Bedford Gazette
March 12, 1915 (Friday)
Andrew Curtin Davis
Andrew Curtin Davis, a well and widely known tonsorial artist and painter of Bedford, died in the Western Maryland Hospital, Cumberland, where he applied for aid to restore his health which had been declining rapidly for a couple months. Death came to him at 7 o'clock last Friday morning.
He was born in New Paris, this county, October 12, 1853, his father being John Davis of New Paris, deceased, and Catharine Davis, his mother, still living.
He has six brothers living who served as his pall bearers: Jacob Albert Davis of New Paris; Emanuel Ward Davis of Windber; John Nicholas Davis, barber, of Bedford; Winter Davis, Lloyd Davis and Hall Davis of New Paris. Two sisters survive: Missouri (Davis) Bisel and Emma (Davis) Bailey, both of New Paris, and one, Grace, deceased.
Mr. Davis was married to Anna Catherine Stoner of Bedford, who survives him, and to this union were born five children, still living" Edward Lynn Davis, a barber and painter; Arthur Jewel Davis, Verna, Ethel and Pauline, all at home in Bedford.
The funeral took place on Monday from the home on Juliana Street and was conducted by Rev. H.E. Wieand of the Lutheran Church, Bedford, and interment was made in the Bedford Cemetery.
The people of Bedford County are not aware of the fact that one of the most talented of its citizens has passed away. Mr. Davis must have been very reticent in allowing his name and fame to get beyond the people of his home county. His reserve in this line kept him from winning many admiring friends in his line, but it seemed that he only wished to be recognized by the higher critics of his art and he was recognized as a very fine painter by all the artists of this State. That seemed to be glory enough for him. To be adjudged an artist by his fraternity was the goal of his ambition and he won.
He entered his paintings every year since 1909 at the exhibition of the Associated Artist of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Institute, and won recognition on one and sometimes two of his pictures every year. He was never refused recognition, a mark of distinction which has come to very few painters. You might call him self-made and he was a self-made and natural born painter, yet he studied for seven years under the direction of A. Bryan Wall of Pittsburgh, possibly the greatest and most distinguished painter of sheep in Pennsylvania, and with a national reputation as well.
About twenty or twenty-five years ago Mr. Davis began to sketch comic pictures for the comic magazines of the country, such as Puck, Judge, etc. He was very prolific in this and would have established a nation-wide reputation in this comic line had he been content to stop here. His comic productions are full of thought and suggestiveness and are classed with the very best. But he was not content with this. He sought more ethical and aesthetical work and began to paint life scense, landscapes, etc.
Possibly his best picture is that of a sheep fold on exhibition in his barber shop. He painted the old mill at the Bedford Springs, Bedford Hills down at the Willows, Falling Springs, Ridge Road, The Haystacks, an evening scene, which won him recognition in 1911 at Pittsburgh; Winter, Farm and Stock scenes and Landscapes. Only a few weeks ago Mr. Davis donated one of his pictures, "The Watering Place," to the Bedford public schools. This is a scene down on the Springs run, in the lane leading to M.B. Smith's farm.
When he began his life paintings, he was an admirer and breeder of the English Setter dogs. He started by painting several pictures of these famous dogs in their natural pose.
In 1909 he, with his friend, Rev. H.B. Townsend, of the Presbyterian Church visited the East. He spent some time in England, France, Egypt and the Holy Land. He made many paintings on the trip. He painted Rebecca's Tomb, Cairo and the Nile and the Pyramids. Nearly all of these he sold before he landed in America on his return.
This artist was not only proficient in painting but was an artist also in carving. He carved by hand all the frames for his paintings and exhibited them in his own frames. These frames show extraordinary inventive and initiative genius. If we can secure some cuts of the paintings, we wish to run them to show the people the brilliancy and talent of one in their midst who was thought of, only, by most people, as a common man in the ordinary walks of life. When you visited his barber shop and did not notice his pictures and make remarks concerning them, he left you go without a suggestion on them. If you opened up a conversation on them or passed a remark of admiration, he talked modestly concerning them and many times, and we might add most of the times, he would allow you to make your departure without telling you that he did the work. His modesty and reluctance kept his ability unknown to the people with whom he associated.
