Westport Permanent Art Collection Publication

Westport Schools

PERMANENT ART COLLECTION

Our Art
Heritage,
a Gift for
the Future
A Millennium
Project-2000

Front cover:
John Steuart Curry Comed y 1934 Fresco 180 x 90

(George W. Adams, Fi le Photo)
Back cover:

John Steuart Curry Tragedy 1934 Fresco 180 x 90
(George W. Adams, File Photo)

A Millennium Project - 2000

copyright © 1999 by The Westport Schools Permanent Art Collection Committee
a nonprofit Westport PTA Council subcommittee
All rights reserved
ISBN 0-9676752-0-0



Dedication

This catalog is dedicated to Burt Chernow
1933 - 1997
Founder and mentor of the
Westport Schools Permanent Art Collection.
The Coll ection is a tribute to his philosophy
that our chi ldren should be surrounded
by a visua l arts environment.

HENRIETTA CHOLMELEY-JONES
NEGRO HEAD Charcoal 77 x 73'11

• All dimensions are given in inches.
• Date information is given w here avail able.
• A ll artworks are signed by the artist unless otherwise noted.
• The WSPAC Committee rotates the Collection's artworks
throughout the W estport school system and public buildings. Therefore,
locations where th ey can be viewed are given only if the artwork has
been placed in a permanent location (such as a wa ll painting) .

Artworks from the Collection can be seen in the fo llowing locations:

Bedford Midd le School 170 Riverside Avenue
Coleytown Elementary School 65 Easton Road
255 North Avenue
Coleytown Midd le School 17 Morn ingside Drive South
Green's Farms School 125 Post Road West
Kings H ighway School 13 Hyde Lane
Long Lots School 260 South Compo Road
70 North Avenue
Parks and Recreation Bu ilding 110 Myrtle Avenue
Staples H igh School
Westport Town Hal l

• •

C ontents

BERNIE FUCHS HAROLD VON SCHMIOT,
ILLUSTRATOR, 1976 Line Drawing 30 x 21 'h

Foreword - Claire Go ld .......... ...... ... .. .............. ..... .. ...................... 2
Introduction - Ann Chernow ........................................................3
Preface and Acknowlegements - Mollie Donovan ........................4
Artists Represented in the Collection ........................................... 5
Selections from the Collection

Paintings, Drawings, Prints and Sculpture.............................6
Introduction by Phi lip Eliasoph ........................................6

Illustrations .........................................................................29
Introducti on by Howard Munce ....................................29

WPA Art ....................... .......... ................. .. .. ... ................ .... .38
Introduction by Eve Potts ...............................................38

Wall Paintings .. ........................ ... .... ............. .... .................. .46
Introduction by Christiana Cunni ngham-Adams ...... ......46

The Ford Times Collection ..................................................50
Introduction by Mollie Donovan ...................................50

Cartoons and Comic Strips ...... .......... .............. .......... .. ........51
Introduction by Mel Casson ... .... .. ............ .. ............. ..... ..51

Photographs .................................................. ......................56
Introduction by Larry Silver ...........................................56

WSPAC History Highlights and Exhibits .............. .. .....................62
Westport's Art Inheritance ... ... .. .. .. ...................... ... .. ... ... ............ 66
Authors' Biog raphies .................................................................. 68
About the WSPAC Committee .................................................... 69
Index ................................................. ......................................... 70

••

Foreword

In the years since I left Westport, I have often The arts provide the quintessential interdiscipli-
reflected on the reasons I derived so much nary experience, incorporati ng as they do aes-
pleasure from the stressful job of superintendent thetic, conceptual, technolog ical, social and
of schools. It is a community of dedicated, tal- historic elements. We can trace our view and
ented and sometimes visionary individuals. knowledge of the world through the arts.
Burt Chernow was one such individual. He
had great understanding and empathy with the In creasingly, our times ca ll for visual literacy to
artistic endeavor. This, coup led with his com- be an intrinsic part of a comprehensive educa-
mitment to materialize his vis ion of an art col- tion. A ll of us, and most assured ly the young,
lection for the public schools-the Westport are manipulated, driven, moved and seduced
Schools Permanent Art Col lection-rendered by the contemporary bombardment of images.
coun tless individuals and me willing faci litators It is incumbent upon educators and parents to
of his plan. Westport has been the fortunate help students develop critical judgment about
beneficiary of his effort. what they see. This can best be achieved
through the analysis and appreciation of the
Westport's long-stand ing support of the arts has artist's intent. Young people need to be able to
brought forth great talent from its student body. sort out real ity from fiction, and understand the
There are numerous examples in the fields of many ways they can be manipulated by
visua l art, theater and music of individua ls who imagery.
have had their interests and talents nurtured
and honed as students in the Westport schools. Finally, to lead a ful l and satisfying ex istence,
For many, the arts have become their lifelong one needs to complement the busy life.
pursuit.
There is no more stimulating or rewarding way
However, of even greater sign ificance is the to fill precious free time th an through the arts.
impact of the arts on th e intel lectua l develop- The arts may be man's best work. The arts pro-
ment of all other students who wi ll not pursue a vide a humanizing and communal experi ence
career in the arts. To develop an appreciation more needed than ever in a high-pressured
of and sensitivity to the world cu lture and peo- society where people increasingly work in iso-
ple around us is a crucial product of a good lation from one another.
education. The arts develop our sensitivity to
the individuality, the uniqueness of other peo- Claire Gold
ple. By viewing and studying a painting we Superintendent of Schools
must assume the other's point of view. This in 1980-1988
turn fosters an openness to ideas. The arts are
the ultimate expression and fru ition of freedom
in a democratic society.

