MacNeil Month 2022 will feature stories of

“Sculptor Americanus:

Hermon Atkins MacNeil”

In 1974 Cecelia W. MacNeil authored three articles with Dr. Allen Nestle, entitled “Sculptor Americanus: Hermon Atkins MacNeil”.  They appeared in the April, May and June issues of The Antiques Journal.   Cecelia’s stories of Hermon MacNeil will be featured in the February 2022 postings for

MacNeil  MONTH

Hermon and Cecelia MacNeil in 1945.

Hermon and Cecelia married in 1945.  Both had been widowed several years before.

Hermon & Carol had been married for forty-nine years when she died.  My story of the death of Carol Brooks MacNeil was posted HERE.)   

Hermon’s second marriage in 1945 was also Cecelia’s second marriage.  

They sent out a Christmas card photo greeting to family and friends.

Two 2nd Marriages

Hermon married Cecilia W. Muench in 1945.  Cecelia was nearly 30 years younger than Hermon.  Both of them had been recently widowed.

After serving in the World War, Cecelia Muench had married and continued her career as a RN.  In 1940 a snapshot of her life was captured in the 1940 U.S. Census.  She was 43 years old living in Queens, New York, with Karl, her husband, two daughters, Dorothy (18), Sarah (17) and a son, Karl (13).   Her mother, Anna Weick also lived with the family. 

How Cecilia Weick met Hermon MacNeil

Cecilia Weick first heard the name of “Hermon Atkins MacNeil” in 1909 on her 12th birthday.  To celebrate, her father took her to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Ascending into the American Wing, they sat down on a bench near MacNeil’s sculpture group of “The Sun Vow.”  Sixty-four years later, Cecelia described that sculpture this way: 

My own grandson, Owen, in front of “The Sun Vow” at Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

The Sun Vow portrays two Indians, elder and younger, chief and future brave, grandfather and grandson.  The grandfather, his body still subtle and strong, is weary just the same. The viewer knows that the chieftain’s feathered head-dress … will never again be worn.  The old Indian holds this symbol of authority on his lap as he presses the young Indian to him.  The grandchild holds an arrowless bow, symbolizing the celebration of coming of age in the in Indian lore but transcending the culture of any age.  For when the young brave is able to shoot an arrow into the son, far enough away so that its decent to earth passes unseen, then he has attained manhood. 

After at least five minutes of silence my father commented.

“Ceil, the man who created this work is surely one of the greatest American Sculptors. Never, never forget his name.”

I am still a romantic.  My father’s words were to be part of my destiny.  37 years later I married Hermon Atkins MacNeil Cecelia MacNeil with Dr. Allen Nestle. “Sculptor Americanus: Hermon Atkins MacNeil”.   (First in a Series of Three), The Antiques Journal, April 1974,  pp. 10-13, 54

Hermon and Cecelia were married in 1945 and sent this Christmas Greeting out to friends and family.  (The previous photo of the couple is a detail crop of this card.)

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