Cooper Hewitt’s Object of the Day, Schmitz-Horning Co. 1913-1914 Catalogue

By Janet Dodrill

The Outside Comes Inside, Cooper Hewitt’s Object of the Day, the Schmitz-Horning Company Catalogue.

Cooper Hewitt’s recent Object of the Day (December 17, 2017), The Outside Comes Inside, featured Schmitz-Horning Company’s San-Kro-Mura wall decoration catalogue from 1913-1914.

The Object of the Day webpage contains color images of selected catalogue pages and a brief audio recording about it and the company.

The Schmitz-Horning Company, established in 1905 in Cleveland, Ohio, designed and manufactured full-color chromolithograph high quality washable wall coverings, murals, decorative room panoramics, and friezes.

The wall decoration catalogue is available as part of an “adoption” program to gain funding to support the preservation of this book and others at the museum.

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum currently has over 100 pieces in their collection from the Schmitz-Horning Company – the major collection was a gift from the Wallpaper Council, Inc. of New York, NY.

Schmitz-Horning was co-founded by Hugo M. Schmitz (my great-grandfather) and William Horning, artists and lithographers. It is believed the two became acquainted in the late 1800s in and around the Cleveland Art Club and artist’s community. Mr. Horning sold his interest in the company in 1920. Around 1926, Warren R. Schmitz (my grandfather), became vice president of the firm and assisted in company sales. In 1938 he became president of the company until it closed in 1960.

The Forest wall mural theme, Schmitz-Horning Co., 1914 catalogue

 

Hollyhocks wall mural theme, Schmitz-Horning Co. 1914 catalogue.

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Selected Schmitz-Horning Company Links at Cooper Hewitt:

Cooper Hewitt’s recent Object of the Day (December 17, 2017) The Outside Comes Inside, Schmitz-Horning Co. 1913-1914 Catalogue
cooperhewitt.org/2017/12/17/the-outside-comes-inside

The Schmitz-Horning Co.
collection.cooperhewitt.org/people/18046573

Cooper Hewitt WALLCOVERINGS
cooperhewitt.org/tag/wallcoverings

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Urban Sketchers

By Janet Dodrill

Sketching with other artists over the past year has been a worthwhile experience. I discovered Urban Sketchers Cleveland chapter on Facebook. After participating in the group’s monthly sketch outings at various locations, I learned about the Urban Sketchers international organization.

I’ve posted some recent sketches, and included information about the group below.

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Urban Sketchers is a network of artists around the world who draw the cities where they live and travel to. Our mission is to “Show the World, One Drawing at a Time.” Visit our main blog at www.urbansketchers.org for more information.

Sketchers in the Cleveland area share their drawings at www.facebook.com/groups/urbansketcherscleveland and www.urbansketchers-cleveland.blogspot.com.

OUR MANIFESTO

1. We draw on location, indoors or out, capturing what we see from direct observation.

2. Our drawings tell the story of our surroundings, the places we live and where we travel.

3. Our drawings are a record of time and place.

4. We are truthful to the scenes we witness.

5. We use any kind of media and cherish our individual styles.

6. We support each other and draw together.

7. We share our drawings online.

8. We show the world, one drawing at a time.

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NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt: This organization is turning drawing into a social pastime. Jan 20, 2018 – With more than 200 chapters worldwide, Urban Sketchers is helping people meet up and sketch together, taking what was once a solitary hobby and turning it into a social one. www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/this-organization-is-turning-drawing-into-a-social-pastime-1141734979947

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Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio.

5th Street Arcade, Cleveland, Ohio.

Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio.

Renaissance Hotel, Cleveland, Ohio.

Rockefeller Greenhouse & Gardens, Cleveland, Ohio.

Rockefeller Greenhouse & Gardens, Cleveland, Ohio.

Heritage Park, The Flats, Cleveland, Ohio.

The Arcade, Cleveland, Ohio.

The Arcade, Cleveland, Ohio.

William Horning, Schmitz-Horning Co., Artist and Lithographer

By Janet Dodrill

William Horning, Floral Still Life, oil on canvas, 27″ x 33″

William Horning, was a partner of the Schmitz-Horning Company, a lithographic wall covering and mural manufacturing firm in Cleveland, Ohio founded around 1905.

