“Russell Briscoe: Images of Home & Heritage”

Date: 10/19/2009

The East Tennessee Historical Society (ETHS) with presenting sponsor, Home Federal Bank, announces a new feature exhibition coming to the Museum of East Tennessee History in October 2009.  “Russell Briscoe: Images of Home and Heritage” will feature the complete works of Knoxville native and folk artist Russell Briscoe (1899 – 1979).  The collection will provide a historical perspective of Knoxville in the 19th and early 20th centuries as seen through the artist’s eyes. 

The exhibition opens on Monday, October 19, 2009, in the Rogers-Claussen Gallery of the Museum of East Tennessee History and will run through Sunday, February 7, 2010. The works have not been available for public viewing since a 1987 exhibition was mounted by the Knoxville Museum of Art and dedicated by Briscoe’s descendents to his widow, Deas Adams Briscoe.

“Images of Home and Heritage” is a compilation of 70 giclèe (zhee-klay) reproductions scanned and digitized by Jim Wells Productions from the original paintings loaned to ETHS for that purpose by the Knoxville Museum of Art, family members and other individual owners. The 23 original paintings on loan to the East Tennessee Historical Society by the Knoxville Museum of Art will be displayed alongside the giclée reproductions. 

Published reviews and stories dating back as far as 1963 often mention that many of Briscoe’s scenes of Knoxville also reflect memories and feelings for his home city as seen through the recollections of his childhood and the stories handed down by his grandparents.  Examples cited as having Currier & Ives qualities include “Christmas Morning 1909,” “Corner of Gay and Clinch 1896”, “Barnum and Bailey Circus Parade”, and the “Dummy Line at Fountain City Park 1890.”

Briscoe’s paintings also included serious historic events such as “The Great Gay St. Fire of 1897” on which a viewer is reported to have remarked “you can practically smell the smoke.”  Others of this nature include “The Battle of Fort Sanders,” and “The Mortal Wounding of General Sanders.”

Other familiar places depicted in Briscoe scenes include “Cades Cove in Pioneer Days,” “Knox County Old Court House,” and “The University of Tennessee in 1885.”  A number of paintings also reflect Briscoe’s lifelong love of trains in scenes such as “First Train into Knoxville,” “Train A-Coming” and “Main Street Station Knoxville, 1892.” 

Included in the exhibition will be a vignette of Briscoe’s studio with the original tea cart which held his paints and brushes along with his easel stand and his last unfinished painting.  The scene from the painting, “Christmas Morning 1909,” will be recreated as part of the exhibit featuring the original doll house and toy train set crafted by Briscoe and depicted in the painting.

The guest curator for the Briscoe exhibition is Edward S. “Bud” Albers, Jr., who for the past five years researched and networked to locate and preserve the 75 paintings by the Knoxville artist.  He worked with the owners and family to have Jim Wells Productions scan and digitize the images in order to preserve both the art and history depicted.  With the owners’ permission Albers worked with the East Tennessee Historical Society to then reproduce a giclée print of each of the 70 images located, and to mount them in this exhibition for public viewing. 

Albers notes that both he and his fellow ETHS board members are extremely grateful for the generosity and graciousness of the Briscoe family members, the Knoxville Museum of Art and all the art owners in this quest to preserve the entire collection and offer the public the opportunity to experience Knoxville’s history through the paintings. Through the sponsorship of Home Federal Bank, a special reception and preview of the exhibition has also been planned in honor of the family members, KMA Board of Directors, and all the other individual art owners.

Production of a complete color catalog of the 70 works included in the exhibition has been underwritten by Home Federal Bank as part of their presenting sponsorship of “Russell Briscoe: Images of Hearth and Home.” This unique project offers the public access to purchase a giclée print of a favorite scene, through placement of an order in the East TN History Center Museum Shop. Proceeds from the sales will benefit the East Tennessee Historical Society Foundation. 

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