"Speak my name and I will live forever." - African proverb

OBITUARY - SARAH LEONA (FARLEY) ALLAN (1878-1923)

Published Friday, September 14, 1923 in "The Granite State Free Press," West Lebanon, NH, a weekly newspaper. Date of death: Wed. Sept. 5, 1923

Once more we were brought face to face with the realities of life, on Wednesday, Sept 5, when the Grim Reaper, Death, took Sarah Farley Allan from our midst.

Mrs. Allan was born at Titusville, N.J. 43 years ago. She received her early education at Moravian Seminary, Bethlehem, PA, and at Warwick, N.Y. She was a member of the New York Art Students' League and studied under Kenyon Cox at Jermyn, PA. At Scranton, PA, she did business illustrating for magazines, was special editor of the Scranton Times and did the entire advertising for the Poli Theater.

On Sept. 9, 1907, she was united in marriage to James Allan and they came to our little village to reside about ten years ago. Four children were born to them, Phillip, John, James and David. Mrs. Allan early identified herself with the social life of the village and was one of our most interested workers and one whom we could ill afford to spare. Our deepest sympathy goes out to her bereaved ones.

The funeral was held from her late home on Saturday afternoon at 2 o'clock, the Rev. Leland G. Chase, pastor of the West Lebanon Congregational Church officiating, and Mrs. Allan was laid to rest in the family lot in the village cemetery. The bearers were Mr. Allen's three brothers and a cousin of Mr. Allan's.

Besides her immediate family she leaves to mourn her loss her father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. H. N. Farley of Jermyn, PA, and three sisters. The love of friends and neighbors was manifest in the profusion of beautiful floral tributes. All places of business were closed during the funeral-hour. A beautiful time to die is in the autumn, when all nature is going to sleep, to be resurrected in Heaven, when all things awaken in the springtime. So in the autumn, this wife, mother and daughter fell asleep, when all nature is preparing "to lie down to sleep."

-------------------------------------------------

OBITUARY - published in "The Landmark," White River Junction, VT, September 13, 1923, pg. 5

WEST LEBANON - MRS. JAMES A. ALLAN

Mrs. James A. Allan, wife of James A. Allan, proprietor of T. T. Allan & Co., died suddenly last week Wednesday afternoon about 4 o'clock from an attack of neuralgia of the heart. She had driven her automobile from her home in West Lebanon to the home of Ross Wood in the village to get her oldest son, Phillip, who had sustained a slight injury while playing there. She was overcome by the attack in the Wood house and died there.

Mrs. Allan, who was well known in both this village and West Lebanon and universally liked, was 43 years old. She was married 16 years ago the Sunday before her death. She had made her home in West Lebanon for the past ten years. Before her marriage she had studied art at the Art Students League in New York City and had maintained a studio of her own. After marriage she devoted some time to writing for magazines and newspapers and had engaged in some advertising work. She was a member of the West Lebanon Congregational Church and of the Fortnightly Club of West Lebanon.

She is survived by her husband and four children, Phillip, John, James and David, by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. H. N. Farley of Jerymn, PA, and three sisters. The funeral was held at the residence at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon and while it was in progress the shades in the stores on Main Street were drawn as a mark of respect, while the Allan store was closed all day.

The funeral services were conducted by Rev. Leland G. Chase, pastor of the West Lebanon Congregational Church and burial was in the West Lebanon Cemetery. N. C. Powers had charge of the funeral arrangements. The bearers were Mr. Allan's three brothers, William of Merrimack, NH, Douglas of Providence, RI, and Kenneth of Plainfield, and a cousin, Donald Ross of Providence, RI. Mrs. Allan's mother and a sister, Miss Vera Farley of Jermyn, PA, were present.

---------------------------------------------------------

THE LIFE & ART OF SARAH FARLEY ALLAN

Sarah Farley Allan (1878-1923) was an exceptional commercial artist who, in the early 1900s, worked from a studio in Scranton, PA, designing and illustrating theatre program covers and advertisements for local newspapers and magazines. Sarah trained at the prestigious Art Students League in New York City, under the direction of renowned illustrator and painter, Kenyon Cox. She was also a wife, mother of four, essayist, teacher, poet, orator, singer, violinist, gardener and environmentalist.

TITUSVILLE (NJ) – BETHLEHEM (PA) – WARWICK (NY) - JERMYN (PA)

Sarah Leona Farley was born on April 18, 1878 in the historic village of Titusville, NJ, near the eastern border of PA, and the site of Washington's crossing of the Delaware River. The oldest of five children of Howard N. Farley and Jennie A. Trimmer, she was always called "Sadie" by her family and friends.

