George Paulding Farnham (1859–1927) was an American jewelry designer, sculptor and metallurgist who worked for Tiffany & Co. in the late 19th and early 20th century. Farnham married American sculptor Sally James Farnham in 1896. After leaving Tiffany & Co. in 1908, Farnham focused his interests on developing mining properties in British Columbia.

Family and early life

George Paulding Farnham was born on November 6, 1859 in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

to George and Julia (née Paulding) Farnham. The family lived at 171

Sullivan Street Sullivan Street is a street in Lower Manhattan, which previously ran north from Duarte Square at Canal Street, but since around 2012 begins at Broome Street, to Washington Square South, through the neighborhoods of Hudson Square, SoHo, the So ...

(now 24 Charlton Street) in

Hudson Square Hudson Square is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded approximately by Clarkson Street to the north, Canal Street to the south, Varick Street to the east, and the Hudson River to the west. To the north of the neig ...

until they moved to

Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth is a city and the county seat of Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.New J ...

in 1866. The Farnhams had a long history in the United States with George Farnham's ancestors emigrating in 1644 from Kenilworth, England. His mother Julia (1838–1897) was a descendant of

John Paulding John Paulding (October 16, 1758 – February 18, 1818) was an American militiaman from the state of New York during the American Revolution. In 1780, he was one of three men who captured Major John André, a British spy associated with the treas ...

, a Revolutionary War militiaman that had a role in the capture of the British spy Major

John André John André (2 May 1750/1751''Gravesite–Memorial''
Westmi ...

and her father was a close friend of

Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and " The Legen ...

. She was also a sister-in-law of Senator

Chauncey Depew Chauncey Mitchell Depew (April 23, 1834April 5, 1928) was an American attorney, businessman, and Republican politician. He is best remembered for his two terms as United States Senator from New York and for his work for Cornelius Vanderbilt, as ...

. George Farnham's occupation at the time of the

1880 US Census The United States census of 1880 conducted by the Census Bureau during June 1880 was the tenth United States census. Farnham's aunt, Eleanor M. Paulding, married Charles Thomas Cook, vice president and eventual president of Tiffany & Co. Aware of his nephew's artistic abilities, Cook used his influence at Tiffany & Co. to secure a position for young Farnham. Called Paul or Paulding during his lifetime, Farnham began an apprenticeship around 1879 at chief Tiffany & Co. designer Edward C. Moore's studio. His first recorded work was a life-size gold and yellow diamond brooch sculpted in the shape of a Japanese chrysanthemum. The apprenticeship officially ended on November 1, 1885 and Farnham was offered a $55 per week position as general assistant to Moore.

Career at Tiffany and Co.

Paulding Farnham worked for Tiffany & Co. for 23 years, from 1885 to 1908.

1885–1890

Farnham continued to work in Charles Moore's department at Tiffany's and his efforts in the late 1880s were predominantly devoted to designing jewelry for the upcoming Paris Exposition in the summer and fall of 1889. Farnham's salary increased from $65 per week in 1886 to $77 per week in 1887. He became a board member in June 1888 and received a weekly salary of $77 by the end of the year. He had rooms at 142 East Eighteenth Street within the Stuyvesant Flats apartment complex, the first apartment building in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

that catered to the middle classes.

1889 Paris Exposition

The Exposition Universelle was held in Paris from May 6 to October 31, 1889 and coincided with the 100th anniversary of the

storming of the Bastille The Storming of the Bastille (french: Prise de la Bastille ) occurred in Paris, France, on 14 July 1789, when revolutionary insurgents stormed and seized control of the medieval armoury, fortress, and political prison known as the Bastille. At ...

during the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

. Farnham created approximately 24 life-size

orchids Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

composed of enamel, silver and

green gold Electrum is a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver, with trace amounts of copper and other metals. Its color ranges from pale to bright yellow, depending on the proportions of gold and silver. It has been produced artificially, and ...

that were accented with pearls and gemstones. The flowers were created by molding unannealed silver into the exact shape of the flower in life and coating the form in specially blended and prepared shades of enamel. The enamel designs were adapted from Charles Moore’s Orientalist Saracenic silverware patterns. Farnham's collection received a gold medal in the jewelry division at the Exposition. In the report of the United States Commission to the Exposition, the orchid brooches were called "one of the most striking features of the entire Exposition." The ''

Paris Herald The ''New York Herald'' was a large-distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between 1835 and 1924. At that point it was acquired by its smaller rival the ''New-York Tribune'' to form the ''New York Herald Tribune''. Hist ...

