Research on art, antiques and architecture
We have been engaged in research in New York and regional history, architecture, art and antiques for decades which have gone public as exhibitions, books, articles, lectures, and now, the internet. A number of these publications are referenced in catalogs, articles and books so it is now useful to make these available to the public and I will scan and attach them at this section.
For many years I and my colleague Ruth Piwonka have been working on a comprehensive catalog of all the early New York paintings (up to the year 1750) of which we now know of over 500, far more than was once thought to be extant. This digital catalog is just too big to publish in the conventional book form, it would go 1000+ pages. We will work out a way to publish it on the internet. In the meantime we are pleased to hear from those who know of undiscovered examples and we will respond to your inquiries about paintings which may or may not be of New York or New Jersey origin. Most are portraits, some are scripture paintings (based on Bible engravings) and a few genre subjects, hatchments, miniatures and house portraits or landscapes. Meanwhile, here is the Bibliography
Books
See Publications
Exhibition Catalogues
James E. Johnson: Rural Artist, with Ruth Piwonka. The Columbia County Historical Society. 1975.
A Visible Heritage, catalogue and teacher's manual for the exhibition on Columbia County art and architecture, with Ruth Piwonka. The Columbia County Historical Society. 1975.
Ammi Phillips in Columbia County, with Ruth Piwonka. The Columbia County Historical Society. 1977.
A Remnant in the Wilderness, New York Dutch Scripture History Painting of the Early Eighteenth Century. with Ruth Piwonka. The Bard College Center and the Albany Institute of History and Art. 1980.
Foreword to German Folk Art in New York State by Maria A. de Julio. Catalogue for the exhibition at the Albany Institute of History and Art. 1985.
Natural Truth, The Landscape Paintings of the Parton Brothers of Hudson, New York. Columbia County Historical Society, Kinderhook, NY July 3-October 31, 1998. Introduction to the catalog.
Articles
"History in a Town, The Dutch Settlement of Kinderhook", The Magazine Antiques, December,1972.
"The Solomon Van Rensselaer Miniature, a Reappraisal". The Magazine Antiques, June, 1973.
"New Discoveries about Emma J. Cady", with Ruth Piwonka, The Magazine Antiques, February, 1978.
"Flashes of the Soul,Photography vs Painting", The Clarion, Winter, 1978.
"Dutch Material Culture:Furniture", de Halve Maen, Journal of the Holland Society of New York, Spring 1979.
"Dutch Material Culture:Paintings", de Halve Maen, Fall-Winter, 1979.
"Dutch Material Culture:Silver", de Halve Maen, Fall, 1980.
"Historic Cherry Hill in Albany, New York", The Magazine Antiques, April, 1980.
"New York Stamped and Branded Furniture", The Magazine Antiques, May, 1981.
"Gilbert Ash Inscriptions Reconsidered",The Magazine Antiques February, 1983.
"Dutch Material Culture:Architecture", de Halve Maen, Vol.LVII, No.l, 1982.
"Dutch Decorative Painted Furniture since the 17th Century", in The Decorator, Journal of the Historical Society for Early American Decoration, 1985
"Early Dutch Colonial Architecture in the Hudson Valley" in Proceedings of the Symposium : New Netherland Studies: an Inventory of Current Research and Approaches, Bulletin KNOB, Amsterdam, June, 1985
"Dutch Art and Culture in Colonial America", The Magazine Antiques, July, 1986.
"Remembrance of Patria" de Halve Maen, Vol.LIX, No.4, 1987. "Transformations of Dutch Culture in a New World Environment: Processes of Material Adaptation." in Dutch Arts and Cultural in Colonial America, Proceedings of the Symposium (August 1986) of the same title, Roderic H. Blackburn and Nancy Kelley, editors. The Albany Institute of History and Art. 1987.
"The Construction of Late Dutch Farm Buildings in the HudsonValley: a first person account from two centuries ago". Rensselaerswyck Seminar Papers (10th Anniversary Volume),
"Pieter Schuyler's Indian Kings at Queen Anne's Court" in de Halve Maen vol.LXI No.1. March 1988 pp.1-5.
"The Dutch Hay Barrack in America" The Dutch Barn Preservation Society Newsletter, Vol.2 Issue 2 , Fall 1989, pp.1-8.
"New World Dutch Farms, and Inventory of Distinctive Objects", in The Dutch Barn Preservation Society Newsletter, Spring 1992 and Fall 1992.
"Sotheby's Claverack Connection, Inside John Stair's restoration workshop." Hudson Valley Magazine, July 1989, Vol. XVIII No.3.
"Historic Cherry Hill, Albany's house museum interprets the past." Hudson Valley Magazine, October 1989, Vol. XVIII No.6.
"Garden ornaments, beautifying your garden with antique furnishings." Hudson Valley Magazine, March 1990, Vol. XVIII No.11.
"A Quest to Kaaterskill Falls, Uncovering the mysteries of one of nature's gems in Greene County." Hudson Valley Magazine, July 1990, Vol. XIX No.3.
"The Best of the Past, a tour inside some of the finest antique shops in the valley." Hudson Valley Magazine May 1990, vol. XIX, No.1.
"The Auction-goer's Survival Manual, Everything - yes everything - you need to know about antique auctions." Hudson Valley Magazine, June 1991, Vol. XX No.2.
"Volcan's Fire, the inner workings of Richard Polich and Dutchess County's Tallix Morris Singer Foundry." Hudson Valley Magazine, August 1991, Vol. XX No.4.
"On Appraisal, how much are your antiques really worth? It takes more than honesty to make a good appraiser. Hudson Valley Magazine May 1992, Vol. XXI No.1.
"Antiques of the Hudson, Mohawk & Schoharie Valleys," Northeast - Art & Antiques, December 1995, Vol.2 No.6.
"An Artist from the Past - David Smith Peirce (1825-1905) [Newly discovered genre painter of the Albany region]. Northeast - Art & Antiques, November 1996, Vol.3 No.5.
"Steamboats on the Hudson - an Inspiration for Art," Northeast - Art & Antiques, November 1996, Vol. 3 No.5.
"The Fred J. Johnston Museum", The Magazine Antiques, August 1997.
"Living with Antiques: The Crane and Ware houses united" The Magazine Antiques. September 1999 p. 310-321.
"Emblems of honor: Congressional medals of war and peace" The Magazine Antiques. Vol CLXII, No.1 July 2002, p.82-89.
"Living with antiques: The Jesse Van Slyke house in Schenectady New York." The Magazine Antiques, Vol. CLXIV No.2, August 2003, p. 70-79