For most of his career, Howard Farley (1852-1925) was employed as a train dispatcher for three different railroads, all affiliates. In Titusville, he worked first for the Belvidere-Delaware Railroad, then for the Lehigh & Hudson River RR. In about 1891, the Farley family moved to Easton, PA, where Howard worked as a dispatcher – likely for the Lehigh-Hudson RR (the Belvidere-Delaware RR also operated from the Easton Station), while his daughter, Sarah, attended middle school at the Moravian Academy in nearby Bethlehem, PA. When a better opportunity with the Lehigh-Hudson RR opened in Warwick Village, NY, he moved his family there in about 1893. In late 1900, the family moved again, to Jermyn, PA, where Howard worked for the Ontario & Western RR, first as a dispatcher and, later, as a flagman.

Jennie Farley (1857-1940) was the daughter of George Trimmer, a Hopewell, NJ postmaster, Civil War veteran and tailor, and Mary Wrick. The Trimmer homestead, built at 66-68 River Drive in 1851, has been included as part of a walking tour of Historic Hopewell Borough in Mercer County, NJ.

Sarah attended a public grammar school in Titusville. In 1891, the Farleys moved to Easton, PA, where Sarah attended middle school at the Moravian Academy for Girls in nearby Bethlehem, PA. There she developed a strong foundation in liberal arts and music.

For her last two years of high school, Sarah attended the reputable Warwick Institute, newly constructed after the original building was destroyed by fire in 1893. In the school's 1894-1896 attendance records, now part of the Warwick Historical Society's collection, a teacher recorded her name as "Sadie L. Farley." Her brother, Harry, and sister, Adah, were also listed. "Sadie," who had very good attendance, graduated in June 1896. She was 18 years old.

At the Warwick Institute, Sadie worked hard to develop a strong foundation in Liberal Arts. In 1895 and 1896, she passed Regents' Exams for classes in Drawing, Advanced Drawing, Writing, Reading, American Literature, American History, English and Spelling. She wrote a poem entitled, Class of 1896 (below), that she put to music and sang at her commencement. Many future classes at the Institute made her song a central part of their graduation ceremonies.

Class Song – Words and music by Sadie Leona Farley

Class of 1896

Our class is firm united

By friendship's strongest ties

And "honor" is our watchword

Which we guard with jealous eyes.

Our hearts are knit together,

And with pride they're beating quick,

For we are "eighteen ninety-six"

Of the Institute Warwick.

We are armed, and ready, waiting

For the field of Learning's strife,

For school and class we'll battle

With all energy in life.

This thought will ever help us,

Though our hearts be faint and sick,

We're the class of "eighteen ninety-six"

Of the Institute Warwick.

Faithfully we've worked together,

Toiling bravely side by side,

Reached at last the long-for haven.

With our comrades true, and tried,

And we look back through Time's vista,

Where fond memories cluster thick,

And sigh for the jolly times we've known

At the Institute Warwick.

Look into the rosy future

That is waiting, just beyond

Where the laurels on Fame's summit,

Wave to us a promise, fond,

Till we scale those heights, so dizzy,

Till the laurels we may pick.

God keep class "eighteen ninety-six,"

Of the Institute Warwick.

- Sadie Leona Farley

While living in Warwick, Sarah kept a 100-page Nature & Hiking Journal. She wrote eloquently about her love for nature. Dogs and horses were her favorite drawing subjects. Sarah, her father and Ned, her Irish wolfhound, often went on long "tramps," as Sarah called them, in the mountains around Warwick. Her father carried her sketch block so she could create small pencil drawings that she later attached to her journal pages. When Sarah went on shorter hikes, her younger sisters, Adah and Leah, sometimes went with her. On mountain paths, Sarah would collect Lady Slipper orchids and other wild flowers to replant at the Farley home on South Street.

Sarah's poem, "The Spirit of the Trees," written into her journal in November 1900 (she was 22), demonstrates her strong language skills as she describes her sensory and spiritual harmony with nature.

The Spirit of the Trees

I shut my eyes and see

Long woodland vistas – faint and tenderly

Lit with a cool, translucent green, that shines

Down 'twixt the brawny oaks, the twisted vines.

Amid the dim cathedral aisles of silent pines

Perfumed by incense that the sense divines

Ein as the solemn whispering of the breeze

Seems something faint, intangible –

The spirit of the trees.

