Vernon Howe Bailey (April 1, 1874 in Camden, New JerseyBAILEY, Vernon Howe, in Who's Who in America (1926 edition); p. 203; via archive.org–October 27, 1953) was an American artist. After undertaking art studies, he was a staff member at The Philadelphia Times and the Boston Herald. He also contributed to publications including Scribner's and Harper's.
Biography
At the age of 15, Bailey became a student at the Pennsylvania Museum School of Industrial Art in Philadelphia. A year later one of his drawings of flowers was accepted for the annual exhibition of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts where he later studied. In addition to these schools he also had the chance to study at Royal College of Art, London; Académie Delécluse, and Académie Bilouil, Paris, France. Deciding that “he wanted to see great events and make pictures of them,” he joined the art staff of The Philadelphia Times in 1892 and two years later went to The Boston Herald. He found plenty of action for his pencil in the life of the city-crime, court trials, fires, and shipwrecks-and in the political conventions of 1900."Corcoran Gallery of Art: Washington, D.C.: Special Exhibitions of Naval Defense Activities, Drawings and Water Colors, by Vernon Howe Bailey, Made under the authorization of the Navy Department
"From 1892-1901 he was a staff artist on the Philadelphia Times and the Boston Herald, to later contribute to Scribner's, Harper's, The Century, Everybody's and other leading, The Harper's Weekly, Leslies Weekly and Colliers. Throughout this experience he had to travel extensively. In 1902 he represented the Boston Herald as special artist at the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in London. Then in 1907 he visited Paris, London, Italy, and Germany as a special staff artist for Harper's Magazine. Upon the entry of the United States into World War I in 1917, Bailey was the first artist authorized to make drawings of navy yards, gun shops and munition plants."Vernon Howe Bailey, Water Colors of Italy. October 21- November 4, 1929, Ferargil: 37 East 57th Street, New York "The drawings that he did were later published and exhibited in art museums widely and won Bailey the Official Thanks of Josephus Daniel the former Secretary of the Navy." These drawings were later acquired by the Smithsonian Institution and a set of prints was installed in the French War Museum, Paris."
After this expedition, Bailey traveled extensively throughout Spain. He completed his tour in 1921, after traveling cities and small towns all over the country capturing the landscapes and scenes in watercolors and drawings. In 1925 he did another Spanish tour and later this collection of 150 drawings was turned into a published book, "Little Known Towns of Spain." This book received a great amount of attention in addition to the royal decree of thanks from King Alphonso XIII of Spain. Within the book was the following write-up:
Bailey's special subjects were city streets, landscapes, buildings, and maritime scenes in Europe and America. The best known of his drawings are his sketches in pencil of London, his watercolor and drawings of Spain and his drawings of skyscrapers in New York City. Bailey was the first artist privileged by the United States government on the declaration of war to make drawings of navy yards, munition factories, and other centres of war work, as mentioned. These drawings appeared in exhibitions and were published in the leading magazines throughout the country. The collections he created in Spain were later bought by The Hispanic Society, and were shown in the Musée de la Guerre of France contains a collection of lithographs of American war subjects. Besides his work as a newspaper artist in London and America, Bailey illustrated many books.
He was appointed to a post with the U.S. Navy in 1941 to sketch its facilities, and by August, 1942 he had already sketched “every major shipyard and air station along the Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida." In New Orleans, he sketched the Higgins Boat Yard and Algiers Naval Station. In 1917, he also did about 100 sketches of naval activities, with the Navy's cooperation but not under its direction, sketches "now at the Smithsonian." Prior to New Orleans in 1942, he had also sketched a number of British ships in American ports, including the Duke of York, a British submarine, and several British battleships and aircraft carriers. This was his second sketching trip to New Orleans: in 1906 he made eight Vieux Carre & levee sketches for a local magazine. While sketching in New Orleans in 1942, he stayed at the Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter."Sketching Navy Plants," New Orleans Item. 18 Aug. 1944: 3.
Once returning to the United States the series of lithograph studies of New York skyscrapers in 1927 that Bailey did were later exhibited in London under the patronage of the Dutchess of Rutland. "After exhibition in London, the drawings were taken to the National Library and Museums in Madrid under the auspices of the Duke of Alba. The exhibition was opened by King Alfonso XIII, who issued him a Royal Decree of Thanks, and he was elected a Corresponding Member of the Royal Academy of Find Arts of San Fernando."
Another significant moment in Bailey's life was the time when he had the chance to be the only artist permitted to produce a comprehensive collection of drawings of the Pope's private apartments. This project took Bailey a year and during this amazing experience he was able to choose whatever composition and subject he wanted. He created over 100 watercolors and drawings. Later the collection was exhibited in the American Art Association-Anderson Galleries in New York.
Gallery
References
Further reading The Corcoran Gallery of Art: Washington, D.C.: Special Exhibitions of Naval Defense Activities, Drawings and Water Colors, by Vernon Howe Bailey, Made under the authorization of the Navy Department Vernon Howe Bailey, Water Colors of Italy. October 21- November 4, 1929, Ferargil: 37 East 57th Street, New York The New York Times, October 28, 1953, Obituary Illustrator for: "Harper's Weekly"/ "Bazar"/ "Monthly"; "McClure's" magazine; "Scribner's Magazine"; "The Century" magazine; The NY SUN" newspaper Vernon Howe Bailey was noted for his fine views of New York City, which he recorded during the most dramatic era of its growth. Source: Donald Heald Original Antique Books Prints and Maps (http://www.donaldheald.com) Vernon Howe Bailey was a full member of the Society of Illustrators and of the Architectural League of New York. Source: Vernon Howe Bailey - Antwerpt (http://www.artoftheprint.com)
External links
Biographical sketch Vernon Howe Bailey papers, 1932-1950 Vernon Howe Bailey photographs, (ca. 1933)
Guide to the Vernon Howe Bailey Prints circa 1910