|
Augusta Oelschig drawings, research, and source material
|
| | | | | | | | | | |
Augusta Oelschig was born June 12, 1918, in Savannah, Georgia. She attended Savannah public schools and graduated from the first class of Armstrong Junior College. She also received a B.F.A. from the University of Georgia in 1939 and did graduate study at Auburn Univeristy, Mexico City College, and the New School for Social Research in New York City. Oelschig lived in New York City from 1948 to 1962. Returning to Savannah in the 1960s, she was active in the Savannah Art Association. Oelschig studied with Emma Wilkins, Lamar Dodd, Henry Lee MacFee, Alexander Brook, Justino Fernandez, the Mexican muralists Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Oroszco in Mexico City, and Dr. Horace Kallen and William Scharf of New York City. She is known for creating social commentary by exploring aspects of African-American life in the low country. Oelschig painted a variety of strong themes, and much of her art concerns the serious social injustice of Southern race relations. Many of her paintings concern African-American subjects, some in horrific, violent lynching scenes. Others essay the African-American presence in the same genre terms one finds in the works of Charles Shannon. In 1972, Oelschig received a commission for a mural depicting the history of Savannah for the Home Federal Savings & Loan on Telfair Square in Savannah. The mural, composed of 45 individual paintings worked into an overall design, took three years to complete. In 1999, the mural was purchased- and reinstalled in 2000- at the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce office on the Southeast corner of Bay and Drayton Streets. Due to health issues, she retired from painting in 1976. Oelschig died on July 24, 2000.
| |
The collection contains small preliminary drawings of scenes and details and more complete large-scale drawings of 44 of the 45 images in the mural entitled Historic sites in and near Savannah (excluding Factors' Walk). There are source materials such as clippings, photographs, a watercolor painting, and brochures; and research materials such as notes on mural specifications and paint colors.
The mural's images are comprised of: the Bank of the State of Georgia, Bay Street block of buildings west of Bull Street, Bethesda Gate, Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, center of interest, Central of Georgia Railway arches, Central of Georgia Railway station and shop buildings, Chippewa Square, Christ Church, City Exchange, City Market, City Water Works, Davenport House, Factors' Walk, Federal Eagle, First Baptist Church, First Bryan Baptist Church, Fort Wayne, ginnery, Hermitage Plantation House, hostelry, Independent Presbyterian Church, Jerusalem Lutheran Church, Juliette Gordon Low birthplace, Lafayette balcony at the Owens-Thomas House, Lutheran Church of the Ascension, Massie School, Oglethorpe Cottage, Penfield Chapel, Pirates' House, Planter's Bank (Pink House), plaque commemorating the founding of Univ. of Georgia, plaque of credits to the artist, S.S. Savannah, St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church, Savannah branch of the U.S. Bank, Savannah Cotton Exchange, Savannah Theatre, Scarborough House, Synagogue of Congregation B'nai B'rith Jacob, Telfair Academy of Arts & Sciences, Tomochichi's Monument, Trinity Methodist Church, U.S. Customs House, and the Wormsloe Gate.
| | | |
1 half box, 44 oversize folders
| | | | | | | |
Copyright has not been assigned to the Georgia Historical Society. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Division of Library and Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Georgia Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
| |
GHS 1383, Augusta Oelschig drawings, research, and source material, 1953-1973, undated. Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia.
| | | | |
| |