C O r n i S h I n e W h a m p S h i r e I F a l l / W i n t e r 2 0 1 4

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DEAR FR I ENDS ,

although the 2014 season endedOctober 31, staff at the park isbusier than ever with new projectsand programs and for next year.

Megan O’Malley, the Acting Superintendentthrough the end of this year, is overseeingpark operations as well as planning for nextyear’s interpretive and educational pro-grams and special events, that will celebratethe park’s 50 anniversary—Congressestablished the Saint-Gaudens NationalHistoric Site in 1965—and mark the 150thanniversary of the death of AbrahamLincoln (more on Saint-Gaudens’ standingLincoln in upcoming issues). Although theconcerts are over, the galleries closed andthe leaves gone, work continues. You canread in this issue, for example, about anongoing natural resource project and con-servation work on important items in thecollection. Also featured are articles aboutwinter at Aspet in Saint-Gaudens’ time andthe history of the Chickering piano heardduring many concerts in the Little Studio.

We thank you for your interest and for yoursupport of so many programs at the parkthat promote understanding of Saint-Gaudens, his work and the Cornish Colony.

Sincerely,

I N TH I S I S SUE

Saint-Gaudens Beats the ‘Winter Blues’ I 1

The Story of a Chickering Piano I 3

Teacher–Ranger–Teacher Program I 6

Conservation–The Boston Library Groups I 6

New Acquisitions I 7

Acting Superintendent Megan O’Malley I 8

Byron BellPresident of the Board of TrusteesSaint-Gaudens Memorial

Megan O’MalleyActing SuperintendentSaint-Gaudens National Historic Site

(“Saint-Gaudens Beats the ‘Wintertime Blues’” cont. on page 2)

Augustus Saint-Gaudens lived in Cornishyear-round from 1900-1907, a decisionmade after learning he had intestinalcancer. This reality did not deter himfrom makingthe most of histime in Cornish.Despite thephysical drainattributed to thecancer whichwould ultimatelyend his life,Saint-Gaudensorganized andparticipated inrecreationalactivities, enter-taining hiscohorts through-out the winter.

Activities includ-ed sleigh-riding, skating, tobogganing, andice hockey. These had a two-fold effect:heightening the camaraderie betweenyear-round Cornish Colony members, by fostering a feeling of togetherness; andinvigorating Augustus Saint-Gaudens, asthe wintertime fun may have provided atemporary respite from his illness.

Saint-Gaudens recalls his year-roundstays in Cornish as some of the fondestyears of his life. Though at first he wasunsure how he would take to the formi-

dable Cornishwinters. “thewinter was wellon by this timeand i soonlearned that thisseason in thenorth Country,instead of beingone of gloomand slush sodreaded byinhabitants oflarge cities, wasone of cheerful-ness and light-ness of spirit.”

A vast array ofrecreational activities, brightened thewinter months in Cornish, NH; “But formy first winter in Cornish i was deeplyimpressed and delighted by its exhilara-tion and brilliancy, its unexpected joy-ousness, the sleigh-riding, the skating,and what not. i was as happy as a child.”Considering that Saint-Gaudens was

S a i n t - G a u d e n S B e a t S t h e ‘ W i n t e r t i m e B l u e S ’By Jake Buttery, SCA Intern 2014

the historic buildings at Saint-Gaudens national historic Site close for tourson October 31st, but the off-season at the park still has something to offer.For example, visitors are welcome to explore the park site’s grounds, view outdoor sculptures and take in the beauty of Cornish’s wintery terrain.Outdoor recreational opportunities are one way to beat the ‘wintertimeblues’ and are traditional at the park.

“This is snow and ice.” Cartoon sketch by Augustus Saint-Gaudens of him on a toboggan, ca. 1900. (SAGA 920).Archival image.

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diagnosed with cancer in 1900, beforehe began wintering in Cornish, his happi-ness is all the more powerful. For example,Saint-Gaudens experienced a well-earnedmeasure of pride after being roughed upin an ice hockey game—a game whichlikely took place on the frozen surface ofBlow-Me-Down pond. “Skating oncemore after thirty-five years and playinghockey like a boy, i was knocked downtwice, receiving a magnificent black eyethe first time and a swelled and cutforehead the second. in these i tookgreat pride.”

