Pastel on paper with double mat in modern frame. Shows an empty canoe-like craft drifting along the bank of the Susquehanna River near Columbia, PA with the sun setting (or rising) on the horizon.
There are various pieces of information written on the back, including the title and date of the painting: "Sundown--Susquehanna River c. 1870 / Columbia, Lancaster County, Pa." The back also lists the provenance: "Presented to John H. Libhart / Family in 1948 by Grace & Loretta Minich, / Inheritors of the Mifflin Estate." This contradicts a notarized statement from the donor in the object file which states the title is "Sunrise".
Provenance
9/07/2012 - Transferred from HC Collections; 12/07/95 - from Mr. Lamar Libhart 4016 Green Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110 717- 2344-7734.
H: 16.75 inches x W: 20.75 inches x D: .675 inches. Modern frame with double mat mounting
Object Name
Painting
Material
Paper
Medium
Painting, Pastel
Height (cm)
42.545
Height (ft)
1.3958333333
Height (in)
16.75
Width (cm)
52.705
Width (ft)
1.7291666667
Width (in)
20.75
Depth (cm)
1.7145
Depth (ft)
0.05625
Depth (in)
0.675
Dimension Details
Height: 16 3/4 In Frame; Width: 20 3/4 in frame; Length: ; Depth 5/8 in frame.
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2016-03-18
Condition Notes
Some small punctures and dents. Buckling over surface, lifting towards the plexi glazing. Particles of color fallen to bottom inside, visible, esp. against mat. A significant semicircular tear is on the left side, about halfway down. Some scratches in the bottom left corner.
Back has tape separating / detaching at numerous points.
A: Watercolor on wove paper of J. Crump Tannery, Marietta, Pa, depicting a panoramic view of the Klumpp Tannery and residence, viewed from Front St. The white 2-story frame house with one-story addition is in the foreground on the left with a man and woman by the front door. The tannery complex with smokestack is on the right, set further back from the street with the tanning operation underway. A man in a small horse-drawn carriage is in the street in the front and a boy chasing 2 chickens is in the yard between the house and tannery. A brick church is in the background center.
John C. Klumpp's Tannery was built by P. Moyer on Locust Street between 2nd St. (now E. Market) and Prospect Alley in 1815. Klumpp acquired the tannery in 1874 and operated it until his death in 1901. The tannery occupied lots 69-70-71-72, Strawberry Alley ran beside the Klumpp residence on the left. To the rear of the dwelling, behind the fence can be the kitchen garden and outhouse.
Signed bottom left, in ink, "P. Meissner./18/1/76."
2 photographs of tannery:
B: Black and white photo showing roughly the same view as A, although closer to ground level. The house is on the left and the tannery on the right. At least five people are sitting/standing on the porch of the house facing the yard. The buildings appear mostly unchanged from the watercolor. The date "1908" is written in the lower left corner in ink.
C: Black and whit photo of the tannery from the back. Four separate buildings of varying design can be seen in a row, with the smokestack extending up out of frame slightly right of center. A stone bridge over a creek is at extreme right, with creek running around the buildings to the left. The date "1929" is written in the lower left corner in blue ink.
The photographs appear to be photographic copies of the originals. They were attached to the paper backing covering the frame of the watercolor.
A: watercolor has brown staining all over, especially apparent in the sky. Further discoloration along the top edge. The pieces was cleaned (dry and wet), mended, and flattened by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts in Philadelphia in 1991.
B,C: Photos. B is browned and faded at the edges and curves inward. Both B and C have tape and backing residue on the reverse. They were dry cleaned, mended and flattened by the CCAJA in 1991. Further details available in file.
Watercolor on paper, showing a building called the Telescope House or the Steamboat House. It has a two-story octagonal center section, and two one-story wings; the center section has a cupola (also octagonal). The building has a frame construction, and is colored brown with ivory-white trim. A high fence extends across the front of the building. Various trees are visible behind the building. NOT FOUND IN BOX 0066, July 2023
The caption at the bottom reads "THE TELESCOPE HOUSE,--BUILT BY JOHN F. REMLEY. 1841-8/COLUMBIA AVN. & MARIETTA PIKE." The lower right corner has the date of the painting, "1881"
The building stood approximately where W. King and W. Orange Streets meet. The name "Telescope House" comes from the fact that the house used to have an observatory until the late 1800s, when the building was renovated and additional floors were added (prior to this painting).
J.W.W. Loose, The Heritage of Lancaster, pp.74-75.
Height (cm)
15.24
Height (ft)
0.5
Height (in)
6
Width (cm)
17.78
Width (ft)
0.5833333333
Width (in)
7
Dimension Details
Hinged within a window mat..
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2017-06-28
Condition Notes
There are numerous gray marks over the surface of the painting, and some areas of paint are faded. The reverse has glue stains on the corners, where the painting was apparently attached to a previous backing.
The piece is currently float-mounted in hinged window matting.
Object ID
P.77.31.11
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Role
Artist
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
Painted landscape on hardwood block appears to be a study for an etching Mifflin used in his 1872 book of poems "Aldonere: A Pennsylvanian Idyll." Donor has mounted the block with wire into a modern brown frame (H: 8 3/8 W: 6 1/2") w/ gold window mat.
Painted within an oval is a bucolic scene with cows standing in a large stream or pond bordered by trees and smaller vegetation in foreground. Painted mostly in muted greens and browns.
Sketched sideways at bottom left corner is an additional tiny scene of a hatted figure in the foreground with his back to the viewer. Amid the distant trees rises a tower with a steepled roof. Two very tall trees tower overhead.
Note: The main painted scene is called "The Bowery Elms." It was printed in Mifflin's 1872 book "Aldornere: A Pennsylvanian Idyll" (P.00.13.1). This book of poetry is "...Illustrated with nine original etchings, by Lloyd Mifflin, Jr." "The Bowery Elms" is pictured on page 16 1/2.
Paint is faded and/or worn; irregular corners at top left and bottom right reveal traces of bright white paint; tiny splatters of white and brown paint.