- Sadie L. Farley, Warwick, NY

ART STUDENTS LEAGUE, NEW YORK CITY

The Art Students League was formed in 1875, the result of a rebellion by students, mostly women, at New York's National Academy of Design, who wanted less formality, more variety and flexible schedules. According to the school's published history, "The League was founded by and for students," with appeal to both amateur and professional artists.

When Sarah attended the League, then located at 275 West 57th St., it was largely comprised of female students and faculty. She was taught by the "studio method" - an emphasis on collaborative and cooperative activities through group projects and minimal instructor lectures. Students controlled their time and managed their learning. There were no required courses, degree programs or grades. Students chose their entire curriculum. Most classes were conducted in 2-3 hour blocks. Tuition costs in 1877 (about a decade before Sarah arrived) were $8 - $12 a month; $40 - $70 for 8 months.

In an interview with the Scranton Board of Trade Journal in 1905, Sarah identified five instructors at the Art Students League who most influenced her career: Kenyon Cox, Louis Loeb, Albert Edward Sterner, John Henry Twachtman and Julia A. Reed.

KENYON COX (1856-1919) was a portrait and figure illustrator, sculptor and mural painter. He taught at the Art Students League where he was Sarah Leona Farley's primary influence. Cox may have taught Sarah how to sculpt. Her studio was lined with sculptures of gods, goddesses and ancient figures, some of which may have been done when she was in art school. Cox was known for the many large murals he painted in public buildings throughout the country, including, in Courtroom 4 at the Luzerne County Courthouse in Wilkes-Barre, PA, about ten miles from Scranton. Entitled, "The Judicial Virtues," the mural measures 9 x 15 ft. It was completed in 1909.

LOUIS LOEB (1866-1909) was an illustrator, painter, draftsman and lithographer. In 1885, he worked during the day at a lithography firm in New York City. In the evening, he taught painting and illustration at the Art Students League. Loeb went to Paris in 1889 and studied under Lefebvre, Constant, and Gerome. He returned to New York City three years later and worked as an illustrator for The Century Magazine. In the late 1890s, he and Sarah L. Farley crossed paths.

ALBERT EDWARD STERNER (1863-1946) illustrated figures, painted portraits and landscapes, and also did still-life work, etching and lithography. Early in his career, he illustrated books and magazines.

JOHN HENRY TWACTMAN (1853-1902) was an American painter best known for Impressionism, Tonalism, landscapes and still-life. He taught painting at the Art Students League from 1889 until his death in 1902. In the classroom at the Art Students League, he taught Sarah how to paint landscapes in a tonalist style.

JULIA A. REED (1828-1924), taught Sarah linear and atmospheric perspective and perception in drawing - how to create illustrations with dimension. Sarah learned single and multi-point perspective, visual depth achieved through lines and the size and placement of forms; horizon, vantage point, vanishing point, the ground plane, orthogonal lines, and use of color. Sarah learned how to convey depth through variations of values (lights and darks), colors and clarity of elements. These skills were very useful to her when she did scene drawings in pen & ink for fraternal organizations, and cartoons for newspapers in Scranton, and, later, when she created many pen and brush illustrations for program covers and ads for vaudeville shows and other stage productions at the Poli Theater.

Many prominent artists were students or instructors at the Art Students League, including, Winslow Homer, Charles Dana Gibson, Norman Rockwell, Thomas Hart Benton, Jackson Pollock, Georgia O'Keeffe, Gene Hackman, Gloria Vanderbilt, Al Hirschfeld, Roy Lichtenstein, Calvin Klein and Zero Mostel.

Charles Dana Gibson's famous "Gibson Girl" illustrations of beautiful, independent women clearly influenced many of Sarah's Poli Theater Program covers and newspaper advertisements. According to the cover of the art catalog that was adhered to a page of her journal, Sarah attended an exhibition of drawings by Charles Dana Gibson in N.Y. City sometime between Nov. 22 and Dec. 20, 1898.

At the time of the 1900 U.S. Census, taken in June, the Farleys were living on South Ave. in Warwick Village, a short walk from the new train station on Railroad Ave., where Howard Farley worked dispatching trains. The Lehigh & Hudson River Railroad had both passenger and freight service, but later switched to freight only. Sarah, 22 years old (b. 1878), was listed with her family in the census, but was still away at school.

Several months after the Farley family arrived in Jermyn, PA, this brief item appeared under the JERMYN heading in "The Scranton Tribune" (Jan. 22, 1901):

"On the lawn in front of Mr. and Mrs. Farley's home on Main St. yesterday was a snow woman, which was admired by people passing along the street. The form was perfect and quite an artistic piece of workmanship. It was so perfect in every detail as to call forth many compliments from people who stopped to admire it. It was constructed by Miss Farley."

