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Maria Howard Weeden

December 15, 2023

Maria Howard Weeden (July 6, 1846 – April 12, 1905), who signed her work and published as Howard Weeden, was an American artist and poet based in Huntsville, Alabama. After the American Civil War, she began to sell works she painted, which included portraits of many African-American freedmen and freedwomen. She exhibited her work in Berlin and Paris in 1895, where it was well received. She published four books of her poetry from 1898 to 1904, illustrated with her own art. She was posthumously inducted into the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame in 1998.

Maria Howard Weeden
Born(1846-07-06)July 6, 1846
Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.
DiedApril 12, 1905(1905-04-12) (aged 58)
Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.
Resting placeMaple Hill Cemetery
NationalityAmerican
EducationTuskegee Women's College
Occupation(s)Painter, poet
Known forArt and poetry

Early life edit

Weeden was born July 6, 1846, in Huntsville, Alabama, six months after the death of her father, Dr. William Weeden, who had also been a prosperous planter. Her mother was his second wife, the former widow Jane (née Urquhart) Watkins. Weeden and her five older siblings were raised by their mother in the Weeden House in Huntsville.[1]

During the Civil War, the Union Army took over their house for use by its officers when it occupied the city in 1862. The family first moved to the slave quarters.[2] When Jane, one of the older Weeden daughters, was attending college in Tuskegee, Alabama, the mother moved the rest of the family there. Maria Weeden also attended the same school, Tuskegee Female College during the war years.[2][3] (It later became known as Huntingdon College.) She had written poetry and painted since childhood, and at college studied with painter William Frye.[4]

After returning to Huntsville, Weeden began to paint cards, booklets, dinner cards, and small gifts to sell to help her family. Some were watercolors of flowers and landscapes. She also taught art classes.[3][5][6]

Career edit

 
A portrait by Weeden accompanying a poem in Shadows on the Wall (1898)

In 1893 Weeden attended the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where she was dismayed by other artists whose works featuring freedmen and freedwomen showed them in the caricature style of minstrel shows. She returned to Huntsville determined to express the full humanity and dignity of freedmen. Her images included pictures of many freed African Americans who worked as servants for her and friends' families.[3] While she painted, she listened to their accounts of their lives and of folktales, and later adapted some of these as poems, which she wrote in the black dialect.[3] She also painted a portrait of Saint Bartley Harris, a prominent African American pastor in Huntsville, Alabama.[7]

In the 1890s, Joseph Edwin Washington and his wife Mary Bolling Kemp Washington, who owned the Wessyngton Plantation in Robertson County, Tennessee, commissioned Weeden to make portraits of several of their African-American servants, who had stayed to work for them as freedmen after emancipation. These works were about 5" x7" in size, and some were completed in pastels.[8] Weeden's near-sightedness was said to have contributed to her making closely detailed portraits having a "miniature like finish."[5] It is also thought that she may have worked from photographs of subjects.[8]

In 1895, Weeden exhibited several portraits of African-American freedmen and freedwomen in Berlin and Paris, where they were well received.[3] Her paintings were praised by writers Joel Chandler Harris and Thomas Nelson Page,[6] and Harris wrote the foreword to her book Bandanna Ballads (1899).[2]

Weeden also wrote poetry, and she combined both poetry and art in her four books published between 1898 and 1904.[5] Some of her poems were written in the black dialect, now known as African-American English, as she was inspired by stories and folktales told to her by her subjects when they were sitting for portraits.[3]

Between 1866 and 1896, Weeden also contributed numerous essays and short stories to the Presbyterian Christian Observer, under the pseudonym of "Flake White." These were collected and reprinted in 2005.[9][10]

Personal life and death edit

Weeden never married. She and her unmarried sister Kate both lived in the Weeden House as adults.[2] Weeden died of tuberculosis at age 59 on April 12, 1905, in Huntsville.[3][6][2] In 1998 Weeden was posthumously inducted into the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame.[11]

Works edit

  • Weeden, Howard (1898). Shadows on the Wall. M. Stolz & company.
  • Weeden, Howard (1899). Bandanna Ballads.
  • Weeden, Howard (1901). Songs of the Old South.
  • Weeden, Howard (1904). Old Voices. New York, Doubleday, Page & company.
  • Weeden, Howard (2005). Huff Fisk, Sarah; Wright Riley, Linda (eds.). Lost Writings of Howard Weeden as "Flake White". Huntsville: Big Spring Press. ISBN 9780976583608. OCLC 60669383.

