Polychromes

Vance Lewis Guest

2019-11-10T15:40:00.000-05:00

When I was growing up, I learned the family legend that some of our North Carolina ancestors were Cherokee. I was shown a photo of my grandfather and told that everyone could easily see that he was part Cherokee. When I researched my genealogy, however, I found no truth to the family legend, but I did find an explanation for it, as well as an enthralling history of my great-grandfather, Vance Lewis Guest.

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Slavery, Racism, and Charles Willson Peale

2019-05-19T19:15:00.000-04:00

Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827) was one of the pioneering artists of the early days of the United States. His portraits of George Washington are familiar to fans of American history. His museum, the first in the United States, combined his love of history, science, and fine art.

Charles Willson Peale, The Artist in His Museum, 1822
Collection of Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Looking beyond the surface of his illustrious career, Peale's story reveals the complexity of race relations during the late 1700s and early 1800s. A slaveowner for decades, Peale has been praised for voting in favor of abolition, with one brief biography from 1955 going so far as to claim that Peale "hated slavery and freed those few he had inherited as soon as they could support themselves" (Oliver Jensen, "The Peales," American Heritage, April 1955). In truth, Peale never inherited slaves, he purchased them or accepted them as payment for his paintings. While he did eventually free his slaves, his writings suggest he was not concerned about the harm that slavery did to the enslaved; instead, he was concerned that slavery harmed the slave owners.

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Nathan Waters, Annapolis Saddler

2019-04-27T15:28:00.000-04:00

For the past couple of years, I've been working on a historical novel set in colonial Maryland. As part of my effort to better understand what life was like in that time and place, I've been researching the lives of specific people to see what I can learn about the world in which they lived.

Although my research is focused primarily on Frederick County, the Maryland frontier of the 1700s, a deed from Frederick County led me to research Nathan Waters, a saddler in Annapolis.

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Hidden History - Manumissions in Land Records

2019-03-31T13:10:00.000-04:00

Maryland's Frederick County Land Records were used during the county's early years to document more than just the sale of land. During the 1750s, at least three instances of slaves being freed were recorded in the land deeds.

Manumission of Dick and Sue

Two people, Dick and Sue, who had been held as slaves by James and Elizabeth (Eltinge) Holmeard, had manumissions recorded in the land records in 1754 after James Holmeard died. Other people held as slaves by the Holmeards were not freed.

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Hidden History - Elizabeth Lamy

2018-11-12T17:04:00.002-05:00

Historians have, and still do today, overlook the stories and accomplishments of women. While doing research into my family history, I have come across documents relating to numerous colonial-era women whose stories have not been told, but should be.

Elizabeth Lamy appears in only a handful of records, but when you piece them together, she begins to emerge as a fascinating figure, an unconventional woman for her time. Digging into her story gives more dimension to the stories of better-known people she interacted with, and challenges some of our notions about the time period.

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Hidden History - Convicts Deported to Maryland

2018-11-04T19:59:00.001-05:00

Convicts Deported to Maryland from England in the Colonial Maryland Land Records

In this post, I'll be looking at convicted felons deported from England to Maryland. During the 1700s, along with the illustrious figures of history, England also sent some of their worst individuals to America. Depending on the crime, men and women were convicted to either seven or fourteen years of hard labor in the colonies.

Land records, especially from the colonial era, are an overlooked treasure trove for genealogists and historians. Sifting through the records is time-consuming and tedious, but well worth the effort.

While researching my own family history in Maryland's land records, skimming through the thousands of pages available online, I've come across quite a few items of interest which can be found only by viewing each page.

Every book of land records includes an index, but the index refers only to actual land deeds and includes only the names of the primary buyer and seller. During the colonial era, the Maryland land record books included a wide variety of other types of records: the sale of slaves, the marks of stray animals, supersedeas and judgment cases, even the occasional bill of lading. None of those records were included in the index.

Since I was taking the time to skim every page, I decided to keep track of these hidden treasures. I'll be posting them here to aid other researchers in their work.

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Hidden History - Bills of Lading and Bottomree

2018-10-08T15:02:00.000-04:00

Bills of Lading and Bottomree in the Colonial Maryland Land Records

Land records, especially from the colonial era, are an overlooked treasure trove for genealogists and historians. Sifting through the records is time-consuming and tedious, but well worth the effort.

