Deshong Art Museum Explained

Deshong Art Museum
Established:September 30, 1916
Dissolved:1984
Location:Deshong Park, Eleventh Street and Edgemont Avenue, Chester, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Type:Art museum

The Deshong Art Museum, also known as the Deshong Memorial Art Gallery, was a public art gallery located in Deshong Park at Eleventh Street and Edgemont Avenue in Chester, Pennsylvania. The building displayed the art collection of wealthy businessman Alfred O. Deshong from 1916 to 1984. He donated his art collection, mansion and 22acres property to the city of Chester after his death. At current valuations, the donation would be worth over . Deshong Park was created from his donated property and the museum was built there in 1914. From 1961 to 1978, the building was used as a library but fell into disrepair and suffered theft of the art collection.

In 1979, a teenage boy was convicted of stealing worth of paintings over a three-year period by taking them off the wall and sliding them out of the museum's windows.

The museum trust was dissolved in 1984. The museum building and park were given to the Delaware County Industrial Development Authority and the art collection was moved to Widener University.

Description

The building was designed by architects Brazer and Robb.[1] It was designed to be fireproof with bronze doors and Dover marble exterior walls.[2] The German emperor's gallery at Cassel was used as a model for the main gallery.[3] The paintings and rugs that Deshong had collected were displayed in the main gallery[4] which is 25x in dimension and high.[2]

It contained over 300 pieces of art including 19th-century American and European paintings, Chinese carved stone jars and Japanese ivory statues.[5] The paintings included those from American Impressionist artists George Loftus Noyes, Edward Redfield and Robert Spencer.[6]

History

Alfred O. Deshong was a wealthy businessman who operated a successful quarry business and was a director of the Delaware County National Bank.[7] He invested his wealth into a large collection of art. He died in 1913 and donated his art collection, mansion and 22acres property to the city of Chester.[8] In his will, Deshong stipulated that an art gallery should be built to display his art collection.[1] At current valuations, the donation would be worth .[9]

Deshong Park was created from the property[3] and the Deshong Art Museum was built in the park. It was formally opened on September 30, 1916.[10] The museum was used as a library from 1961 to 1978 but fell into disrepair.[11] The library was moved to the J. Lewis Crozer Library in 1978.[12]

Art theft

Between 1976 and 1979, a teenager named Laurence McCall from Chester, Pennsylvania, stole multiple paintings and a plate from the gallery.[13] [14] He would skip school and frequent the museum. The museum had limited security and McCall stole more than 22 paintings by simply taking them off the wall and sliding them out of the museum's windows. Many of the stolen items were sold through Sotheby's in New York City, where he delivered the items personally.[14] McCall was eventually caught in September 1979, when he was 19. He was convicted of stealing worth of art and served three years in federal prison.[15] Most of the art was recovered by authorities.[16] [17]

