James Goodwin McManus

James Goodwin McManus (1882-1958)

(A Hartford Biography)

© Gary W. Knoble, 2014

(Note. In researching McManus, I found that Mr. C. C. Cunningham, former director of the Wadsworth Atheneum has done such an excellent job of summarizing McManus’ Harford connection, written while McManus was still alive, that I have used many of his word here. Cunningham’s words are in italics throughout the text.)

In 1893, only 11 years old, James Goodwin McManus, a descendent of a founder of Hartford, joined Charles Noel Flagg’s Night School for Men, later called the Connecticut Art Students League. He took over the school upon Flagg’s death in 1916. He also taught art at the Hartford High School where Milton Avery was one of his students. He referred to himself as “The Dean of Hartford Artists” and produced a large body of landscapes that are sometimes traditional, but always masterful and often very striking.

“For several generations a large gentleman, wearing a broad-brimmed black hat, a full black tie, a black cloak in winter, and supporting glasses, a moustache and goatee, has been a familiar sight to Hartford residents.” He apparently adopted this look at a young age as James Britton, a fellow student of Flagg, captured this image in a portrait entitled “The Man from Boheme” painted around 1900, when McManus would have been about 18. “As one of his friends has said, ‘He looks exactly the way you would expect an artist to look.” Ira B. Hillyer remembers, “During the late teens and 1920’s my mother, Amy Anne Bartholomy (Hillyer) was an art student of James Goodwin McManus. One assignment had all the class do charcoal portraits of their art teacher, James Goodwin McManus. He was decked out with cane, pointed hat, cloak, briefcase, and Spats (white shoe and ankle coverings popular in the teens and 1920’s)… Betty Rice, in a letter to The Hog River Journal in the fall of 2006 remembers, “Those of you with long memories may recall the artist McManus. He was a picturesque figure who walked the streets of Hartford. (Like Hartford poet Wallace Stevens,[and also his fellow Hartford artist James Britton], McManus did not drive). He had a second-floor studio on Pratt Street. A large man, he wore black sack suits, a large-brimmed black hat, white shirts with removable collars, black bow ties (custom-made by The Stackpole, Moore, and Tryon Company). His friends drove him everywhere, or he took a Connecticut Company bus. With mustache, goatee, and white hair curling at the nape of his neck, he had a quaint, Victorian look.” John McDonough, a grand nephew of James Britton by marriage wrote, “My aunt in Florida, Billie Britton, remembers seeing McManus on the street in Hartford when she was young. ‘What’s that?’ she asked her mother. She had never seen a man in a flamboyant, full-length black cape before. ‘That’s a…painter?....’ She says that she thought he was Shakespeare, or something.” “Whether one knows him or not, one is arrested not only by his appearance, but by the genial twinkle in his eye. The man is James Goodwin McManus, one of Hartford’s best know and beloved artists.”

“McManus was born on Pratt Street, Hartford, in a house where Steiger’s store stands today. [1954] His parents were of Irish descent, and the boy and the man inherited some of the wit indigenous to that people.” Through his mother he was a descendent of Ozias Goodwin, one of Hartford’s founders. “His cousin painted with modest talent as a hobby, mostly scenes depicting soldiers and battle, but the young boy was nevertheless impressed. During his youth, he attended the Brown School where he obtained spasmodic instruction in drawing. He must have been a precocious lad, however, because in 1893 at the age of eleven years, he entered the classes of the Connecticut League of Art Students, then conducted by Charles Noel Flagg in the tower of the old Cheney Building, now Brown Thomson. There is an old photograph of Flagg and his students taken about this time, which shows McManus in knee pants among a group of older boys and men.” Flagg started the school as the Flagg Night School for Men. Two years later James Britton also joined the school at the age of 16. “Shortly afterwards the League made a quick succession of moves: to the Raphael Ballstin Building, Main Street, 1894, to the Batterson Building, now the Garde Hotel (in 1954) 1894-1905, to the Blacksmith’s Shop, on Elm Street, 1905-6, to Muller’s Hall on Pearl Street, 1906-1910, then to its present quarters on Temple Street (1954), but McManus stayed with them during all of these moves. About 1898, Walter Griffin came to Hartford to assist Flagg and his brother, Montague, with the classes. Among McManus’ fellow pupils in the early days were Thomas Brabazon, and a bit later, Albertus E. Jones, as well as James Britton, an ebullient young man, whose fine portrait of McManus with his black hat and goatee, was painted in 1908. (probably a version of “The Man from Boheme”) This has been lent to the exhibition by the Connecticut League of Art Students to whom it was given several years ago in honor of McManus’ long service to that institution. During the summer in his youth he used to go by trolley to Farmington with some of his friends to paint landscapes under the tutelage of Robert B. Brandegee, well known local artist who died in 1922, as well as with Charles Foster, another local painter. (James Britton was often along on these trips, which he remembers fondly in his diaries.) About 1905 McManus was attracted to the artist’s colony at Gloucester, and intermittently until 1921, he was a summer visitor there.” (Another of his fellow students at the League, Carl Ringius, painted many scenes of Gloucester, sometimes painting alongside McManus.)