One of the more involved activities wastobogganing. Saint-Gaudens erected athirty foot toboggan slide, near to wherethe present day park site’s Atrium com-plex stands. The slide and run were bothsteep enough to propel tobogganers allthe way to the bottom of the lower field.His son Homer noted that “…perhapseven more vital to my father’s happi-ness than these friends about him...were his studio assistants... all sharedin his play as well as his work... tobog-ganed with him.” On particularly restlesswinter days, Saint-Gaudens was want toyank all of his assistants from their workin the Large Studio and invite them toembark on these toboggan runs. Saint-Gaudens even employed horse-driversto tow the tobogganers from the bottomof the lower field back up the hill! 

Saint-Gaudens, through his charismaticnature and zeal for life, refused to allowwinter hibernation to descend onCornish. “…i am enjoying the rigorousyoung winter up here keenly, snow allover, sun brilliant and supreme, sleighs,sleighbells galore, and a cheerfulnessthat brings back visions of the halcyonwinter days of my boyhood.” His liveli-ness and exuberance inspired others tomake the most of the glistening winterlandscape of Cornish.

Sources: Saint-Gaudens, Homer. The Reminiscencesof Augustus Saint-Gaudens.New York: Century Co.,1908. Print. Pp 228, 231 and 234. Letters

Saint-Gaudens recalls his year-round stays in Cornish as some of the fondest years of his life.

The toboggan run, ca. 1907-08. (SAGA 2935c). featured in article in “Country Life in America” vol. XIIIby Homer Saint-Gaudens. Archival image from Rauner Special Collections Library, dartmouth College,Hanover, NH.

Augustus Saint-Gaudens and assistants playinghockey on Blow-Me-down Pond, ca. 1903-04,elsie Ward Hering from Scrapbook of elsie WardHering, (SAGA 9227). Gift of Mrs. NoelLeisentritt and Mrs. Lois Moore.

(“The Story of a Chickering Piano” cont. on page 4)

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THE STORY OF ACHICKERING P IANOfern K. Meyers, Concert Series director

a recent visitor to Saint-Gaudensnational historic Site in Cornish, nhinquired about the Chickering andSons grand piano located in thelittle Studio. She offered to look upits registration number #92519 in theChickering Company ledger, nowarchived at the national museum ofamerican history at the Smithsonianinstitution. like champion dogs andmany string instruments and theirbows, the Chickering piano at aspethas pedigree papers and a name.

Important instruments are often givennames. For example Guarnieri del Gesumade “Il Cannone” (The Cannon) in1742 later acquired by the legendaryviolin virtuoso Noccoli Paganini (1784 -1840) who named the Guarnieri for itspowerful, resonant tone. Chickering#92519 has long been referred to as“Maxfield Parrish’s piano” and its papersreveal an interesting history.

According to Chickering and Sonsrecords, the piano was completed in1899. Its papers describe the piano asfollows: “Style, C Rose; Color of case,Medium Box; figure of veneer, plain;voice as selected, clear/medium; actionregulating, even; touch, medium; ham-mers, CSonS; wire, Poehlmanns andPitch, sharp.

Maxfield Parrish’s granddaughter recallsthat chimney swifts sang when she playedthe piano in the music room. Gail Jenningshas performed on it in the Little Studiosince 1976 and describes it as “very

The Chickering grand piano in the Little Studio at the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site.

special” with a beautiful tone, boomingbass and “lovely colors in the upperregister, especially.” Mr. Dale Howe ofFrederick Johnson Pianos, Inc. knowsthe piano very well having tuned it formany years. He claims that it is thenicest Chickering he ever tuned. To givefurther credence, Chickering became thestandard for piano manufacture and itscast iron frame a model for the Steinwayconcert grand design.

Jonas Chickering developed his skillsas a piano builder in Boston, then

America’s musical hub, and in 1823started his own business. The companyquickly gained a reputation for makingsuperb pianos. By 1859 the firm hadreceived 38 medals for superiority ofmanufacture. At the Paris Exposition of 1867 Chickering and Sons receivedthe highest award ever given to a pianocompany. Upon first playing a Chickeringpiano Franz Liszt said: “It is imperial. I never thought a piano could possesssuch qualities.”

But after World War II Steinway pianoscame into favor and today, most concertartists prefer Steinways. Yet someChickering pianos made from the1890’s to the 1920s are still valued fortheir exceptionally powerful and richtones, particularly in the bass register,

the Chickering piano #92519 completed in 1899, has long been referred to

as “maxfield parrish’s piano”

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confirmed by Mrs. Jennings. Chickeringand Sons continued to manufacturepianos in Boston until 1983. TheCompany changed hands and becamea brand name of the Baldwin PianoCompany until 2008. Although nolonger used, the Chickering name stillstands for fine quality.

