Artist John Opie's Painting of a Lyman Boat

 

In the historical collections of the Sandusky Library and the Follett House Museum is a painting of a Lyman boat, titled Lyman Islander, by artist John Opie. Mr. Opie is a native of Sandusky, graduating from Sandusky High School in 1954. He earned Bachelors of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts degrees from Kent State University; after several years of teaching in art schools and universities, he became a full time artist, now living in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. John Opie’s family was associated with the O.P. Craft Company in Sandusky for many years. (His father was treasurer and general manager of the business.)

The Lyman Boat Company was founded in Cleveland in 1875 and moved to Sandusky in November 1928. They made wooden boats in Sandusky until 1973; these boats are still beloved by many Great Lakes boaters.

To read more about the Lyman Boat Works, read the book Lyman Boats: Legend of the Lakes, by Tom Koroknay (T, Koroknay, 2004), available for loan through the Clevnet system.   You can see a Lyman boat on exhibit at the Maritime Museum of Sandusky.         

Jay Vaughn McFall, Artist

Elementary student Vaughn McFall was listed as number 35 in the class photograph from 1883, taken on the steps of the old Sandusky High School on Adams Street. Jay Vaughn McFall was born in Sandusky, Ohio on December 4, 1877 to Mr. and Mrs. Jay Calvin McFall. His father worked in the family business, which was a men’s clothing store in Sandusky in the 1880s and 1890s.

After the death of  her husband, Mrs. McFall moved the family to Toledo, Ohio. In the 1900 U.S. Census, Jay Vaughn McFall listed his occupation as newspaper illustrator. In 1908, he married Adelaide Eddleman, and by 1910, he had his own art studio in Manhattan.  During his career as an artist, Jay Vaughn McFall did illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post, the Sunday Magazine of the Philadelphia Press, and the Chicago American. He died in 1912 from tuberculosis. His obituary (below) appeared in the New York Times:

Detroit Michigan, Dec. 5, 1912

Jay Vaughn McFall 34 years old, of New York, artist and magazine Illustrator died here today at the home of his mother of tuberculosis. McFall was a native of Sandusky, Ohio but began his Art work here. He went to New York as a member of the Art Students League and then to Chicago as an Illustrator for the Chicago American. Seven years ago he returned to New York and opened a studio illustrating for several magazines. His work was particularly known in the Saturday Evening Post.

Here is an illustration he did, from the January 19, 1908 issue of the Sunday Magazine of the Philadelphia Press:

This illustration appeared in the book, Prince or Chauffer? written by Lawrence Perry. (A.C. McClurg, 1911):

Painting by Charles H. Hubbell

The painting above was created by Charles H. Hubbell for Reinhardt N. Ausmus. (The library owns a photograph, but not the original painting.) The monoplane was designed, built, and flown by Ausmus in 1912. 

Reinhart Ausmus in 1920

Reinhardt N. Ausmus was only 16 years old when he built his first plane. Before serving in the U.S. Army as a flight instructor in World War I, Ausmus worked in Sandusky with another aviation pioneer, Thomas Benoist. Mr. Ausmus was an advocate for veterans' welfare throughout his life. He was appointed the first Erie County Veterans Service Officer in 1949, serving in that position until 1969.

Photo of Charles H. Hubbell, from the Smithsonian Institution Archives

Mr. Hubbell, who died in 1971, was one of the most well known commercial aviation artists of his time. Many of his paintings are now a part of the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum collection of the Western Reserve Historical Society.

Emma Matern Weaver, Artist

 

On January 1, 1897, Emma Matern, daughter of Henry and Lena Matern, was baptized at Grace Church in Sandusky, Ohio. Most baptisms in the Episcopal Church at that time were for infants, but she was in her thirties at the time of her baptism. Her baptismal sponsors were her sister Augusta Harrison  and Elizabeth Hudson, an artist and art teacher in Sandusky, and an early mentor to Emma Matern. Emma later studied at Adelphi College, the Art Students League, the Cincinnati Art Academy, and in Europe. She was known for painting flowers and portraits in oils and watercolor. In 1895, Emma Matern began teaching Art at DePauw University in Indiana, and in 1897, she married James Riley Weaver, a political science professor and a retired colonel in the U.S. Army.

In 1920, Colonel Weaver, who fought in the Battle of Gettysburg and was a prisoner of war during the Civil War, died in Indiana. He was a frequent visitor to Sandusky, Ohio, especially during the summer months, and he was buried at Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery. Mrs. Emma Matern Weaver died at her sister Augusta’s home in Detroit, Michigan on March 29, 1932. She was buried beside her husband, Col. James Riley at Oakland Cemetery.

