1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you missed in History Class, A production 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly 3 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: Frye and I'm Tracy V. 4 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 2: Wilson. Odds are really good that you probably don't immediately 5 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 2: recognize the name of the artists that we're talking about today, 6 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 2: but they are just about equally good. 7 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: That you have seen his work. He is sometimes called, 8 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: and I love this, the dog World's Michelangelo a although 9 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: there's another artist who will get invoked later. But Cassius 10 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 1: Marcellus Coolidge's most well known art is the Dog's Playing 11 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: Poker series. But even with that, those paintings often get misnamed. 12 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: We'll talk about that. But he also contributed and in 13 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:51,520 Speaker 1: one case patented, other types of art that have become 14 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: common throughout the world. He really was a true renaissance man. 15 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 1: He was interested in a lot of different things and 16 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: in using his creativity cross a variety of disciplines. So 17 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: I thought he would be fun to talk about today. 18 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 2: So Cassius Marcellus Coolidge was born on September eighteenth, eighteen 19 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:13,399 Speaker 2: forty four, in between Antwerp, New York and Philadelphia, New York. 20 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:17,840 Speaker 2: So Antwerp was still is a very tiny town, and 21 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 2: it's often referenced by its larger neighbor to the southwest, 22 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 2: which is Watertown. His farmer parents, Nathan and Martha Coolidge, 23 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 2: were Quakers. They're abolitionists. A bunch of sources say that 24 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:34,760 Speaker 2: they named their son after the brother of abolitionist Henry Clay. 25 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 2: I think it is way more likely that they named 26 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:43,639 Speaker 2: him after Cassius Marcellus Clay, who was Henry Clay's cousin 27 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 2: and was a prominent abolitionist in his own right. Cassius 28 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 2: and his younger siblings John, Clinton and Abbey were raised 29 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 2: in an abolitionist household, and it seems like Nathan and 30 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 2: Martha had at least one other child who may not 31 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 2: have survived their childhood. What by the name Cash, and 32 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 2: that shows up spelled with both a C and a K, 33 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 2: but in later years when he made art, he pretty 34 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:12,360 Speaker 2: consistently used the K spelling. Cash went to the school 35 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 2: in Antwerp before moving on to Poughkeepsie to take business 36 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 2: courses at Eastman's College. 37 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, and like letters among the families, some people will 38 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 1: use the C and some people will use the K. 39 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: But you can very clearly see when he signs art. 40 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 1: He uses K and signs it cash coolidges, as I 41 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:32,399 Speaker 1: said earlier. Often described as a sort of renaissance man, 42 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 1: and his earliest career moves were certainly not in the 43 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: art field that he became known for. In eighteen seventy one, 44 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 1: he opened Antwerp's first bank, the Bank of Antwerp, in 45 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 1: a building that he constructed. And this sounds a little 46 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: bit out of the blue, but it seems that Cash 47 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: had some experience in banking because he had worked at 48 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: the Eastman College Bank while he was going to school, 49 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: and a lot of his courses at the school were 50 00:02:56,320 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: ones that would help him run a financial institution. He's 51 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 1: also said to. 52 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 2: Have worked briefly as a druggist and a handyman, and 53 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 2: to have eventually purchased the drug store as an investment. 54 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 2: He doesn't appear to have remained active in the running 55 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 2: of the bank. He moved to Rochester in eighteen seventy three. 56 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 2: He had never been the bank president as at its founding, 57 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 2: another man, John d Ellis held that title. He eventually 58 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 2: sold the drug store and the bank, as well as 59 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 2: a second drug store he'd opened with one of his brothers. 60 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 2: The bank building burned down in eighteen eighty nine, although 61 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 2: it was rebuilt. That same bank, the Jefferson Bank, also 62 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 2: commissioned a portrait from Coolidge. 63 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: He dabbled in journalism as well, and he started a 64 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: short lived newspaper in Antwerp, and then after that failed, 65 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: he became a writer for the Watertown Times. Most of 66 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 1: his work for that paper involved writing accounts of his 67 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 1: travels to Europe that he took in the early eighteen seventies. 68 00:03:56,600 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: That was in a serial called Cash's Column. Coolidge also 69 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: had so many other jobs in his early adult life, 70 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:08,000 Speaker 1: including being a sign painter, being the Antwerp town clerk, 71 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: being a maplesap collector, a school superintendent, and even a 72 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: farm hand. At some point Cash traveled to New York City. 73 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:20,480 Speaker 1: He might have taken art lessons, and he eventually started 74 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:24,600 Speaker 1: drawing to make money, first as a cartoonist for local papers. 