While researching my own family history in Maryland's land records, skimming through the thousands of pages available online, I've come across quite a few items of interest which can be found only by viewing each page.

Every book of land records includes an index, but the index refers only to actual land deeds and includes only the names of the primary buyer and seller. During the colonial era, the Maryland land record books included a wide variety of other types of records: the sale of slaves, the marks of stray animals, supersedeas and judgment cases, even the occasional bill of lading. None of those records were included in the index.

Since I was taking the time to skim every page, I decided to keep track of these hidden treasures. I'll be posting them here to aid other researchers in their work.

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Arriving in America

2018-06-10T19:35:00.001-04:00

One of the great things about studying history is that there is always something new to discover, simply by asking a different question. As I work on a fictionalized account of historical events, I find myself asking very specific questions that I would not have asked otherwise. For example, it's generally known that German immigrants in the 1740s would most likely arrive at Philadelphia, but what was that experience really like? If you put yourself in their position, what were the logistical details of arrival?

I had casually assumed that everyone disembarked as soon as the ship docked, and that the ship would dock as soon as it arrived. The truth is far more complex.

"Philadephia in the Olden Time," print by F. J. Wade, circa 1875
Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division

Deciphering a Name

2018-01-13T19:00:00.000-05:00

One of the bigger challenges for genealogists is figuring out what a family name used to be, before the immigrant ancestors had their names Americanized. The further back in time you go, the more difficult it becomes. During the early to mid 1700s, names were recorded in government documents only if the individual was a property holder, passed through the court system, or was a government official. Ministers kept records of every baptism, marriage, and burial they performed, but not all of those records have survived. For communities without an established church, dependent upon annual visits by itinerant pastors, the records might not include individual names, just the number of people baptized.

For the family that forms the core of my book, there are varying opinions about their name. It was eventually Americanized to Poe. Some researchers have decided that the original spelling was likely Pfau, but I am inclined to think that it was actually Pau or Paü. The use of the umlaut seems unlikely, as "Paü" is used today in Turkey, while "Pau" is a German word that is pronounced like Poe. "Pfau" was often Americanized to Faw, indicating a clear phonetic difference between the names.

I decided the best approach would be a search for any documents signed by members of the Poe family. The earliest I found were land deeds in the collection of the Maryland Archives. The family patriarch appears to have signed his name Georg Jacob Paü. I'm still not sure what to make of the apparent umlaut over the u.

Georg Jacob Pau signatures on the official copy of the deed of sale for a portion of land he owned, dated 18 November 1761.

Researching 18th Century German Immigration

2018-01-08T19:57:00.001-05:00

Genealogists are some of the biggest history buffs on the planet. An initial online search for information about the German family I'm researching, who arrived in America sometime around 1742, pulls up a ton of research posted by genealogists, as well as a couple of self-published novels about German immigrant ancestors. Unfortunately, there is no single authoritative source about the family in question -- even within one or two generations, there are differing accounts of where they came from and when they arrived. I've had to make educated guesses to reconcile conflicting information and come up with what seems to be the most likely origin story.

Since Germany did not exist as a cohesive nation until 1871, it's not entirely accurate to call them German immigrants. Most of the colonial-era immigrants from the future Germany are referred to as Palatines, a reference to the region controlled by the Elector Palatinate, but this too is inaccurate. Looking just at immigrants coming from the Rhine River valley, there were numerous other territories from which they originated. Württemberg, for example, was a large region on the Rhine which was occupied by French troops during the winter of 1741-42 (one can easily imagine that people living in Württemberg may have been very motivated to emigrate to the new world after the French army finished ransacking their towns). However, for a variety of reasons, "Palatine" has become the generic term for immigrants from this region during this era, regardless of their actual point of origin.

Detail of map of Germania published for Benjamin Hederichs in 1742.
From Geographicus Rare Antique Maps

Writing Update

2017-10-09T18:42:00.002-04:00

I started writing my novel five weeks ago, and today I hit 10,000 words! Yay me! In theory, that means I'm about a tenth of the way done with the first draft. I'm also finding that I'm writing faster now than I did when I started. Research still slows me down--I'm not even remotely as familiar with daily life on the Rhine River during the 1740s as I am with daily life over here during that period, so I'm spending a lot of time reviewing scholarly works on the subject, trying to be as historically accurate as possible.