'' praised the collection for its "boldness and originality of design" and the ''Jeweler's Circular'' complemented Farnham "to whose genius the nited Statesis indebted." Other jewelry pieces had design patterns that were reminiscent of basket-weaving patterns utilized by various Native American tribes, including the Sioux,

Navaho The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...

and

Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...

cultures. After the Exposition in 1890, Farnham designed more varieties of the orchid brooches for the private market that were sold at the New York store.

1891–1900

Following his success at the 1889 Exposition, Farnham was promoted to assistant secretary in 1891. His mentor, Charles Moore, died early in 1891 and Farnham replaced him as head of the jewelry department. Important projects included pieces designed for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and 1900 Paris Exposition as well as private commissions such as the Belmont Cup, Dewey sword and Adams Vase. Paulding Farnham continued to receive accolades for his designs and continued to have creative influence at the company. From 1891 until his marriage to Sally James in 1896, Farnham lived at the

Union League Club The Union League Club is a private social club in New York City that was founded in 1863 in affiliation with the Union League. Its fourth and current clubhouse is located at 38 East 37th Street on the corner of Park Avenue, in the Murray Hill ...

located at 431 Fifth Avenue, a location a short distance from

Bryant Park Bryant Park is a public park located in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Privately managed, it is located between Fifth Avenue and Avenue of the Americas ( Sixth Avenue) and between 40th and 42nd Streets in Midtown Manhattan. The e ...

. His parents died within a year of each other, his father dying of heat exhaustion in August 1896 and his mother dying of a stroke nine months later in May 1897. On June 26, 1896, Farnham was injured along with three other people in a cable car at the intersection of Broadway and 23rd Street. Farnham sustained non-life-threatening injuries, cutting his mouth and breaking a tooth.

The Belmont Cup

Tiffany & Co. was commissioned by August Belmont Jr. in 1896 to create a silver cup in memory of his late father

August Belmont August Belmont Sr. (born August Schönberg; December 8, 1813November 24, 1890) was a German-American financier, diplomat, politician and party chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and also a horse-breeder and racehorse owner. He wa ...

, the namesake of the Belmont Stakes, to be presented to the winner of the 1896 event. Using 350 ounces of

sterling silver Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925. '' Fine silver'', which is 99.9% pure silver, i ...

, Farnham crafted a 27-inch high, acorn-shaped bowl supported by a pedestal composed of three

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

horse statues representing the foundation

stallions A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" neck ...

Eclipse,

Matchem Matchem (1748 – 21 February 1781), sometimes styled as Match 'em, was a Thoroughbred racehorse who had a great influence on the breed, and was the earliest of three 18th century stallions that produced the Thoroughbred sire-lines of today, in ...

and Herod. The large bowl had a prominent acorn and oak motif symbolizing the development of modern racing Thoroughbreds from the three foundation sires and the lid was crowned with a statue of the elder Belmont's racehorse

Fenian The word ''Fenian'' () served as an umbrella term for the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and their affiliate in the United States, the Fenian Brotherhood, secret political organisations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries dedicated ...

who secured Belmont's first win in the Belmont Stakes in 1869. Plans for the cup were unveiled on June 2, the day of the running at

Morris Park Racecourse Morris Park Racecourse was an American Thoroughbred horse race, thoroughbred horse racing facility from 1889 to 1904. It was located in a part of Westchester County, New York that was annexed into the Bronx in 1895 and later developed as the neighb ...

, while the cup was finished the following year in 1897. The cup cost $1,000 to create and augmented the $4,000 in prize money given to the race winner. August Belmont Jr. won the Cup when

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

won the race. The Belmont family kept the trophy until 1926 when it was presented to Belmont Park and has been ceremonially distributed every year to the winner of the Belmont Stakes. Paulding Farnham made several additional Belmont Stakes trophies that were distributed from 1897 to 1907. For the 1897 trophy, a statue of August Belmont Jr. with

Henry of Navarre Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarc ...

, Farnham spent a month at Belmont's

Nursery Stud Nursery may refer to: Childcare * Nursery (room), a room within the house designed for the care of a young child or children. * Nursery school, a daycare facility for preschool-age children * Prison nursery, for imprisoned mothers with their youn ...

in Kentucky to ensure his portrayal of the celebrated racehorse was accurate. Commentary in ''The Sun'' praised the likeness as "marvelously accurate," with Belmont later commissioning a copy for himself from the same mold.

