Visual Art and the Urban Evolution of the New South

Deborah C. Pollack

Description

Visual Art and the Urban Evolution of the New South recounts the enormous influence of artists in the evolution of six southern cities—Atlanta, Charleston, New Orleans, Louisville, Austin, and Miami—from 1865 to 1950. In the decades following the Civil War, painters, sculptors, photographers, and illustrators in these municipalities employed their talents to articulate concepts of the New South, aestheticism, and Gilded Age opulence and to construct a visual culture far beyond providing pretty pictures in public buildings and statues in city squares.

As Deborah C. Pollack investigates New South proponents such as Henry W. Grady of Atlanta and other regional leaders, she identifies "cultural strivers"—philanthropists, women's organizations, entrepreneurs, writers, architects, politicians, and dreamers—who united with visual artists to champion the arts both as a means of cultural preservation and as mechanisms of civic progress. Aestheticism, made popular by Oscar Wilde's southern tours during the Gilded Age, was another driving force in art creation and urban improvement. Specific art works occasionally precipitated controversy and incited public anger, yet for the most part artists of all kinds were recognized as providing inspirational incentives for self-improvement, civic enhancement and tourism, art appreciation, and personal fulfillment through the love of beauty.

Each of the six New South cities entered the late nineteenth century with fractured artistic heritages. Charleston and Atlanta had to recover from wartime devastation. The infrastructures of New Orleans and Louisville were barely damaged by war, but their social underpinnings were shattered by the end of slavery and postwar economic depression. Austin was not vitalized until after the Civil War and Miami was a post-Civil War creation. Pollack surveys these New South cities with an eye to understanding how each locale shaped its artistic and aesthetic self-perception across a spectrum of economic, political, gender, and race issues. She also discusses Lost Cause imagery, present in all the studied municipalities.

While many art history volumes concerning the South focus on sultry landscapes outside the urban grid, Visual Art and the Urban Evolution of the New South explores the art belonging to its cities, whether exhibited in its museums, expositions, and galleries, or reflective of its parks, plazas, marketplaces, industrial areas, gardens, and universities. It also identifies and celebrates the creative urban humanity who helped build the cultural and social framework for the modern southern city.

Sujets

• Modern
• HISTORY
• Escuela de Diseño de Rhode Island
• South Carolina Inter-State and West Indian Exposition
• History of art
• The Historic New Orleans Collection
• American Art-Union
• Southern art
• Spanish art
• Culture of the Southern United States
• Atlanta Exposition
• Southern literature
• New South
• City Beautiful movement
• Life on the Mississippi
• Municipal Art Society
• History of the Americas
• Art
• Southern Exposition
• Rhode Island School of Design
• United States
• FL
• Art Institute of Chicago
• KY
• LA
• TN
• MS
• SC
• NC
• AR
• VA
• GA

Informations

• Publié par: University of South Carolina Press
• Date de parution: 18 janvier 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781611174335
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 8 Mo