My feline research assistant, asleep on the job.

I'm finding that my many years of training in the visual arts is very helpful for writing this book. In drawing or painting, there have been plenty of times when I've gone back over my work and erased entire sections of the composition, reworking them until I get them right. It's something I'm comfortable with, something that doesn't intimidate me, because I've done it before.

I keep reminding myself that writing is the same. The first draft has the broad gestures and lays out the overall structure. The second draft is when I will fuss over the details. That mindset is keeping me from getting bogged down over specific scenes or sentences.

Switching Gears

2017-09-16T18:11:00.000-04:00

It's been two years since I posted on this blog, and it's been a very busy two years. Although I am still painting (updates on that soon), I've also launched a new creative endeavor: writing fiction.

When I was six years old and was asked what I wanted to do when I grew up, I declared that I wanted to make pictures and stories. Somewhere I still have a copy of my first effort at an illustrated book about a blue jay, started when I was six. Now, nearly forty years later, I'm making another effort at a book.

I've made several false starts at fiction over the years, mostly during my teens and twenties. I've been successfully writing nonfiction for decades, and I feel very comfortable with it. Two years ago, I decided to try fiction again, this time using my nonfiction experience to help me make the creative leap. In some ways, I felt like my writing style was as constrained as my painting style: very literal, unable to depict the world of imagination or fantasy or emotion. Rather than bemoan this as a weakness, I chose to use it as a strength.

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Old Skool Picnic Pavilion

2015-02-14T13:18:00.000-05:00

After a two year hiatus, I am officially back in my painting groove. I had to relearn a few things and, as always, learned some new things along the way.

Old Skool Picnic, Lakewood Pavilion, 6 x 12 inches.

I forced myself to leave my comfort zone with this painting, deliberately tackling the challenge of painting deep shadows using only warm colors--no blues allowed! I went back to what I learned in 9th Grade (cool colors recede, warm colors come forward) for setting up contrast between the distant landscape and the foreground pavilion.

My next painting will be only slightly larger, 9 x 12 inches, allowing me to finish relatively quickly. I still feel like I need to "warm up" to painting. I want to do another 48x36 inch canvas--I have the scene for it picked out--but I don't feel up to it yet. Still rusty.

Back to the Old Easel

2014-07-04T13:27:00.001-04:00

It's been almost two years since I posted to this blog, and very nearly as long since I've done any art. I was sidetracked by unfortunate family matters, but I think (I hope!) I'm ready to have art return to my life.

I'm about to start painting a scene from the 2011 Old Skool Picnic at Lakewood Park, using a photo I took as the source of inspiration. I laid out the sketch on the canvas a few days ago.

It's a small canvas, only 6 x 12 inches. A nice size for shaking off the rust from my brushes.

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Capitol Women

2014-06-22T16:53:00.000-04:00

I took a quick trip to Hartford yesterday to get a photograph of the Sedgwick statue on the Capitol building for an exhibit I'm working on. As I strolled around the building looking for Sedgwick, I couldn't help noticing that the building's artwork depicts nothing but Important Men from Connecticut history. Oh, those Important Men!

Sedgwick, on the south facade of the Capitol building.

Being a feminist, I immediately reflected on the total absence of women from the building--and then I realized that the women were all up top by the dome, mostly naked, and entirely fictional.

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Afternoon Sounds

2014-05-11T17:41:00.000-04:00

Cars easing by, Doppler-style

Cars racing by, loud then soft

Dirt bikes revving their motors to impress

Music pumping

Children laughing

Children shouting

Dog barking

Sirens at a distance

Tree leaves rustling

Wind chimes tingling

The call of the mourning dove

Dennis Harmon

2013-02-27T12:05:00.000-05:00

Dennis Edward Harmon passed away suddenly in the comfort of his home on Wednesday, February 20, 2013.

Dennis was born on April 20, 1946 at the Doctors’ Hospital in Washington, D.C., the son of James and Elizabeth (Lord) Harmon. The family moved to Ann Arbor, MI soon after, and Dennis enjoyed spending much of his childhood exploring the local natural history museum.