2

Introoluction

M Y dear husband, Burt, loved Westport. was always genuinely pleased w hen former stu-
From 196 1 when he moved here from dents would stop him in town and thank him for
Brooklyn, to his death in 1997, Westport was his everything they learned about art. He was
Utopia, both as a place to live and as a place to always puzzled at how o ld they had become
share his vision of th e beauty and power of the w hen he sti ll felt as if he were twenty-three.
arts w ithin a responsive community.
He was a ra re individua l, an honest and uncon-
No one, including myself, understands how ventional soul, a delight and inspiration to
Burt accompli shed so much, for so many. In friends, loving and fun for our child ren and
1964 he began assembling the Westport grandchildren. Burt's devotion to art and to our
School s Permanent Art Collection wi th no assis- comm unity will not be forgotten because he
tance and no budget, but a big dream: to make leaves a legacy to many.
fin e art a dai ly part of the li fe of every chi ld in
W estport. Th at we have helped him achieve his dream of
publ ishing a catalog of th e Westport Schools
He also in itiated the Arts Advisory Committee, Permanent Art Collection would make Burt very
was one of th e founders of th e Westport-Weston proud. But if he were here he would say that
Arts Council and the creator of the Housatonic the greatest honor would be for all Westporters
Museum of Art wh ich is part of Housaton ic to treasure the arts in our comm unity, to pre-
Commun ity College in Bridgeport, Connecticut. serve Westport's past as a community of artists
and to continue his work toward helping the
More than any one accompli shment, however, arts flourish in Westport into the twenty-first
is t he collective impact of Burt's work; here in cen tury. He would want thi s for us all .
Westport it changed and elevated ou r arts env i-
ronment. He was a passionate, super-energetic Ann Chernow
advoca te of the arts. H e was proud to live in a Artist and Professor Emerita
town with a past and ongoing arts history and Connecticul State Community College System
he gave unselfish ly to add to thi s history. His
devotion and proselyti z ing for visual
literacy helped open the eyes of many to the
beauty and possibilities of th e visual arts.

Burt's comm itment to artists, his passion for
teaching and writing-he wrote over 40 art
books and cata logs-affected the lives of thou-
sands of people, inc lud ing the hundreds of ch il-
dren who were lucky enough to have had him as
their art teacher at Green's Farms School. Burt

3

Preface and Acknowledgements

A rtists have lived and worked in Westport To the Westport Mi llenni um Commi ttee, w ho
since the early 1900s. They are an impor- provided the seed money that made it possible
tant part of w hat makes this community a spe- for us to begin thi s project, to Susan M alloy w ho
cial place. We are surrounded by works of our sponsored the the printing of the catalog, and to
local artists, past and present, w hich hang in ou r The Betty R. Sheffer Foundation and Harriet and
schoo ls and public bu ildings throughout the Bill Heineman w hose contributions also support-
town and we are proud of this artistic heritage. ed the project, our sincere thanks. To compile a
catalog of this collection was Burt Chernow's
The Westport Sc hools Permanent Art Co llection dream. We th ank his w ife Ann, honorary chair-
(W SPAC), founded by Burt Chernow in 1964, is man of the catal og committee and th e extended
an important facet of our arts history. It is a Chenok-Chernow fami ly w hose contri bution
unique community resource that hel ps our helped make it a reality.
school ch ildren learn at an early age that art is
an integral part of their lives, as well as an O ver the years, grants from The Westport
important pa rt of th eir tow n's character. Woman's Club, The Westport Young Woma n's
League, The Sons of Italy, The Grace Salmon
We hope th at this catalog, which incl udes the Fund, The Betty R. Sheffer Foundation,
history of the Collection, a listing of all th e Newman's Own and private donations have
arti sts w ho have donated works to iC as well as helped make it possible for us to restore and
selections from it, w ill be used as an on-going reframe the artworks as needed. We thank all
reference by teachers, students and members of these organizations fo r li stening to our needs.
the commu nity.
For the past 25 years, a ded icated core of
We acknow ledge w ith gratitude th e support of W SPAC volunteers has served as cu rator for the
the Board of Educati on and the Town of Westport Collection. Thi s d iverse group includes
who recognize that the Collection is a unique Westporters w hose children have long sin ce
community resource. We thank them for support- graduated from our schoo! system- as w ell as
ing the concept of the Collection: to surround new members whose ch ildren are just starti ng
our chi ldren w ith original artworks as part of their th eir ed ucation. They rotate selecti ons from the
daily lives and to help them develop a lifelong over 450 artw orks available, and display th em
appreciation for fine art. We thank them, too, for in th e hallways, libraries, conference rooms and
providing financi al help. admin istrati ve offices throughout the Westport
schools and public buildi ngs. Together they
continuously search for new w ays to integrate
the Collection into the school curri culu m.
Their enthusiasm and dedicati on are key to th e
Collection 's continued growth and use in our
publi c schools.

Mollie Donovan

WSPAC Catalog Committee

Ann Chernow, Honorary Chairman
Mollie Donovan, Chairman & Editor

SUSAN MALLOY COCKENOE ISLAND, 1979 Katie Chase Mary Bea ll Mooney
Harriet Heineman Howard Munce
Oil on Canvas, 20" x 24" Mary Jo Lombardo Carol Randel
Prisc il la Long Ann Sheffer
Nancy McNerney Diana Tsimoyianis
Joan S. Mi ller Helenanne W illmott