75 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: He also used his drawing skills as a performance. He 76 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: would charge people to watch him sketch at a super 77 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 1: fast pace. Yet another job was drawing illustrations for his 78 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: cousin Azaneth Coolidge's books. Those illustrations were incredibly detailed, full 79 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: page works, as in books seemed to have been largely 80 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: ways to talk about the Quaker ideals of peace in 81 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:52,760 Speaker 1: fictional settings. A nineteen oh eight review of one. 82 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 2: Of these books in the periodical The Advocate of Peace reads, quote, 83 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 2: the principles of peace are being taught not only by tracts, 84 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 2: lectures and treatises on international law. They come into all 85 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 2: kinds of writing, and frequently appear in the present day 86 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:11,719 Speaker 2: story and novel The Prophet of Peace, a story with 87 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 2: an old fashioned farmhouse setting illustrated generously by quaint and 88 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 2: clever pictures of country life, teaches peace and some of 89 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:24,360 Speaker 2: the conversations held by its characters. While not a contribution 90 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 2: of technical value to the literature of the peace movement, 91 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:31,279 Speaker 2: it has its use in calling the attention of the 92 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 2: reader to the wisdom of peace and the mistakes of war. Similarly, 93 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 2: as an asked preface to another book that he wrote 94 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 2: about an Independence Day disaster talks a lot about how 95 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 2: the idea of national pride is often used to get 96 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 2: men to agree to go make war. So clearly, these 97 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 2: projects that were being done within the family were all 98 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 2: still very much in the ideals of Quakerism, even if 99 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 2: cash is Life didn't seem to really talk about it, 100 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 2: and certainly his artwork didn't. In eighteen seventy four, Coolidge 101 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:10,280 Speaker 2: submitted a patent application for what he called improvement in 102 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 2: the process of taking photographic pictures. So if you just 103 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 2: read that, it sounds like it might involve a camera 104 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:20,160 Speaker 2: mechanism or some other technical development, but. 105 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:24,280 Speaker 1: Your way off base. Coolidge's idea was a little bit different. 106 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 1: Here is part of how the inventor described his new invention. Quote. 107 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 1: In the accompanying drawing, A represents the head and be 108 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: the body of the person whose picture is to be taken. 109 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 1: Zero represents a sketch or drawing of a miniature body 110 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: of any desired form or shape, and with or without 111 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 1: any additions. This sketch or drawing is held up in 112 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:50,280 Speaker 1: front of the person in proper position, so that when 113 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:53,600 Speaker 1: the picture is taken, the head a will appear as 114 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:57,240 Speaker 1: forming part of or belonging to the miniature body. The 115 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:00,680 Speaker 1: large head and small body being taken at one time. 116 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 2: So if you've ever stood behind a life size drawing 117 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 2: of a character that had an opening to put your 118 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 2: face through to take a funny picture, that is thanks 119 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 2: to cash Coolidge. He notes in his patent application that 120 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 2: other people had already used this cutout method to create 121 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 2: frames for people. His patent was on the creation of 122 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:26,240 Speaker 2: the funny drawings that created caricatures. Coolidge is credited with 123 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 2: creating some of the classic setups of this photo op 124 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 2: that are still often used at carnivals today, like the 125 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 2: strong Man and a woman in a bathing suit. Coolidge 126 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 2: started a mail order business to sell these photoprops, and 127 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 2: that continued for years and brought in a steady income. 128 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, that really kind of funded his ability to do 129 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: a lot of creative things during his life because he 130 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: always had that money coming in. Uh that same year 131 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 1: and for several years after, Coolidge's name appeared in a 132 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 1: lot of newspaper announcements for things like lectures he was 133 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 1: giving about drawing, and these had titles like offhand Sketching, 134 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 1: suggesting that he was talking to people about a loose, 135 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 1: casual style of drawing that he was very good at. 136 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 1: These were also described as inimitable crayon sketches in one 137 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:14,240 Speaker 1: of the write ups where he was part of a 138 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 1: full day of activities at the Free Academy of Rochester, 139 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 1: New York, and he gave lessons in both art. As 140 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 1: these suggest and also penmanship as a way to make money. 141 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 2: Coming up, we'll talk about Coolidge's comics and a somewhat 142 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 2: surprising project, but first we will pause for a sponsor break. 143 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:46,840 Speaker 2: In his early career, Coolidge also drew cartoons for various publications. 144 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 2: One of these, titled The Accommodating Money Lender, appeared in 145 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:55,640 Speaker 2: the Rochester magazine The Cosmopolitan in eighteen eighty seven. And 146 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 2: this is a four panel cartoon, and each panel features 147 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:01,839 Speaker 2: a brief story of a man named mister well to Do. 148 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 2: The first panel reads quote mister well to Do, now 149 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:08,360 Speaker 2: living in the city, has received several calls from his 150 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 2: former country acquaintances. Young mister Snoozer chanced in town in 151 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 2: search of his fortune six months ago, got busted and 152 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:19,680 Speaker 2: borrowed a ten to get home with never heard from since. 