through time. “I believe telling people about their heritage and past enhances my own life,” she said recently. “When you are a docent, you can have a conversation about the past but you can also bring that conversation forward. You can find out about what people like and their own past experiences and build.”

 In the mid-1980s, Dorothy took a break from Robbins Hunter Museum and began training to be a docent at the Columbus Museum of Art. She discovered that the Columbus institution wasn’t too concerned about what she knew about art, they were more interested in her ability to communicate well with people. “They train you about the collections – weekly classes for a year! But they wanted their docents to be able to tell the story of the art and engage visitors in the experience. I learned a lot from that.”

 In 2006, Dorothy moved to Kendal and began volunteering again at the Robbins Hunter Museum. She no longer leads tours, but she remains an active presence at events. “The Robbins Hunter Museum is a neat place,” she said. “I believe in the importance of art. Just as music is best appreciated live, so is art.” 

 Visit the Robbins Hunter Museum Wed-Sat from 1pm-4pm through Dec 28, and during special holiday events.  Who knows…you may be lucky enough to find Dorothy here too!

From the President's Desk

As most know, executive director Ann Lowder retired on the 7th of September. She reports that she is enjoying not having to set her alarm clock, and that she is looking forward to travelling and spending more time with her family. She has already been on a trip to France and judged a flower show. If she is not careful, she will find herself with less personal time in retirement than she had while still working! We look forward to her continued input with some of our upcoming exhibitions. I met with her recently, along with Andrew Richmond and board member Rachel Menzer, to start hammering out the details of an exciting forthcoming exhibition on the pioneers of Ohio decorative arts and antiques collecting. Stay tuned, this will be a fun and insightful presentation that will be coming in 2021.

While Ann was in France, we installed a device that she has advocated having for years:  a 26” smart high definition television. The audio-visual equipment – it is so much more than a mere TV – is capable of interfacing with I-phones, laptops and other devices. It can stream images and videos of exhibitions on our second floor, making them available to those who cannot manage stairs. This is the pinnacle for our ADA standards. It can also be used to highlight upcoming events. We are just beginning to discover all the potential and possibilities of the “smart” in our “smart television.”

One of the first events where the television’s usefulness was put to good use was Ann’s retirement party. Thirteen years of photos of Ann and her numerous friends and partners brought happy memories to the event that everyone enjoyed.

One morning while at the Museum, I had the pleasure of watching a class of kindergartners from Granville Elementary make their first attempts at cursive handwriting by following the hand of their instructor live on the television. The five-year-olds were totally immersed and clearly enjoying the experience. The television made it so much easier for them to follow in real time. Kudos to Stefanie Lauvray of Just Write for this innovative program. We are already planning this to continue, and to include all ages, for those who missed cursive classes while it was on hiatus in Ohio. I think this will be a great, fun program for all ages!

Peter Lowe, of Dawes Arboretum, made excellent use of the television one evening for his presentation of “Putting Your Garden to Bed.” The ease of use and integration with his laptop was seamless. The high definition images could be easily seen from anywhere in the room. Best of all, Peter’s wonderful commentary and deep knowledge taught every single person in the room (myself included!) a little something. We look forward to having Peter come back in the spring, and hope all our Granville gardeners will come, hear, and learn.

 The “smart” television was the generous gift of the Granville Community Foundation, and for this we are tremendously grateful. The Foundation provides support for the arts, education, historic preservation and special events that truly define Granville. All of us at the Robbins Hunter Museum, its board, staff and volunteers, encourage you to support the Foundation and its programs. The Granville Community Foundation truly does make Granville special. In its short tenure at the museum, I cannot believe how much energy and enthusiasm has come forward just because of a “television”.

Can you spot the difference?

Thanks to the generosity of Jill Yost, a Granville Garden Club member, the Robbins Hunter Museum now has a growing collection of hybridized daylilies.

Daylilies belong to the genus Hemerocallis, and the name refers to the blooms which last no longer than 24 hours. The flowers are replaced by another on the same stem the next day. These perennials are a wonderful complement to the Jill Griesse Memorial Garden’s daffodils, and, when mature, will provide the gardens with a spectacular summer show.

Jill’s late husband Rick won national awards for his efforts. His most famous specimen is “George Jets On,” which won an Award of Merit, and the Annie T. Giles Award for best small flower from the American Hemerocallis Society. “George” can be found at the bottom of the entrance ramp under the Victoria Woodhull sign. All the other day lilies in the ramp were hybridized using George as one of the parents. “Jane Hiz Wife” is immediately behind George, with “Dot Her Judy” and “Hiz Boy Elroy” closer to the building. At first glance, they all seem to be the same cultivar, but sharp eyes will soon see the subtle difference.

Watch the Library area garden for daylilies in shades of reds, golds, and orange and on the east side of the Octagon Room are even more.