Bidspirit auction | OHIO ART CARVED PANEL

OHIO ART CARVED PANEL - Lydia E. Miller, Urbana, dated 1892, walnut. Square panel with relief-carved design of acanthus leaves and flowers, signed at the bottom ”L.E.M. OHIO 1892.” 23” high, 23.75” wide. On the back is a period inscription: ” Lydia E. Miller Urbana Ohio to be (displayed?) with M L(?) Crawford 3700 Lakeside Ave Chicago”.Lydia E. Furrow was born in 1843 to Jacob G. Furrow and Amelia Fletcher Brooks, one of the younger members of a large blended family (Amelia had been widowed with four young boys before she married Jacob). Her father Jacob was a successful merchant, but he seems to have expected industry from his children, and the 1860 census records show that Lydia, age 16, was teaching school. The following year on Dec. 9, 1861, she married Robert Nelson Miller (1838-1914). They had no children and seem to have lived comfortably in Urbana, where Robert worked as an auctioneer and served as sheriff for a period of time. An article from 1942, thirteen years after Lydia’s death, bemoans the fate of her home, which she apparently decorated with her carvings. Many of the carvings were dispersed to relatives, but the home was torn down to add a parking lot near the post office downtown.While most of the “art carved furniture” of the late 19th century has long been associated with Cincinnati, and rightfully so due to the influence of Henry Fry, William Henry Fry, and Benn Pitman, aesthetic carving by young ladies did exist outside of the Queen City. The Urbana Citizen Gazette, in March 1880, advertised “A class in wood carving has been added to the art department of the girl’s [sic] school in Urbana University.” It may have been there that young Lydia learned to carve. In July 1888, the Citizen Gazette noted “In the art department at the [Northwest Territory] Centennial, there are also some choice pieces of wood carving, the display work of Miss Leedom, Miss Marvin, and Miss Swinnerton, deserves careful attention, and lovers of delicate art will be delighted.” The Miss Leedom mentioned here was likely one of Jacob Furrow’s granddaughters through his first wife Elizabeth, and thus, Lydia’s niece through one of her older half-sisters.Five years after the Northwest Territory Centennial celebration, of course, was the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. There, every state showcased its arts and industries, and in addition, the Women’s Building displayed works by women from throughout Ohio and around the world, and there was an entire room devoted to Cincinnati women artists, in which were examples of art carving, including some that had been exhibited at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876. The Report of the Committee of Awards of the World’s Columbian Exposition, volume II, noted that “In the women's building there were displayed many examples of wood carving, mostly in panels, and as applied to furniture. The influence of the Cincinnati School of Design, which made its first efforts and exhibition (mostly by women) at the Philadelphia Exposition, was to be seen in the different pieces submitted from all parts of the country, many of which showed marked advancement in drawing and technique. Each State contributed, through some of its native women artists, original and characteristic carved panels. These were placed above the wainscot in the recorder's room, and proved to be most interesting and artistic as a decorative feature.” Based on the inscription, Lydia's panel was one of those hanging in the recorder's room.Postscript: Lydia’s mother, Amelia Fletcher Brooks, came to her marriage with Jacob Furrow with two sons, one of whom was Samuel. In 1862, Samuel married Caroline Shawk of Cincinnati. Shawk Brooks was known as “The Butter Woman” for her nationally renowned butter sculptures, four of which were exhibited at the Columbian Exposition, including one in the Women’s Building, not far from this panel, carved by her sister-in-law Lydia Miller.Provenance: the collection of Marci and Dean Zimmerman, Cleveland, Ohio.NOTE: We are happy to answer questions and take additional photos of lots prior to the auction (the sooner submitted the better). Any updates or new photographs will be posted to the catalog on our website. Please check there prior to placing bids to ensure that you have the most up-to-date information. SHIPPING: We offer in-house shipping on all lots in this auction. Please see the terms for more information and contact us for a packing/shipping estimate. Condition: Original finish, minor age cracks. Frame is modern.