4

Artists Represented 1$ n the Collection

ABBE, Ron DARGEN, Tad HOGAN, Anna MUNCE, Howard • SHEPLER, Dwight
ABULARACH, Rodolfo DARROW, Whitney, Jr. • HOLDEN, Lephe • SIAS, M. W.
ADES, Edward J. • DAUGHERTY, Charles • HOLMES, Ann * MUNROE, Enid * SIBERELL, Anne
ALBREKTSON, Al DAUGHERTY, James • HURD, Jud• SILK, George •
ALEXANDER, Diane • DE FOREST, Roy HUTCHISON, D. • MURPHY, John Cullen SILVER, Larry •
ANDERSON, Brad DECKER, Paul SKEMP, Dory Boland
ANTREASIAN, Garo DISNEY, Walt JACOBSON, Albert NAGER, Art SKIDMORE, Arba Read •
ARLT, Paul* DISQUE, Jill • NARBONA, Pia SLOANE, T. 0. Jr. •
DOHANOS, Stevan • JACOBSON, Sunny * NATKIN, Robert SLOM, Janet *
ARMS, John T. * DOTY, Roy NERI, Manuel SMITH, Al
DOTZEN KO, Grisha JOHNSON, Ceci le NEWMAN, Pearl SMITH, Chuck
ATHERTON, John• DRAKE, Stan • JOHNSON, Florence NONAY, Paul SNEDEKER, Sherie •
AUSTER, Lillian DREYER, Wallace JONES, Franklin NORMENT, John • SOGLOW, Otto
DUBUFFET, Jean JONES, Ralston NOYES, William * STAMOS, Theodore
BACIGALUPA, Andrea DUMAS, Jerry O'HARA, Jack STANLEY, Bob *
BAJ, Enrico DUNN, Alfred KANE, Gil OCHI , Freel STARR, Leonard •
BAKER, Harry DYER, Carlus • KANEMITSU, Mike OLIVEIRA, Nathan STERN, Bert
BARBOUR, Arthur KAUPELIS, Robert OLIVER, Janice STIEGELMEYER, Norman
EASTMAN, P.O. * KENNEDY, Helen OLSEN, Herb STRANG, Ray C. •
BARLOW, Dorothy Hope * EBY, Kerr* STRENG, Karlin
BARLOW, Perry * EDWARDS, Parker KEPPLER, Victor * PAINE, L. Gerard STRICK, Louis*
EINSEL, Naiad • KETCHAM, Hank * PARIN D'AULAIRE, Edgar SUGARMAN, Tracy*
BARLOW, Peter * EINSEL, Walter • PARKER, Ray SUTHERLAND, Jane
BASKIN, Leonard EISENSTAEDT, Alfred KETCHMAN, Niki • PELLEW, John • SWAN, Curt*
BAXTER, Robert C. * ELDER , Arthur* KIERMAIER, Constance• PETERDI, Gabor SYMON, Gail Hicks
BECHTLE, Robert KING, Warren PICASSO, Pablo
ENOS, Randy * KIPNIS, Robert PICKFORD, Rollin TCHAKALIAN, Sam
BELARKI, Rudy * KOBLER, Ruth Dyer PIERCE, Leona THEW, Robert Garret •
FABRY, Alois, Jr. KRONENGOLD, Adolph PRENTICE, John
BELL, Corydon FARRIS, Joseph KUHNER, El izabeth * PRICE, Garrett • TIPPIT, Jack *
BENTON, Suzanne FISHER, Leonard E. • KUHNER, Russell • PURDY, Donald
FLAHERTY, Robert PURDY, Lev• TOBEY, Barney
BESSER, Leonard * FOGEL, Seymour• LAMBDIN, Robert * TOULMIN-ROTHE, Ann •
BLEGVAD, Erik * FOSS, Kassie • LAPICK, John * QUIRT, Walter TRAGER, Philip
FOSTER, Malee LASALLA, John * TYLER, Mary
BOLLE, Frank * FOX, Gi ll LASKER, Joe RAMOS, Mel
BOLOTOWSKY, I/ya LASSWELL, Fred RAMSEY, Alice Harvey• VASARELY, Victor
BOND, Milton FRANK, Leona * LAWSON, Robert •
BOYER, Ralph L. • LEVINE, David RAMSEY, Charles * VERNAM, Roger *
BOYLE, Keith FRASCONI , Antonio LEVINE, Jack RAND, Paul *
BRIER, Helene• FRASER, James Earle* LIPSCOMB, Tallie REED, Allen C. VINGO, Pat
BROOKS, Dick • FREEDGOOD, Lillian LLOYD, Linda VON SCHMIDT, Harold
BROUGH, Richard FREUND, Elise LOBDELL, Frank REESE, David VREELAND, Alida
BROWN , Samuel • FRIED, Robert LOGAN, William REID, Charles •
BROWNE, Christopher FRIEDLANDER, Johnny LOONEY, Ben Earl REILLY, Donald * WADSWORTH, Lil lian
LOVELL, Tom * REMINGTON, Deborah WALKER, Mort
BROWN E, Dik * FUCHS, Bern ie * LOW, Joseph RICHARDS, Walter WALSH, John S.
LUPO, Dom RICHARDSON, Ernest WARREN, James
BURKHART, Hans FULWIDER, Edwin LYTLE, Richard RICHTER, Mischa WEBER, Bob Jr. •
BURROUGHS, Tracy• RILEY, Bernard WEBER, Bob Sr. •
BURT, David • GAY, Evelyn MACOUILLARD, Louis RIVERS, Larry WEINER, Sam *
BUSINO, Orlando GILLEN, Denver MALLOY, Susan * ROSE, Carl WEISS, Harvey •
GINSBERG, Madeline MANUEL, Dorothy H. ROSENDALE, Harriet WERTZ, Fritz
CADMUS, Paul GISH, Peter* MARCUS, Jerry • ROSENFELD, Mort * WESSELMANN, Tom
CAGGIANO, John • GOLD, Albert MARINO, Anthony* ROTHENBERG, Barbara • WILHELM, Hans •
CALDER, Alexander GORDIN, Sidney MARTIN, Freel RUVOLO, Felix WILK, Barbara *
CAMACHO, Paul GORDON, Isobel MARTIN, Henry WILKIE, Ulfret
CAPP, Al GRAMATKY, Hardie • MARWICKE, Tran SAGENDORF, Bud • WILLMOTT, Al *
CARDOZO, George • GRAY, Barbara • MATIOX, Charles SALLICK, Lucy • WILSON, Charles Banks
CASSON, Mel • GRAY, Harold • McCLELLAND, John SALWEN WILSON, Cynthia
CHADBOURN, Alfred * GRIMES, Thayer • McCORMICK SANDLIN WILSON, Rowland
CHAET, Bernard GURNEY, Eric• McCULLOUGH, Suzanne • SATZ, Janet * WINCH, Susan •
CHERNOW, Ann • GUSTAVSON, Lealancl McDERMOTT, John * SAUNDERS, F.
CHERNOW, Burt * McKINNICKINNICK, Maggie• SAXON, Charles WINGERT, Dick *
CHOLMELEY-JONES, H. • HALPER, Roe • MELCHERT, James* SCADUTO, Al
CHRISTO & JEANNE-CLAUDE HALSMAN, Philippe MELLOR, Mark • SCHNEID, Rozalind • WOODHAM, Jean
HANNON, Eugene E. * MINKOWITZ, Norma • SCHOMBERG, William• WRIGHT, George •
CIFOLELLl-LAMB, Alberta * HARPER, Charles MIRO, Joan SCHULZ, Charles
HAYDN, Mary MITCHELL, Mike • SECUNDA, Arthur YATES, Bill *
CLARKE, Peter * HAYTER, Stanley W. MOHOLY-NAGY, Lazio SELLER, Arthur YOUNG, Dean
CLYMER, John• MOORE, NED SELLER, Suzanne YUNKERS, Aclja
COLBURN, Jane HEATH, Howard * MOREHOUSE, Henry SHAHN, Ben•
COLEMAN, Lorring W. MORGAN, Wallace SHAPIRO • indicates artist lived and/or
CONANT, Howard HEURLIN, Colcord MORGAN, William SHARPE, Jim • worked in Westport
CONNER, Bruce HICKS, Lou MOTHERWELL, Robert SHE PHER D, J. Clinton *
COSTA, Joseph HIRSCHFIELD, Al
COSTA, Ronald HODGINS, Dick 5
CUEVAS, Jose Luis HOEST, Bill
CURRAN, Robert
CURRY, John Steuart •