Sculpting was a course option at the Art Students League that would have appealed to Sarah. In January, when she was at home for Christmas break, a snow storm gave her the opportunity to demonstrate her newly-developed sculpting skills for her parents' neighbors in Jermyn!

After finishing art school, Sarah lived with her family for a couple of years at 406 Washington Ave., near the center of Jermyn.

SCRANTON, PA

In 1902, Sarah rented a studio in Scranton in Rooms 6 & 7, over the Griffin Art Company, in the Odd Fellows Building at 209 Wyoming Ave.

----------------------------------------------------------

In 1903: Sarah Leona Farley ran this ad promoting her art services. It was published in a 35-page opera program for a show staged at the Lyceum Theater on Wyoming Ave. in Scranton.

"S. LEONA FARLEY

Pupil of KENYON COX, LOUIS LOEB, ALBERT STERNER, JOHN TWACHTMANN

Of the Art Students' League of New York, Instructor in Drawing from Antique in Illustration and Composition.

ILLUSTRATED ADVERTISING AND BOOK COVER DESIGNING A SPECIALTY

See Advertisements of J. W. Guersney, A.D. VanGorder, E. Schimpff, Woelkers & Beilman, Mrs. Sara Allyn, Brooks & Sanderson and Richmond Shoe Co., in this publication.

A limited number of orders taken for dainty and original place and menu cards, score cards, etc.

Studio, Odd Fellows Building, Room 6, 209-211 Wyoming Avenue.

Hours: 9:00 to 12:00 a.m., 1:30 to 5:00 p.m."

--------------------------------------------------------

In the 1904 Scranton City Directory, she was listed as "Sarah Leona Farley," offering art services in "advertising, illustrating, cartooning and cover designing." She also taught classes in illustrating. The services Sarah advertised remained consistent throughout the twelve years that she worked in Scranton.

Sarah's superb illustrations became her best advertising. She quickly established herself in Scranton, securing commissioned advertising work from local newspapers, clothing retailers and fraternal organizations. She did extensive work for the Poli Theater, but that would come later.

Sarah's impressive pen drawing of Abuntantia, the Roman goddess of abundance and prosperity, seated on a throne, was published on the cover of all twelve issues of the Scranton Board of Trade Journal in 1905. (Formed in 1867, the Board of Trade was precursor to the Chamber of Commerce). In the background, she drew an Anthracite coal breaker; a locomotive to transport coal to market; a passenger car; and iron furnaces, all representing the city's industrial and commercial progress.

Sarah was a skilled writer who thoroughly researched her subject. Her strong interest in civic art inspired her essay, "The City Beautiful," published in the April 1905 issue of the Board of Trade Journal, with the central theme, Trees as a City Asset. She persuasively advocated for the aesthetic and economic benefits of planting and preserving a variety of trees along Scranton's streets, in city squares and parks.

On Sept. 25, 1905, this complimentary article was published in "The Scranton Truth":

Sarah Leona Farley

"About three years ago, Miss Sarah Leona Farley opened her attractive and artistic studio in the Odd Fellows Building on Wyoming Avenue.

Miss Farley is an expert illustrator and designer of book covers, commercial drawings, etc. Her work is of the highest grade, and commends itself to all, demanding attention through the self evident care to details that is observed upon inspection.

Miss Farley was born in the State of New Jersey, but has been a resident of Jermyn for 4 years. She has received splendid training, which, added to her experience, has combined to make her a first-class artist in every branch of her profession. Her designs are particularly notable for their unique originality, and are becoming very popular among those who require some design that is attractive and pleasing, and who are able to appreciate good work. This studio is receiving an increased and well deserved patronage. New 'phone, 2750."

ART EXHIBITIONS

In addition to studying under Kenyon Cox at the Art Students League, it was reported that Cox traveled to Jermyn to work with Sarah on an individual basis, revealing the high regard he had for her potential as a young artist. Cox was nationally known as a figure illustrator and mural painter, a proponent of Realism. He also painted landscapes, often in a Tonalist style. Rural, wooded areas around Jermyn were attractive settings for Cox to instruct Sarah in advanced elements of landscape painting.

In February and October 1906, Sarah exhibited her pen drawings, book covers and oil paintings at the YMCA.

"Among local contributors were: John W. Raught [landscape painter], P. W. Costello [pen & ink artist, engrosser] and Sarah L. Farley [illustrator]."

