93 / 241
Maine Antique Digest, December 2016 13-B
-
FEATURE -
13-B
Samplers are among the antique textiles on view. Included is this work
by Hannah Susannah Robenson that served as a family record. She died
during childbirth at the age of 30. The sampler was likely finished by one
of her daughters.
Red Riding Hood is featured on this lithographed-tin tea set
made by Ohio Art Company of Bryan, Ohio. It dates to the
1930s.
Well-known Ohio artists represented in the
exhibit include Frank Duveneck (1848-1919).
This work,
Little Girl in Gray
, depicts a young
member of a wealthy family. “She epitomizes
the Gilded Age, dashingly dressed, very prim
and proper—more a miniature adult than a
child,” the gallery guide notes.
One of the more intriguing photographs on display
depicts an infant on a quilt with a double-barrel
shotgun, a poster of William McKinley (stuck to
the wall with a knife), and a political flag featuring
McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt, from the 1900
presidential election.
Contemporary art in the exhibit includes
Urban Exterior
by
Michael Weisel (b. 1946), a surreal 2014 oil painting depicting the
girl as more doll than person.
This dollhouse was made about
1970 by Doris Walker (1913-
1993). The house and most of the
furnishings were designed after
her grandparents’ home in Ohio.
The photograph in the foreground
shows the actual house.
Contemporary items include
this Little Tikes Cozy Coupe,
which was introduced in 1979.
The maker is based in Ohio.
One of Andrew Richmond’s favorite items in the
exhibit is this Pursuit pedal plane, which was
designed by Viktor Schreckengost (1906-2008) for
Murray Ohio Manufacturing Company. Over the
years, Schreckengost was behind numerous items
that received high acclaim, including the Jazz
punch bowl for Cowan Pottery, considered an Art
Deco masterpiece. For Murray, Schreckengost’s
streamlined pedal cars were part of the company’s
Steelcraft line.
A native of Lancaster, Ohio, Richard F. Outcault
was a cartoonist who initially created the Yellow
Kid, followed by the even more popular Buster
Brown. This painting book was designed for use
with watercolors.