Paintings, Drawings, Prints and Sculpture
Selections from the Collection

The Westport Schoo ls Permanent Art Collection by eminent figures such as Pablo Picasso, Joan
(WS PAC) offers an impress ive survey of artists Miro, Lazio Moholy-Nagy, Ben Shahn and Larry
documenting the major cu rrents and aesthetic Rivers, it is of even greater signi ficance for the
approaches defining the visua l arts throughout youth of the town to learn that respected
the twentieth century. I suspect that many American artists contributed to the dai ly civic
museum directors and their curatorial col- legacy of Westport. And th is tradition contin-
leagues would covet this collection's depth and ues today.
quality. One might even imagine it as the core
of a fi rst-class permanent collection for a The organ ic process of liv ing and creating wi th -
reg ional museum or university art gallery. But in a stimulating environment intertwines the
fortunate ly, its con tents are distributed, using town w ith the remarkable careers of lum inaries
And re Malraux's notion, as a true museum including: Pau l Cadmus, John Steuart Cu rry,
without walls. James Daugherty, Stevan Dohanos, Seymour
Foge l, Robert Lambdin and George Wright.
In keeping w ith Thomas Jefferson 's belief that a Beyond th is abbreviated list, Westport is bl essed
well-educated popu lation nurtures the ideals of with other top-notch professiona l ta lents whose
democracy, a pub lic art collection such as the achievements distinguish them far above the
WSPAC fo rtifi es and connects the goals of com- faint praise of being local artists. The catalog
mun ity-based citizenship with the values of cre- expands this list to ensure th at all the artists
ative enterprise . And it should not escape ou r who have resided in the community are appro-
attention or go unnoticed, that those individuals pri ately recognized for their generous con tribu-
who stand fo r uncompromi sing academic tion to the collecti on .
excellence in public education are th e same
pu blic-spirited leaders supporting the growth Through immediate first-hand, direct, on-site
and conservation of the WSPAC. The director observations of orig inal artworks in their corri-
of th e Philadelphia Art Museum, Fiske Kimball , dors, libraries and classrooms, generations of
noted in 1933 that " the public museum is dis- Westport school pupi ls are provided with this
ti nguished by its purpose and attitude. And that gift, allowing them to pursue thei r own artistic
purpose is to enrich th e life of the people gen- journeys of discovery. Whether an art teacher
era ll y, rather than serve a limited group. " Yes, assigns students to analyze an oil painting or a
art rea ll y does matter. drypoint etching, or through daily osmosis
when a perceptive student makes menta l notes
In recogni tion of its inestimable value as a cul - of a favorite we lded metal scu lpture or fresco
tural and pedagogical resou rce, we should mura l, the cumul ative impact brings the vi tality
accept the cha llenges of max imizing its benefi- of the visual arts into the educational experi-
cial existence. This enviable collection of ence. Along the way, children who first come
paintings, drawings, prints and scu lptures might into contact w ith figu rati ve life drawing or
well be considered as a visual encycloped ia abstract painting, learn to absorb th e visual arts
offering Westport's schoolch ild ren and the com- into their own crayon-box of life's essentia l
mun ity a precious point of reference with twen- too ls. For th e more emphas is that is given to the
ti eth-cen tu ry masters . Whi le it is surely enrich- creative life of the mind, the more we can
ing to have visual contact with origina l works expect that gradu ates from Westport's pubIic

6

schools will be endowed with a sensitive, cre- Thi s is the daunting challenge in protecting and
ative leadersh ip potential, making a difference disseminating the fu ture for the Westport
in our community, nation and global village. Schools Permanent Art Collection. Wi th the
impeccable efforts of its founders and current
Robert Henri , the American realist master and stewards, we can only imagine how the next
socially dedicated arti st, spoke affectionatel y to mi llennium w ill witness new artistic styles and
his own students: innovative creators. This legacy ensures future
generations of Westport youth to open their
In every human being there is the artist, hearts and minds to the artistic truths to teach
and whatever h is activity, he has an equal how life is beautiful.
chance with any to express the result of
his growth and hi s contact w ith life... Philip Eliasoph, Ph.D.
We wi ll be happy if we can get around that
art is not an outside and extra thing; that it Professor of Art History
is a natural out-come of a state of being. Fairfield University

This essay is a small note of gratitude in memory of Burt Chernow,
generous colleague, mentor and friend.

BEN SHAHN SINGING POLICEMAN
Drawing 14'/, x 16'/,

7

PAUL CAMACHO
BOY'S HEAD
Oil on Canvas
40 x 30

ALEXANDER CALDER
UNTITLED
Li thograph 23 x 31

8

ANTONIO FRASCONI
A,8,C
1965 Woodcut
19x13'h

MAGGIE M cKINNICKINNICK THE SEARCH, 1990 Monoprint, wi th additions of oil 39 x 17'h
9

ILYA BOLOTOWSKY UNTITLED, Silk-Screen 26-1/ 2 x 26-1 /2

TRACY SUGARMAN CLOWNS, Oil on Canvas 29'h x 39'/,

10

KERR EBY THE FOX HUNT, Etching, 10'/. x 12 '/,

GEORGE HAND WRIGHT LES EMBOULEMENTS, Etching and Watercolor 10 x 13

11

JOAN MIRO
WOMEN OF THE NIGHT
Lithograph

20 x 28 'h

ROB ERT MOTHERWELL
SPOLETO FESTIVAL
1968 Silk Screen
30 x 22
12

JAN E COLB URN
YOUNG BIRO

Bronze on Welded Steel
Sculpture 103/. x 1S'h x 10

N IKI KETCHMAN DRAWN
Aluminum and Steel Wire
Sculpture

36 x 12 x 6

13

VICTOR VASARELY
ONOHO
Silk Screen
20 x 16

ANN TOULMIN-ROTHE
7986 NIGHTLIFE
Oil on Canvas
25 x 30

14

ANN CHERNOW
THE SOUND OF ROUND
1982 Oil on Canvas
48" diameter

JAMES DAUGHERTY
RESEARCH

1961 O i l on Board
19'h x 23'/,

15

STANLEY W. HAYTER
EROS
Color Etching
23 x 18';..

