Feb

Albany – The Women Assisting Hermon MacNeil

Joel Rosenkranz shared notes naming people, all women, who assisted MacNeil in the creation of the Albany memorial as he sculpted the clay models at his Studio in College Point

Perhaps the he Drummer Boy has a feminine touch

Joel shared research notes listing Female names of Sculptor Assistants who worked on the model of the Albany Monument. [Source: 1922Oct16-AlbanyMem-HaasNotes ]

Joel states:

Some of the surnames will be familiar and maybe some of the given names as well. Their ages range from 21 to 46, which is an interesting span. I looked at the memorial and all the figures except the nine foot woman are men as far as I can tell. Do you think he used women as models for the soldiers and sailors? [Perhaps the Drummer Boy came from feminine hands and talents? dnl].

Here is a little about each if you ever plan to develop a story behind the piece.

He adds the following research into Hermon’s cadre of feminine artists and neighbors:

Katherine Breck lived in the village Flushing to the south of College Point. She was 41 and the wife of George Breck, the artist who you undoubtedly know. In 1910 he was still in Rome.

Emily DeNeufville was the twenty-two year-old daughter of August who was a stockbroker and an artist as well. In time she married a gent named Colman Wynne.

Lena Schiiler (46) and Bianca Schiiler, (54) were both single women, teachers. I don’t think either ever married.

Mercy Clare is probably Mary Clair the 21 year-old daughter of Francis Clair who owned an insurance company and was an important man in the life of College Point. A politician as well, he lived next door to HAM.

The Bardenhauer women, Clara, 44, and Alvina, 46, also lived near him. The former was a teacher at Flushing H.S. , and after leaving a College Point elementary school, Alvina taught German in nearby Newtown H.S. in Elmhurst. It does not appear either ever married and Alvina died at the age of 81 in 1944.

In 1911 Irma Weitling 18, was another assistant. Her father William Weitling was head accountant at the Poppenhusen Rubber factory. In time he would become president only to die in a car accident in Florida in 1932.

Mrs. Edwin Charles was the wife of the artist/painter who you probably know. I found a few of his paintings via google and liked them.

Alice Clark was a 29 year-oild kindergarten teacher probably in College Point. She lived in the Graham Mansion, a storied piece of property about which I’ve written once owned by Captain Graham. Some said there were underground railroad tunnels under his property, but I don’t think there were.

There were a few women named Florence Tyler living in Queens, but without another a fact or two, I can’t say which one would have assisted Hermon MacNeil.

To these names given by Joel Rosenkranz, I would add another:

Carol Brooks MacNeil

Carol Brooks MacNeil as Hermon’s first female assistant, and sculptor-partner for life, she was always there. I imagine that she added clay modeling and teamwork skills to the efforts of these dozen women. Many hands completed the manifold tasks that produced this sparkling marble monument and over eighty bas relief figures.

Soldiers and Sailors’ Monument (reverse) in Washington Park, Albany NY

Hermon MacNeil’s Female Assistants for Albany Work

1. 1. Alice Clark
  2. Alvina Bardenhauer
  3. Bianca Schiiler
  4. Carol Brooks MacNeil
  5. Clara Bardenhauer
  6. Emily DeNeufville
  7. Erma Weitling
  8. Florence Tyler
  9. Katherine Breck
  10. Lena Schiiler
  11. Mercy Clare
  12. Mrs Edwin Charles