Between the Waters. Aston Knight Returns to Hobcaw Barony

Transcription

1 Between the Waters V O L U M E X V I, I S S U E I I F A L L B O A R D O F T R U S T E E S Benjamin T. Zeigler Chairman Hugh C. Lane, Jr. Vice Chairman Aston Knight Returns to Hobcaw Barony Benedict P. Rosen Treasurer Albert Baruch Mercer, MD Secretary Roland Alston Edward B. Bowers, Jr. Edwin H. Cooper, III W. Leighton Lord Grainger McKoy Dale Rosengarten, PhD Minor Mickel Shaw C. Dorn Smith, III, MD I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Aston Knight 1 Ben Zeigler 2 OnLine Reservations 2 Photography 3 Programs Jeanne Arnold 3 Special Programs 4 Volunteer Corner 5 Shop Hobcaw 5 Executive Director 6 Belle s Greenhouse 7 In 1936, Aston Knight visited Hobcaw Barony for his second time to paint landscapes and structures that were significant to the Baruch family. He was known as the artist in high rubber boots, being willing to wade in water to paint plein aire. From his trips in 1916 and 1936, more than 31 watercolors, gouache and oil paintings were completed that are now part of the Belle W. Baruch Foundation collection. Louis Aston Knight was the son of American expatriate artist, Daniel Ridgway Knight. Aston, as he was known, was born in France and is most famous for his French landscapes and capturing the movement and flow of water. According to art curator, Pamela Beecher, he rejected the tenets of Modernism and identification with any school maintaining his independent style. He was known for large, bold brush strokes and the use of vivid color. An outdoorsman and powerful athlete who excelled at boxing, gave him much in common with Bernard Baruch. From information provided by the Knight family, we know that Aston Knight visited the United States for the first time in the early 1900 s and he exhibited his art frequently at a gallery located near Baruch s Fifth Avenue home in NYC. He married an American woman in 1907 and they made their home in France. During WWI the Knights moved temporarily to the United States and in 1916 he was commissioned by Baruch to paint the beloved Hobcaw property. continued on page 2)

2 P A G E 2 A New Chairman The Belle W. Baruch Board of Trustees meeting held on May 11, 2015, resulted in a change of command for the Board. Benjamin T. Ben Zeigler, of Florence, was elected Chairman of the Board, previously serving as Vice Chairman to Hugh Lane, Jr. of Charleston. Zeigler practices law with the firm Haynsworth, Sinkler, Boyd, P.A., focusing on nonprofit and government law, public finance and economic incentives. (continued from page 1) He returned to Hobcaw in 1936 and painted many other scenes. The Belle W. Baruch Foundation now owns what is believed to be the largest collection of his works that are of a single place. In 2014, the PBS hit series Antiques Roadshow featured a segment about the art theft that took place at Hobcaw Barony in 2003, that included a few Aston Knight paintings. The appraiser, Debra Force, an expert in American paintings, examined and talked about the collection on film. A couple of years later, Mrs. Force noticed an Aston Knight painting of Hobcaw House that was coming up for auction and notified the Executive Director, George Chastain. The foundation was able to purchase the painting and is in the process of having it framed to meet conservation standards. It is important to note that this painting was not one that was stolen. In fact, the painting was not part of the collection listed on the 1964 inventory. Nevertheless, Hobcaw Barony is happy to add a painting that tells an important part of the story. Reproductions will be available in the gift shop at the Discovery Center. On-Line Reservation System at Hobcaw Barony A few years ago a new website was designed with the goal of being more user friendly, but as technology advances, the website should too. A new website has been designed and is now live. Visitors are now able to make reservations for tours, special programs and our popular summer camps online. Due to expanded tours and programs and an increased number of visitors, our online reservation system is essential. Now anyone is able to visit our website any day, at any hour, and see what tours and programs are available. Once a tour or program has been selected there is an easy, three-step process to reserve a space. Please visit B E T W E E N T H E W A T E R S

