Winfield Scott Thurber began his
career as a salesman at the O'Brian Gallery, Chicago's first
fine art Gallery. He formed the Thurber Art Gallery in 1880
at 210 Wabash Avenue in downtown Chicago.
These advertisements are a snap shot in time. A record
that gives us a clearer picture and helps define who Thurber
Art Galleries was. What types of art were sold. Who did they
represent. Who exhibited at Thurber's.
From an ad in 1885, he
exhibited Water, Oil and Porcelain Paintings, and "a choice
collection of French, English and American publications of
Engravings, Etchings, Photogravures, Fine Photographs"
and Frames.
In 1909 Thurber commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design a
Gallery for his new space in the Fine Arts Building, which occupied the entire fifth
floor of the adjoining annex on Michigan Avenue. Whether due
to the configuration of the space, or intentional, it
consisted to two Galleries. The larger Print and
Reproduction Gallery, and the smaller Viewing Gallery.
Thurber Art Galleries hosted exhibitions of
well know artists. "Connoisseurs and collectors will find
carefully selected examples of painting and etchings by the
Modern Masters, together with rare and unusual prints, on
exhibition in my new galleries. |
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During the winter and spring
will be held special exhibitions of paintings by Jules
Guerin, Ossip Lind, Birge Harrison..."
In
1911 he held an exhibition for American Artist Jerome Blum
and Lawrence Mazzanovich. He gained a reputation dealing
mostly in European and American paintings and prints in a
conservative style, but Thurber's was also the city's most
progressive galleries. He introduced Chicago to the works of
the early Modernists. In 1912 he created quite a stir,
leaving a lasting mark, by exhibiting the radical abstract
work of Arthur Dove.
Thurber was also a dealer for many of the Etchings and
Prints that were published in The International Studio.
Advertisements in 1914 publicize The
W. Scott Thurber Art Galleries, "Importers of
Modern Paintings and Water-Colors of French, Dutch, English
and Italian Schools..." "We limit our selections to such
examples as conform to the high standard which controls all
or our buying. We have fine examples of the rare works of S. Arlent Edwards and Sidney Wilson as well as the best plates
of Clifford James, Richard Smythe, Alfred Skrimshire, H. T.
Greenhead, Elizebeth Gulland, E. E. Milner, G. G. Stevenson,
George P. James, Percy Martindale, John Cother Webb, and the
complete work of Fred Millar." |
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1885 |
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1885: Published in: The
Elite Directory and Club List of Chicago. Containing Names and
Addresses of Prominent Residents on the most
Fashionable Streets of the City and Principal
Suburbs, 1885-6. The Elite Publishing Co.,
Chicago 1885.
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1910 |
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1910: Published in:
The Chicago Blue Book. Select Names, Chicago and
Suburban Towns. For the year ending 1910.
Containing the Names and Addresses of Prominent
Residents. The Chicago Directory Company,
Publishers, Chicago. Copyright 1909. Note: Mr. &
Mrs. W. Scott Thurber lived at 3360 South Park
Avenue. 203 Michigan was readdress to 408 S.
Michigan Boulevard, Chicago. |
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1910: Published in:
The International Studio, February 1910. Published
by The John Lane Company, New York. Note: 203
Michigan was readdress to 408 S. Michigan
Boulevard, Chicago. |
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1914: Published in:
The Chicago Blue Book. Select Names, Chicago and
Suburban Towns. Containing the Names and
Addresses of Prominent Residents. The Chicago
Directory Company, Publishers, Chicago.
Copyright 1913. Note: Mrs. W. Scott Thurber
lived at 3360 South Park Avenue. 203 Michigan
was readdress to 408 S. Michigan Boulevard,
Chicago. |
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1914: Published in:
The International Studio, February 1914. Published
by The John Lane Company, New York. |
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1914: Published in:
The International Studio, March 1914. Published
by The John Lane Company, New York. |
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1914:
Published in: Poetry, A Magazine of Verse, May
1914. Published by Harriet Monroe, Chicago. |
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1914: Published in:
The International Studio, August 1914. Published
by The John Lane Company, New York. |
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1914: Published in:
The International Studio, September 1914. Published
by The John Lane Company, New York. |
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1914: Published in:
The International Studio, November 1914. Published
by The John Lane Company, New York. |
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1915: Published in:
The International Studio, February 1915. Published
by The John Lane Company, New York. |
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1915: Published in:
The Chicago Blue Book. Select Names, Chicago and
Suburban Towns. Containing the Names and
Addresses of Prominent Residents. The Chicago
Directory Company, Publishers, Chicago.
Copyright 1914. Note: Mrs. W. Scott Thurber
lived at 3360 South Park Avenue. |
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