It is worth explaining the words “Pitchsharp” noted on the Chickering paperssince this may be confused as a defectin the piano. In traditional Westernmusic all instruments are tuned to astandard pitch. Over the past five hundredyears the accepted standard of pitchhas moved considerably higher to accom-modate modern instruments and changesin materials used to make and play them.When Bach was alive and Stradivariuswas producing violins, instruments weretuned to the standard pitch of 415(number of vibrations per second).

By the mid-19thcentury standardpitch had movedfrom 415 to 435.In 1899, whenChickering madeMaxfield Parrish’spiano, the newstandard wasaccepted as 440vibrations per second for con-cert pitch “A .”However, newpianos are gener-ally tuned sharperto allow for thenatural process ofsettling to a lower

pitch which occurs during the wintermonths. It is not known whether thenew Chickering piano #92519 wastuned to 435, 440 or even higher butreasonable to assume the latter sincethe records indicate the pitch wassharp when it was consigned onDecember 13, 1900 to Harry F. Fay of73 Monmouth Street, Longwood, MA.

From census records, newspaper articlesand other archives we find that Mr. Faywas a cigar merchant and president ofthe Mayflower Mining Company, a coppermine located in Calumet, Michigan with a Boston office on State Street. He isalso listed as a piano student ofBenjamin Lang; a piano teacher atChickering Hall in 1889 (located abovethe Chickering factory); a member of anelite part-song male chorus called ApolloClub; a concert pianist; author of thebook Ornaments in Music published in

1893; new owner of a lot in Lexington,MA and “building an expensive countryhome” there and, in 1907, the owner ofa Greek Revival summer mansion onMorrissey Boulevard in Boston. Is itpossible that this was a single individualor could there have been more thanone Harry F. Fay living in the Bostonarea in 1900?

One could conjecture that Fay used the piano for teaching in his studio atChickering Hall but, for accounting purposes, the factory consigned it tohis home address in Longwood. Or perhaps Mr. Fay wanted to “try out”the piano at home over an extendedperiod but did not ultimately purchase it.For whatever reason and regardless ofwho Harry F. Fay actually was, Chickeringrecords show that piano #92519 wasreturned on October 27, 1902. The nextrecord shows the piano was sent onSeptember 18, 1908 to the famousCornish Colony artist Maxfield Parrish inWindsor, VT.

Maxfield and Lydia Parrish had a lovelyhome, studio and gardens in Plainfield,NH, located just across the ConnecticutRiver from Windsor. They named theirestate “The Oaks” and, in 1906, addeda west wing music room that measured20x40 by 14 feet high. Both of themloved music—Maxfield is known to haveenjoyed playing chords and arpeggios

maxfield parrish’s Chickering was rebuilt and refinished

in 1971 then donated to the Saint-Gaudens memorial.

Shipping document recording the shipping history, condition and details of theChickering #92519 to Maxfield Parrish in Windsor, VT., in 1908.

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on his Chickering piano. Parrish wrote a letter later in his life stating he wishedmusic had been his main creativeexpression rather than “bad pictures.”(Parrish became a very wealthy com-mercial artist and some of his paintingsbring over 7 million dollars today.) Lydiawas interested in folk music and spentyears compiling information for her bookSlave Songs of the Georgia Sea Islands.It is not readily apparent whether Lydiaplayed the piano or read music (althoughthere are indications in her book that shedid) but likely that the Chickering wasused while she, Creighton Churchill andRobert MacGimsey worked on transcribingtape recordings of songs sung by slaves.

Maxfield and Lydia Parrish loved enter-taining with music at The Oaks. Theyhosted a musicale on September 9,1907 performed by the Colony’s resi-dent pianist and composer ArthurWhiting who did much to advance anappreciation for chamber music inAmerica. Whiting’s concert in the newmusic room implies that the Parrishes

owned a piano that was replaced a yearlater by Chickering #92519. The OliveMead quartet, America’s first fully pro-fessional women’s quartet, also per-formed in the music room at The Oaksjust before the Chickering was shippedto Windsor. Their decision to buy a seven and a half foot mahoganyChickering grand piano may have beeninfluenced by their acquaintance with a member of the Chickering family.