NORMA MINKOWITZ
FROM NOTHING
TO NOTHING

Treated Fiber Sculpture
12 diameter x 4

16

\

1 ENRICO BAJ
PUNCHING GENERAL
Lithograph
26 '/, x 20

RAY PARKER
UNTITLED
Lithograph
21 'h x 30'/,

17

PAUL CADMUS

WAITING FOR REHEARSAL
1984 Etching
14 x 11 'hi

SAM WE INER

ABSTRACT
Acrylic on Canvas

7' x 10'

18

JEAN WOODHAM
THE PAIR

Bronze Sculpture
33';.. x 9 x 7

JOHN LASALLA
CLAM
M etal Sculpture
71 x 30 x 10

19

LARRY RIVERS 7966,
1966 Coll age/ Silk Screen
36'/, x 15 '/,

THEODORE STAMOS
SEA WAL L,1946

O il Painting on Board
29 Y. x23 %

20

PABLO PICASSO SUENO Y MENTIRA DE FRANCO (DREAMS AND LIES OF FRANCO)
1937 Etch ing and Aquatint (n umber 1 of 2) 131/., x 17'h

PABLO PICASSO SUENO Y MENTIRA DE FRANCO (DREAMS AND LIES OF FRANCO)
1937 Etching and Aquatint (number 2 of 2) 13'!. x 17 '/z

21

JEAN DUBUFFET
PAYSAN ET TERRITO/RE
19 75 Silk-Screen
21 '/, x 1 5'/,

LEONARD EVERETT FISHER
O RANG ES

1992 Oi l on Canvas
29 '/z X 35'/,

22

LAZLO MOHOLY-NAGY
CHALK COMPOSITION
1946 Chalk and Crayon

on Paper 17'/i x 14'/i

CHARLES REID
HARBOR ENTRANCE

Oil on Board 18 x 22

23

JACK LEVINE
WOMAN
Lithograph 7 x 5

PETER GISH
NASH'S POND
Watercolor 12 x 15

24

BERNARD CHAET
SUNSET THROUGH TREES
Oil on Canvas
50'/, x 25 '/,

ALBERTA CIFOLELLl-LAMB
FERTILE PERIOD 6

1990 Pastel on Paper
40'/. x 29'/,

25

LEONARD BASKIN
FOOTBALL
Woodcut

18x13 'h

JOHN T. ARMS
COMPTO N CH URCH

Etchi ng 5 x 6,1,

26

' ' ... "':..

.. ' ~ .. .. -..... ..-.

- - - -..- ..... _,... ... .... ~
..
... , ... .. ... .,
... ' ,..
... ' ' .... .,

' ~' -~ ...
-.......... -.. • •

-, ~ ..
-•-
-I

ROBERT KIPNI S ....
SHADOWS II, 1978

Lithograph
16'h x15 Y.

JOE LASKER
SACCO AND VANZETTI
G raph ic
16'h x21 'A.

27

ROBERT C. BAXTER ADIRONDACK CHAIR, Oil on Canvas 12 x 12

GABOR PETERDI GARDEN I, Oil on Canvas 20 x 30
2!1

Illustrations - Selections from the Collection

It is comforting to know that through the exis- Artists were not organ ized in th e early days.
tence of the Westport Schools Permanent Art However, after World War II several events
Collection, works o f most of our Westport illus- brought the illustrators together. First, there was
trators remai n in town and are on constant dis- the Westport Artists organization started by Ben
play in each of our public schools, Town Hall Stahl and Bob Harris to give the artists a break
and other public bui ldings. This unmatched from their routines. Once-a-week lunc hes
collection, founded in 1964 by Burt Chernow, proved impractical in a dead line business, so it
continues to grow as new works are con- became a once-a-month dinner at places like
tributed. The collection, plus the frequent ret- Longshore, Cobb's Mill Inn and the Red Barn .
rospective exhibitions for arti sts such as Hardie
Gramatky, Stevan Dohanos, Harold Von There were always guest speakers at these din-
Schmidt, Paul Rand and the Famous Artists ners: art directors, editors, publishers or other
Reunion Exhibit held in the Westport Arts business-related men. M any of them vowed
Center Gallery have helped to keep alive the never to return because of the roasting they got
tow n's unique place in Ameri can Illustratio n. from their audience of a11ists with gripes-and
often too much grape. Other times, the enter-
One hundred sixty-si x illustrato rs who worked tainment was a visual spoof of each others' work.
and lived in Westport, starting in 1902 when These sessions were hi larious, satirical revela-
th e first artists arri ved here, are listed in A tions of mannerisms, visual cliches Jnd th e lean-
Community of Artists published in 1985 by the ing on other artists' styles. And then there were
Westport-Weston Arts Center. A few may have the annual costume balls-usually held at Cobb's
been overlooked and others have settled here Mill Inn- which produced some of the most
since-but give or take a few, there is no other original costumes in anyone's memory.
community in th e country th at has attracted the
numbers of illustrators who chose Westport as Since its beginnings in 1907 as the Woman's
their home and workplace. When you add car- Town Improvement Association, the Westport
toonists, painters, sculptors and graphic design- Woman's Club has supported and has been
ers, Westport leaves any other place in the dis- especia ll y kind to the art community. In turn the
tant artistic dust. artists gave generously of their ta lents to local
causes, such as the club's yearly Yankee Doodle
The move here probably began because of the Fair fund-raiser. Eac h night of the fair several
town 's scenic countrysi de, its river and beach artists wou ld do first-rate charcoal portrai ts for
- plu s its closeness to New York, the source of five dollars each. Often, superb illu strations
most ass ignments from magazi ne and advertis- either wou ld be auctioned or put up for raffle at
ing agencies. The good word about Westport fifteen cents a chance. Many of these con-
got around. The town was the gathering place tributed works would be worth an astounding
of kindred souls who understood and supported amount today.
each other and spoke the same language.
Shopta lk is an artist's second language. In the The Famous Artists Schools (FAS) founded by
1940s, there was an influx of arti sts from Albert Dorne in 1947 brought another wave of
Disney Studios and still later others left artists to Westport. In addition to the twelve
Chicago, Cleveland and Pittsburgh to settle in artists who formed the nucleus of FAS, dozens
Westport. of talented illustrators and artists participated as
members of the school 's faculty.