References edit

  1. ^ Timberlake, Stephanie (April 21, 2011). "Maria Howard Weeden". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e "City renews bond with historic home". Pensacola News Journal. Pensacola, Florida. Associated Press. August 27, 2000. p. 40. Retrieved June 3, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Timberlake, Stephanie (2019). Knight, Elliot A. (ed.). Alabama Creates: 200 Years of Art and Artists. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. pp. 49–50. ISBN 9780817320102. OCLC 1049578394.
  4. ^ "Maria Howard Weeden (1846-1905)". Alabama Women's Hall of Fame. 2005. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c "Miss Howard Weeden. Her Funeral Will Take Place This Afternoon. Daughters of the Confederacy Will attend in a body -- Was Well Known in Nashville". The Morning Mercury. Huntsville, Alabama. April 13, 1905. p. 5. Retrieved June 2, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b c "The Artist and Poet, Miss Howard Weeden". The Florence Herald. Florence, Alabama. May 5, 1905. pp. 2–3. Retrieved June 2, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Reeves, Robert (February 18, 2016). "Saint Bartley, The Man and The Church". WHNT News. WHNT. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  8. ^ a b Baker, John F. (2010). The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation: Stories of My Family's Journey to Freedom. New York: Atria Books. p. 327. ISBN 9781416567417. OCLC 424555333.
  9. ^ Howard Weeden, Maria (2005). Huff Fisk, Sarah; Wright Riley, Linda (eds.). Lost Writings of Howard Weeden as "Flake White". Huntsville, Alabama: Big Spring Press. ISBN 9780976583608. OCLC 60669383.
  10. ^ Frear, Sarah S. (April 2007). "Lost Writings of Howard Weeden as "Flake White." (review)". Alabama Review. 60 (2): 146–148. doi:10.1353/ala.2007.0028. S2CID 161640030.
  11. ^ "Alphabetical List of Inductees". Alabama Women's Hall of Fame. 2005. Retrieved July 6, 2019.

Further reading edit

  • Cowie Patrick, Pamela (1989). Maria Howard Weeden: The Gentle Artist. Huntsville, Alabama: Writers Consortium Books. OCLC 20031201.

External links edit

  • Howard Weeden on the Internet Archive
  • Weeden House Museum
  •   Media related to Maria Howard Weeden at Wikimedia Commons