1900 Paris Exposition

Tiffany and Company Iris Corsage Ornament Walters 57939 Detail croped

The 1900 Exposition Universelle was held in Paris between April 15 and November 12, 1900. Farnham designed a life-size

iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional ent ...

brooch composed of 120 Yogo sapphires and accented with diamonds, topaz and garnets inset in

platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...

. The brooch was purchased by American collector

Henry Walters Henry Walters (September 26, 1848 – November 30, 1931) was noted as an art collector and philanthropist, a founder of the Walters Art Gallery (now the Walters Art Museum) in Baltimore, Maryland, which he donated to the city in his 1931 will f ...

for $6,906.84 (comparable to $ today) during the Exposition and the brooch is currently in the collection of the

Walters Art Museum The Walters Art Museum, located in Mount Vernon-Belvedere, Baltimore, Maryland, United States, is a public art museum founded and opened in 1934. It holds collections established during the mid-19th century. The museum's collection was amassed ...

Mining exploits and later life

Paulding Farnham began investing in mining opportunities in the vicinity of

Windermere, British Columbia Windermere is a community and designated place located south of Invermere on Windermere Lake in the Regional District of East Kootenay. Demographics *Population ( 2021): 1,511 *Population ( 2016): 1,092 *Population (2011): 1,081 *Population (2 ...

in 1898. Called the Ptarmigan Mines or the "Red Line," the Selkirk and

Purcell Henry Purcell (, rare: September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer. Purcell's style of Baroque music was uniquely English, although it incorporated Italian and French elements. Generally considered among the greatest Eng ...

mountain ranges were noted for rich copper, gold and silver deposits. In 1901, Farnham purchased land in Windermere at the foot of the mountain range, where he built a ranch house. The ranch was near the tallest mountain in the Selkirk range, named

Mount Farnham Mount Farnham is British Columbia's 17th highest peak, and 21st most prominent. It was named after Paulding Farnham from New York. It is the highest peak in the Purcells (a subset of the larger Columbia mountain range). See also * Geography of ...

in 1911 in honor of Farnham, which rises to 3,468 m at its peak and has a prominent

smokestack A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typ ...

-like, 3353 m projection at one end called Farnham Tower. By 1911, Farnham had almost exhausted his personal fortune in an effort to keep the failing mine running. It was said of Farnham that he " toodout like his mountain among mining men in this – he lost his fortune like a man and paid every cent he owed."

Maritime paintings

From 1912 to 1926, Farnham created a series of twelve oil paintings on wood panels entitled ''Ancient Ships of the Merchant Marine that Opened the Commerce of the World''. The series depicted the development of maritime commerce from

Phoenicia Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their histor ...

n to modern times. The depictions of the boats were lauded for their detail and regarded as accurate by the press. Each painting was created on wood indigenous to the region of the depicted ship. The entire, completed collection was exhibited at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C. in April 1924 and at the Philadelphia

Sesquicentennial Exposition The Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition of 1926 was a world's fair in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its purpose was to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, and the 50th anniversary o ...

in May 1926. Farnham called the collection "the most complete of the historic maritime pictures ever displayed." The entire nineteen painting series (Farnham only exhibited twelve of the series) was owned by New York art dealer Max Williams after the exhibition and was sold for $2,300 after Williams death in 1930. The collection is currently housed at the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...

Art Gallery. Farnham lived in California for the remainder of his life and died on August 10, 1927 in Santa Clara.

Personal life

Farnham married Sarah Welles James, the daughter of noted lawyer Colonel Edward C. James, on December 31, 1896. The couple moved in with Julia Farnham at her newly built shore-side home, called "Stepping Stone" in

Great Neck, Long Island Great Neck is a region on Long Island, New York, that covers a peninsula on the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore and includes nine villages, among them Great Neck (village), New York, Great Neck, Great Neck Estates, New York, Great Neck Es ...

. The marriage produced three children, two sons James (born January 10, 1898) and John (born July 5, 1907) and a daughter named Julia (born November 27, 1900). After Paulding Farnham left Tiffany & Co. in 1908, he spent more time away from his family to pursue mining opportunities in the western United States and Canada. In 1912, he moved to California permanently, leaving Sally and his three children in New York. Sally Farnham filed for divorce on July 27, 1914, citing "desertion" as the justification and the divorce was officially granted on August 2, 1915.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Farnham, Paulding 1859 births 1927 deaths Artists from New York City American jewelry designers