The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, DE  19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

Creator:          Fosdick, James William, b. 1858.                                

Title:               Letters

Dates:             1899-1935

Call No.:         Col. 529

Acc. No.:         80x186

Quantity:        35 items

Location:        9 C 3

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

James William Fosdick was an American mural painter, craftsman, and writer, born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, in 1858.  He first studied at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts School and then with Boulanger, LeFebvre, and Collin at the Académie Julian in Paris, 1881-1888.  During the early 20th century, Fosdick lived and worked in New York City.  His mural paintings mostly appear in churches, but he also did one for the National Gallery of Art. Fosdick is noted as the founder of fire etching in America, and he served as secretary for the national society of Mural Painters.  He died in 1937.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

Collection contains 34 letters addressed to James W. Fosdick between 1899-1935.  Most are from such noted artists as John La Farge, Frank W. Benson, Edwin Blashfield, J. Mortimer Lichtenauer, Chester Loomis, and F.D. Millet.  Letters describe painting techniques or contain personal news about exhibitions and/or family matters.  Other letters, including the ones from La Farge, pertain to Fosdick's work as secretary of the Mural Painters during La Farge’s tenure as its president.  An additional item is an article Fosdick wrote for the New York Times as president of the American alumni of the Académie Julian; it concerned a celebration in honor of Gari Melchers.     

 

 

ORGANIZATION

 

In alphabetical order by surname of letter writer.

 

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are in English, with the exception of one letter in French.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

Collection is open to the public.  Copyright restrictions may apply.

           

 

PROVENANCE

           

Purchased from N. D. Scotti.

 

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

People:

            La Farge, John, 1835-1910.

            Benson, Frank Weston, 1862-1951.

            Blashfield, Edwin Howland, 1848-1936.

            Millet, Francis Davis, 1846-1912.

            Loomis, Chester.

            Lichtenauer, J. Mortimer.

            Melchers, Gari, 1860-1932.

 

Topics:

            Mural Painters.

            Artists - Autographs.

            Mural painting and decoration, American.

            Art – Exhibitions.

            Letters.

            Artists.

            Painters, American.

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 9 C 3

 

Note: all accession numbers begin with 80x186; all letters except .31 are addressed to Mr. Fosdick

 

 

Folder 1:

 

.1         from John W. Alexander, New York City, October 27, 1903; needs to be released from committee work because he had a breakdown and hasn’t yet recovered

 

.2         Carroll Beckwith, New York City, May 14, 1901; the picture is a fine one but doubts it is an original Titian; should display it and solicit the opinions of others in the art world

 

.3         Carroll Beckwith, New York City, no date; will not be able to attend the club meeting

 

.4         Frank W. Benson, Salem, Mass., January 5, 1903; thanks for asking for one of his works for Fosdick’s exhibitions; has one ready (wild geese flying against a backdrop of sea and sky), if Fosdick thinks it’s appropriate

 

.5         Edwin H. Blashfield, New York City, November 12, 1902, to Fosdick, Secretary, Mural Painters; will serve on committee to revise constitution if meetings are not held during daylight hours

 

.6         Edwin H. Blashfield, New York City, no date; Mr. Willett is not aware he was elected a member of the Mural Painters – please let him know and invite him to tonight’s meeting

 

.7         Edwin H. Blashfield, New York City, no date; gives Mr. Howell’s (or Howells’) address

 

.8         Edwin H. Blashfield, New York City, December 18, 1903(?); about heating a large space [for a studio? or office?], and the necessity of putting in skylights and the difficulty of heating it

 

.9         Edwin H. Blashfield, South Dennis, Cape Cod, Mass., July 6, 1933; with envelope; has been feeling feeble, but the letters urging him to do a show have been cheering; Gigi has built a fine studio for me – the best I’ve had since I left Paris; still painting some every day, but can no longer climb to do mural work

 

.10       Hugh H. Breckenridge, alias “Breck,” Philadelphia, Philadelphia, no date, but envelope postmarked December 1, 1934; thanks for letter; has moved to Philadelphia; hopes to see Fosdick in Gloucester next summer

 

.11       Bryson Burroughs, New York City, October 28, 1903; will be glad to serve on the professional membership committee

 

.12       C. D. Gibson, New York City, March 12, 1909; will not be able to attend the dinner

 

.13       Alfred C. Haddon, Cambridge, [England?, but return address on envelope is Sugar Hill, N.H., and envelope is postmarked New York,] June 13, 1899; with envelope; found his letter upon his return from New Guinea and Borneo; see his article about charring designs (called poker-work in England) as practiced in those places; please send anything Fosdick has written on the subject of this type of work

 

.14       John La Farge, New York City, Friday, May 9; may not be able to attend meeting as am unwell – will come if feel better; would like to be part of discussion about the Hall of Records

 

.15       John La Farge, New York City, April 18, no year; isn’t it time to send out notice about spring meeting of the Society of Mural Painters?

