Paul J. Weber, Architectural and Landscape Photographer, Country Place Era
A group of twenty matt-mounted eleven inch by nine inch sepia-colored (two-tone) prints by Boston photographer Paul J. Weber, all signed on the matt at the lower right corner below the photo. Some and perhaps all of the images relate to projects of Fletcher Steele (1885-1971), noted late Country Place Era (fl. 1910s-1930s) landscape architect: in particular his work for Blossom Hill of Grahame Wood and for the Lisburne Grange swimming pool for Samuel Sloan, both shown on the site for the Robin Karson revised biography of Steele for the Library of American Landscape History, Fletcher Steele, Landscape Architect: An Account of the Gardenmaker’s Life, 1885–1971 (http://www.lalh.org/books/karsonfs.html). this collection includes the same image as the Blossom Hill view, but two other views of the Sloan swimming pool.
The group of matted photographs was transferred to the College library Special Collections as part of a series of transfers relating to collections of the Foundation for Architecture and Landscape Architecture (FALA) summer post graduate program, 1926-1931, Lake Forest. The annual program was housed on campus 1926-1931, but the last summer, 1931, the studio and operations (but not rooming and board) were moved into the new Lake Forest [town] Library (Edwin Hill Clark, 1931), 361 E. Deerpath a few blocks from campus. When the program did not materialize for the summer of 1932 due to a lack of funding, Alfred E. Hamill, both a FALA trustee and the president of the town library board, arranged to hold the collections, etc. at the new library, at that time with lots of open space (the 1900 College library was full and eight years away from a major renovation/internal expansion). When the program closed down permanently in 1935, the collections remained at the town library.
From the 1960s to the 1990s FALA collections were transferred to the Lake County Historical Society (James R. Getz, president) and to the College library’s Special Collections; the Getz-held material also came to the College in the 1980s from Getz's hitorical materials. This group of photos was part of a series of 1990s transfers here directly from the town library.
All but one of the photos are signed in pencil “Weber/Boston” on the matt below and to the right of the mounted photo image.
The Photos
l. On verso of print, in pencil: “Grahame Wood, Esq,” with the number “13” to the right and below, and underneath stamped in purple: “ Paul J.Weber /Architectural /Photographer /Boston (24) Mass.” Penciled in upper left hand corner of verso of matt, “J”. This is the same image as appears at the bottom of the LALH web page on Robin Karson’s Fletcher Steele book, labeled: “Blossom Hill, the estate of Grahame Wood, Wawa, PA, design ca. 1914. L.C. Photo by Paul Weber.”
2. On verso of print, in pencil: “Grahame Wood, Esq.,” with the number “6” to the right and below, the same stamp as in item 1. Penciled in upper left hand corner of verso of matt, “K”. In the center of the verso of the matt, in pencil the number “16” circled. View is of a lawn leading to steps up to a terrace, with a stone wall on the left with an urn with a small evergreen in it and on the right a tall hedge, with a stone house with a flat roof behind.
3. As above on verso, with “A. S. R. Woke, Esq.”, number “4”, stamp below, and in the upper left corner of the matt, “I”. In the center of the verso of the matt, in pencil the number “27” circled. This view shows the entry to an Arts & Crafts house or cottage, with a brick walk across the lower part of the image, in the lawn, and tall poplars behind.
4. “Dr. Charles G. Mixter, Esq.” and number four. The Weber office stamp is on the right margin, with the number “(260)” penciled in the center of the verso of the matt. A story and a half white house behind a lawn and rock garden.
5. Not signed on the front, as in the others. On the verso in pencil “Tyson” and an “X” circled, all in pencil. This view, landscape or horizontal, shows a formal allee lined with tall pines, an iron fence on the left and a row of small scalloped fountains on the sloping terrain on the right. A different type of photo print, not sepia colored.
6. “Russell Tyson, Esq.” and the number “20.” Stamped on right margin. In center of verso in pencil, “224” circled. Shows a formal garden with Diana the Huntress on a stone base, with an allee to the right, with French steps down.