He began studying horology, learning the skills needed for watch and clock repair, when he was 14, working as an apprentice in his father’s clock shop. Later, Dennis moved to Los Angeles and found watch repairers who allowed him to continue honing his craft as their assistants, until he was ready to go into business for himself. His first work bench was small enough to transport in the back of his convertible whenever he moved to a new location.

Liar, Liar

2012-12-09T17:36:00.000-05:00

This is something I wrote in 2010, and just rediscovered. The drawings were done today, experimenting with computer art.

When I was five or six years old, living in our last home in Los Angeles, I started to develop my social skills. We lived on a street with many other children, and every day was spent playing in groups outdoors. On occasion, we ventured into one another’s homes and compared lifestyles.

I remember marveling at a bedroom shared by two sisters who had not only their own record player, as I did, but also their own couch and small television. Imagine! A television in a kid’s bedroom! To me this was incredible, a sign of a truly luxurious life. When I expressed my astonishment, asking if their parents really let them have their own TV, one of the sisters replied “of course” in a tone implying that everyone in the world had their own television in their bedroom.

Observations

2012-08-19T11:41:00.000-04:00

I've been painting in the window at Howland-Hughes since the beginning of July, and it's really a great experience. On one level, it's great because it gives me a good-size space in which to work on a large canvas, and because it forces me to paint at least one day a week.

Photo by John Murray of The Waterbury Observer

On a different level, it's great because of the interactions with the public. Children are the ones most likely to notice and take time to look at what's going on in the window. Adults in business suits are the ones least likely to notice or care (they are usually looking at the ground, at their cell phones, or at one another).

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Back on Bank

2012-07-03T18:50:00.002-04:00

As of this afternoon, I'm back on Bank Street! This time at Howland Hughes, thanks to Donna Bonasera of Connecticut Dance Theater and Hank Paine. I should be able to get down there at least once a week to paint in the window. Next week I'll be there on Wednesday. Stop by and check it out. While you're there, go next door to The Connecticut Store--they have some great items made locally.

Bank Street has become a real arts hub: Connecticut Dance Theater, Shakesperience Productions, Waterbury Symphony Orchestra, and the Arts and Culture Collaborative are all there. Now if only there was an art gallery on Bank Street... hmmm.....

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Artistic Traditions vs. Thomas Kinkade

2012-04-14T18:33:00.000-04:00

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The traditional, recommended career path for an artist today is to start out in an MFA program, where you learn how to build a portfolio and write an Artist’s Statement designed to appeal to the art world insiders. The standard resume of a late-career artist includes a long list of exhibitions, starting with juried shows, then invitational group shows, and finally solo shows. A particularly impressive resume will also include the names of prestigious collectors and museums that own works by the artist, a list of grants and commissions awarded by private and government organizations, a list of reviews in well-known newspapers and magazines, and a list of books in which the artist’s work has been published. The artist will create his or her work in a private studio, with all sales handled by a specific gallery.

Last Call!

2012-04-12T12:17:00.002-04:00

If you haven't gone to the Freight Street Gallery for the That's Women's Work II exhibit, time is running out. The exhibit will be open today, April 12, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday, April 14, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Freight Street Gallery: That's Women's Work Too!

2012-03-25T13:21:00.006-04:00

Here are some shots of last night's reception for That's Women's Work Too! at the Freight Street Gallery. I took the photos early on, before it got crowded. It was great to see such a large turnout.

That's Woman's Work Too!

2012-03-15T16:58:00.002-04:00

I'll be there, and so will one of my paintings!

Rush Hour

2012-01-20T19:08:00.001-05:00

The title of this post seems ironic to me, because I definitely have not been doing any rushing with my art lately. I can't believe I haven't posted anything in five months. My painting came to a screeching halt when Goldsmith's left Waterbury and I had to relocate back to my living room. Painting at home with only the television to keep me company is not the same as painting downtown, where people I know and random strangers would wander in to chat about the painting or watch me paint through the window.

Just before 2011 ended, I managed to finish my painting of Rush Hour Traffic. The scene is Union Street from the intersection of South Elm.