153 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:23,440 Speaker 2: The next two panels are similar stories of mister well 154 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:25,839 Speaker 2: to Do giving money to people who ask for it, 155 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:29,440 Speaker 2: and each of these stories end with never heard from since, 156 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:32,440 Speaker 2: suggesting that the person never reached back out to pay 157 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:36,000 Speaker 2: back the money. But then in the fourth and final frame, 158 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:39,280 Speaker 2: another person asked mister well to Do for money, at 159 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 2: which point Well to Do snaps and reduces the man 160 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 2: through a beating to quote a very small grease spot. 161 00:09:47,559 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 2: And that frame also ends with the phrase never heard 162 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 2: from since. So a little violent, yeah, but also funny, 163 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 2: depending on your sense of humor. In eighteen ninety two, 164 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 2: Cash Row to play comic opera about a mosquito epidemic 165 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 2: titled King Gallinipper. A Galinipper is a name for the 166 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 2: mosquito species sorophoraciliata. It's a larger, more aggressive mosquito than 167 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:17,719 Speaker 2: other common North American varieties. According to newspaper write ups, 168 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 2: the play was about quote, the struggle between the mosquitoes 169 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:24,360 Speaker 2: and the mortals of New Jersey and Staten Island. In 170 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 2: addition to writing the script, Coolidge was also the production designer, 171 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 2: creating the designs for all the sets and costumes. A 172 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:34,240 Speaker 2: write up in The Evening World, written by a reporter 173 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:37,600 Speaker 2: who attended a rehearsal noted quote, there will be fetching 174 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 2: costumes and seductive dances by swarms of King Gallinipper's subjects. 175 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:45,680 Speaker 2: I really wish I could travel back in time and 176 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,560 Speaker 2: see this play, because though it sounds like it was 177 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 2: something of a lark, it got a lot of newspaper attention, 178 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:53,960 Speaker 2: including a write up in the New York Times under 179 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 2: the headline Adventures of Tourists in His Realm, presented by Amateurs. 180 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:03,000 Speaker 1: The preview review read quote. A dress rehearsal of King 181 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 1: Gallinipper was held last night in the theater of the 182 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:09,440 Speaker 1: Manhattan Athletic Club. This is the moving title of a 183 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:12,079 Speaker 1: musical burlesque to be given by members of the club 184 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: and their friends, and for which Professor Karl Marwig has 185 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:18,880 Speaker 1: been wearing away his gray matter for weeks past, drilling 186 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 1: choruses and inventing dances. The piece was written by Cassius M. Coolidge. 187 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:27,040 Speaker 1: It is proclaimed on the bill to be purely American, 188 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 1: and the music is bright and pleasing. The story is 189 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 1: of the marital and amorous adventures of certain human tourists 190 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:37,280 Speaker 1: in the realm of Gallinipper, King of the Mosquitoes. The 191 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:39,880 Speaker 1: scene is laid in Box Hellow Park, New Jersey, and 192 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:43,679 Speaker 1: in the Mosquito Palace. The first performance will be given 193 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:46,320 Speaker 1: in the club theater tonight, and the piece will be 194 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 1: repeated Tomorrow and Saturday evenings and at two o'clock on 195 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:53,800 Speaker 1: Saturday afternoon. Much time, money and labor have been expended 196 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 1: by everybody connected with the entertainment, and the advanced sale 197 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:01,640 Speaker 1: of seats is already large. Over sixty persons take part 198 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:04,559 Speaker 1: in the play, among them being only a few professional 199 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:08,080 Speaker 1: people to steady the stage. Especially good is the skirt 200 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 1: dancing of Miss Aid a lot, and there is a 201 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 1: brisk song by Miss Lillian Poole which the chorus helps 202 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:17,080 Speaker 1: to make effective. A serpentine dance by Miss Lambert will 203 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:21,440 Speaker 1: Win much applause. The honorable Walton Storm, widely suspected of 204 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 1: having been an honest and lonely Alderman, is one of 205 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:28,360 Speaker 1: the hard working comedians. The opera is produced under the 206 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: direction of William A. Cortland. Sixty people is a lot 207 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 1: for a play that is a lark. 208 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 2: It's a lot in general, I think, yeah, unlet's you 209 00:12:40,679 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 2: have like a musical with a huge company. King Gallinipper 210 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 2: was not the only play Coolidge wrote. There were two others, 211 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:53,200 Speaker 2: Western Heiress and La Moustique. Those two plays were only published, 212 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:54,720 Speaker 2: though they were not staged. 213 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:57,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, I did not manage to get my hands on 214 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 1: those to find out what they were about. But I'm curious, 215 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:04,160 Speaker 1: given the plot of King gallan Nipper, they sound like 216 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:08,679 Speaker 1: they were probably also hilarious. Later in eighteen ninety two, 217 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:12,480 Speaker 1: Coolidge was commissioned to create a portrait of George A Banker, 218 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 1: a competitive track cyclist from Pittsburgh. The portrait, which was 219 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 1: two thirds life size, featured Banker on his bike speeding 220 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:24,079 Speaker 1: past a grandstand, and it was a recreation of a photograph. 221 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 1: A write up in the Pittsburgh Dispatch noted that Coolidge 222 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:31,040 Speaker 1: was also quote an enthusiastic cyclist, which might be why 223 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:34,600 Speaker 1: he was the artist selected for this commission. Just a 224 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:37,560 Speaker 1: month after that portrait was unveiled, the New York Evening 225 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:40,560 Speaker 1: World mentioned a cycling race that was to take place 226 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 1: between Coolidge and a man named Percy Kent, describing the 227 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:48,600 Speaker 1: men as quote two rival scorchers of eminence who have 228 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: long been a terror to the tour committee. So Coolidge 229 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:55,160 Speaker 1: appears to have been more than just an avid cyclist. 230 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 1: He was competitive and apparently quite good. He won that 231 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 1: seventeen mile race, completing it in an hour and eleven 232 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:05,840 Speaker 1: minutes and beating his rival Kent by a full five minutes. 