7. “Russell Tyson, Esq.” and the number “31.” The number “320 circled in pencil. Three levels of an Italianate cascade and balustraded overlook, with two women with their backs turned to this view.
8. “Russell Tyson, Esq.” and the number “35.” Stamped right margin, and in pencil circled “324.” The view is a stone two and a half storied villa-esque house, behind a circular stone courtyard.
9. “Samuel Sloan, Esq.” and the number “8.” Stamped on top margin. Pool from left side, the same as in the “Lisburne Grange” image on the Steele book site (http://www.lalh.org/books/karsonfs.html), but from the other (left) side.
10. “Samuel Sloan, Esq.” and the number “12.” Stamped on left margin. Close-up of the French steps down on the left side of the pool.
11. “Dr. Charles G. Mixter”. Perhaps the number “1.” Stamped right margin. In the center of the verso, in pencil too: “260” circled. Spring view of a pond, rock garden, rhodys, etc.
12. “Second Cong. Church, Waterbury, Conn.” Perhaps number “1.” Stamped right margin. “269” circled in pencil center of verso. Shows a courtyard with a tall iron fence and gate, next to a rustic stone building.
13. “Hopkins Memorial, Williamstown [Massachusetts].” Perhaps the number “1”. Stamp immediately beneath the penciled writing. On the front, left margin sideways in pencil, either “Don” or “For” “Fletcher Steele & R.C. Griswold”. In ink, lower left, the number “236.” Upper left of verso, “O”. With a building in the background, left, there is an approach up some stairs and through classic white stone gateposts with urns to an iron arch over the entrance to… the forest (?), right. C. 1930 ironwork balustrade on both sides of stairs and a landing at the top, right, also with an art deco iron balustrade.
14. “John S. Ellsworth, Esq.” Stamped right margin of verso, and “212” circled, in pencil. A stone terrace with trelliswork entrance, set in the “L” of a frame two-story house.
15. “John S. Ellsworth, Esq.” Number “9” right and one line lower; stamp below. Number “212” circled, in pencil center of verso. Background a barn and silo, with in the foreground two stone gateposts in the form of silos, on one side a stone wall, on the right a low stone wall with a picket fence on it. Wooden swinging gates between the two pillars.
16. “John S. Ellsworth, Esq.” Number “4” in one corner of print location on verso, stamped nearby. Letter “G” upper left. In pencil, centered, “212.” Photo detached from map, view of old-fashioned garden with stone wall on left, with frame house in background.
17. “Ralph Adams Cram, Esq.” Number “17” right top corner of verso of image, with stamp below and left. “250” in center of verso, circled. Upper left, “B”. View of dry stone wall, foreground, with a stone walled terrace in front of a frame two-story house, with a piazza in front. Sloping site from right to left. Noted medievalist and modernist architect Cram in the 1910s acquired a farm/country place with a garden, etc.: Whitehall at Sudbury, Mass. (See Douglass Shand-Tucci, Ralph Adams Cram... 2005. pp. 79-80.)
18. “Charles P. Clifford, Esq.” Number “38”, stamp on right margin, with “200” circled center of verso, in pencil. Centered detail of ironwork deisgn with birds, flower basket, etc., atop a stone wall with a terrace below; in from of grass terrace before two-story white frame house.
19. “Atkinson Allen, Esq.” Number “15”, with “40” circled in pencil center of verso. In a different hand than all the client names, “Garden Figure by Gaston Lachaise.” This image is dominated by a white stone standing nude woman figure, facing left, in an art deco manner. This above and to the right of a small reflecting pool with the sculpture facing left, but an allee/garden off to the distance, perpendicular to the direction the sculpture is facing.
20. “Atkinson Allen, Esq.” “40” circled in pencil in center of verso of image. Distance view of the same nude sculpture as item 19, from the end of the allee/garden up to the sculpture. Hedge and stone path on left, with lawn in center.
Arthur H. Miller
Archivist and Librarian
For Special Collections
Donnelley and Lee library/LIT
Lake Forest College
555 North Sheridan Road
Lake Forest, IL 60045-2396
847-735-5064 voice, -6296 fax
June 24, 2010