Stephen Parrish, Maxfield Parrish’sfather and an ardent music lover, notedin his daily log that Rebecca (“Becky”)Chickering was in the Cornish Colonyon Sept 3, 1903 and again on July 20,1904 and that there was “a day ofmusic” provided by Whiting and othermusical members of the Colony. Becky was the great granddaughter of Jonas Chickering and appears tohave been musical because Parrish’slog implies that she was among thosewho provided entertainment.

The piano was used on August 24, 1909with Grace Arnold singing (she was analto) and the following summer ArthurWhiting returned to The Oaks to playduets with Otto Roth, principal secondviolin with the Boston SymphonyOrchestra. Two weeks later the OliveMead Quartet returned for a concertand three years later the Parrish’s hosteda small dinner and dance attended byPresident and Mrs. Woodrow Wilson’s

daughters on July 30, 1913, the firstyear that the summer White House wasin the Cornish Colony. The popular FullerSisters from England sang and playedfolk music at The Oaks in 1915 and theillustrious Isadora Duncan danced therein 1925 or 1926. It is unknown if shedanced to live piano music or recordedmusic since the Parrish’s had acquired aVictrola in 1906 and gathered an exten-sive record collection.

Joanna Maxfield Parrish has fond recol-lections of playing the Chickering duringchildhood summers spent at The Oaks.She became a music teacher. We knowfrom various accounts that GraceLawrence Taylor played for severalmusical events at The Oaks and thather daughter Rosamond Taylor Edmondsonplayed the piano there as a child. Mrs.Edmondson became a Trustee of theSaint-Gaudens Memorial and its concertseries administrator for many years.

Mrs. Edmondson’s family continues tomaintain vital interest in the piano andthe concert series at Saint-Gaudens.Thanks to their generosity, MaxfieldParrish’s Chickering #92519 was rebuilt

upon first playing a Chickeringpiano Franz liszt said: “it is

imperial. i never thought a pianocould possess such qualities.”

Maxfield Parrish circa 1908.

(“The Story of a Chickering Piano” cont. on page 8

The inscription reads: “The Maxfield Parrish PianoGiven to the Trustees of the Saint-GaudensMemorial by Philip Burling, January 1972”

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Augustus Saint-Gaudens, plaster sketches from the Boston Public Library Groups. 1692 -1907. In their cases at the National Historic Site, Law supported by Power andLove, on the left, and Labor supported by Science and Art on the right. Close-up of Law supported by Power and Love (right).

Over ten years ago, the national park Service began a teacher to ranger to teacher program (trt), in which a teacher works at a park for eight weeks during the summer primarily with that site’s education program. the teacherworks on development of curriculum having to do with that particular park, and then brings his or her class to visit the site.

The Saint-Gaudens 2014 TRT, Lisa Holtz, is a third grade teacher in the nearby ClaremontSchool district. While here this summer, she utilized the natural areas of the site to develop

a stream and pond ecology curriculum for 2nd – 5th grades. The lesson plans incorporate visits to the park three times overthe school year. The students will hike the nature trails and collect and identify insect life found in the Blow-me-Down Brook,which wanders through then ravine along the edge of the park. When school began, Lisa arranged for the entire third gradeat her school (80 students) to come to the park in September. They were involved with the ecology lesson plans that shedeveloped and also toured the site and met with the Sculptor-in-Residence. Lisa plans to return with her class in February,to see the Civil War monuments, and perhaps hike the trails on snowshoes.

T E A C H E R - R A N G E R - T E A C H E R P R O G R A M

Originally intended for the entrance to the public library in Boston, the work wasstill in a preliminary stage at the artist’sdeath. A new commission for the publiclibrary decoration was awarded to BellaPratt, a former student of Saint-Gaudens.

The work of conserving this unique piecewas accomplished with funding from theNew Hampshire State Council on the

Arts, Moose Plate Conservation Programand matching funds from the Memorial.The plasters are to be rehoused in a newdisplay case fabricated by SkylightStudios, a company which has workedwith the park in the past. This will ensuretheir protection by reducing exposure to dust and other contaminants, as wellas accidental contact by park visitors.

C O N S E R V A T I O N :T H E B O S T O N P U B L I C L I B R A R Y G R O U P Sthe park completed work on a $4000conservation project to repair andbetter house the plaster “Bostonpublic library Groups” left incompleteat the death of Saint-Gaudens in 1907.