Bedford Gazette
March 12, 1915 (Friday)
Andrew Curtin Davis
Andrew Curtin Davis, a well and widely known tonsorial artist and painter of Bedford, died in the Western Maryland Hospital, Cumberland, where he applied for aid to restore his health which had been declining rapidly for a couple months. Death came to him at 7 o'clock last Friday morning.
He was born in New Paris, this county, October 12, 1853, his father being John Davis of New Paris, deceased, and Catharine Davis, his mother, still living.
He has six brothers living who served as his pall bearers: Jacob Albert Davis of New Paris; Emanuel Ward Davis of Windber; John Nicholas Davis, barber, of Bedford; Winter Davis, Lloyd Davis and Hall Davis of New Paris. Two sisters survive: Missouri (Davis) Bisel and Emma (Davis) Bailey, both of New Paris, and one, Grace, deceased.
Mr. Davis was married to Anna Catherine Stoner of Bedford, who survives him, and to this union were born five children, still living" Edward Lynn Davis, a barber and painter; Arthur Jewel Davis, Verna, Ethel and Pauline, all at home in Bedford.
The funeral took place on Monday from the home on Juliana Street and was conducted by Rev. H.E. Wieand of the Lutheran Church, Bedford, and interment was made in the Bedford Cemetery.
The people of Bedford County are not aware of the fact that one of the most talented of its citizens has passed away. Mr. Davis must have been very reticent in allowing his name and fame to get beyond the people of his home county. His reserve in this line kept him from winning many admiring friends in his line, but it seemed that he only wished to be recognized by the higher critics of his art and he was recognized as a very fine painter by all the artists of this State. That seemed to be glory enough for him. To be adjudged an artist by his fraternity was the goal of his ambition and he won.
He entered his paintings every year since 1909 at the exhibition of the Associated Artist of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Institute, and won recognition on one and sometimes two of his pictures every year. He was never refused recognition, a mark of distinction which has come to very few painters. You might call him self-made and he was a self-made and natural born painter, yet he studied for seven years under the direction of A. Bryan Wall of Pittsburgh, possibly the greatest and most distinguished painter of sheep in Pennsylvania, and with a national reputation as well.
About twenty or twenty-five years ago Mr. Davis began to sketch comic pictures for the comic magazines of the country, such as Puck, Judge, etc. He was very prolific in this and would have established a nation-wide reputation in this comic line had he been content to stop here. His comic productions are full of thought and suggestiveness and are classed with the very best. But he was not content with this. He sought more ethical and aesthetical work and began to paint life scense, landscapes, etc.
Possibly his best picture is that of a sheep fold on exhibition in his barber shop. He painted the old mill at the Bedford Springs, Bedford Hills down at the Willows, Falling Springs, Ridge Road, The Haystacks, an evening scene, which won him recognition in 1911 at Pittsburgh; Winter, Farm and Stock scenes and Landscapes. Only a few weeks ago Mr. Davis donated one of his pictures, "The Watering Place," to the Bedford public schools. This is a scene down on the Springs run, in the lane leading to M.B. Smith's farm.
When he began his life paintings, he was an admirer and breeder of the English Setter dogs. He started by painting several pictures of these famous dogs in their natural pose.
In 1909 he, with his friend, Rev. H.B. Townsend, of the Presbyterian Church visited the East. He spent some time in England, France, Egypt and the Holy Land. He made many paintings on the trip. He painted Rebecca's Tomb, Cairo and the Nile and the Pyramids. Nearly all of these he sold before he landed in America on his return.
This artist was not only proficient in painting but was an artist also in carving. He carved by hand all the frames for his paintings and exhibited them in his own frames. These frames show extraordinary inventive and initiative genius. If we can secure some cuts of the paintings, we wish to run them to show the people the brilliancy and talent of one in their midst who was thought of, only, by most people, as a common man in the ordinary walks of life. When you visited his barber shop and did not notice his pictures and make remarks concerning them, he left you go without a suggestion on them. If you opened up a conversation on them or passed a remark of admiration, he talked modestly concerning them and many times, and we might add most of the times, he would allow you to make your departure without telling you that he did the work. His modesty and reluctance kept his ability unknown to the people with whom he associated.
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