E-Museum of Pyrographic Art
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N E W S F L A S H !!!
1818 WOOD PANEL BY JOSEPH SMITH DISCOVERED ALONG WITH THREE OTHER WORKS BY THIS 19TH CENTURY ARTIST!
Look for four salons featuring his work, in addition to an 1819 folkart work from Pennsylvania, and a special story about poker-painting--all at the end of the 19th Century listing here in the Antique Hall of the E-Museum.
Antique Pyrography is a 3-page e-zine article by the E-Museum curator (published on another website) that offers a general history of the art form over the centuries. Most documented is the popular movement of the early 20th century.
PYROGRAPHY ART: Forgotten Gems of the Arts & Crafts Movement is an excellent article by Douglas Schneible, ethnographic art dealer and collector of antique pyrography. His article (published on his own Arts & Crafts website) offers a general history of the art form over the centuries with emphasis on late nineteenth and early twentieth century work. Of particular note are his segments on Charles H. F. Turner (1848-1908) and the George S. Stewart Co. See also on this site, select works from Douglas Schneible's varied collection of antique pyrographic works.
Early Twentieth Century
Alaska Salon*, works from a special Gold Rush Centennial exhibit entitled: "Burned Into Memory: Images of Alaska Through Historic Pyrography." This exhibit includes Reclamation works on moosehide. Following the exhibit is a link to an article with additional examples.
Poker Work* collection of pyrographic art, principally early 20th Century
Flemish Art Exhibit*
from the Private Collection of Peni and Lee Powell, with a link to an article showing how they display and care for their collection
Reprinted with the kind permission of the Australian Wood Review magazine is the story of the remarkable Australian artist Olive Hughes* and her work in one of the early factories of pyrographic art in Australia. The story is told in great part in her own words and shows examples of her work then--and NOW! She was also featured in the Woodcarvers On-line Magazine, in a segment entitled Olive Hughes--Still Making History! where you can see further examples of her decorative art work in pyrography
Christian Maraschin offers on his web site pictures from his interesting personal collection of Selected Works of Old, Antique, and Unusual Pyrography which he has been collecting since 1992. Among them are a folkart work on kangaroo leather, a decorated gourd from Cameroon, a casket done by a French prisoner of war in WWII Germany, a French postcard from 1911, and an early 20th C. Austrian cameo portrait
Anonymous, Lion, a circa 1910 wood panel of a lion in bas relief detailed in burning against a richly textured pyroengraved background
from the private collection of Douglas Schneible
Clyde Marshall Stewart, The Guide, professional artist, c.1907 wood panel, from the private collection of Douglas Schneible
Anonymous, Pair of Knights, pair of c.1900 Arts & Crafts Movement wood panels, each depicting a knight in full armor with his shield
from the private collection of Audrey Hamby
Nineteenth Century
Introducing Susan M. Millis: Artist and Conservator is the first page of Pyrograffiti 30 (published on another website*) that introduces this present day pyrographic artist who has studied the history of pyrography and obtained a university degree in the conservation and restoration of pyrographic works.
A segment entitled The Pinto Collection: Important 19th C. Pyrographic Artists on page two of the same article highlights Susan Millis' research and notes on that collection at the Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, U.K. Subsequent segments on that page illustrate additional 19th C. pieces in private collections.
Notes from Richard Withers*, from a Welsh pyrographic artist who has visited and documented much of the antique pyrographic art in the U.K. This is a valuable resource for researchers and anyone planning a visit to the U.K.
Sid Huttner's Lucile Project*, display of pyroengraved antique book covers in split suede plus an introduction and links to Sid Huttner's quest to locate individual examples of the many published versions of the book Lucile as a way of encapsulating 19th C. bookbinding techniques.
Norman W. King, an 1899 portrait of a young European man
from the private collection of Douglas Schneible
Charles H. F. Turner*, display of exquisite pyroengraved works by this late 19th-century Bostonian artist; from the private collection of Douglas Schneible.