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R E C E N T A D D I T I O N ST O T H E C O L L E C T I O NW I L L H O L L I N G S W O R T H ’ SP O R T R A I T O F F R A N C E S G R I M E S

the Saint-Gaudens memorial presented a portrait of the artistFrances Grimes to the park this pastsummer. painted in 1947 by Willhollingsworth, Curator of the Saint-Gaudens memorial in the 1940s, thisis an evocative look at one of themost trusted assistants of augustusSaint-Gaudens.

Frances Grimes (1869 -1963) first came to Cornish in 1894 as the studio helper for the sculptor Herbert Adams. Around1900 she began working with AugustusSaint-Gaudens, and remained one themost active assistants until his death in1907. As a member of the Cornish

Colony, Miss Grimes continued to beactive as a Trustee of the Saint-GaudensMemorial, until her death in 1963.

Will Hollingsworth (1891-1975) was anestablished artist when he was chosen asCurator of the Saint-Gaudens Memorial in1947. His art was broad in scope, fromcommercial posters for the CanadianRailroad, to art in the style of regionalistpainters of the American heartland. Hisportraits tended to be traditional, as thisone, concentrating on the intense focus ofMiss Grimes as she works in needlepoint.

J O H N S I N G E R S A R G E N T ’ SP O R T R A I T O F A U G U S T AS A I N T - G A U D E N S

the interpretation of aspet hasbeen enhanced by the addition of a replica of John Singer Sargent’sportrait of augusta Saint-Gaudensand homer Saint-Gaudens.

Originally featured in the dining room ofthe house, the original now hangs in theCarnegie Museum in Pittsburgh. It wasremoved by Homer Saint-Gaudens whenhe went to Pittsburg to live permanentlyand work as the Director to the art insti-tute. The replica returns this image to itsplace in the house, and allows the visitorto understand more about the life of theinhabitants. A setting of the dining roomtable has also been added to reflect dailyliving of the Saint-Gaudens’ family. Wherepossible original objects are used withsimilar antique pieces to enhance theoverall effect. Both displays are meant togive a lively interpretation to the house,and encourage more audience participa-tion during tours.

Will Hollingsworth, Frances Grimes. An importantsculptural assistant to Saint-Gaudens, painted by aCurator of the Saint-Gaudens Memorial, the workis a significant addition to the park’s collection.

Replica Portrait of Homer Saint-Gaudens and hisMother by John Singer Sargent, 1890. Original atCarnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburg.

The portrait of Augusta and Homer Saint-Gaudensnow hangs in Aspet’s dining Room. The diningtable is also set to reflect the family’s presence.

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I N T E R I M S U P E R I N T E N D E N TM E G A N O ’ M A L L E Yin a temporary shift of park Service personnel, SGnhS Superintendent rick Kendall has been tapped to serve as acting Superintendent atGettysburg national military park from mid-august into december while that park’s superintendent is on a special assignment.

Ably filling Mr. Kendall’s position here at Saint-Gaudens, we have welcomed Megan O’Malley as Interim Superintendent. For the last five years,Ms. O’Malley has been serving at two co-managedparks, the Allegheny Portage Railroad NationalHistoric Site and Johnstown Flood NationalMemorial, where she is Chief of Interpretationand involved in planning as well as in youth,community and educational outreach. Prior to

that she was supervisor of the Visitor Center at Old Faithful visitor center at YellowstoneNational Park. Megan’s interest in arts programming in the parks stretches back to herfirst NPS position at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

These temporary assignments allow the NPS to fill temporary vacancies in leadershippositions and also provide selected NPS staff to experience different, and sometimesmore challenging, leadership positions.

and refinished in 1971 then donated tothe Saint-Gaudens Memorial. It replacedthe 1888 black Steinway (A6 #63480) onloan from the Whittemore Littell family.The 1899 Chickering is still used forconcerts in the Little Studio and playedeach summer by fine pianists whosemusic is appreciated by many people

from around the world.The author gives special thanks to those whoprovided information including Greg Schwarzand park staff at Saint-Gaudens NationalHistoric Site, dartmouth College librariansBarbara Krieger and Reinhart Sonnenberg,Christine Windheuser, Smithsonian Institution,dale Howe, Martha Sachs, Joanna MaxfieldParrish, Phil Burling, Gail Jennings, dannydover and Helen Taylor davidson.

(“The Story of a Chickering Piano” cont. from page 5)