An example of Emma Matern's work from AskArt.com

Fram Illustrations by Walter Farrell

Walter Farrell created several illustrations for the Fram, a publication created by the students of Sandusky High School, during the academic year 1904-1905. (At the time, the Fram was a journal published several times during the school year.) On the heading of the page about athletics, Walter drew a variety of pieces of athletic equipment as well as books, on either side of the decorative title of “Athletics.”

In the “School Notes” feature of the Fram, interesting bits of information were reported about current Sandusky High School students and alumni. “Exchanges” told about student publications from other schools and colleges. Walter created the illustrations for each of these Fram features.

Sadly, Walter Farrell passed away on April 30, 1905 after an illness of more than a year. He would have graduated with the Sandusky High School class of 1906. He was sadly missed by his classmates. Even after his death, Walter’s illustrations continued to appear in the Fram. A touching tribute to him appeared in the June 25, 1907 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal. His funeral was held at Sts. Peter and Paul Church, with his classmates serving as pallbearers. Father William Murphy officiated at the funeral.

Art Works by George Koch

Above is a painting by George Koch, which is on display in the Children’s Services area of the Sandusky Library. It depicts children building a snowman in the 1940s. 

George William Albert Koch was born in Germany in 1878. At the age of 14 he emigrated to the U.S. He graduated from the Pratt Institute in New York, and for several years he was a freelance artist in Connecticut. In 1921 George Koch moved to Sandusky, where he worked as the Art Director for the American Crayon Company. An article in the July 8, 1938 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal stated that Mr. Koch was “a brilliant colorist who is responsible for the many developments in the color line and head of the art department.”  Mr. Koch was a participant in many local art shows, and he often served as a judge in art shows. He took both first and second place in an exhibition of the Sandusky Camera Club in December of 1939, and in November of 1946, he took third place in an art show for his painting “Lengthening Shadows.” 

George W.A. Koch died on March 2, 1947. He was survived by his wife Maude, a sister, niece and nephew. Below are illustrations he made for promotional materials for the American Crayon Company.

 

John B. Tichenor, Portrait and Animal Painter

This advertisement appeared in a late nineteenth century Postal Guide, which was distributed to local residents, compliments of the employees of the Sandusky Post Office. Although John B. Tichenor was a native of Sandusky County, Ohio, for a brief time he had an art studio in the Lea Block, on Market Street in Sandusky, around 1895 or 1896.

The hours of the art studio in Room 3 of the “new” Lea Block were 9 a.m. to Noon and 1 to 4 p.m. 

Walter B. Rideout wrote in his book Sherwood Anderson: A Writer in America (University of Wisconsin Press, 2006) that Karl Anderson, the brother of author Sherwood Anderson, received painting lessons from Mr. Tichenor, when they both resided in Clyde, Ohio. In an article in the Sandusky Register of September 11, 1970, staff writer Ron Hall wrote an article about Sherwood Anderson, and other former residents of Clyde, Ohio. Hall interviewed local historian Thaddeus Hurd, who stated that at one time there was a group of artists in the community of Clyde, Ohio, and John B. Tichenor was probably the best-known of all the artists.

1935 Calendar Created by Sandusky High School’s Art Class

In 1934 the students of Sandusky High School’s Senior High art class created illustrations for a 1935 calendar.  Miss Marian Yocum, head of Sandusky’s Art Department, taught the senior high school art class. Illustrations created for each of the twelve months featured a print that had been engraved by students onto linoleum blocks. John Schoepfle illustrated the calendar page for May, 1935, which featured the Sandusky Library.

John Schoepfle, a 1934 graduate of Sandusky High School, was the son of Sandusky physician Dr. H. C. Schoepfle. John went on to study at the Cleveland Art Institute and later taught adult education classes in Los Angeles, California. In the 1970s, he and his wife Nadine moved from California to Kennebunk, Maine, where they owned and operated the Harbor House Gallery. The Gallery featured art work by both John and Nadine Schoepfle. Mr. Schoepfle died on January 4, 2011, at the age of 94. 

An article in the November 24, 1934 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal lists the names of the student artists, and describes the prints for each of the twelve months, as well as the cover illustration. The article went on to suggest that the 1935 Calendar would be ideal for gift giving during of the holiday season.