- "The Scranton Republican," Feb. 2, 1906, pg. 6

"Miss Sarah L. Farley shows but a few of her drawings, but these have their own individuality. One is the pointed, inquisitive little head of a pet racoon, which is a member of the artist's family. It is a spirited and intelligent sketch. There is also a study of a donkey taken from life, which is beautifully drawn."

- "The Scranton Republican," Feb 6, 1906, pg. 6

"Miss Sarah L. Farley has several landscapes in oil which show the strong originality which she possesses."

- "The Scranton Republican," Oct. 18, 1906, pg. 6

"The display includes some of the finest creations of the foremost modern artists. There are also a number of productions, the work of local students of the palette and brush. Among the paintings of Scranton artists are canvasses done by John Willard Raught, Miss Jennie Brownscombe and Miss Sarah L. Farley."

- "The Scranton Truth," Oct. 18, 1906, pg 11

MARRIAGE

On Sunday, September 1, 1907 at 6 p.m., Sarah Leona Farley and James Angus Allan were married in her parents' home on Washington Ave. in Jermyn. Rev. J. S. Crompton, the pastor of the Jermyn Methodist Church, officiated. The marriage was witnessed by the bride's parents and a few friends of the family. After a wedding dinner, they left for a vacation in Maine and other New England States.

At the time, James Allan was employed as a manager and buyer for Goldsmith's Bazaar, a dry goods store in Scranton. Later, he worked as a salesman for the Times Printery. His father, Thomas T. Allan, operated men's clothing stores. In 1898, at the opening of the Spanish-American War, James Allan was a member of the Rhode Island Naval Reserves and served along the Atlantic seaboard during the war.

An article about the wedding in "The Scranton Republican" (Sept 1, 1907) described James A. Allan as "possessed of both artistic and literary ability. He is of New England birth and descent and is connected with prominent families."

"The bride is a young woman of extraordinary talent and attractions. She has had a studio in the Odd Fellows Building on Wyoming Avenue for the last five years, and by reason of her remarkable ability as an artist and her straightforward methods she has made for herself a unique place among the business people of the city who have come into contact with her.'

'Gifted not only as an illustrator, but as a musician, since she is a fine violinist, she has pleasant social connections throughout the valley. It will be a satisfaction to these friends to know that she will not give up her studio at present."

In the fall of 1907, James and Sarah Farley Allan purchased a home at 1019 Ridge Row in a picturesque section of East Scranton that bordered the Lackawanna River and Nay Aug Park. Two years later, they moved into a larger house in the same block, at 1039 Ridge Row, where two of their four sons, Phillip and John, were born.

In 1908, probably early in her pregnancy with Phillip, Sarah decided to close her downtown art studio and work from home. There she created some of her most impressive illustrations – including, many Poli Theater program covers and ads. Leaving her studio was a big decision. Gradually, she would shift her focus from her art to her family, culminating in another significant move that would occur about five years later.

SCRANTON'S POLI THEATER

Sylvester Z. Poli (1859-1937), an Italian immigrant who came to America in 1881, opened his first theater in 1892 in New Haven, CT, staging what he called, "high-class vaudeville." By 1916, he owned or controlled 30 theaters throughout the Northeast, mostly in CT.

The Scranton Poli Theater opened in Sept. 1907, followed by another in Wilkes-Barre in 1908.

The Poli was located in the 200-block of Wyoming Ave, in the heart of Scranton's theatre district, across from the Academy of Music and the Lyceum. An ornate theater that cost $250,000 to build, the lobby featured mirrored walls, a large chandelier, ornamental scrolls, cupids and floral pieces. Large painted art murals lined the inside walls. It seated 2000. Marketed as "a family theater," matinee and evening ticket prices ranged from 10 to 50 cents.

The Poli had its own stock company of actors ("The Poli Players") who staged a different show every week from May to September. Other vaudeville, minstrel and comedy acts filled the rest of the calendar. Will Rogers, Buster Keaton, Lillian Russell and Harry Lauder all performed at the Poli. Multiple musical productions by George M. Cohan were staged there.

Sarah was prolific. From 1910 to 1912, she skillfully illustrated and lettered most of the program covers and newspaper ads for Poli summer stock company productions, and ads for vaudeville, minstrel and comedy shows staged from October to April. For the "Poli News" program, Sarah illustrated the covers and edited articles featuring one of the Poli Players.

Sarah's ads and cover art were also used by other theaters throughout the Poli chain, an endorsement of the quality of her work.

The goal of Sarah's Poli ad illustrations was to sell the show and get people in the seats. They were seen in newspapers, on large show cards displayed outside the theater and in store windows. For most ads, she used a 3-sided format (shaped like a theater proscenium arch), left open in the middle and across the bottom, giving Sarah room to add lettered text, or for the printer to add printed text (title, lead actors, dates).