3 V O L U M E X V I, I S S U E I I P A G E 3 The second program takes place on December 13. Participate in a rare photography experience at Clambank Landing on Hobcaw Barony and view the Geminid Meteor shower. A meteor shower is the result of earth passing through the tail of a comet and a streak of light is seen when pieces from the comet hit earth s atmosphere. Clambank is located in north inlet, one of the cleanest estuaries on the East Coast and has very little light pollution, providing an excellent opportunity to capture the event on camera. Participants will learn about proper exposure, wide angle/fast lens, shutter speed, F-stops, ISO and how to focus. If you are not interested in photography, Ron Revere, adjunct professor at Coastal Carolina University will start the evening with a 15 minute slide show about meteor showers. The workshop leader is David Fattaleh, a professional photographer with over 30 years experience. Photography Programs at Hobcaw Barony There are two exciting opportunities to photograph Hobcaw Barony at night this fall. The first program was in November. Professional photographer David Fattaleh came to demonstrate a rare opportunity to light up Friendfield Village by camera. Our attendees stepped back in time with David as he provided instruction on long exposures, use of flashlights and filters, and other techniques to capture dramatic images. New Volunteer Coordinator Jeanne Arnold started her new position this month as Hobcaw Barony s new Volunteer Coordinator. Previously, as many of you know, Jeanne was one of our docent volunteers. She comes to us with a strong background in Human Resource management, working in a manufacturing setting as well as Division Vice President of Human Resources for Denny s restaurants. Also, she spent 15 years teaching gifted and talented students, ranging from 3 rd grade through 8 th grade. She hopes to foster a strong sense of satisfaction and pride for our volunteers who are ambassadors for Hobcaw Barony, spreading Belle s mission to all who cross through our gates. Jeanne believes that her previous employment experience will give her a unique perspective on recruiting, retention, problem solving and training in addition to managing large groups of people. After vacationing here for many years, Jeanne and her husband Mike moved to Pawleys Island permanently over one year ago from Ohio. They have four children, eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Please extend a warm welcome to Jeanne.

4 P A G E 4 Donors Enjoy Unique Programming The Belle W. Baruch Foundation donors are now provided with special access and attention through unique programming offered quarterly. Education staff Richard Camlin and Lee Brockington have developed enlightening opportunities for supporters of Hobcaw Barony. Exclusive field experiences and access to regionally recognized historians, artists and ecologists began in 2015 and continues in the New Year. After a morning duck hunt, hunters and guides pose with their bounty. Possibly a Caines brother on the left. The Plantation Sportsmen Series features two-day seminars led by dinner speakers at Hobcaw House and a trip the following day to plantations in the lowcountry and sandhills of South Carolina. Reflecting preservation of history and dedication to conservation, exclusive properties, many once owned by duck hunters of the early 20 th century, are still privately held and protected in perpetuity. Special access through the Baruch Foundation s Plantation Sportsmen Series provides insight into the connections between Hobcaw Barony and the past and present relationships with these other plantations. Tours are complemented by stimulating lectures, good food and travel to quiet locations rarely seen by the public. The 2016 dates are January 29-30; February 25-26; April 21-22; September 22-23; October Donors may register online ($150/person per event). The Baruch Roundtable welcomes donors to Hobcaw House to meet and mingle with prominent authors, artists, and historians, as Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Baruch once did during their ownership. Limited to 28, these intimate dinners begin with libations on the porch overlooking Winyah Bay at sunset, continue in the dining room featuring the finest of lowcountry cuisine and conclude with a salon evening with our speakers in the living room of the house that once encouraged conversations between guests and notables Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, Winston Churchill and President Franklin Roosevelt. The 2016 dates are Thursdays, March 31; May 19; November 10. Donors may register for online ($75/person per event). In a August 1961 photo taken as a souvenir at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, Belle Baruch's dinner guests share a table. Ella Severin, Mrs. Unger, Ken Unger (Belle's pilot), Mrs. Charles Jones, Belle Baruch, Arthur Allen, ZaSu Pitts (actress) and Dr. Charles Jones. B E T W E E N T H E W A T E R S

5 V O L U M E X V I, I S S U E I I P A G E 5 Volunteer Corner: A Message from Jeanne Arnold When we look back over the past few weeks and our flooding disasters, we re even more in awe of our volunteers. Everyone has gone above and beyond to help in the recovery. Our volunteers at the desk have answered hundreds of questions, rescheduled tours, and worked on the roll-out of our new website. Our docents scheduled and rescheduled their lives around ever changing conditions on the property. All volunteers who work in horticulture, forestry and maintenance worked at a constant, breakneck pace to fix roads, clean yards, and dig out culverts with only hand tools because roads were too damaged to use heavy equipment. The devotion to carry out Belle s mission of research and education is always alive and well in the actions of our volunteers. Thank you! S H O P H O B C A W Hobcaw Barony is once again offering a member s shopping week in the gift store at the Hobcaw Barony Discovery Center. From November 30 to December 5 members will receive an extra discount for any retail items purchased. Donors receiving a 10% discount throughout the year will receive 20% and donors receiving a 20% discount throughout the year will receive 30%. The store is open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm. There are many items to choose from including wooden bowls from fallen trees at Hobcaw Barony, sweetgrass baskets, t- shirts, jewelry, stuffed animals and puppets among many other things. Brand new this year are wine stoppers with a vintage map image of North Inlet, a favorite spot for everyone at Hobcaw Barony. A New Roof in Friendfield Friendfield Village, Hobcaw Barony... braving the intense heat, these gentlemen spent a week replacing the roof of the oldest cabin in Friendfield. Our 1840s cabin, previous home to Laura Carr, nurse/midwife to the villagers, has a new roof. Come take our tour and discover Friendfield Village to see the transformation of housing from pre-civil War era through post Reconstruction. From left to right Dave Schlidt, Steve Thomas, Lee Daniels and Myrick Newton.