233 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:09,240 Speaker 1: Another write up that autumn, also in the Evening World, 234 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 1: noted of Cash's art that his quote wheeling sketches and 235 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 1: paintings are so much admired by both critics and amateurs, 236 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:22,240 Speaker 1: so one other completely random thing he was deeply involved in. 237 00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 1: The early eighteen nineties were clearly a very creatively productive 238 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:29,560 Speaker 1: time for Coolidge. In the autumn of eighteen ninety three, 239 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:32,240 Speaker 1: The Son of New York ran a piece about a 240 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 1: painting by Coolidge, and it appears to be the first 241 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:39,720 Speaker 1: mention of his artistic subjects being dogs playing poker, noting quote, 242 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:42,560 Speaker 1: he has just painted a picture of a game of poker, 243 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:45,280 Speaker 1: which is sure to be applauded by the devotees of 244 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 1: that excellent nerve test. The article describes the painting in detail, 245 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:54,000 Speaker 1: and it has a fully developed story and character names. 246 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:58,240 Speaker 1: The Sun writes, quote, mister Coolidge's poker party is composed 247 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:02,600 Speaker 1: of three fine Saint Bernard's. They all bear distinguished names. 248 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:06,400 Speaker 1: On the right sits the dealer William C. Whitney, behind 249 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:09,040 Speaker 1: a pleasing smile and a large stack of Red's whites 250 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:13,320 Speaker 1: and blues. At his left is Grover Cleveland, sagacious looking 251 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 1: and betraying no sign in his face of the four 252 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:20,040 Speaker 1: aces that the onlooker may discover in his hand. At 253 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 1: Grover Cleveland's left, and facing the spectator in the center 254 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:27,440 Speaker 1: of the canvas is Joe Jefferson, whose stack is low 255 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:30,920 Speaker 1: and whose purse lying beside him on the table indicates 256 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:34,360 Speaker 1: that he had to go down into his kick. He 257 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:37,760 Speaker 1: and Grover Cleveland are both watching William C. Whitney with 258 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 1: faces very full of human poker playing expression. There's a 259 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:45,800 Speaker 1: more description about the way the hand is playing out, 260 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:49,239 Speaker 1: and the writer of this piece is very complimentary of Coolidge. 261 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:52,840 Speaker 1: This painting was called a pat Hand and it was 262 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:56,480 Speaker 1: displayed in the window of a business called Douglas and Cooks. 263 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:02,600 Speaker 1: Why Coolidge started to draw for primorifized animals is unknown, 264 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:05,480 Speaker 1: but it would become his most significant legacy. 265 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:08,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, he was not the only artist to do it, 266 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:11,920 Speaker 2: but he certainly got a lot of attention for his 267 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:15,880 Speaker 2: In eighteen ninety four, he painted another piece featuring the 268 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:19,800 Speaker 2: dogs playing cards in a painting simply titled The Poker Game. 269 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:23,120 Speaker 2: This is one that is sometimes mentioned as having been 270 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 2: licensed by cigar companies to make prints as giveaways. That 271 00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 2: makes sense because a lot of these dogs smoke cigars. 272 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:32,240 Speaker 2: This is actually a piece of information that seems a 273 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 2: little bit fuzzy when you look at various different accounts 274 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:38,400 Speaker 2: of his life. Some say that he started out by 275 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 2: painting dogs in poker games, specifically for cigar boxes, But 276 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:45,600 Speaker 2: that eighteen ninety three example of a pat hand seemed 277 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:47,720 Speaker 2: as though it was a full size painting that was 278 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:51,400 Speaker 2: just intended for display. The truth remains a little bit 279 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 2: fuzzy here, as there isn't any clear record indicating that 280 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 2: it could have been a work for higher project for 281 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:00,280 Speaker 2: a tobacco company. One would think that if it were, though, 282 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 2: there would have been some mention of that in that 283 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 2: long write up about it. He was painting dogs, playing 284 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 2: cards and smoking cigars, cigarettes and pipes well before he 285 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:12,720 Speaker 2: was commissioned to make the series that became famous for 286 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:15,120 Speaker 2: those components, and we're going to talk about that series 287 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:19,399 Speaker 2: in just a moment. Though today his name isn't widely known, 288 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:22,320 Speaker 2: it does seem like in his late forties and early 289 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:26,800 Speaker 2: fifties Cassius Coolidge enjoyed a significant degree of notoriety in 290 00:17:26,840 --> 00:17:31,120 Speaker 2: New York. He appears in so many articles in newspapers 291 00:17:31,160 --> 00:17:33,879 Speaker 2: all around the city and is even called King Cassius 292 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 2: in one of them, because he was so well known 293 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:38,920 Speaker 2: across so many fields, and it seems he was quite 294 00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:42,920 Speaker 2: well liked. Some writeups of a pat Hand mentioned that 295 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:46,400 Speaker 2: Coolidge was busy with a lot of new projects, including 296 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 2: a novel which he had already written five hundred pages of, 297 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:53,280 Speaker 2: but which did not yet have a name. He was 298 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:57,240 Speaker 2: also working on an illustrated book of biographies of nationally 299 00:17:57,280 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 2: important people. 300 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:01,520 Speaker 1: It's the Best of My None. Neither of those projects 301 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:05,159 Speaker 1: was ever published, but the attention that a pat Hand 302 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:08,800 Speaker 1: gotten newspapers, as well as the popularity of giveaway prints 303 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:12,359 Speaker 1: of the Poker Game, boosted Coolidge's profile enough that he 304 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:14,920 Speaker 1: was asked to make more work in that same style. 