Museum closure

The building was leased and restored by Widener University in 1979. In 1984, the museum trust was dissolved and the property was taken over by the Delaware County Industrial Development Authority. of the trust and the art collection was granted to Widener University.[15] The art collection is currently on display at Widener University.[18] [19]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: The Architectural Review - A Magazine of Architecture & Decoration . January 1918 . London . 63–64 . 23 August 2023 . 30 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230730025948/https://books.google.com/books?id=eyzSczYm8UwC . live .
  2. Book: Architecture and Building, Volume 48 . 2016 . The William T. Comstock Company . New York . 163 . 21 October 2018 . 22 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231122083301/https://books.google.com/books?id=5x7nAAAAMAAJ&q=alfred+o.+deshong&pg=PA166-IA1#v=snippet&q=alfred%20o.%20deshong&f=false . live .
  3. Book: Architecture . January 1916 . C. Scribner's Sons . 223 . 22 September 2018 . 22 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231122083136/https://books.google.com/books?id=OFIiAQAAMAAJ&q=alfred+o.+deshong&pg=PA223#v=snippet&q=alfred%20o.%20deshong&f=false . live .
  4. Book: Chester . 2008 . Arcadia Publishing . Charleston, South Carolina . 978-0-7385-6348-0 . 19 . 3 September 2023 . 3 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230903155855/https://books.google.com/books?id=Tr4_Kx9Mf9AC . live .
  5. Web site: Schaefer . Mari A. . Pieces from Deshong collection go on display at Widener . www.philly.com . 14 July 2010 . 6 January 2018 . 7 January 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180107232852/http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20100714_Deshong_collection_works_go_on_display_at_Widener.html . live.
  6. Web site: Chester Magazine fall 2014 . www.issuu.com . 3 November 2014 . 6 January 2018 . 28 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230728171029/https://issuu.com/chestermagazine/docs/chestermag_lrsingles_fa14/25 . live.
  7. Book: Cope . Gilbert . Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Chester and Delaware Counties, Pennsylvania . 1904 . The Lewis Publishing Company . New York . 65 . 22 September 2018 . 22 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231122083302/https://books.google.com/books?id=-MwwAQAAMAAJ&q=alfred+o.+deshong&pg=PA65#v=snippet&q=alfred%20o.%20deshong&f=false . live .
  8. Web site: Schaefer . Mari A. . Chester's crumbling Deshong Mansion demolished . www.inquirer.com . 10 April 2014 . The Philadelphia Inquirer . 1 August 2023 . 1 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230801193243/https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/20140410_Chester_s_crumbling_Deshong_Mansion_demolished.html . live.
  9. Web site: Widener University Art Gallery . ww.visitdelcopa.com . Visit Delco . 28 July 2023 . 28 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230728203250/https://visitdelcopa.com/things-to-do/arts-theatre/widener-university-art-gallery/ . live.
  10. Book: Castello, Eugene . The American Magazine of Art . November 1916 . American Federation of Arts . United States . 37–38 . 7 September 2023 . 22 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231122083258/https://books.google.com/books?id=DkAEAAAAYAAJ . live .
  11. Web site: Rodgers . Loretta . Chester community celebrates redevelopment of Deshong Park . 27 September 2014 . 16 October 2022 . 16 October 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221016125114/https://www.delcotimes.com/2014/09/27/deshong-commemorated-and-celebrated/ . live.
  12. Web site: J. Lewis Crozer Library History . www.crozerlibrary.org . 21 March 2019 . J. Lewis Crozer Library . 24 August 2023 . 24 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230824145046/https://crozerlibrary.org/about/j-lewis-crozer-library-history/ . live.
  13. News: Burnham . Sophie . As the Stakes in the Art World Rise, So do the Laws and Lawsuits . The New York Times . 15 February 1987 . 4 September 2023 . 4 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230904230804/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/02/15/arts/as-the-stakes-in-the-art-world-rise-so-do-laws-and-lawsuits.html . live .
  14. News: Woestendiek . John . 4 May 1986 . Painted in a corner by his past: Art thief pays for his crime, and pays, and pays . . 2023-09-03 . . . 2023-11-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231122083300/https://www.proquest.com/docview/1829490456 . live .
  15. Web site: Schaefer . Mari A. . Languishing Deshong property frustrates Chester . 27 August 2023 . www.inquirer.com . 10 January 2010 . The Philadelphia Inquirer . 22 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231122083241/https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/local/20100110_Languishing_Deshong_property_frustrates_Chester.html . live .
  16. Web site: Spencer . Gill . Former art thief could really use a job . www.delcotimes.com . 29 July 2011 . 22 September 2018 . 22 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231122083137/https://www.delcotimes.com/2011/07/29/spencer-former-art-thief-could-really-use-a-job/ . live .
  17. News: The City - Stolen Art Identified . The New York Times . 18 October 1979 . 22 September 2018 . 22 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231122083137/https://www.nytimes.com/1979/10/18/archives/the-city-us-gives-4-million-for-harlem-center.html . live .
  18. Web site: Widener University Art Collection . museumsusa.org . Stories USA, Inc. . 5 September 2023 . 28 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230728204054/https://www.museumsusa.org/museums/info/4250 . live .
  19. Web site: Waltzer . Jim . The Fight to Bring Chester Back From the Brink . www.mainlinetoday.com . 21 May 2015 . 6 January 2018 . 22 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231122083640/https://mainlinetoday.com/life-style/family/the-fight-to-bring-chester-back-from-the-brink/ . live .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Deshong Art Museum".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.