December 15, 2023
maria, howard, weeden, july, 1846, april, 1905, signed, work, published, howard, weeden, american, artist, poet, based, huntsville, alabama, after, american, civil, began, sell, works, painted, which, included, portraits, many, african, american, freedmen, fre. Maria Howard Weeden July 6 1846 April 12 1905 who signed her work and published as Howard Weeden was an American artist and poet based in Huntsville Alabama After the American Civil War she began to sell works she painted which included portraits of many African American freedmen and freedwomen She exhibited her work in Berlin and Paris in 1895 where it was well received She published four books of her poetry from 1898 to 1904 illustrated with her own art She was posthumously inducted into the Alabama Women s Hall of Fame in 1998 Maria Howard WeedenBorn 1846 07 06 July 6 1846Huntsville Alabama U S DiedApril 12 1905 1905 04 12 aged 58 Huntsville Alabama U S Resting placeMaple Hill CemeteryNationalityAmericanEducationTuskegee Women s CollegeOccupation s Painter poetKnown forArt and poetry Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life and death 4 Works 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksEarly life editWeeden was born July 6 1846 in Huntsville Alabama six months after the death of her father Dr William Weeden who had also been a prosperous planter Her mother was his second wife the former widow Jane nee Urquhart Watkins Weeden and her five older siblings were raised by their mother in the Weeden House in Huntsville 1 During the Civil War the Union Army took over their house for use by its officers when it occupied the city in 1862 The family first moved to the slave quarters 2 When Jane one of the older Weeden daughters was attending college in Tuskegee Alabama the mother moved the rest of the family there Maria Weeden also attended the same school Tuskegee Female College during the war years 2 3 It later became known as Huntingdon College She had written poetry and painted since childhood and at college studied with painter William Frye 4 After returning to Huntsville Weeden began to paint cards booklets dinner cards and small gifts to sell to help her family Some were watercolors of flowers and landscapes She also taught art classes 3 5 6 Career edit nbsp A portrait by Weeden accompanying a poem in Shadows on the Wall 1898 In 1893 Weeden attended the World s Columbian Exposition in Chicago where she was dismayed by other artists whose works featuring freedmen and freedwomen showed them in the caricature style of minstrel shows She returned to Huntsville determined to express the full humanity and dignity of freedmen Her images included pictures of many freed African Americans who worked as servants for her and friends families 3 While she painted she listened to their accounts of their lives and of folktales and later adapted some of these as poems which she wrote in the black dialect 3 She also painted a portrait of Saint Bartley Harris a prominent African American pastor in Huntsville Alabama 7 In the 1890s Joseph Edwin Washington and his wife Mary Bolling Kemp Washington who owned the Wessyngton Plantation in Robertson County Tennessee commissioned Weeden to make portraits of several of their African American servants who had stayed to work for them as freedmen after emancipation These works were about 5 x7 in size and some were completed in pastels 8 Weeden s near sightedness was said to have contributed to her making closely detailed portraits having a miniature like finish 5 It is also thought that she may have worked from photographs of subjects 8 In 1895 Weeden exhibited several portraits of African American freedmen and freedwomen in Berlin and Paris where they were well received 3 Her paintings were praised by writers Joel Chandler Harris and Thomas Nelson Page 6 and Harris wrote the foreword to her book Bandanna Ballads 1899 2 Weeden also wrote poetry and she combined both poetry and art in her four books published between 1898 and 1904 5 Some of her poems were written in the black dialect now known as African American English as she was inspired by stories and folktales told to her by her subjects when they were sitting for portraits 3 Between 1866 and 1896 Weeden also contributed numerous essays and short stories to the Presbyterian Christian Observer under the pseudonym of Flake White These were collected and reprinted in 2005 9 10 Personal life and death editWeeden never married She and her unmarried sister Kate both lived in the Weeden House as adults 2 Weeden died of tuberculosis at age 59 on April 12 1905 in Huntsville 3 6 2 In 1998 Weeden was posthumously inducted into the Alabama Women s Hall of Fame 11 Works editWeeden Howard 1898 Shadows on the Wall M Stolz amp company Weeden Howard 1899 Bandanna Ballads Weeden Howard 1901 Songs of the Old South Weeden Howard 1904 Old Voices New York Doubleday Page amp company Weeden Howard 2005 Huff Fisk Sarah Wright Riley Linda eds Lost Writings of Howard Weeden as Flake White Huntsville Big Spring Press ISBN 9780976583608 OCLC 60669383 References edit Timberlake Stephanie April 21 2011 Maria Howard Weeden Encyclopedia of Alabama Retrieved June 2 2019 a b c d e City renews bond with historic home Pensacola News Journal Pensacola Florida Associated Press August 27 2000 p 40 Retrieved June 3 2019 via Newspapers com a b c d e f g Timberlake Stephanie 2019 Knight Elliot A ed Alabama Creates 200 Years of Art and Artists Tuscaloosa Alabama University of Alabama Press pp 49 50 ISBN 9780817320102 OCLC 1049578394 Maria Howard Weeden 1846 1905 Alabama Women s Hall of Fame 2005 Retrieved July 6 2019 a b c Miss Howard Weeden Her Funeral Will Take Place This Afternoon Daughters of the Confederacy Will attend in a body Was Well Known in Nashville The Morning Mercury Huntsville Alabama April 13 1905 p 5 Retrieved June 2 2019 via Newspapers com a b c The Artist and Poet Miss Howard Weeden The Florence Herald Florence Alabama May 5 1905 pp 2 3 Retrieved June 2 2019 via Newspapers com Reeves Robert February 18 2016 Saint Bartley The Man and The Church WHNT News WHNT Retrieved October 22 2019 a b Baker John F 2010 The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation Stories of My Family s Journey to Freedom New York Atria Books p 327 ISBN 9781416567417 OCLC 424555333 Howard Weeden Maria 2005 Huff Fisk Sarah Wright Riley Linda eds Lost Writings of Howard Weeden as Flake White Huntsville Alabama Big Spring Press ISBN 9780976583608 OCLC 60669383 Frear Sarah S April 2007 Lost Writings of Howard Weeden as Flake White review Alabama Review 60 2 146 148 doi 10 1353 ala 2007 0028 S2CID 161640030 Alphabetical List of Inductees Alabama Women s Hall of Fame 2005 Retrieved July 6 2019 Further reading editCowie Patrick Pamela 1989 Maria Howard Weeden The Gentle Artist Huntsville Alabama Writers Consortium Books OCLC 20031201 External links editHoward Weeden on the Internet Archive Weeden House Museum nbsp Media related to Maria Howard Weeden at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Maria Howard Weeden amp oldid 1186504927, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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