29

Westport's illustrators have also played a large has passed. Now the magaz ines are almost
part in the U.S. postage stamp design program. devoid of fiction, hence of illustrations. Their
In 1957 Arnold Copeland, a loca l graphic meager size does not allow the space available
designer, and at the time President of the in the glory years and magazines no longer
Westport Artists, was one of the three persons play the part in home entertainment they once
selected to advise the Posta l Department on the did. And, with the exception of the artists who
design of future U.S. stamps. In the years since do story boards-anonymously- TV has not
then, scores of stamps have been designed by been good for illustrators.
Westport artists. In fact, so many, that
Washington asked that arti sts from other regions However, the arts continue to flourish in
be considered more often. Westport. There are still many illustrators,
although their number is smaller and their
After Copeland's term, the role was taken over names are mostly less well known . Painters,
for some years by Stevan Dohanos . Together, sculptors, cartoonists and graphic designers also
these men designed 59 stamps and they art- still live and work here. Seldom does a week-
directed many more. Many of the Westport- end go by without an exhibition opening in
designed stamps were once on display in the some part of this art-oriented town.
Westport Post Office lobby. Sadly, the collec-
tion was stolen and never recovered. Howard Munce
Professor Emeritus,
Today, the once-flourishing magazine world of Paier College of Art
copious fiction stories with large-sized formats

HOWARD MUNCE

AWARDS NIGHT
Oil on Canvas
28'/, x 11 %

30

Illustration was a strong entertainment medium place in the painting. On the other hand,
before the invention of television. Illustrations the illustrator had the words of the author
were as important as the text th ey accompanied before him and was charged with seeking a
and illustrators were held in high esteem. full realization of the text his picture wou ld
accompany.
In the catalog for A Centu ry of American
Illustration exhibit held at the Brooklyn More than one hundred illustrations are part of
Museum in 1972, Linda S. Ferber, Assistant the Westport Schools Permanent Art Collection.
Curator of Paintings and Sculpture, explains It includes works by George Hand Wright, who
the difference between an illustration and a was ranked as one of the nation's top illustra-
painting as follows: tors in the 1920s; Stevan Dohanos, famous for

An illustration is a picture linked to a text. his Saturday Evening Post covers; Harold van
In Europe and the United States in the nine-
teenth century, illustration was closely Schmidt, an authority on Indians and legendary
related to the popular tradition of narrative in his depiction of the Old West; Hardie
painting. Both narrative painter and illustra- Gramatky, best known for his Little Toot series;
tor made use of the same conventions - and Bernie Fuchs, who has an international rep-
gesture, facial expression, scenery, costume utation as a remarkable, innovative talent.
- all of which helped to tell a story and
were literally "read" by their audiences just Additional artworks have been acquired for the
as they read a novel or poem. The differ- collection by Howard Munce, artist and former
ence between the two was that the narra- art director-and by Walt Reed, who heads
tive painter often had no written text in Illustration House, Inc. in New York City. Both
mind as basis for his work and the only men also have contributed va luable historical
story was that implied by the action taking information about the li ves and works of our
local illustrators.

M.D.

STEVAN DOHANOS

SATURDAY EVENING POST COVER

Illustration 29%x 23 '/,

31

:l

BERNIE FUCHS
PRESIDENT KENNEDY
Lithograph
32 x 22

LEALAND GUSTAVSON MOUNTAIN MEN, Watercolor 30 x 36
32

MORT ROSENFELD ER
Waterco lor on Illustration
Board lS 'h x ll '/2

JIM SHARPE
WESTPORT BEATS
SIMBURY 2-1 , 1984
Aery Iic/Graphite/ lnks
on Paper 27'/z x 19'h

33

JOHN McDERMOTT
HALFTIME TALK, Acrylic on
Illustration Board 29 '/, x 19'/,

JOHN CLYMER MOBY DICK, Oil on Canvas 19-1 / 2 x 39-1/2
34

J. CLINTON SHEPHERD

THE WAFFLE SHOPPE

Oil on Canvas 38 x 30
(G. W. Adams, File Photo)

TOM LOVELL FDR ARRIVING AT CHICAGO A IRPO RT, Oil on Board 1S'h x 36
35

ERIK BLEGVAD
THE CASTLE SECRET
1959 Watercolor

1 3 ~ x 10'/,

NAIAD & WALTER EINSEL
SAVE COCKENOE
Si lk-Screen
30 x 20

36

ROBERT LAWSON
MAN AND MUSHROOM

Lithograph
7 x 5'!.

HARDIE GRAMATKY ORIGINAL "LITTLE TOOT" COVER ART, Tempera 13 x 23

37

WPA Art = Selections from the CoHection

The art of the Depression era, commonly men and women . The CWA was not renewed
known as WPA Art, has been called an in 1934, because Roosevelt became alarmed at
American Renaissance by some and scoffed at as its cost and the possibility of local graft.
propagandist art by others. Often realistic, his-
torica l and sentimental, the works produced dur- George Biddle, artist and close friend of
ing this time still stimulate fierce debate. Roosevelt, who was fami liar wi th the mural
Whatever the view, it is safe to say that some- program sponsored by the Mexican govern ment
thing important for art happened during that time in the 1920s, suggested that America's artists be
and Westport was an integra l part of that scene. employed to create artworks for public bu ild-
ings. His suggestion was immediate ly accepted
No one knows exactly how many people were by Roosevelt and the Public Works of Art
out of work during the Depression. A complete Project-an unprecedented program of scu lp-
count was never made, but it is estimated that ture and art that wou ld eventu ally involve more
between 12 and 15 million people-one-quar- than 3,000 artists who produced more than
ter of the nation's workforce-were unem- 15,000 works including 700 murals-was creat-
ployed. In Westport and Weston alone, whose ed . Thi s project, thou gh successful, was short-
combined population was then 6,600, there lived and evolved in 1935 into the Federal Arts
were over eighty professional artists- most of Project that lasted under various names until
them without work. 1943.

It was a period of bleak despair and Franklin The Works Progress Administration (WPA) found
Delano Roosevelt's overwhelming victory in the ingenious ways of putting people to work. In
election of 1932 was read as a mandate for addition to road and building projects, the w ide
change. A lthough President Herbert Hoover WPA umbrella sponsored the Federal Arts
had started the Public Works Administration in Project, the Federal Theater Project and the
1931 to attack unemployment by a campaign of Federal Music Project. Up to 40,000 artists,
public build ing, it was Franklin Roosevelt who actors, musicians and w riters were on the New
invigorated the agency by naming dynamic Deal payroll. Artists-good and bad-were pa id
Interior Secretary Harold Ickes to head it. By up to $46.50 a week and had an opportunity to
1935 the agency had completed some 11 ,500 show their work in WPA-sponsored galleries and
projects and was at work on 5,500 others. exhibitions. In an article for Constitution/Winter