Most of Sarah's drawings of figures and scenes were done in a realistic style, reflecting the influence of Kenyon Cox. She was innovative in creating two or three small images that worked together to convey the show's theme – comedy, romance, western, mystery. Comedies gave her the opportunity to use her cartooning and caricature skills.

Everything was drawn, lettered or brushed in black on white, heavy stock board. For the large "POLI'S" heading, she used block letters or cursive style display letters, often outlined to make them stand out. Sometimes she hand-lettered all of the text in the ad. She used space efficiently. Every one of her ads has a unique look.

Most of Sarah's "Poli News" covers are Art Nouveau style drawings, often two-colored, portraying well-dressed, sophisticated, theatre-going couples in various settings.

Other program cover illustrations, also Art Nouveau, are drawn in fine lines in black ink and are quite different in subject and appearance. She used curved lines, graceful human forms and decorative elements of nature to infuse energy and a sense of motion. Some of her drawings of beautiful, independent women show the influence of American illustrator Charles Dana Gibson (1867-1944), known for his "Gibson Girl" drawings.

In addition to producing a large volume of art, and caring for her two young sons, Sarah found time to stay involved in the community.

As a member of the art department at the Century Club, a women's group, Sarah gave talks on Colonial Architecture in the U.S, and the architecture of palaces and cathedrals in Europe. She designed and lettered the cover and decorated the borders of the club's annual member calendar. To help promote a proposed park extension project, she illustrated a map of city parks.

From 1909 to 1912, Sarah created impressive Colonial-themed cover illustrations and page divider drawings for dinner programs for the New England Society of Northeastern PA, a large fraternal organization. Her covers were still being reprinted by the organization through the 1920s and 30s.

For the YWCA, she taught art classes and created 30 watercolor place cards for a College Club luncheon. She donated posters to the Day Nursery, and illustrated an attractive souvenir book entitled, "Scranton," for the Board of Trade. For the Order of Redmen, she illustrated a pamphlet cover. In 1913, it was reported in a newspaper that Sarah's friends were urging her to enter a Pennsylvania Suffrage Association poster design competition. There was no follow-up in the paper, so there is no way to know if she entered the competition.

When the popular Automobile Show & Aeroplane Exhibition came to Scranton for the first time, in 1912, Sarah created an impressive illustration depicting the historical evolution of transportation in the United States. It was published across the top of the front page of "The Scranton Republican." She also illustrated the Association's program cover, showing a woman driving an auto at a high speed past the watchful eye of a policeman on horseback.

Sarah's exceptional art was well-known throughout Scranton, but so were her skills as a violinist and vocalist. When she was 26 years old, she sang a German song, "Nach Seville," at the Albih Korn Studio recital, and obliged an audience request for an encore. A reporter for "The Scranton Republican" described her voice as "a round, rich contralto of wide range that she unites with rare dramatic ability."

A significant life-changing event occurred in November 1913, when Sarah Farley Allan and her husband, James A., moved from Scranton to White River Junction, VT, where Mr. Allan would help his father, Thomas T. Allan, manage one of his men's stores in Vermont. About one year later, they moved to West Lebanon, NH.

An article in "The Scranton Truth" highlighted Sarah's impressive art legacy, while recognizing the void that would be felt by fellow artists and residents in Scranton and throughout the Lackawanna Vallley.

"The loss of Mrs. Allan to art circles is one that will be deeply felt. She is an artist of far more than local renown and had she chosen could have been most successful in a metropolitan atmosphere where, at the Art Students' League, she had achieved some distinction before settling down in Scranton. Her work commercially is always in great demand and her originality and cleverness are recognized wherever her drawings are seen.'

'Mrs. Allan also has much ability in a literary way, as well as in music, as she plays the violin. It is not impossible that her new life containing more leisure than she has taken in recent years, may give her inspiration to achieve something more ambitious than she has yet attempted."

– "The Scranton Truth," November 5, 1913, page 7

"The Scranton Truth" eloquently "bookended" the start and culmination of Sarah's art career in Scranton: first, with a 1905 article marking her early success as a new artist in Scranton and, later, as she moved onto a new phase in her life. The Scranton Truth also published many of Sarah's Poli play program covers and ads during the years leading up to her move.

WEST LEBANON, NH

In West Lebanon, NH, the Allan family lived for a short time on Crafts Ave, then bought a house at 8 Seminary Hill Rd., near the Vermont border and the junction of the Connecticut and White Rivers. There Sarah gave birth to two more sons, James A. (1915) and David N. (June 1920).