305 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:19,040 Speaker 1: In nineteen oh three, Brown and Bigelow Printing company in 306 00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 1: Saint Paul, Minnesota, contracted Coolidge to make calendar illustrations. Incidentally, 307 00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:27,320 Speaker 1: that company still exists and you can still buy Coolidge 308 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:29,920 Speaker 1: prints from them. This is the beginning of his most 309 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:33,560 Speaker 1: famous works. While many people refer to many of the 310 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:37,160 Speaker 1: sixteen paintings Coolidge created for this job with the title 311 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 1: Dogs Playing Poker, each work actually had a separate and 312 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 1: distinct title, and Dogs Playing Poker is considered the colloquial 313 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:48,439 Speaker 1: name of the series because nine of them feature dogs 314 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:51,920 Speaker 1: at a poker table. The most famous one, which gets 315 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:54,960 Speaker 1: labeled incorrectly, all the time as dogs playing poker is 316 00:18:55,040 --> 00:18:58,920 Speaker 1: actually called a Friend in Need. A Friend in Need 317 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 1: features seven dogs around a poker table. In the foreground, 318 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:05,800 Speaker 1: a bulldog is passing the ace of clubs to a 319 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:08,199 Speaker 1: friend with one of his back paws under the table. 320 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 1: The pass off ace will give that friend four aces. 321 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:16,040 Speaker 1: The other five dogs appear to be oblivious to this, 322 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:20,359 Speaker 1: save that one of them appears to be a cattle 323 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:22,840 Speaker 1: dog or maybe a Great Dane, and he's looking on 324 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:25,440 Speaker 1: from the back of the painting with an air of suspicion. 325 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:29,800 Speaker 1: Even the recipient of the helpful ace seems not to 326 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:33,760 Speaker 1: realize what is happening just yet. And that's really part 327 00:19:33,760 --> 00:19:35,840 Speaker 1: of the appeal of these works. They feel like they 328 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:40,959 Speaker 1: capture a specific and often tense moment, and also they 329 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 1: are dogs, and also they are very fun. Yes, who 330 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 1: does a lot of pooch playing cards. But two of 331 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:50,960 Speaker 1: the paintings in this series, called A Bold Bluff and Waterloo, 332 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 1: are actually companion pieces that show that tense moment and 333 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:57,040 Speaker 1: then the aftermath of it. And we're going to talk 334 00:19:57,040 --> 00:19:59,880 Speaker 1: about those two paintings and more after we hear from 335 00:19:59,880 --> 00:20:02,520 Speaker 1: the sponsors that keep stuff you missed in history class 336 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:15,240 Speaker 1: going we mentioned the two companion paintings, A Bold Bluff 337 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:18,120 Speaker 1: and Waterloo just before the break, So here is there 338 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:21,440 Speaker 1: one two punch of a story. In A Bold Bluff, 339 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:24,359 Speaker 1: a Saint Bernard is shown making a bet on his hand, 340 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:27,879 Speaker 1: but all he has is a pair of twos. The 341 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:30,640 Speaker 1: painting leaves the viewer with no answer as to whether 342 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:34,560 Speaker 1: his risky move will pay off. But then Waterloo gives 343 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:36,960 Speaker 1: the answer, as the same tableau is shown in the 344 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:40,239 Speaker 1: moment after all cards are laid on the table. The 345 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:43,399 Speaker 1: Saint Bernard that bluffed is raking in his winnings. And 346 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:46,040 Speaker 1: the best part of this painting, in my opinion, is 347 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:49,600 Speaker 1: the bulldog across from him, whose mouth hangs open in disbelief. 348 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 1: It is the best picture of shock I've ever seen. 349 00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:58,199 Speaker 2: Another of the Poker series, His Station in four Aces, 350 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:00,920 Speaker 2: depicts the end of a poker game as a train 351 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:04,320 Speaker 2: has pulled into the station and the conductor is urging 352 00:21:04,359 --> 00:21:07,679 Speaker 2: the players to leave the car. A bulldog on the 353 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:11,199 Speaker 2: left side of the painting has a distraught expression because 354 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:13,639 Speaker 2: he would have won the game if it had been 355 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:17,080 Speaker 2: allowed to finish. His hand is showing four aces. 356 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:20,320 Speaker 1: There are a number of instances where a hand of 357 00:21:20,359 --> 00:21:23,560 Speaker 1: four aces shows up in these paintings, but not all 358 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:27,040 Speaker 1: of the paintings feature a poker game. Sitting up with 359 00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:30,800 Speaker 1: a sick friend shows a thwarted poker game. The painting 360 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:33,719 Speaker 1: depicts a scene of five men dogs who it seems 361 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 1: wanted to have a poker game, but they have been 362 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:39,880 Speaker 1: interrupted by two women dogs who have uncovered the apparent 363 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:44,119 Speaker 1: ruse of camaraderie for an ill acquaintance. Those two lady dogs, 364 00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:46,560 Speaker 1: who are wearing wide brimmed hats with plumes so you 365 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:49,960 Speaker 1: know they're women, have their mouths open in a way 366 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:53,760 Speaker 1: that suggests that they are barking chastisements. One of them 367 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:55,720 Speaker 1: also has a parasol raised in the air, and it 368 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:58,480 Speaker 1: looks like she's about to maybe clunk one of the 369 00:21:58,520 --> 00:21:59,920 Speaker 1: male dogs on the head with it. 370 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:04,320 Speaker 2: Some of Coolidge's paintings in the series don't even feature 371 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:08,399 Speaker 2: a hint of poker, although they're still categorized under the 372 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:13,000 Speaker 2: Dogs Playing Poker umbrella. New Year's even Dogville shows a 373 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:16,679 Speaker 2: lush scene of dogs in what appears to be a ballroom. 374 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:19,520 Speaker 2: Several dogs are coupled up and dancing, and a lot 375 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:22,800 Speaker 2: of them are panting from the exertion while most of 376 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:26,680 Speaker 2: the poker paintings contain no lady dogs, this one has 377 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:29,320 Speaker 2: a lot of them. They're wearing fancy hats and carrying 378 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:33,160 Speaker 2: purses as they dance with their partners. In the background. 379 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:36,399 Speaker 2: There are also tables filled with dogs that are celebrating 380 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:40,919 Speaker 2: away from the dance floor. Another painting, titled one to 381 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:44,440 Speaker 2: Tie To to Win, shows a dog baseball game from 382 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:46,679 Speaker 2: a perspective that makes the viewer feel as though they 383 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 2: are in the stance watching the ten scene play out. 384 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:53,680 Speaker 2: Another called Riding the Goat shows a blindfolded dog on 385 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:55,720 Speaker 2: the back of a goat being led on a sort 386 00:22:55,760 --> 00:22:58,960 Speaker 2: of parade before what look like a king and queen, 387 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:01,639 Speaker 2: who are also dogs in the background. It sort of 388 00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:05,680 Speaker 2: suggests a court jester situation, and this one has also 389 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:09,480 Speaker 2: been associated with Masonic symbology, and Coolidge was a Mason, 390 00:23:09,920 --> 00:23:11,960 Speaker 2: so it seems he may have worked in some visual 391 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:15,439 Speaker 2: humor for other Masons while still keeping the scene general 392 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:18,280 Speaker 2: enough that non Masons could still get their own humor 393 00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:22,560 Speaker 2: from it. Other non poker paintings in the series include 394 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:26,280 Speaker 2: ten Miles to a Garage, which shows a dog family 395 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:29,320 Speaker 2: whose car has broken down on the way to a picnic. 