During Roosevelt's first one hundred days, he 1993 Alan R. Martin, Jr. wrote:
also created the Federal Emergency Relief
Administration to channel rel ief dollars through The uniquely American themes in earl ier
state organizations to the jobless, putting Harry murals by regional painters such as Grant
Hopkins in charge. Hopkins, a social worker Wood, John Steuart Curry and Thomas
from New York, was convinced that govern- Hart Benton served as examples for much
ment-paid jobs were better than handouts. He of the government sponsored work. And
persuaded Roosevelt to create the Civi l Works while Benton himself never completed a
Administration (CWA), a strictly federal opera- group of murals for any federa l project, he
tion wh ich assigned jobs and paid minimum profoundly affected many of those who did.
wages rather than a rel ief stipend. In two
months, Hopkins invented jobs for four mil lion Given the nature of the times, the rise of
social realism in painting was hard ly
surprising ... and [the paintings reflected)

38

••

the passions of those artists whose careers Field Coord inator for the Publ ic Works of Art
were maintained or fostered by the WPA in Project in Washington , was touring "every state
the depths of the Depression. They also in the Union" to conduct a survey of all the
serve as a reminder of a remarkably inno- work that had been produced. "She expressed
vative role once played by our federal great admiration for Westport's contributions
government. and pleasure in the marked ability of its artists,
whose work she found more satisfactory than
All artworks produced under the 1933-43 pro- that of most she had seen during the survey."
grams were designated as the property of the
federa l government, under an extended loan The Westport project continued, although there
procedure with the town in which they were was much alarm over w hether the nationa l
painted. It was also required that they be hung program wou ld continue. Then when the CWA
in public spaces. Although the General was reintroduced as the Federal Arts Project
Services Administration in Washington, D.C. is under the WPA, the Westport comm ittee was
still the curator for this body of art, it offers no ab le to expand the list of artists and projects.
funding for its upkeep or restoration. Under the As explained in an article written by Mrs.
terms of the agreement, the town is responsible Cholmeley-Jones, "The reason Westport has
for giving the artworks reasonable care. been enabled to have its art in each Public
Building, is because the Committee decided
The Westport Program against having too many Easel Pictures which,
whi le they would have been finished more
Westport was fortunate in having a forward- quickly, could have been taken away to
thinking First Selectman and a group of able cit- Washington and distributed anywhere in the
izens willing to administer the program loca ll y. United States."
The town was an arti st's mecca, so the pool of
talent was large. First Selectman King W. Westport's WPA Col lection original ly consisted
Mansfield served as chairman of the local com- of thirty-four artworks and approximately 120
mittee and appointed Mrs. Nigel Cholmeley- photographs. When Mollie Donovan and I were
Jones (who succeeded Mrs. Lauren Arnold), appointed co-curators of the Westport Schools
Sanford Evans and Mrs. Brooke P. Church to run Permanent Art Collection, we scoured the base-
the committee in Westport. ments and attics of all the town buildings for
WPA art, using Mrs. Cholmeley-Jones' original
Thirty-two Westport artists signed on for the first handwri tten list. We found that some had dis-
wave of work in February of 1934, but only ten appeared when bui ld ings were demolished or
were selected at that time due to limited funds. renovated. Some, such as the mural History of
The ten artists-Ralph Boyer, Samuel Brown, Westport painted by artist Gregory Mclaughlin
Eugene Elmer Hannan, Colcord Heurlin, Robert in the old Westport Library, was painted over
L. Lambdin , Gregory Mcloughlin, William during a library renovation. The ones remaining
Schomberg, Arba Skidmore, Ray Strang and became an important part of the Westport
Robert Garret Thew-were assigned to projects Schools Permanent Art Collection. As funding
for various public bui ldings. (Then word came has become available they have been restored
from Washington that the project was to con- and rehung in our schools and public buildings.
tinue onl y unti l May 1st. ) The remain ing three paintings (two by Colcord
Heurlin and one by Thayer Grimes) are sched-
On Friday, July 6, 1934, the front-page story of uled for restoration.
the Westporter Herald-then in its 64th year of
pub Iication-reported that Miss Ann Cranton,

••
39

The Westport WPA Arts Project ran from 1934 August 1934. The money lasted until December
until 1937. It cost the Town of Westport a total 1937, when it was necessary to ask the govern-
of $3,020. This included all the materi al, the ment to defray expenses for putting up
placing of the murals, the casting of th e sculp- Westport's last five mural panels. At that time,
ture and the film for the photographs. (What an the Town's Board of Welfare and the Board of
incredible bargain!) The WPA artists were paid a Education each contributed ten dollars toward
salary of about $90 a month with checks bei ng th e material s needed to hang the artworks.
sent from Washington, D.C., through the
Regional Directors. (Way land W. Wil liams of The project was considered so successful by the
New H aven was State Director of the Federal General Services Administration in Washington
Art Project. Mrs. Henrietta Cholmeley-Jones th at it was suggested that one fina l pa inting be
was appointed local superv isor and as a commissioned- a portrait of Westport's com-
Treasury employee received one dollar per year.) mittee-which was painted by Ralph Boyer. It
hangs today in the Selectman's Conference
The Board of Selectmen originally appropriated Room at Westport Town Hall.
$500 for the project. The Town voted twice
more in Town Meeting to appropriate additional Eve Potts
funds-$1,000 in April 1934, and $1,500 in Connecticut Historic Commission

RALPH BOYER WESTPORT WPA ART COMMITTEE, 1939
Oil on canvas 35 x 54 (George W. Adams, File Photo)

Original WPA Art Committee M embers, left to right: Sanford Evans,
Architect; Brooke Peters Church, Writer; Henrietta Cholmeley-Jones,

Supervisor; King W Mansfield, First Selectman

40

Of the hundreds of murals executed under the Public Works of Art Project, the Lambdin mural
Pageant of juvenile Literature, is one of the few which have survived and ranks in the top group
fo r quality.

Karel Yasko, Counselor for Fine Arts and H istoric Preservation, Washington, O.C., 1984

ROBERT LAMBDI N PAGEANT OFJUVENILE LITERATURE, c. 1934 Oil on Canvas 84 x 240 (G . W. Adams, File Photo)
Pageant o( juvenile Literature was designed to follow the architectural features above and to the
sides of th e auditorium doors at th e Saugatuck Elementary School. When the school was converted
to elderly housing in 1992, the mura l was removed and restored w ith funds from grants and pri-
vate donations. It is now on view in the Great Hall at the Westport Public Li brary.

SAMUEL BROWN PURCHASE OF NORWALK, c. 1934 Oil on Canvas 26'h x 81
Samuel Brown, one of the fi rst ten arti sts chosen to do a Westport WPA project, painted the his-
toric Purchase of Norwa lk shown above. Also well known for his portraitu re, his painting of
Horace Staples can be seen in the main office at Staples High School.