Sarah's husband, James A. Allan, managed a T. T. Allan & Co. department store in White River Junction, VT. His responsibilities increased when his father, Thomas Thompson Allan, died in July 1918 in Hartford, CT. He was 68. Mr. Allan, born in Scotland in 1849, founded and successfully operated, with the help of his sons, a chain of dry goods stores throughout the Northeast.

James A. Allan frequently went on business trips to Boston, Providence and New York City, sometimes accompanied by one of his sons. He served as a member of the school board in White River Junction. James was a talented writer of prose and poetry, skills he passed onto his sons. David wrote poetry, kept a diary, and wrote letters to news editors on political subjects, recounts his son, Jon Allan.

In West Lebanon, Sarah stayed very active. She wrote personal and community announcements for "The Landmark," a paper published in White River Junction. She was a member of the Congregational Church, where she and her family regularly attended 10:45 am Sunday services. She also played the violin at church concerts. The church and meeting house, dating to 1849, are located on Maple St., a short walk from the Allan home.

In the Spring of 1921 and 22, Sarah directed West Lebanon High School students in two plays that were well-attended and applauded. The students were grateful for Sarah's efforts, as described in these articles in "The Landmark":

"A large and appreciative audience greeted the West Lebanon High School players Friday night when the class of 1922 very ably presented an all-female comedy, "A Southern Cinderella." Over $86 was realized." (The Landmark, Feb. 3, 1921, pg 8)

"Mrs. James AIlan was presented Monday with a large and handsome antique serving tray by the girls of the class of '22, West Lebanon High School, as a token of appreciation of her services as coach at the recent play which was presented in West Lebanon, a three-act comedy entitled, 'A Southern Cinderella.' " (The Landmark, Mar. 3, 1921, pg 5)

"Mrs. James Allan was delightfully surprised last Friday evening at her home by the senior class of the West Lebanon H. S., which she had coached in their play, an all-female, two-act comedy. "A Case for Sherlock Holmes," given recently. During the course of the evening, Miss Yerna Butman, on behalf of the class, presented Mrs. Allan with a handsome electric percolator in token of appreciation of her work as coach; and also as a class memento. She was elected as an honorary member of the class of 1922. Games were played and fortunes told. Refreshments of ice cream and cake were served, and a very enjoyable evening was spent." (The Landmark, Mar. 9, 1922, pg 9)

Sarah was president of the Audubon Club, and a member of the Fortnightly Club, which literally means "fourteen nights" because they met every two weeks at the public library. The popular club, with over fifty members, sponsored community fundraisers, brought in speakers on various subjects, had live music at every meeting, and held other social events for adults and children.

Sarah, James and their sons loved to go camping, sometimes for the entire summer. Favorite places were: the True Farm on Plainfield Rd. in West Lebanon (owned by Reuben C. True); Bellows Falls, VT, along the Connecticut River; Ocean Park, ME; and Burbank Park, in Pittsfield, MA..

In January 1916, Sarah traveled back to Scranton to visit family in Jermyn. "The Scranton Republican" reported that "she has been missed among artistic circles of this city, among those who valued her extraordinary talents in so many directions."

Sarah told the newspaper that she and her husband were living in a new home in West Lebanon, NH, for two years and had taken up a new vocation: "We spend our evenings carving and coloring wonderful garden sticks, odd and costly toys and other things that take on unexampled charm through their touch." Gardening was another favorite pastime for Sarah.

On May 4, 1922, "The Landmark" reported that "Mrs. James Allan is critically ill. Her many friends hope for her early recovery." About seven weeks later, the same paper gave an update. "The condition of Mrs. James Allan is much improved, although she is still confined to the house."

The following year, on June 28th, the Allan family left for a summer of camping in Ocean Park, Maine.

On the afternoon of September 2, 1923, Sarah received a call informing her that her son, Phillip, had injured his knee while playing at the home of Ross Wood, a friend. She drove to the Wood home, a short distance by car, to pick up her son. While there, she was stricken with a heart attack and died. She was 45.

About three years after his mother's sudden, premature death, her 11-year old son, Jim, wrote this poem...

Jim Allan Jr's First Poem on Mother

One still bright day, in early May,

Beside a lonely brook I lay,

Watching the sparkling ripples play,

Like fairies, dancing down the way.

Of someone else, so far away,

I dreamed about on the bright day.

But where she went, I cannot say,

For, like the brook she'd slipped away.