J. William Fosdick*, This link is to an article in the Woodcarvers Online Magazine (WOM) with excerpts and illustrations from a Cornell University reprinted 1896 article written by J. William Fosdick, entitled "Burnt Wood in Decoration: Modern and Ancient Examples."
The WOM article, which shows a Fosdick picture and an 1862 work by Ball Hughes from the original article, in turn links to the original 1896 article. The WOM article also has a link to a Smithsonian website with an image of an original J. William Fosdick work--Joan of Arc--from their collection.
Published in the Ladies' Home Journal in September 1896 is a second article by J. William Fosdick entitled The Fire Etcher and His Art, which displays in a large engraving across the top half of the page his 9-ft by 13-ft triptych of the Glorification of Joan of Arc. This first link immediately above is to the E-Museum's display of the top half of the article (showing the magnificent triptych). Linked following are the text and additional images (including a bellows) from the bottom half of The Fire Etcher and His Art, which includes a short biographical note on the artist at the end.
(It is advisable to view each of these images at 50 percent to see each half of the article in its respective entirety, and then at 100 percent to view details of the images and read the text of the article.)
Despite his enormous talent for pyrographic work, you may be surprised at some of J. Wm. Fosdick's opinions about this art form. Also surprising was his apparent disapproval of adding color to pyrographic works--he did, however, employ gilding in his Joan of Arc in the Smithsonian's American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. It is also relief carved.
J. Wm. Fosdick, Decorative Portrait
(Lady Gainsborough? )*
Very large panel portrait circa 1897
from the private collection of William Drucker.
J. Wm. Fosdick, Let the Blaze Laugh Out*
Decorative wooden bellows dated 1897,
from the private collection of Jennifer Betts.
Wall Mural of Wood Panels*
dedicated in 1893 to the Church of St. Gwynog, Aberhafesp, Wales, U.K
by E. B. Proctor.
Anonymous, Four Seasons, set of four c.1890 wood panels each representing one of the four seasons and inscribed with apropos quotes from William Shakespeare
from the private collection of Douglas Schneible
A. Kohlbagen, Untitled, 1886, large framed wood panel inscribed in German
from the private collection of Douglas Schneible
Vincent Van Gogh* 1880 and 1881 images of a pair of unauthenticated works believed to be by this artist.
Otto Johnson, McIntyre & Heath, an 1874 portrait on wood panel, which has a sign in the mid section that says, "New York: Own Your Own Home"
from the private collection of Douglas Schneible
1866 Poker Art Work by Ball Hughes:
The Monk* signed, dated work
from the Private Collection of Joseph A Schiffenhaus Jr.
c. 1865 Poker Art Work by Ball Hughes:
The Monk* signed but undated work
from the Private Collection of Kelly Brown
1865 Poker Art Work by Ball Hughes:
General Grant Proclaiming the Surrender of Richmond*
from the Private Collection of Chuck Cordero
1864 Poker Art Work by Ball Hughes:
The Trumpeter
from the Private Collection of Douglas Schneible
1863 Poker Art Work by Ball Hughes:
The Blind Beggar of Gretna Green*
from the Private Collection of Michael Gildengorin
1863 Poker Art Work by Ball Hughes:
Don Quixote In His Study*
from the Private Collection of Sharon Throckmorton
c. 1862 Poker Art Work by Ball Hughes:
Don Sancho Panza Governor of Barataria*
from the Collection of The Bostonian Society and Museum
c. 1862 Poker Art Work by Ball Hughes:
The Three Witches of MacBeth*
from the Private Collection of David and Debbie Plunton*
Included is the summary of a report by Susan M. Millis authenticating this unsigned piece
See also J. Wm. Fosdick entry above for additional reference to this piece
1862 Poker Art Portrait by Ball Hughes:
Major General George B. McClellan*
from the private collection of Douglas Schneible
1861 Poker Art Work by Ball Hughes:
The Last Lucifer Match*
from the Private Collection of Frances Felix
Ralph Marshall, The Pretty Ballad Singer*, 1833-1834 work from the private collection of David Plunton. This work is one of three known works in this artist's "Candlelight" series. Also included in this salon is a link to an article with background information on the artist and his other works in the Pinto Collection in Birmingham, England