396 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:33,040 Speaker 2: Breach of promised Suit shows a court case over a 397 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:37,399 Speaker 2: broken marriage engagement. A Bachelor's Dog shows a dog in 398 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:40,320 Speaker 2: an easy chair, smoking a cigar and reading a paper 399 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:43,399 Speaker 2: with a glass of what looks like beer, and the 400 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:47,760 Speaker 2: Reunion features several colleagues around a table, all smoking pipes 401 00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:48,480 Speaker 2: and drinking. 402 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:53,159 Speaker 1: All of these paintings were used, as we said, for calendars, 403 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 1: so they were designed to be intentionally appealing to a 404 00:23:56,600 --> 00:24:00,480 Speaker 1: wide range of people, specifically the middle class, which likely 405 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:04,040 Speaker 1: saw similar scenes play out in their own human lives. 406 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:07,760 Speaker 1: And these paintings did appeal to people so much so 407 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:10,880 Speaker 1: that the images were reprinted on a lot of other 408 00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:15,199 Speaker 1: products beyond just the calendars. But Coolidge's contract did not 409 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:19,400 Speaker 1: give him any additional payment for additional usage of that imagery. 410 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:22,280 Speaker 1: If it had, he would have likely been set for 411 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:26,399 Speaker 1: life because they were very popular. In nineteen oh nine, 412 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:29,680 Speaker 1: Coolidge got married to one of his art students who 413 00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 1: he had also hired as a letterer for his mail 414 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:37,879 Speaker 1: order character cutouts business. That was Gertrude Kimmel. This is 415 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:40,920 Speaker 1: kind of a May December romance of sorts. Coolidge had 416 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:43,240 Speaker 1: never been married. He was sixty four at the time 417 00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:47,119 Speaker 1: and Gertrude was less than half his age at twenty nine, 418 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:49,879 Speaker 1: so while she was one of his art students, she 419 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:53,440 Speaker 1: was fully an adult, yes, one hundred percent. On June 420 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:56,560 Speaker 1: twenty seventh, nineteen ten, Cash and Gertrude had a daughter 421 00:24:56,720 --> 00:24:59,800 Speaker 1: named Gertrude Marcella, and she went by her middle name 422 00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:03,360 Speaker 1: Mark Marcella. The year that Marcella was born had other 423 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:07,840 Speaker 1: significant changes for the new family. They moved to bay Ridge, Brooklyn, 424 00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:10,919 Speaker 1: and the family's finances got a lot leaner in the 425 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:14,640 Speaker 1: nineteen teens because the mail order comic caricatures business had 426 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:19,439 Speaker 1: slowed considerably, so Coolidge was earning very little money. He 427 00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:23,159 Speaker 1: also wasn't really painting anymore, likely because sometime around this 428 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:26,200 Speaker 1: period he is said to have suffered an injury when 429 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:29,360 Speaker 1: he fell from the window of an abandoned house. He 430 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:32,000 Speaker 1: was apparently trying to chase some kids that were playing 431 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:33,919 Speaker 1: in it out of it, and that's when he fell. 432 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:38,560 Speaker 1: So confined to not doing a lot of like full 433 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:41,800 Speaker 1: body movement, he tried his hand at writing full time again, 434 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:44,640 Speaker 1: but it did not take off and it didn't generate 435 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:48,399 Speaker 1: much money at all. Gertrude was motivated to find a 436 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:51,440 Speaker 1: career where she could make enough money to support the family, 437 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:54,919 Speaker 1: and she took courses to become a librarian. She was 438 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:58,399 Speaker 1: able to parlay that education into a position as a 439 00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:02,400 Speaker 1: law clerk in Manhattan, and her income was the main 440 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:05,760 Speaker 1: source of the money that they lived off of. Cash 441 00:26:05,840 --> 00:26:08,800 Speaker 1: became something of a house husband. He managed the family's 442 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:12,919 Speaker 1: home while Gertrude commuted to work every day. Eventually, in 443 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:16,480 Speaker 1: nineteen twenty eight, the Coolidge's downsize to a smaller home 444 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:19,960 Speaker 1: in the Grassmere neighborhood of Staten Island. At that point, 445 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:23,800 Speaker 1: their daughter Marcella was still just the teenager. In nineteen 446 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:27,280 Speaker 1: thirty four, Cassius Coolidge died at the age of eighty nine. 447 00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:30,280 Speaker 1: He was buried in his hometown of Antwerp, New York, 448 00:26:30,359 --> 00:26:34,440 Speaker 1: at the Hillside Cemetery. His wife Gertrude was buried by 449 00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:37,240 Speaker 1: his side, but not until her death forty three years 450 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:38,960 Speaker 1: later in nineteen seventy seven. 451 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:43,680 Speaker 2: According to a two thousand and two interview with gwynn Atchison, 452 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:47,920 Speaker 2: the town historian of Philadelphia, New York, in nineteen ninety one, 453 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:51,320 Speaker 2: Marcella Coolidge donated a print of one of her father's 454 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:55,680 Speaker 2: paintings and left. That print became part of the town's 455 00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:59,440 Speaker 2: Coolidge exhibit, and for quite some time the Antwerp Library 456 00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:01,560 Speaker 2: has had a small exhibit in the back of the 457 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:05,600 Speaker 2: building to honor the hometown artist. This includes a self 458 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:08,840 Speaker 2: portrait of Coolidge, but the work is damaged, just not 459 00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:12,560 Speaker 2: in pristine condition at this point. Yeah, Marcella would have 460 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:14,800 Speaker 2: been eighty, I believe at this point she kind of 461 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:16,360 Speaker 2: just popped in and was like, Hey, I have one 462 00:27:16,359 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 2: of my father's paintings. 