James Allan Jr., December 1926 (age 11)

Had Sarah Farley Allan lived a longer life, at some point, she may have returned to illustrating and painting, maybe commercially, or just for the enjoyment of it. Despite having been denied longevity of years, Sarah was a brilliant artist who created an impressive body of art in a relatively short period of time.

Sarah's husband, James Angus Allan, died sixteen years after Sarah, on Apr 20, 1939 at the Veterans' Hospital in White River Junction, VT, following a long period of failing health. Included in his obituary were these three sentences, perhaps written by him during his illness:

"In 1907 he married Sarah L. Farley of Jermyn, Pennsylvania. She was the mother of his sons, Philip, John, James and David. She died in 1923 and is remembered by all who knew her, for her vivid personality and unusual charm."

Many of the images of Sarah's art that are displayed on this and other sites, will be seen by the public for the first time since they were published over a century ago, strengthening the legacy of this remarkable artist.

My interest in Sarah Farley Allan evolved from my research into the life and art of my great-grandfather, Patrick W. (PW) Costello (1866-1935), a nationally-known designer, engrosser and illustrator who was born in Scranton and worked there for forty-five years.

Sarah and P. W. were part of the same circle of Scranton artists from the early 1900s. Their studios were located in adjoining buildings on Wyoming Ave. They both taught classes in illustration and exhibited their art together at the YMCA and Century Club.

Sarah established a reputation in Scranton as a highly-skilled, innovative artist who left a positive, lasting impression on the community and her artist colleagues - both as a person and as an artist.

[Note: There is a discrepancy between Sarah's actual year of birth, 1878, and the date on her gravestone, 1879. According to government records (two U.S. Census reports) and Sarah's handwritten journal (1899-1900), she was born on April 18, 1878. She graduated from high school in June 1896, two months after she turned 18.

Sarah's husband, James, was born in 1879, about one year after Sarah. When they filled out their marriage license application in Scranton in June 1907, both listed their age as 28. (Sarah turned 29 in April of that year). Perhaps it was an error, or maybe Sarah decided, just prior to her September wedding, that she wanted her age to be recorded the same as her husband's.]

I'm grateful to Jon Allan, Sarah Farley Allan's grandson, for his support and generosity in providing copies of family photos, original artwork and family history. I'm also grateful to Sarah Allan Krycki, Sarah Farley Allan's granddaughter, for providing an image of a beautiful landscape oil painting, and a copy of a poem written by James Allan; and to James Allan, Sarah Farley Allan's grandson, for providing one of Sarah's watercolor paintings, and one of his own; and to Susan (McCarthy) Drapek, Sarah's grand-niece, for providing scans of original artwork. Thanks to Mary Ann Savakinus, Executive Director, and Sarah Piccini, Assistant Director, of the Lackawanna Historical Society in Scranton, PA; Cathryn Anders, President of the Warwick (NY) Historical Society; Richard Hull, Ph.D., historian, author, Warwick, NY; Marty Feldner, historian, Warwick, NY; expert on the Lehigh & Hudson Railroad; Sue Gardner, Reference Librarian, Local History Librarian, and Siobhan O'Riordan, Library Assistant, from the Albert Wisner Public Library in Warwick, NY, for providing access to Sarah's nature and hiking journal; and Walter C. Avery, President of the Jermyn (PA) Historical Society - for images, records and historical information. Thanks to Virginia Goodrich, from the Scranton Chamber of Commerce, for giving me access to their Board of Trade Journal archives. Sarah Farley Allan contributed art and essays to the Journal. The Board of Trade was the precursor to the Chamber of Commerce.

Thank you to Fran Hanchett, President of the Lebanon (NH) Historical Society, for her kindness in transferring the management of this site, making it possible to add photos and biographical information related to Sarah Farley Allan. Fran has also provided photos and other historical information about West Lebanon.

Thomas W. Costello

East Brunswick, NJ

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Below are links to more art by Sarah Farley Allan, and biography. They are all part of the same Lackawanna County, PA website (GenWeb).

https://www.lackawannapagenweb.com/SarahFarleyAllan/index.html

https://www.lackawannapagenweb.com/SarahFarleyAllan/SarahFarleyBiography.html

https://www.lackawannapagenweb.com/SarahFarleyAllan/SarahFarley-Poli-1.html

https://www.lackawannapagenweb.com/SarahFarleyAllan/SarahFarley-2.html

---------------------------------------------------------------

MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU;

May the LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;

May the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.

Numbers 6:22-27

I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE. He who believes in Me, though he may die, shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.

John 11:25-28