A challenge for the hive mind: who painted these?
June 12, 2013 7:15 AM Subscribe
I have two portraits, painted by the same artist, that I bought at a flea market. They're both signed "Geo. Menkel," and one is dated 1952. They may have come from the Baltimore area, and the artist may have been a doctor painting his wife, based on what I was told by the person I bought them from. Want to help me track down the artist, or a living relative?
The portraits: here and here; the signatures: here and here. There is no additional information of the backs of the paintings.
I have been able to successfully Google up surviving family members for another pair of paintings I own, and for a suitcase full of snapshots (those I returned to the family-- they were really happy to have them.) This one I don't seem to have sufficient Google-fu for. I'm hoping someone here can do better.
The portraits: here and here; the signatures: here and here. There is no additional information of the backs of the paintings.
I have been able to successfully Google up surviving family members for another pair of paintings I own, and for a suitcase full of snapshots (those I returned to the family-- they were really happy to have them.) This one I don't seem to have sufficient Google-fu for. I'm hoping someone here can do better.
There was a George P. Menkel Jr. born 1920 who lived in Baltimore city per the 1940 census. At the time he was living with his sister and her husband and was working as an airplane mechanic, but that could easily have been a wartime occupation. He's the only George Menkel I can find in Maryland other than his father. Jr. seems the more likely candidate if the 1952 portrait is of his wife -- she looks a reasonable age to be married to a 32 year old. Also, Sr. wasn't a doctor in 1940.
Jr. died 10/17/1993; the next places I'd look if I had Ancestry access (or a Baltimore library close by) would be obituaries of the local papers. They could be a goldmine of information on his survivors. I'd also check city directories for Baltimore during the '50s and onward, to see if he was listed as a doctor and if his wife's name was listed. If you're really dedicated, going to the courthouse to get a copy of his will or probate will definitely point you toward his heirs.
I'll be going by the library later today so if the answer hasn't been found yet I'll take a quick look at Ancestry and see what I can come up with.
posted by katemonster at 7:36 AM on June 12, 2013
Jr. died 10/17/1993; the next places I'd look if I had Ancestry access (or a Baltimore library close by) would be obituaries of the local papers. They could be a goldmine of information on his survivors. I'd also check city directories for Baltimore during the '50s and onward, to see if he was listed as a doctor and if his wife's name was listed. If you're really dedicated, going to the courthouse to get a copy of his will or probate will definitely point you toward his heirs.
I'll be going by the library later today so if the answer hasn't been found yet I'll take a quick look at Ancestry and see what I can come up with.
posted by katemonster at 7:36 AM on June 12, 2013
I believe the Sadie listed is actually his mother, married to George P. Menkel Sr. Junior is 20 years old in the 1940 census (image viewable for free at familysearch.org) with no wife and children of his own.
posted by katemonster at 7:40 AM on June 12, 2013
posted by katemonster at 7:40 AM on June 12, 2013
Oh, you're totally right. I stand corrected. What about Virginia B Menkel? She is connected to a "Geo P. Menkel" in Maryland.
posted by acidic at 7:41 AM on June 12, 2013
posted by acidic at 7:41 AM on June 12, 2013
It appears Geo. Menkel was a watercolorist of some renown -- mostly football, especially the Colts. The timing seems right and if you mouse in on the signature of the first one in the eBay link it looks the same.
posted by katemonster at 7:53 AM on June 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by katemonster at 7:53 AM on June 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
Some possibly useful stuff came up in a Google Books search, though you can only view snippets in the results...
A Navy Dept. pamphlet, "Your Navy, from the viewpoint of the nation's finest artists," refers to a casein by George Menkel of a scene aboard an aircraft carrier.
A 1948 publication put out by the Glenn L. Martin Aircraft Company, mentions a George Menkel in the Art Dept.
And a 1956 issue of Art Direction mentions George Menkel, AD and artist at the Arthur Thompson Co.
It looks like the Arthur Thompson Co. was a Baltimore-based greeting card company.
If this seems like the right guy, I bet you could contact the Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum and find out more.
posted by neroli at 7:54 AM on June 12, 2013
A Navy Dept. pamphlet, "Your Navy, from the viewpoint of the nation's finest artists," refers to a casein by George Menkel of a scene aboard an aircraft carrier.
A 1948 publication put out by the Glenn L. Martin Aircraft Company, mentions a George Menkel in the Art Dept.
And a 1956 issue of Art Direction mentions George Menkel, AD and artist at the Arthur Thompson Co.
It looks like the Arthur Thompson Co. was a Baltimore-based greeting card company.
If this seems like the right guy, I bet you could contact the Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum and find out more.
posted by neroli at 7:54 AM on June 12, 2013
Ancestry.com has a white pages listing for him in 1993. It will contain his address and any others at the residence. I don't have a subscription so I can't view it, sadly.
posted by amaire at 8:04 AM on June 12, 2013
posted by amaire at 8:04 AM on June 12, 2013
Based on a family tree at Ancestry.com, it appears his wife's name was Corrie Leavell Johnson; the tree doesn't show them having any children, but she had several siblings and at least a few nieces. You could set up a trial account with Ancestry and use that to contact the person who posted the family tree and determine if it's the right George Menkel and if so who would be interested to see the pictures.
posted by katemonster at 9:19 AM on June 12, 2013
posted by katemonster at 9:19 AM on June 12, 2013
Okay, in 1959 (per Baltimore City Directory) George P. Menkel was an art director at Arthur Thompson and Co., and lived with his wife Corrie J. Menkel at 521 Hampton Lane.
Also, there was a George P. Menkel Jr. listed in 1994-1995 as living in Parkville, MD. That may be his son, if they shifted the numbers up a generation when the artist's father died (so the painter stopped being junior and his son took over).
I still think hitting up the posters of the Johnson family trees (there are a couple that list Corrie Leavell Johnson that don't mention Menkel) is going to be the most efficient route to finding someone who would like to see those pictures and would be able to identify them if they are indeed the painter's wife.
posted by katemonster at 10:11 AM on June 12, 2013
Also, there was a George P. Menkel Jr. listed in 1994-1995 as living in Parkville, MD. That may be his son, if they shifted the numbers up a generation when the artist's father died (so the painter stopped being junior and his son took over).
I still think hitting up the posters of the Johnson family trees (there are a couple that list Corrie Leavell Johnson that don't mention Menkel) is going to be the most efficient route to finding someone who would like to see those pictures and would be able to identify them if they are indeed the painter's wife.
posted by katemonster at 10:11 AM on June 12, 2013
Response by poster: Wow, Katemonster, you're awesome. I will follow these leads and report back if I get anywhere.
posted by nonasuch at 10:14 AM on June 12, 2013
posted by nonasuch at 10:14 AM on June 12, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by acidic at 7:35 AM on June 12, 2013