Extrait

VISUAL ART AND THE URBAN EVOLUTION OF THE NEW SOUTH
VISUAL ART AND THE URBAN EVOLUTION OF THE NEW SOUTH
Deborah C. Pollack
2015 University of South Carolina
Published by the University of South Carolina Press Columbia, South Carolina 29208
www.sc.edu/uscpress
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Pollack, Deborah C. Visual art and the urban evolution of the New South / Deborah C. Pollack. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-61117-432-8 (hardbound : alk. paper) -ISBN 978-1-61117-433-5 (ebook) 1. Art, American-Southern States-19th century. 2. Art, American-Southern States-20th century. 3. Art and society-Southern States-History-19th century. 4. Art and society-Southern States-History-20th century. 5. Southern States-Social conditions-1865-1945. 6. Southern States-Social conditions-20th century. I. Title. N6520.P65 2015 709.75'091732-dc23 2014023117
JACKET PHOTOGRAPH: Enid Yandell with Pallas Athena, ca. 1897, courtesy of the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution
TO EDDIE
CONTENTS
PREFACE | ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Introduction
CHAPTER ONE
ATLANTA New South Brilliance Ascending from Embers of Civil War
CHAPTER TWO
CHARLESTON Refined Enchantment within a New South Framework
CHAPTER THREE
NEW ORLEANS Lofty Art Soaring above Shallow Ground
CHAPTER FOUR
LOUISVILLE Intertwining Roots at the Portal of North and South
CHAPTER FIVE
AUSTIN Aesthetic M lange of Grit, History, and Old South Remembrance
CHAPTER SIX
MIAMI, MIAMI BEACH, AND CORAL GABLES Southern Civilization of Northern Dreams
NOTES | SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY | INDEX
PREFACE
In 2010 I received an e-mail from Zane L. Miller, Charles Phelps Taft Professor Emeritus of History, University of Cincinnati, who requested that I tackle the subject of art and southern cities. He remarked, I think that art history and urban history go together and suggested to do what you did in a previous interdisciplinary book I wrote concerning Laura Woodward, a Hudson River School/Florida artist, and her times. Dr. Miller, whom I hadn t encountered until then, gave me the choice to explore six cities either in Florida or throughout the South. I opted for the broader area of interest. He and I selected the municipalities, and after introducing me to urban historical books, he sent me on my adventure.
During the research I was frankly intrigued that no matter what city I explored, artists and art supporters had a similar and formidable impact on urban evolution, social change, historic preservation, and tourism. Some were actively involved in the planning, promoting, building, and/or beautification of their municipalities. This spurred me to delve further. In doing so I also learned how aestheticism, largely via John Ruskin and Oscar Wilde, influenced citizens of all the municipalities and that artists and art strivers also excelled at trumpeting the New South message and introducing northern art tendencies to their cities. All this made my study fascinating as these notions had not, to my knowledge, been extensively investigated in any other southern art historical publication. Equally compelling was the contribution of women artists and art proponents who united to help improve their cities and in some cases effectuate museums. Finally, concurrent issues such as suffrage and, as it was a story of the South, racial unrest could not be ignored as both subjects affected our cities evolution.
This examination of southern urban growth and its relationship to art has been an arduous effort. But it was well worth it, considering how much I learned and can now share.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am extremely grateful to Zane L. Miller, Charles Phelps Taft Professor Emeritus of History, University of Cincinnati, for his innovative idea, generous support, and wise advice. In the very early stages of the manuscript, Dr. Miller made several suggestions and edited a portion of the first draft. He especially helped me with regard to Henry W. Grady s 1886 New South speech and provided me with a salient quotation from Dr. Miller s mentor, Richard C. Wade.
I also want especially to acknowledge Alexander Moore, acquisitions editor of the University of South Carolina Press, for his immediate and steadfast enthusiasm for the project. His kindness and encouragement kept me from drowning myself in cupcakes during the review process and the wait for committee approval. My sincerest gratitude is also extended to those anonymous reviewers he selected. They helped me improve the treatise a great deal. He as well as Linda Haines Fogle, assistant director for operations, assisted me in the parameters for the preparation of the final manuscript. I also thank the editorial and design and production staff at the Press.
My husband, Edward Pollack, deserves my special thanks for instilling in me a more thorough appreciation of American sculpture. Additionally, I married into his remarkable period library encompassing rare art books, catalogues, and magazines dating back to the nineteenth century-a collection we have enhanced during our many years together.
I was further assisted by many generous people and institutions, including Paige Adair, reprographics manager, Atlanta History Center; Nancy Adgent, Rockefeller Foundation; Laura Proctor Ames; Andy and Clifton Anderson; John Anderson, preservation officer, Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission; Jim Baggett, head, Department of Archives and Manuscripts, Birmingham Public Library; Joyce N. Baker, curatorial assistant/rights and reproductions, Gibbes Museum of Art; Ally Beck, Catalogue Production and Design, Leslie Hindman Auctioneers; Erica Benton, Charlton Hall Galleries, Inc.; Jennae Biddiscombe, registrar, Louisiana State Museum; Germain J. Bienvenu, librarian, Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections, Special Collections, Hill Memorial Library, Louisiana State University Libraries; Holly Blount, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens; John Bodnar; Judith Bonner, senior curator/curator of art, the Historic New Orleans Collection; Amy K. Bowman, photographs archivist, Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin; Gene Burch; Paul Burns, Community Relations, Louisville Free Public Library; Laura Cappell, Special Collections, University of Miami Libraries, Otto Richter Library; Tara Carlisle, project development librarian, University of North Texas Libraries; Perry Carter; Zann Carter; Phimister Proctor Sandy Church; Emily Starbuck Crone; Heather Thayer Culligan, collections manager, Atlanta History Center; Liz DeHart, director of marketing and communications, Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Louisville; Robin T. Dettre, coordinator, Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum; Nicolette A. Dobrowolski, head of public services, reference and access services librarian, Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Library; Katie Dooley; Sarah Dorpinghaus, digital projects library manager, University of Kentucky Digital Library Services; Tina Dunkley, director, Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries; Abbie Edens, librarian, Columbus Museum; Jimmy S. Emerson, DVM; Kathy Erickson, Office of the Chief Architect, U.S. General Services Administration; Mary Jo Fairchild, archivist, South Carolina Historical Society; James Fetherolf; Susan Finley, Special Collections, University of Louisville; Jason Flahardy, photographic archivist, University of Kentucky Archives; Heather Fox, Filson Historical Society; Cynthia Franco, librarian, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University; Tim Frillingos, museum services manager, Georgia Office of the Secretary of State, Division of Archives and History; Daniel B. Gelfand; Mae Whitlock Gentry, great-niece of Edwin and Elise Harleston; Heather Gilbert, digital scholarship librarian, College of Charleston, project coordinator, Lowcountry Digital Library; Allison Gillette, librarian, Speed Art Museum; Sarah Gillis, assistant registrar, Image Management, Worcester Art Museum; Aryn Glazier, Photo Services, The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History; James Goldsmith; Amy Goodhart, archivist, Woman s Club of Coconut Grove; Robin Goodman, registrar, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts; Don Graham, Ph.D., professor of English, University of Texas; Chelsea Guerdat, director of exhibitions, Bass Museum of Art; Raechel Guest, executive director/curator, Cornwall Historical Society; Kristen Gurciullo, photographic archives assistant, Florida Photographic Collection, State Archives of Florida; Cynthia Ham, curatorial assistant, Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries; David Verner Hamilton, Verner Gallery, Ltd.; Jason Hayden, director of marketing and operations, Owensboro Museum of Fine Art; Tracey Daniels Hickey, administrative director/events coordinator, Junior League of Athens, Taylor-Grady House; Jana Hill, collection information and imaging manager, Amon Carter Museum of American Art; Janice Hindes, president, Coppini Academy; Mary Beth Hinton, assistant to the director, Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Library; James J. Holmberg, curator, Special Collections, Filson Historical Society; Dave Holston, former director, strategic design management, University of Texas at Austin; Frank Holt, executive director, Mennello Museum of American Art; Catherine Causier Howell, reference archivist, Austin History Center, Austin Public Library; Dawn Hugh, Archives and Research Center, HistoryMiami; Corrine Jennings, Wilmer Jennings Gallery: Kenkeleba, New York, N.Y.; Faye L. Jensen, Ph.D., executive director, South Carolina Historical Society; Brian Jessee; McGarrah Jessee; Jeff Joeckel, archivist, National Register of H