41

ROBERT GARRET THEW
DRAWING OF ROB/ THEW
c.1934
Pencil & Crayon
22 x 16'/,

ROBERT GARRET THEW FOUNTA IN ENVIRONMENT
c. 1934 Fountain, 11 8'/, x 62, Fresco 169 x 62

Located at the entrance at the north end of repa ir. Attempts to restore it resu lted in gari sh
the original Green's Farms School building, overpainting, and the removal of th e beautiful
the Garret Thew Fountain is a multimedia chandelier and bronze sculpture. When Green's
ensemble consisting of five parts-the stepped Farms School was closed due to low enrollment
and incised fountain; the bronze statue of a li t- in 1982, the Westport Arts Center (WAC)
tl e girl dangl ing her foot in the water (modeled became its new tenant. In 1995 the foun tain
on Thew's daughter, Robin); a fresco depicting envi ronment was restored as a hands-on joint
clouds and flying seagulls on a blue sky on the venture between th e Westport WPA Art Rescue
cei ling arching over th e fountain pools; wrought Comm ittee and the WAC. In 1998 the decision
iron rail ings w hich flank the two stairways was made to use the build ing again as a school,
repeating the seagu ll motif; and a chandelier and concessions had to be made to bring the
also featuring seagu lls which casts a soft light foun tain stairways up to the latest safety codes.
over the founta in environment. But the fountain remains as an important part of
Westport's WPA art history and a reminder of a
The founta in was origi nally designed and bui lt kinder, gentler time. Also see Wall Paintings -
as a WPA project in 1934. When the new Selections from the Collecti on, page 48.
front wing was added in 1949, the entrance
was seldom used and the fountain fe ll into dis-

42

COLCORD HEURLIN ARCTIC LIFE, c.193 4 Mural on Masonite 45 x 129 '/J (1 of 3 panels)
(George W. Adams, File Photo)

Eskimo Life is panel one of th ree panels depicting Eskimos at work and play. Colcord Heurlin later left
Westport and resided in Alaska. He was honored by the state legislature with a special c itation for his
outstanding contributions to hi s adopted state.

RALPH BOYER AMERICAN LITERATURE, Panel 2, 1939 Oi l on Canvas 48 x 72
(George W. Adams, File Photo)

This artwork is number two of a seri es of three paintings by Ralph Boyer. The three pa intings con-
stitute a cycle, showing important literary iigures standing and sitting together in groups. Executed
primaril y in black and w hile, they look li ke charcoal drawings from a distance. Each pai nting rep-
resents a period of American literature, in chronological order from the Revolutionary War to the
twentieth cen tury.
Panel 2, above, shows Henry David Thoreau, Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, Herman
Melville, Abraham Lincoln, Joel Chand ler Harris, George Washington Cable, Emily Dickinson and
Bret Harte. The U.S . Capitol and the Library of Congress are show n in the background.

43

List of Westport's WPA Artists and their Artworks Available for Viewing

Edward J. Ades Illuminated Parchment Town Charter Westport Town Hall
Illuminated Parchment Town Deed

Ralph Boyer American Literature from the Revolutionary Staples High School
Period to the 20th Century (3 paintings) Auditorium Lobby

Evolution of /-feat (8 paintings) Main Fire House
The Westport WPA Committee Westport Town Hall,

Selectman's Conference Room

Samuel Brown Horace Staples, Portrait Staples High School Main Office
Purchase of Norwalk Kings Highway School

Arthur Elder Map of Greens Farms, Westport Town Hall
Connecticut 1635-1935 Town Clerk's Office

Thayer Grimes The Good Samaritan WSPAC Storage

Eugene E. Hannon Baille of Compo Beach Bedford Middle School
Soldiers of the Revolution Bedford Middle School

bas relief panels Bedford Middle School
Bust of Edward T. Bedford Bedford Middle School
Founders of Connecticut

13 of 16 bronze medal lions

Howard Heath Administration of a Modem Community Westport Town Hall
Westport Organized 1835 Westport Town Hall

Colcord Heurlin Arctic Life -1 Coleytown Elementary
Arctic Life -2 undergoing restorati on
Arctic Life -3 undergoing restoration
Arclic Night Bedford Middle School

Robert Lambdin Pageant ofJuvenile Literawre Westport Public Library
Spirit of Adventure Westport Town Hall

Wil liam Schomberg Ebenezer Jesup House, 1807 All in Westport Historical
M cDonough House, Main Street Society Archives
Saugatuck Church

Arba Skidmore Deer Mural Westport Nature Center

T.O. Sloane, Jr. Photos of 120 Westport Houses Westport Historical Society Archives

Ray C. Strang Cinderella painting Both in Kings Highway School
Rip Van Winkle painting Auditorium

Robert Garret Thew Evolution of Writing Panel 1: Bedford M iddle School
Egyptian Hieroglyphics Bedford Middle School
Semitic Cuneiform Green's Farms School

Evolution of Writing Panel 2:
The Quill Pen
The Typewriter

Fountain Environment:
Three-tier Fountain, Sculpture,
Chandelier, Stairs and Railings

44

It is always hoped that more of Westport's lost WPA Art will be found .
Among the missing are these wo rks by Westport's WPA artists:

Edward J. Ades Pen/ Ink drawings of old houses including
YMCA, General Putnam Inn

Lettering for Mural Descriptions
Map of Westport

Samuel Brown Portraits of Burr, Adams, Salmon

Norman Camroux Westport Schools Map
Posters for Tercentenary

Alfred Craig-Shaw Set of artwork photos sent to Archives
of American Art, Washington, D. C.

Arthur Elder Mural Map of Westport

Eugene E. Hannon Emma Hart Willard, Educator Medal lion
Timothy Dwight, Educator Medallion
Roger Ludlow, Law Maker Medallion

Model of Pequot Indian Village

Gregory Mclaughlin H istory of Westport, 10-panel mural

Arba Skidmore Fish Mural
Butterflies Mural
Fox Mural

Ray C. Strang Old Weston Mural

Robert Garret Thew Caution and Slow Signs for roads

ROBERT GARRET THEW PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY Sign
WPA arti st Robert Garret Thew was commissioned to design a group of large si lhouettes

for signs which would warn motorists of the speed laws or location of a school.
He believed that motorists would be as easily influenced by a sign which would
not disfigure the natural beauty of the countryside as by the usual billboard type.

None of these signs remain in Westport, although Thew's son
John still has his father's patterns and sketches.

45