Buzz Bin

by Inlander Staff


Lake Front Property -- If you're in the market for an extremely rare historical painting of Idaho and have about $16,500 to spare, you might want to consider L.A. art dealer William A. Karges' most recent acquisition, James Everett Stuart's Lake Pend Oreille, Looking East from Sand Point, Washington.


Sand Point, Washington? The painting's name offers a valuable clue as to just how historic this piece is. Dating from July 4, 1885, the painting predates Idaho statehood by four years. While Idaho was already its own territory with boundaries similar to its present-day state lines, there was serious discussion during those four years -- not to mention several bills in Congress -- about the north part of the territory seceding and becoming part of what would become Washington State. While there's no way of knowing for certain whether Stuart was operating under this assumption or merely not aware he was in Idaho, it's clear that his painting is of Lake Pend Oreille. In fact, the William A. Karges people sent us a shot of the lake taken at Sandpoint's City Beach that -- once you get rid of the landscaping, boats and people -- eerily mimics the painting.


Here's another interesting note: James Everett Stuart is the grandson of famous portraitist Gilbert Stuart, whose John Adams was just here as part of the MAC's "Young America: Treasures from the Smithsonian American Art Museum" show. The younger Stuart was born in Maine and grew up in California. He established studios in Portland, Chicago and New York, reportedly painted more than 5,000 landscapes, and made three painting trips to Alaska.





A Little Dickens -- Gonzaga University's Foley Center Library is currently exhibiting its collection of 15 Charles Dickens first editions, and we think you should go check it out. The titles include nine of Dickens' major novels in the original serialized form, including The Personal History of David Copperfield, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Bleak House and Little Dorrit. You can see all 15 first editions in the library's Special Collections Reading Room.





Publication date: 02/20/03