Corydon Whitten Bell, Author and Artist

On July 16, 1894, Corydon Whitten Bell was born in Tiffin, Ohio to Mr. and Mrs. Alvin J. Bell. The Bell family moved to Sandusky around 1910.  Corydon graduated from Sandusky High School in 1913, where he had been active in the high school orchestra under Eugene Ackley.  In the picture below, a copy of the Fram can be seen on the table beside his desk.

Corydon Bell attended the University of Michigan and Western Reserve University before entering Army Medical School. During World War I he served as a bacteriologist and instructor. In 1921 he married Thelma Harrington. They both worked in advertising in Cleveland, but later both husband and wife became writers. Often Thelma wrote the text of the book and Corydon did the illustrations. In 1944 the Bells moved to North Carolina where they lived on an old farm in the mountains, and enjoyed being away from the pressures of the business world. Bell says “Immersed in undiluted nature on our remote mountain, I evolved the idea of writing about some of the fundamental aspects of natural science.”  A few titles that he authored are: The Wonder of Snow; Thunderstorm; and The Riddle of Time. Corydon Bell’s works are featured in libraries throughout the U.S., the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Ohioana Collection of Ohio Authors.

On page 22 of the June 1913 issue of the Fram is a piece entitled “The Class Motto.”  The names of several members of the graduating class are listed, with specific letters in bold that spell out Ready For All Things. Corydon Bell’s name is the fifth in the list.

Charcoal Drawing of Paul and Clarabelle Cayhoe

Charles G. Cayhoe created this charcoal drawing of his children, Paul and Clarabelle Cayhoe, around 1909. Mr. Cayhoe was trained at the Zanerian College of Penmanship in Columbus, Ohio. He was a teacher of penmanship for thirty years, serving as supervisor of penmanship and drawing at Sandusky City Schools from 1910 until his retirement in 1919. 

Paul and Clarabelle Cayhoe can be seen in this family picture, along with their parents, aunt and grandmother.

The Ivonhoe Theatre

In 1914 and 1915, Charles L. Blatz was the owner and manager of the Ivonhoe Theatre, located on the west side of Jackson Street between Market and Washington Streets. An advertisement for the theatre stated that it was “built to conform to the Ohio State code, is absolutely fire and panic proof.”  Music was provided by a special musical instrument, the “American Photo Player,” which combined piano, organ, and musical and sound effects in one unit. In the lobby of the Ivanhoe, hung a painting by Ralph S. Tebbutt, said to be a rendition of a "Native American maiden." The model for the painting was Mr. Blatz’s niece, Ivon Gamble. Ivon was about nineteen years of age when Tebbutt did the painting.  

Ivon Gamble married Augustus Feick in September of 1921. Following the death of Mr. Feick in 1938, Ivon married John W. Campbell. Mrs. Ivon Gamble Feick Campbell passed away in 1985 at the age of 90. She is buried in Oakland Cemetery next to her first husband, Augustus Feick. Mrs. Ivon Campbell is pictured below in her later years.

Mr. Norbert Erney wrote a piece of sheet music entitled “Ivonhoe,” in honor of the theater. The sheet music is now located in the Arts Collection of the Sandusky Library Archives Research  Center. By 1916, the theater on Jackson Street became known as the Plaza Theater.

Portrait of Frank G. Sloane

In the Toy Room of the Follett House Museum is a beautiful portrait of Frank G. Sloane, painted by Caroline L. Ormes Ransom. Frank Gilkeson Sloane was the son of former Sandusky Mayor Rush R. Sloane, and his wife, the former Sarah E. Morrison. Caroline L. Ormes Ransom was an artist who spent time in Sandusky, Ohio in the mid-nineteenth century.  Caroline was known for painting portraits. Her portrait of President James Garfield can be seen at the James A. Garfield NationalHistoric Site in Mentor, Ohio. Young visitors to the Follett House Museum are often surprised to learn that the child in the portrait is a male, because he has long curls. Visit the Follett House Museum to see many artifacts from Sandusky’s historic past.

Charles Francis Schuck, Artist

Charles Francis Schuck was born in Cumberland, Maryland in 1868, to Mr. and Mrs. George E. Schuck. When he was seventeen, he moved with his family to Sandusky, Ohio. An article in the April 8, 1916 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal stated that Charles was born with a gift for painting. Charles was mentored in his artistic studies by Mrs. John Hudson, who taught many young artists in Sandusky in her later years. Several of the paintings by Charles Schuck featured scenes from the Lake Erie Islands area.  This Schuck painting of a young woman in a rowboat is on the wall of the Industry Room of the Follett House Museum.

