THIS DAY IN 1913

On this day in May 1913 the world and especially Florida lost an important capitalist, pioneer and art benefactor. Henry Morrison Flagler died after a fall on the steps of his home Whitehall in Palm Beach Florida. Known for bringing the railroad to Florida from St. Augustine to Key West , Flagler was also a well known patron of the arts. As I have mentioned in a previous post Flagler not only brought  major hotels to St Augustine and Palm Beach but he provided salon space for the artist of Boston and Philadelphia and other northern cities to paint and sell their creations to the ever growing tourist population making their way to Florida. According to sources one such artist Laura Woodward traveled from St. Augustine to then sparsely populated Palm Beach and sent images back to Henry Flagler sparking his interest to explore this new potential paradise. With the construction of the Royal Poinciana Hotel in Palm Beach Flaglers' idea of paradise became a reality. All of Florida celebrates Flaglers' life and accomplishments and Florida art  collectors should not forget the wonderful contributions this man made to the advancement of the way artist documented the wonder and beauty that was Florida.

ST. AUGUSTINE REDISCOVED

In late 2000 I was in the throes of Highwaymen collecting when a green paperback publication landed in my hands. It was a museum exhibition book put out by the Henry Morrison  Flagler Museums' curator Sandra Barghini.When I realized that in my hands I had a blue print for collecting art that was created for the most part by artists painting and residing( if only for a short period )in St. Augustine the oldest city in America I felt I had rediscovered something. The book titled "A Society Of Painters , Flagler's St. Augustine Art Colony" was certainly a pivotal point in my Florida art collecting. For in it I discovered what I feel was the true beginning of Florida art. The artist who were featured in the exhibition were northern artists brought together by the vision of Henry Flagler, who built the Hotel Ponce de Leon in the late 19th century.In the hotel Mr. Flagler built artists' studios to not only lure the tourist he knew would come but also to introduce the beauty and history of the city to a group of well known and not so well known artist. In doing so he not only put St. Augustine on the map geographically but artistically as well.The artists who were exhibited were Otto Bacher, Maria a Becket, Arthur Callender, Charlotte Buell Coman, Charles Grafton Dana, Felix deCrano, William Staples Drown, H. Anthony Dyer, Robert German, Martin Johnson Heade, Ellen Robbins, George W. Seavey, Frank Shapleigh, William Aiken Walker, and last but not least Laura Woodward. After reading and comprehending the information I was determined to not let the Highwaymen art be the beginning and end of my Florida art collection. So another sojourn began on that day in 2000 and continues even now, but that was only the start of what is out there yet to be discovered in Florida art from the 1800s to the present. More about Laura Woodward the pioneer artist of Palm Beach in future posts.