Joseph Smith, The Head of Christ with the Crown of Thorns, an 1821 work, in a private collection in Kuranda, Australia. Also included in this salon is a link to an article with background information on the Pinto Collection in Birmingham, U.K., where additional works by this artist are held
Joseph Smith, The Nightmare, from the private collection of Shaban Munir, was done after a painting by Henry Fuseli from his "Nightmare" series. Also included in this salon is a link to an article with background information on the Pinto Collection in Birmingham, U.K., where additional works by this artist are held
Joseph Smith, Lamentation of Christ, this 1820 panel from a private collection, is inscribed with Skipton, Yorkshire, 1820, and thought to be by Joseph Smith. Also included in this salon is a link to an article with background information on the Pinto Collection in Birmingham, U.K., where additional works by this artist are held
The following excerpt and its introduction are quoted here in their entirety as they appeared in the 1970 book by Edward H. and Eva R. Pinto, entitled Tunbridge and Scottish Souvenir Woodware: With Chapters on Bois Durci and Pyrography published in London by G. Bell and Sons:
"In Memoirs of a Highland Lady, the autobiography of Elizabeth Grant of Rothiemurchus, 1797–1830, the author writes about her uncle, Dr. James Griffith, who was head of University College, Oxford (1810–11):
'Through this library was a small room with a fireplace used by my uncle to heat his irons for his poker-painting . . . His graver style, whether in water-colours, chalks, reeds or burnt in, are considered to have shown great genius . . . The altar-piece in his own College chapel—Christ blessing the Bread—was of his own poker-painting. In the museum was a head, I think of Leicester, and while we were with him he was busy with a tiger the size of life, the colouring of the old oak panel and the various tints burnt on it so perfectly suiting the tiger's skin. Jane (younger sister of Elizabeth Grant) was his great assistant in this work, heating the irons for him in the little end room, and often burning portions of the picture herself.'"
Seventeenth Century
Sixteenth Century
Beautiful examples of 16th Century Italian Cassone (Chests) are in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum of London, England, (where at least one can be seen by appointment).
One example of an English cassone and another of a panel from an Italian sideboard are illustrated (by means of an engraving/drawing) in the
J. William Fosdick* article of 1896 published in one volume of the Making of America series of publications.
Fifteenth Century
"The art of Burning, or Etching, upon wood with hot irons was sometimes employed by the artists of the Middle Ages. A rich XVth century chest in the Musée de Cluny at Paris was doubtless done in this way."
Excerpt from notes by J. William Fosdick, c. 1888.
An illustrated article on Celtic Harps in
Pyrograffiti shows two very famous harps: the Trinity College Harp, which is on display (along with the Book of Kells) in the Trinity College Library in Dublin, Ireland and the Queen Mary Harp, which is on display in the Museum of Antiquities in Edinburgh, Scotland. Featured also is a reproduction of the Trinity Harp by Jay Witcher (harpmaker) and Charlotte Hallett (pyrographer) showing how the original Trinity would have looked in all its glory back in the 15th Century.
* Indicates an exhibit with a link to an illustrated feature article in the Woodcarvers Online Magazine (WOM)
You are leaving the Antique Art Hall.
You may wish to continue your stay at the E-Museum
with a visit upstairs to the
Antique Pyrography Tools Exhibit
Or you may like to visit the
Antique Pyrography Books Exhibit
Or visit one of the following:
Pyrographic Art Exhibit Halls:
Your comments and questions are welcome and appreciated. Please e-mail Curator.
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All rights reserved,1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 Kathleen M. Garvey Men�ndez
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