463 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 1: He grew up here. Here you go with the town 464 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:23,320 Speaker 1: like it, and they were like sure. Although Coolidge is 465 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:25,840 Speaker 1: not today a famous name in art, he certainly does 466 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:29,840 Speaker 1: have ardent fans. In the latter half of the twentieth century, 467 00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:34,800 Speaker 1: Coolidge's dog paintings experienced a surge in popularity because they 468 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:38,920 Speaker 1: had been reproduced many times from their creation, they were accessible, 469 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:41,560 Speaker 1: and although a lot of the art world perceived them 470 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:44,240 Speaker 1: simply as kitch, which by the way, I don't know 471 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:47,400 Speaker 1: if people know kitch is a German word for trash, 472 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:52,040 Speaker 1: they did gain really a cult following In nineteen ninety 473 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:54,560 Speaker 1: eight saw the Bees auctioned one of his paintings off 474 00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:58,000 Speaker 1: for seventy four thousand dollars. So that's not the wild 475 00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:00,320 Speaker 1: amount that you might see for other artists that we've 476 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:02,359 Speaker 1: mentioned on the show before, but it was certainly a 477 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:05,960 Speaker 1: significant amount of money. And then a few years later, 478 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:09,800 Speaker 1: in two thousand and five, two of the dog Poker 479 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:13,240 Speaker 1: paintings bundled together, So those two that tell two parts 480 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:16,320 Speaker 1: of a story A bold Bluff and Waterloo sold for 481 00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:20,240 Speaker 1: five hundred ninety thousan four hundred dollars, which was I 482 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:22,840 Speaker 1: would say, a huge amount of money for art. So 483 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:26,280 Speaker 1: although Coolidge hasn't ever really garnered a ton of respect 484 00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:29,480 Speaker 1: in the art world, there are clearly people willing to 485 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 1: pay the kind of money for his work that one 486 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:36,680 Speaker 1: might normally expect for more critically acclaimed artists. It's hard 487 00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:40,440 Speaker 1: to pin down the precise appeal of Coolidge's work. 488 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:43,240 Speaker 2: Some of it might just be that people like dogs. 489 00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 2: Most of the dogs and Coolidge's paintings are stout or 490 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:49,840 Speaker 2: large breeds, so there's a lot of bulldogs, Saint Bernard's 491 00:28:49,840 --> 00:28:52,880 Speaker 2: and Grant Danes, and of course all of those are 492 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:56,760 Speaker 2: still popular as pets. Some of the appeal has been 493 00:28:56,800 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 2: attributed over the years to the fact that Coolidge's paintings 494 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:03,160 Speaker 2: stick to old school gender stereotypes in a world that 495 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:05,400 Speaker 2: is unfettered from a need for refinement. 496 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:09,080 Speaker 1: Art historian Moira F. Harris said, in an interview with 497 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:12,240 Speaker 1: The New York Times, quote, his paintings of people look 498 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:15,080 Speaker 1: like dogs. I don't think his people are very good, 499 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:19,280 Speaker 1: but his dogs are wonderful. It's not Beatrix Potter. It's 500 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:23,600 Speaker 1: not anything gentle. It's a man's world. In an interview 501 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:26,200 Speaker 1: with his daughter Marcella, when she was ninety two, she 502 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:30,120 Speaker 1: stated plainly that she didn't like her father's work, suggesting 503 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:33,480 Speaker 1: that there was a gender divide on its audience. She said, quote, 504 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:36,160 Speaker 1: I don't like it. Girls don't like things like that. 505 00:29:36,560 --> 00:29:39,800 Speaker 1: It was for boys and men. She also told The 506 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:41,600 Speaker 1: New York Times that she was more of a cat 507 00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:43,959 Speaker 1: person and that cats would never play poker. 508 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:51,280 Speaker 2: But part of the appeal of these odd, humorous works 509 00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:54,760 Speaker 2: is that they harken back to classic pieces of art 510 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:58,520 Speaker 2: that have been revered for decades or even centuries. Coolidge 511 00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 2: was said to have modeled a number of the figures 512 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:04,400 Speaker 2: in his dog paintings after depictions of people that he 513 00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:09,040 Speaker 2: saw in classical works of art, particularly those of Caravaggio. 514 00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:13,640 Speaker 2: His painting the card Sharps does show some similarities to 515 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:16,400 Speaker 2: some of the poses and lighting of the dogs in 516 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:21,520 Speaker 2: Coolidge's work. So if you love the Dogs Playing Poker series, 517 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:24,240 Speaker 2: you could be responding to the familiarity of a work 518 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:26,760 Speaker 2: of art that you have seen in a more serious 519 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:30,720 Speaker 2: art context, while your brain just kind of enjoys the 520 00:30:30,880 --> 00:30:36,360 Speaker 2: levity and absurdity of dogs cheating at card games. And 521 00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:39,040 Speaker 2: I wanted to end with this great quote by writer 522 00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:42,640 Speaker 2: Dan Barry of The New York Times about Coolidge, who 523 00:30:42,680 --> 00:30:45,920 Speaker 2: wrote quote, through his art, he created a fairer world 524 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:48,600 Speaker 2: in which opposable thumbs were not required to hold a 525 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:52,280 Speaker 2: beer bottle, button a shirt, or lift that glorious Aspha 526 00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:56,040 Speaker 2: card Tables felt. I love dogs playing poker, so I 527 00:30:56,160 --> 00:30:59,280 Speaker 2: don't clearly subscribe to his daughter's serie that women don't 528 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:04,920 Speaker 2: like them. But that is Cassius Coolidge, who you know, 529 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:06,560 Speaker 2: he deserves some. 530 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:09,640 Speaker 1: Credit for the many things. I mean. 531 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:11,320 Speaker 2: I was kind of blown away when I found out 532 00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:18,840 Speaker 2: that he's the one that invented you know, goofy carnival cutouts. Brilliant, brilliant. Yeah, 533 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 2: when I first read through this outline and you said 534 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:24,600 Speaker 2: that he even patented an art, I was like, what 535 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:26,960 Speaker 2: in the world could that be? And then I got 536 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:28,760 Speaker 2: to that part and said, oh, that's delightful. 