Mr. Schuck’s painting Shoreline is included in the Sandusky Library’s Art Walk, a self-guided tour of the library’s art collection.      

This lovely water color scene of a wooded path in fall, entitled Autumn Road, is found in the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center.

Tragically, when he was only 28 years of age, Charles Schuck died during a yacht race on July 4, 1896. A storm suddenly hit the lake, and Charles was knocked overboard from the yacht Shamrock and drowned. He left behind a wife and young child, and his promising career as an artist was cut short. To see several paintings by Charles Schuck, visit the Sandusky Library and the Follett House Museum. Inquire at the Reference Services desk if you would like to view the self-guided Art Walk of the Sandusky Library’s art collection.

Ferdinand V. Seibert, Painter and Interior Decorator

Above is a tintype portrait of Ferdinand V. Seibert as a young man. Mr. Seibert was born in Sandusky, Ohio on February 20, 1861, to Valentine and Margaret (Ulrich) Seibert. This cabinet card of Ferdinand V. Seibert was created by photographer W.A. Bishop in the 1880s.

Ferdinand was well known as a sign painter and interior decorator. In the 1890s and early 1900s, Ferdinand V. Seibert was in business with a Mr. Hasselbach. Hasselbach & Seibert were awarded the contract for painting rooms at Sycamore School in 1894. When Hasselbach & Seibert did the decorating work for attorneys King & Guerin in 1901, the January 11, 1901 issue of the Sandusky Star reported that the work done by them was “as fine as any ever done in Sandusky.” Later, Ferdinand V. Seibert worked alone. In 1912 he created fifty-six life size oil paintings of bathing beauties for a local resort. Mr. Seibert did art work on the face of Frank Steinle’s “Wonder Clock,” now on display at Cedar Point’s Town Hall Museum. Ferdinand V. Seibert died on November 17, 1930, after a lengthy illness. His obituary, which appeared in the Sandusky Register of November 18, 1930, stated that he had been an expert sign painter, and a lifelong resident of the city. Mr. Seibert was survived by three sons. He was buried next to his wife, the former Mary Schumacher, at Oakland Cemetery.  The bracelet pictured below was crafted by Ferdinand V. Seibert from walnut shells. It can be seen at the Follett House Museum.

Artist Elizabeth Nourse and Her Mentor, Elizabeth Hudson

A copy of this painting of water lilies, by Elizabeth Nourse, is in the Artists of Sandusky file at the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center. In 1882 Miss Nourse became acquainted with Mrs. John H. Hudson of Sandusky, Ohio. That fall, Mrs. Hudson served as a chaperone to Elizabeth Nourse while she attended the National Academy of Design in New York City. Elizabeth’s twin sister, Adelaide Nourse, became the wife of Benn Pitman in Sandusky, Ohio on August 10, 1882, so perhaps that is how Elizabeth Nourse happened to be in Sandusky at that time. Mrs. Hudson, who served as a mentor to several artists in Sandusky, is pictured in the photograph below.

In 1887, Elizabeth Nourse, with her sister Louise, sailed to France. They lived the rest of their lives abroad, except for a few brief visits back to the United States. In 1895 she became the first American woman to be made an Associée of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. Several works by Elizabeth Nourse can be seen at the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. An online exhibit of images created by Elizabeth Nourse can be seen at the Mercantile Library in Cincinnati. Elizabeth Nourse died on October 8, 1938 in Paris.

Samuel and Fredericka Tebbutt

Samuel and Fredericka Tebbutt were married in Erie County, Ohio in October of 1875. The former Fredericka Zanger was the daughter of John and Louisa Zanger. She was born in New York State. Samuel Tebbutt was the son of Samuel and Ann Tebbutt, who were both natives of England. The elder Samuel Tebbutt came to the United States in the 1860s, where he worked as a house painter. Ralph Smalley Tebbutt, another son of Samuel and Ann Tebbutt was a well known painter in Sandusky. The younger Samuel Tebbutt worked as a professional sign painter, but he painted landscapes as a hobby. This painting of a stone powder magazine from Johnson’s Island, by Samuel Tebbutt, can be seen at the Follett House Museum.

These New England scenes were also painted by Samuel Tebbutt.

 

Fredericka Tebbutt died in 1926, and Samuel Tebbutt died in 1939. They are buried in the family lot at Oakland Cemetery.

The book Artists in Ohio, 1787-1900: A Biographical Dictionary features brief biographical sketches of hundreds of artists from Ohio. To see this book inquire at the Reference Services desk at the Sandusky Library.

