1898-1913 Sketch Book of Stunning Pencil Drawings by an Award-Winning Artist Who Trained in New York but Made a Name for Herself in Paris, Texas

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On offer is the personal sketch book of a talented, award-winning Texas-based artist, art educator and art adjudicator, who used this book to draw the world around her over the course of 15 years. 

The artist is (Jennie) Irene McLarty Granbery (1876-1950). She began this sketchbook in 1898, when she was a single, 22-year-old woman, presumably living in New York to study art. It is inscribed “Irene McLarty, Henderson, Texas”.

During the course of her sketching, Irene would marry in Texas, move to New Jersey, lose both of her parents, divorce, move back to Texas to become the head of art for Paris, Texas schools, and travel around the USA, sketching as she went. She married Samuel Warren (S.W.) Granbery (1869-1938) in Rusk county, Texas on April 2, 1902. They lived in the New Jersey area, where Samuel and his older brother ran a successful jewelry business, J.A. & S.W. Granbery. He was also prolific in the early 20th century motorboat racing circuit. [To learn more about Irene McLarty Granbery and S.W. Granbery, see BIO NOTES at the end of the listing].

Once called “one of Paris’ best-known artists” [The Paris News, Feb 28, 1935],  Irene begins her sketchbook in August of 1898. Each sketch is titled and dated, and her art seems to represent things she sees in the course of her daily life. In some cases, it is unclear whether she is drawing what she sees live, or drawing things from memory. 

Her first drawing is a view of “Brooklyn from New York”, dated August 13, 1898. Other drawings from summer of 1898 include: Two ladies in hats and fine clothes “on boat to Tompkinsville to see Battleships, Staten Island”, Aug 23, 1898; Sailboats and the Statue of Liberty in background “From South Fairy, N.Y.” Aug 23, 1898; “Crabbing in Great River” - near Long Island, Aug 29, 1898; two drawings of the “Ruins at W.W. Phelp’s Place (Nordorf) N. Jersey (US Minister Germany)”, Sept 5, 1898; a landscape drawing of the “Smallest city in world Englewood, NJ”, Sept 14, 1898; a sketch of a pig grazing which is titled “On the fly in Indiana”,  Sept 12, 1898, and many many more. We counted 22 drawings from New York, New Jersey, Ohio and Missouri dated between August and September of 1898.

Irene continues her drawings intermittently until June of 1913. She draws farms in Paris, Texas, a view of Mineral Wells, Texas from the top of a mountain, a man reading a newspaper by the Statue of Liberty, a bride and groom on a train from Scranton to Hoboken, a house in New Hampshire, and many more. Some pages contain full-page sketches, others pages contain multiple smaller sketches. 

Irene has also pressed plants into her book, with two pages of labeled pressings from the summers of 1891, 1899, 1901 and 1903. The plants are from places around New York and New Jersey, as well as from Paris, Texas and Bedford City, Virginia. 

This sketch book not only contains a beautiful representation of Texas, New York, and other states at the turn of the century, but also the art of a woman who seems to have been underrated in her own era, despite her many local accolades. A terrific look at the artistic styles that prevailed in the late 1800s to early 1900s, and a journey through life through the eyes of a Texan who made her mark on New York before returning home to promote and oversee local art education. 

The sketch book measures 5.2x8 inches. The hard covers are in good condition but the spine is in poor condition. Many of the sewn pages have detached and those that remain sewn are loose. Many pages are out of order as they have been tipped back into the book after detaching from the spine. Most of the pages themselves are in great condition. A few have some minor staining. 33 pages and 99% complete with art generally on one side of the page only, allowing for easy framing of individual drawings, if desired. Overall Fair. 

BIO NOTES: 

Irene McLarty Granberry (1876-1950) was the youngest child born to James Harvey McLarty (1833-1910) and Mary Catherine Oliver (1839-1909). Born in Henderson, Texas, she would move to New York as a young adult, likely to study art. According to the Dictionary of Texas Artists, 1800-1945 (Grauer, 1999), Irene studied at the Arts Students League of New York with Frank DuMond, Ivan Olinsky, F. Lewis Mora, Robert Brackman. She also studied at the Newark School of Industrial and Fine Arts, at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière, and under artist Arthur Wesley Dow. She was a member of the Arts and Crafts Society of Orange, New Jersey, and her design was selected to become one of the society’s needlework projects. 

It seems that Irene and her husband likely divorced around 1912-1913. By 1914, Irene was back in Texas, teaching art at Aikin High School. By 1916, she had been named the Supervisor of Drawing for all the “white schools” in Paris, Texas. Beginning in 1920, she is listed as the Supervisor of Art for Paris schools

Irene was heavily involved in art competitions at local county fairs in Texas, winning many awards for her painting. In 1896, she exhibited art in three categories at the Texas Fruit Palace and Encampment at Tyler, Texas, Second Annual Exposition. Once she was back in Texas after her time in New York, she won many prizes for her art every year at the Lamar County Fair. In fact, Irene was so successful that in 1921, the Paris Morning News announced that she was named Director of the Art Department for the Lamar County Fair.

Irene was a frequent traveler, returning to New York to take a course at Columbia University in 1925, visiting her sister in Houston regularly, and spending summers with her sisters in places like New Mexico and Colorado.

By 1935, Irene was retired and was wintering in Florida, where she was appointed a judge for their annual fair’s art exhibit. She embraced art completely in her later years, and her occupation is listed only as Artist in the 1940 Paris, Texas directory. Following her divorce from S.W. Granbery, Irene never remarried, and she kept the name Granbery. 

Samuel Warren (S.W.) Granbery (1869-1938) was born in Edgerton, Ohio to John Gershom Granbery (1833-1895) and Mary Ann Marsh Megie (1831-1908). His family moved to New Jersey when he was a schoolboy. Samuel's older brother, John Augustus Granbery (1861-1931), was in the jewelry trade and Samuel joined him. Together, they owned and operated  the jewelry business, J.A. & S.W. Granbery. It seems that J.A. Granbery was the driving force of the business. It closed in 1931, the year of his death.

S.W. Granbery’s name is much more commonly found in articles about motorboat racing. He was well-known in the motorboat racing circuit and the Motorboat Club of America. Granbery won the 1908 motorboat race from Marblehead to New Rochelle with his boat, the Irene II. In 1910, with his new boat, the Berneyo, he raced for the Brooklyn Yacht Club and won the Yachtsmen’s Club Power Boat Race from Philadelphia to Havana.

Samuel had a familial connection to the New York art scene. His great aunts from his father’s side, Henrietta Augusta Granbery (1829-1927) and Virginia Granbery (1831-1921), were both well known female artists in New York.

Following his divorce from Irene McLarty, Samuel Warren went on to marry Blanche V. Byerly, and they lived in Maryland, Mississippi and finally Florida, where he died. 

Please don't hesitate to contact us for more information or to request photos. (Kindly include the SKU, listed on this page above the price, in your e-mail so we can more easily answer your questions.)


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