537 00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:32,160 Speaker 1: It's really funny. And the drawing of that patent is 538 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:35,680 Speaker 1: very funny because it is not the large style ones 539 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:38,200 Speaker 1: that he eventually started working on. It's like a little 540 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:40,120 Speaker 1: like if you were holding a poster board of a 541 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 1: man on a bicycle under your chin. It's very cute. Okay. 542 00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:46,520 Speaker 2: I also have listener mail, and of course I had 543 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:49,960 Speaker 2: to include dogs. I feel like I should say before 544 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:52,640 Speaker 2: I start this email, I should tell you that because 545 00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:55,440 Speaker 2: Tracy and I have been traveling, we can't remember what 546 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:57,720 Speaker 2: we haven't haven't read, and we had a long moment 547 00:31:57,720 --> 00:31:59,320 Speaker 2: where we had to look at when this came in 548 00:31:59,320 --> 00:32:01,160 Speaker 2: and whether I would have I've read it before, but 549 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:03,800 Speaker 2: it involves a dog, and that's it's important. This is 550 00:32:03,800 --> 00:32:06,600 Speaker 2: from our listener, Carol, who writes, Hi, Holly and Tracy. 551 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:08,719 Speaker 2: I have been a listener since the early days with 552 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:11,479 Speaker 2: Sarah and Deblina and love the podcast. I was so 553 00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:15,280 Speaker 2: excited to see the episode about Marjorie Meriwether Post because 554 00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:18,440 Speaker 2: I recently chaperoned a trip with my daughter's Girl Scouts 555 00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:21,719 Speaker 2: troupe to visit Hillwood Estates. I really didn't know anything 556 00:32:21,760 --> 00:32:24,480 Speaker 2: about the estate or about Post before we went, and 557 00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:27,240 Speaker 2: now having listened to the podcast, can't wait to go 558 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:31,560 Speaker 2: back with greater understanding. The mansion is absolutely gorgeous, with 559 00:32:31,640 --> 00:32:35,560 Speaker 2: the collections of art, jewelry, and ceramics beautifully displayed. I 560 00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:37,960 Speaker 2: didn't take many pictures because of wrangling a group of 561 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:40,040 Speaker 2: eight year olds, but I am attaching a picture of 562 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:42,880 Speaker 2: one of Post's dresses that I think you would both love. 563 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:46,080 Speaker 2: Like pretty much everything in the mansion, it is just beautiful. 564 00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:48,680 Speaker 2: Next time you are in DC, it is well worth 565 00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:51,360 Speaker 2: a visit. I want to say that I so appreciate 566 00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:53,880 Speaker 2: hearing so many stories over the years. One of my 567 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:57,120 Speaker 2: favorite things is hearing how people's lives take unexpected turns 568 00:32:57,120 --> 00:33:00,120 Speaker 2: and the understanding that we all live multiple lives in 569 00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:02,960 Speaker 2: our one lifetime. It reassures me that I'll never have 570 00:33:03,040 --> 00:33:07,120 Speaker 2: it all figured out. My pet contribution is our ten 571 00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 2: year old golden doodle, Archimedes, who is the best dog 572 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:13,600 Speaker 2: ever and enjoys going swimming in the summer, snuggling everyone, 573 00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:16,480 Speaker 2: and expertly sussing out who will be the weakest willed 574 00:33:16,480 --> 00:33:19,280 Speaker 2: person to give him treats when dinner guests are over. 575 00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:21,720 Speaker 2: Thank you for all you do to enhance our understanding 576 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:25,720 Speaker 2: of the world kindness regards Carol. Okay, this dress is gorgeous. 577 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:28,520 Speaker 2: It's so pretty. It's one of those things that when 578 00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:30,920 Speaker 2: you initially look at it, it's not a dress that 579 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:35,920 Speaker 2: has a lot of like detailing on it in terms 580 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:38,959 Speaker 2: of like embroider or beating or anything. But the longer 581 00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:40,920 Speaker 2: you look at the more that you realize it is 582 00:33:40,960 --> 00:33:44,800 Speaker 2: an absolute feat of design because it has these really 583 00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:48,600 Speaker 2: cool like fold over not details. It looks like it 584 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:53,680 Speaker 2: is velvet with fur trim. Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Yeah, I just 585 00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:55,320 Speaker 2: opened it. It's really lovely. 586 00:33:55,640 --> 00:33:57,520 Speaker 1: I want to figure out how to make that bodice 587 00:33:57,680 --> 00:34:02,200 Speaker 1: and I listen. Archimedes come over. I'll give you a 588 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:04,040 Speaker 1: credit card you can buy your own treats. That dog 589 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:06,680 Speaker 1: is so cute. I sort of can't deal with it. 590 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:08,879 Speaker 1: I bet he could cheat at poker and no one 591 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:11,279 Speaker 1: would be any of the wiser, and even if they were, 592 00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:13,080 Speaker 1: they wouldn't call him on it because he's so ding 593 00:34:13,160 --> 00:34:14,839 Speaker 1: dang cute that they want him to win. 594 00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:18,640 Speaker 2: What an angel baby? He looks biggish, which I love. 595 00:34:18,680 --> 00:34:22,080 Speaker 2: A big goofy sweet dog. I bet that's an A 596 00:34:22,160 --> 00:34:25,520 Speaker 2: plus cuddle. What Archimedes wants to have a hug. Carol, 597 00:34:25,560 --> 00:34:28,320 Speaker 2: thank you so much. Your beautiful pooch and this gorgeous 598 00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:32,319 Speaker 2: dress warmed my heart and I too, Like I said, 599 00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:35,920 Speaker 2: I want to visit Hillwood. While we were in Morocco, 600 00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:38,799 Speaker 2: two of the people with us had mentioned that they 601 00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:40,960 Speaker 2: had been to Hillwood, but they didn't realize all of 602 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:43,120 Speaker 2: the connections. I think that's why I was confused as 603 00:34:43,120 --> 00:34:45,719 Speaker 2: to whether I read this. They had a very similar 604 00:34:45,840 --> 00:34:48,280 Speaker 2: story of like I went to Hillwood and I didn't 605 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:49,920 Speaker 2: realize and then I read it. Now I want to 606 00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:52,640 Speaker 2: go back, and am my deja vooing this whole thing. 607 00:34:54,920 --> 00:34:58,040 Speaker 2: Let's all go. We can plan a trip to Hillwood Estates. 608 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:01,120 Speaker 2: I definitely want to go, so it's on my shortlist. 609 00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:03,880 Speaker 2: Thank you again for writing. If you would like to 610 00:35:03,880 --> 00:35:06,040 Speaker 2: write to us, you can do so at History Podcast 611 00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:09,680 Speaker 2: at iHeartRadio dot com. You can also subscribe to the 612 00:35:09,719 --> 00:35:12,400 Speaker 2: show on the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you listen to 613 00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:19,880 Speaker 2: your favorite shows. Stuff you Missed in History Class is 614 00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:24,239 Speaker 2: a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit 615 00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:27,719 Speaker 2: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 616 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:30,520 Speaker 2: your favorite shows.