Irma Harms, Cartoonist

An article in the March 10, 1928 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal featured an article about Irma Harms which read in part, “Sandusky Girl is Clever Artist.”

The article chronicled the career of Irma Harms, who was the daughter of Louis Harms and Hulda Steuk. While at the Cleveland School of Art, now known as the Cleveland Institute of Art, Irma took the pictorial course, which included sketching the human figure, still life, and drawing from nature. She worked with pencil, charcoal, pastels, water color and oils. Later she studied under the cartoonist C.N. Landon. During World War One, Irma did pan and ink illustrations for the Cleveland Press. Later she did illustrations for the Household magazine, Mother’s Magazine, and other publications. In 1928, Miss Harms was responsible for the cartoon “Gabby Gertie” for the International Syndicate of Baltimore. Irma wrote and illustrated a special “Gabby Gertie” feature for the March 10 Sandusky Star Journal. In this particular story, Gabby and her father attend family night at the new swimming pool at Jackson Junior High School. Gertie finds that her suit is too small, but she makes it fit by lathering her suit with liquid soap.

Irma Harms moved to Cleveland, where she died on October 13, 1952. At that time she was a resident at the A.M. McGregor Home.

George W. Melville, Artist and Engraver

George W. Melville was an artist, designer, and engraver. He was born in Sandusky, Ohio to Mr. and Mrs. William Gordon Melville in February, 1856. An early example of Melville’s work is found in the 1882 Sandusky City Directory, which features an engraving of the pump house and standpipe of the Sandusky Water Works.

The Melville engraving below lets area residents know that Sandusky photographer W. A. Bishop has his studio all on the ground floor. This image appears on the back of a photograph taken by W. A. Bishop of a Marsh family member.

By the late 1880’s, George Melville had moved to Chicago. He illustrated and published Gems of Wonderful Chicago and the World’s Fair and a book about the first twenty-four mayors of Chicago. He also created panoramas of the World’s Fairs in St. Louis, Portland, and San Francisco. His last years were spent in California, where he lived in Hollywood and was active in the St. Thomas Episcopal Church. He died in California in 1928.

Helen Hansen provides historical background information about the Melville family in Article 23 of At Home in Early Sandusky. At times, some family members went by the double last name of Melville-Milne, in accordance with Scottish tradition. The home of William Gordon Melville-Milne is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

J. Jay Barber, Artist

John Jay Barber was born in Sandusky in 1840, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Barber. He usually signed his name as J. Jay Barber. In the 1860 U.S. Census for Erie County, J. Jay Barber was listed as a law student. According to a biographical sketch of J. Jay Barber in the book Artists in Ohio, 1787 -1900, he entered the Bar in 1862, and he served briefly as a soldier in the Civil War. After the war, Barber focused on his love of painting. His specialty was landscape scenes including cattle. By 1871, J. Jay Barber had an art studio in Columbus, Ohio, where he pursued his craft and he also worked as a bank clerk. According to the Genealogy of the Breck Family, in 1871, J. Jay Barber married Amy Breck in Newton, Massachusetts. The couple had a daughter named Jessie in 1874.

Paintings by J. Jay Barber were usually set in Ohio. Mr. Barber’s sketch in Artists in Ohio, 1787-1900, states that the cows painted by J. Jay Barber were not “ordinary run-of-the-herd animals, but well known individuals like Pride of Eastwood, a Jersey cow, better known as Fannie.” J. Jay Barber won several awards for his artwork, including several awards from the Ohio State Fair. He exhibited his works at the National Academy of Design in the 1880’s. In 1882, Rutherford B. Hayes purchased a painting of a cow painted by J. Jay Barber. An image of the painting can be seen at the Object Catalog of the R. B. Hayes Presidential Center.

A sepia print signed by J. Jay Barber can be seen at the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center. (Ask Reference Services staff for more information.)

A large oil painting of four cows and a calf by J. Jay Barber can be seen at The Follett House Museum. Historical notes from our files indicate that it is thought that the scene was painted from a scene at Big Island, near Cedar Point.

Amy Breck Barber passed away in 1889, and she is buried in Greenlawn Cemetery in Columbus. After the death of his wife, and then his daughter, J. Jay Barber became despondent. Sadly, he took his own life on November 27, 1910. He is buried near his wife in Greenlawn Cemetery. An obituary for J. Jay Barber is found on the front page of the November 29, 1910 of the Sandusky Register.