His name appeared on a 1906 patent for a printed repeat pattern wall frieze (US 830931 A), along with that of Hugo Max Schmitz I (my great-grandfather), and Warren R. Cox (family friend and head salesman).

William (Bill) Horning was a Cleveland area artist and lithographer, in addition to Hugo.

He sold his interest in Schmitz-Horning around 1920, but continued to work in the printing industry in the Cleveland area.

He was referred to as a landscape, marine, and animal painter of Cleveland (Cuyahoga area), and exhibited with the Cleveland Art Club and the Water Color Society of Cleveland starting in 1894. He led and evening sketch class at the Cleveland Art Club in 1895. That is around the time that my great grandfather Hugo M. Schmitz, who moved to Cleveland from Wisconsin, attended the group. They may have met there before starting Schmitz-Horning Co. not long thereafter.

In 1930 he participated in an exhibition of water colors by members of the Cleveland Society of Artists, a group who held member exhibits semi-annually. Carl Broemel, who created art for many murals for Schmitz-Horning, also had paintings in the exhibit, and incidentally was hired by my grandparents to paint an oil portrait of my mother as a young girl.

The floral oil painting by William Horning shown sold from the Baldwin-Wallace College collection at Rachel Davis Fine Arts auction in 2009.

 

Sources:

Cleveland Plain Dealer, Sunday, January 26, 1930

Artists in Ohio, 1787-1900: A Biographical Dictionary, by Jeffrey Weidman, compiled & edited by Mary Sayre Haverstock, Jeannette Mahoney Vance, & Brian L. Meggitt, © 2000, Kent State University Press

Rachel Davis Fine Arts

Liveauctioneers.com

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Photo: Rachel Davis Fine Arts

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The Inktober Pledge

By Janet Dodrill

This October I took the Inktober pledge!

The Inktober Initiative was the idea of Jake Parker, established illustrator, to commit to ink drawing practice everyday for the month of October. Started in 2009, the event is practiced by artists around the world, and has official rules and daily idea prompt list to follow. Ink drawings are to be posted to social media on a regular basis using the this year’s hashtags, #inktober and #inktober2017.

I am posting my Inktober drawings to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Google +. I enjoy being part of this creative endeavor and all 31 drawings will be posted here as the month progresses. This gives me the opportunity to practice sketching and drawing.

To learn more about Inktober, see Jake Parker’s website at www.mrjakeparker.com/inktober.

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Bought some new art supplies to add to my art box for Inktober! #PerfectExcuse

Ink drawing, day 1, word: swift

Ink drawing, day 2, word: divided

Ink drawing, day 3, word: poison

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Update: below are some of my favorite ink sketches from Inktober.

Ink drawing by Janet Dodrill

Ink drawing by Janet Dodrill

Ink drawing by Janet Dodrill

Ink drawing by Janet Dodrill

Ink drawing by Janet Dodrill

Ink drawing by Janet Dodrill

Ink drawing by Janet Dodrill

Ink drawing by Janet Dodrill

Ink drawing by Janet Dodrill

Ink drawing by Janet Dodrill

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Chalk Festival Inspires

By Janet Dodrill

The Cleveland Museum of Art held their annual Chalk Festival September 16 & 17, 2017. Here are some of the beautiful chalk drawings that caught my eye.

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Robin VanLear at Cleveland Museum of Art Chalk Festival 2017

Robin VanLear at Cleveland Museum of Art Chalk Festival 2017

Jan Stickney-Kleber at Cleveland Museum of Art Chalk Festival

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Alex Katz Exhibit Highlights

By Janet Dodrill

A trip to an exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Brand-New & Terrific Alex Katz in the 1950s, earlier this month proved to be very inspiring. The works were done in oil on linen, canvas, board and masonite, color lithograph, and collage with cut paper on watercolored paper. Here are selected photos from my visit to the show.

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Skillful Illustrations in Historic Plain Dealer Newspapers

By Janet Dodrill

In doing some research at Cleveland Public Library, I discovered The Plain Dealer newspapers on microfiche from around 1905. What astounded me was the beautiful pen and ink illustrations enhancing the publications. Here are a few snapshots from the archive.

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