6 P A G E 6 Executive Director Notes George Chastain As yet another summer research season here at Hobcaw Barony comes to a close, we should pause to reflect a moment on our core mission of research and education. In the past twelve months, thirty-one new research projects were established on the property by students and faculty from our partner universities. These researchers represented seventeen different universities in six states. Along with existing long term research projects, these new projects will deepen our understanding of the complex natural and built environments at Hobcaw Barony. There is no doubt that Hobcaw Barony has become well known throughout the country as a premier site for scientific research. From the very beginning forestry and wildlife management, along with marine biology, have been at the heart of our research. It was Belle Baruch herself that named forestry and marine biology as our core areas of research. For over forty years, we have partnered with Clemson University to meet Belle s directive to study forestry and wildlife management at Hobcaw Barony. Clemson s work through their Belle W. Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science in forest hydrology, tree genetics, silviculture, forested wetlands ecology, and endangered species management has led to a greater understanding of coastal forest. For a generation, the forestry community has turned to Clemson University and the Baruch Institute for the latest information on coastal forestry and wildlife issues. Yet,we cannot be satisfied with our past success. The complexity of forest resource management is going through its greatest change in a generation, may be its greatest change ever. With the rise of forest product manufacturing to become the largest manufacturing sector in South Carolina, the diversity of forest products and markets has grown dramatically. Changes in forest land ownership patterns have changed as well. The large integrated forest product companies that once owned thousands of acres of forest land no longer exist. Large forested tracts in our state are now owned by investment groups, groups that require a high return on their investment. Small private forest ownership is changing too, with the greatest intergenerational transfer of forest land in history. New exotic invasive plants, insects, and diseases seem to arrive daily with the introduction of new species. Species our forests are seldom adapted to deal with. In October, we invited twenty-two leaders from the forestry community to share their thoughts on these changes. Our goal was to understand the challenges facing the forestry community that research could and should address. The comments from the group were enlightening. Many of the things we felt were well understood, were identified as areas in need of research. Many new topics were identified that had not been considered. The topics identified will help guide forestry research in the future at Hobcaw Barony, as Clemson University grows their research. B E T W E E N T H E W A T E R S

7 VOLUME XVI, ISSUE II PAGE RESTORATION OF BELLE S GREENHOUSE Before restoration, January 2015 During restoration, June 2015 During restoration, September 2015 Continued restoration November 2015 This year Patricia Mishoe, our staff horticulturalist, headed up the project to bring new life to the greenhouse at Bellefield. Belle and Ella Severin were members of the American Camellia Society and competed in many shows in the area, showcasing their prized camellias. Bellefield has over 100 camellias around the property. A big thank you to our wonderful volunteers and staff that have worked to bring back Belle s greenhouse: Randy Lampley, George Gross, Mike Goodwin, Myrick Newton, Richard Lancaster, Philip Holberton, Pat Benson, Steve Thomas, James Bessinger, Zeb Quattlebaum and the beloved Elaine Minkler. A bowl of camellias grown at Bellefield. 7

8 22 Hobcaw Road Georgetown, SC Address Service Requested Non-Profit U.S. Postage Paid Georgetown, SC Permit #303 Discovery Center 9am to 5pm Monday through Saturday TO: Take advantage of our social media sites to know the latest Hobcaw s happenings. Belle W. Baruch Foundation at Hobcaw Barony Hobcaw Barony hobcawbarony_baruchfoundation The Belle W. Baruch Foundation Mission Statement To conserve Hobcaw Barony s unique natural and cultural resources for research and education. SHOP HOBCAW BARONY Wine Bottle Stoppers of Hobcaw Barony Newly arrived at our Discovery Center Gift Store, wine stoppers with a vintage map image of North Inlet, a favorite spot for everyone at Hobcaw Barony. Gift Shop hours are Monday Friday, 9 am 5 pm. **If you are a donor, please remember to use your discount!**