 

.16       John La Farge, New York City, November 14; something about Mr. Maynard and an exhibition

 

.17       John La Farge, New York City, no date; need to change time of meeting

 

.18       John La Farge, New York City, March 9, 1900; has named H. Siddons Mowbray to a committee

 

.19       John La Farge, Newport, Rhode Island, June 5, 1900; the lists of committees was sent to someone else by mistake; wanted Mr. Blashfield’s comments; mentions their children

 

.20       John La Farge, Newport, RI, November 4, 1913; means to be in town by the 9th for the meeting

 

.21       John La Farge, Newport, RI, August 8; Mr. Maynard approves the selection of Mr. B[illegible] for the committee; do you know of anyone in Boston who can give me the address of a model?

 

.22       John La Farge, no place, 13th; about business relating to the Mural Painters society

 

.23       John La Farge, [New York City?], 31st; am now well enough to see people; spends days in his room or at the Century Club; not yet able to return to work

 

.24       John La Farge, no place, no date; sends a business question on a separate piece of paper; will get some autographs for Mrs. Fosdick

 

.25       John La Farge, no place, no date; about business relating to Mural Painters society

 

.26       Jules Lefebvre, Paris, March 6, 1908, to Gentlemen; letter in French; English translation filed with it; about a meeting of the American students who had studied at the Academie Julian in Paris

 

.27       J. Mortimer Lichtenauer, New York City, November 10, 1902, addressed to Fosdick as Chairman, Subcommittee on Decoration; will send a picture to the upcoming exhibition

 

.28       Chester Loomis, Englewood, N.J., November 10, 1902; hopes to be able to send a window design for the exhibition

 

.29       George W. Maynard, New York City, no date; “I vote for the section referred to in your letter.”

 

.30       Gari Melchers, New York City, February 16; will not be able to attend the meeting fo the “Julian anciens” this evening

 

.31       J. William Fosdick, President, American Alumni of the Paris Julian Academy, to the editor, New York Times, December 6, 1932; a tribute to Gari Melchers, about his studies at the Academie Julian

 

.32       F. D. Millet, New York City, February 12; just returned from trip South; has nothing to contribute [to an exhibition]

 

.33       H. Siddons Mowbray, Washington, Conn., February 7, 1915; when is well, plans to come to the city to visit the Architectural League and Fosdick

 

.34       Frederick C. Shields, New York City, no date; Maynard will change places with me; has written to La Farge

 

.35       Rose [illegible], Paris, December(?) 12, 1908; with envelope addressed to Fosdick as Vice President of the National Society of Craftsmen; thanks for magazines – cannot explain in English how much she likes his work; thanks to Mr. Giles [illegible]; I am not yet discovered – I am the Sphinx; sends a photo and would like to have a reproduction of one of his works

Name index to Col. 529 (acc. 80x186)

 

Academy of Arts & Letters   .9

Alexander, John W.   .1

Architectural League  .27, .28,  .33

 

Beckwith, Carroll .2, .3

Bell  .34

Benson, Frank W.    .4

Blashfield, Edwin H.  .5-.9, .19, .25

Breckenridge, Hugh H. (“Breck”)  .10

Burroughs, Bryson  .11, .19

 

Carnegie Hall   .9

Century Club  .23

 

Darley(?) & Co.  .8

 

Fosdick, Mrs.  .24

 

Gibson, C. D.   .12

Gigi  .9

Goodfriend, Mrs.   .3

Grand Central Galleries  .9

 

Haddon, Alfred C.  .13

Hambley, Mr. [carpenter]  .9

Hotel Gotham  .12

Howell (or Howells) .7

 

Julian Academy, American Alumni of  .26, .30, .31

 

Kittie  .9

 

LaFarge, John  .14-.25, .34

Lamb, Mr.  .14, .19, .22

Lefebvre, Jules   .26

Lichtenauer, J. Mortimer  .27

Loomis, Chester   .28

 

Maynard, Geo. W.   .21, .29, .34

Melchers, Gari   .30, .31

Millet, F. D.    .32

Mowbray, H. Siddons  .18, .33

 

National Society of Craftsmen  .35 [envelope]

 

Rose [surname illegible]  .35

 

Shields, Frederick C.   .34  

Society of Mural Painters   .5-.6, .15, .22, .25

            [note: many other letters mention meetings or committees, but don’t give the names of the organizations; it is possible these references are also to the Society of Mural Painters]

 

Willett  .6

 

Titian  .2