“In 1910, along with his contemporaries, Britton, Carl Ringius and Albertus Jones, McManus felt the need of forming a society through which along with others, they could exhibit their paintings. The Society of Connecticut Artist was limping along, and there were no other art organizations in the area. Flagg at first was lukewarm to the idea, but was persuaded by the determination of his former students, and as a result the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts was formed, with J. F. Weir of New Haven as its President. The first exhibition was held in November 1910 at the annex of the Wadsworth Atheneum, and as he has been to every exhibition since, McManus was then a contributor. In the same year he moved into his present (1954) studio at 86 Pratt Street, less than a block away from where he was born.”

“At the death of Charles Noel Flagg in 1916, McManus assumed charge of the art classes at the Connecticut League of Art Students, where with his good friend Albertus E. Jones, he still teaches twice a week (1954). He has said without an affectation, ‘If we didn’t give instruction to them, I don’t know where some of the boys would get it.’ He has also been teaching at the Hartford Adult School classes Hartford High School, since 1914. One of his pupils said that he was a hard taskmaster, and if he didn’t think a student was doing something correctly, he would put him straight in no uncertain terms. It has always been his purpose to give his students a sound grounding in fundamentals, no matter where they go or what the do afterwards. Among his pupils have been Adolf Kaslauskas, Edgar Miner, Charles Stepule, and Bronson Teraila.” (As well as Milton Avery.)

McManus and James Britton remained close friends from their days at the League until Britton’s death in 1936. Britton’s diaries contain many entries concerning McManus. He aided Britton in the recovery of several paintings that had been left behind when Britton moved to New York. He is mentioned as one of the mourners at the funeral of Britton’s mother in 1919. Britton always stopped by McManus’ studio when visiting Hartford. Britton, an accomplished musician, founded an orchestra at the League. “Our chief orchestral performances were given at Charlie Flagg’s yearly dinners to the League men in his studio. I remember at one of these we played Schubert’s terrible Unfinished Symphony….McManus use to bring in his snare drum to play the tympani parts, and he use to watch me very anxiously for a cue to beat the drum as he couldn’t read the drum parts” (July 1927 (Volume 7, pg 115-)

Just a few months before he died, Britton wrote a long poignant entry concerning what turned out to be their last visit which clearly describes their mutual affection and respect.

“May 15, 1935, North Manchester

In the afternoon sit out again and nod in the sun nearly asleep when I hear voices of people coming up the lane. I turn my head and see stepping into the field J McManus now president of the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts and W. Anderson organist Episcopal Church at Stamford both old Art League Associates in the Pearl St. studio days in Hartford 1908-9. They come over and shake hands. I tell them to find themselves good seats on a little raised ground near the apple trees but they prefer to squat down in the deep grass near my chair. McM is fat like a barrel and does not sit down immediately but scooches for a long time before getting down to the ground. Soon the old reminiscences begin and late news of old times. McM tells of Colonel Wieczorek (?) calling on him in Lyme of M OKeefe just calling on him in Hartford of poor old Dan Wentworth’s funeral a year ago at which McM acted a bearer and got together several local artist – that Dan was 86 that his son Gilbert is an out of town agent of the Hartford Steam Boiler Insurance Co. – that he was living in New Milford. Speaking of Brandegee he said his paintings are stored in East Hartford. McM tells of VanLaer’s entire stock of paintings and studio stuff papers everything in Hartford in the hands of a speculator who was selling the fine large canvases for 10 dollars each. Mc tried to get the museum to do something but grew impatient and stopped trying. Says EV Mitchell bought some of them. I ask McM how Wig (Guy Woggons) happened to relinquish the Academy presidency & he says ‘he didn’t get a vote of confidence, so he decided to withdraw.’ I say it is well, he had it long ago too long others ought to have a chance, So McM was elected. Anderson mentions (Alfred) Eaton and McM tells of seeing him in Paris wearing a beard on his chin but otherwise the same old Eaton of Pearl St; - is photographer of paintings in Latin Quarter. Anderson says he met Wayman Adams in New York and he asked for me. McM says he saw Detwiller there recently and he asked too; well – then I hear that Granville Smith is the same as ever at the club – that the New York dealers are all shot that poor old Walter Griffin is dying in a Portland hospital and Hassam near death in New York – old friends going with the same dread of disease. McManus always has the news – tells of Isaac Grant looking better than ever in his life, of Seymour, of Sacco the sculptor a pupil of the League which is now on Temple St. and in good shape. I tell the story of Padre K [Father Andrew Kelly] and the prints and McM says ‘I’m surprised I though they were going well. I haven’t seen the Father for a long time except just for a minute.”’ As soon as McM reached my chair on arriving he hands me two small bottles of champagne which I deposited in the long grass to keep cool until I should be going in. Anderson insists on seeing some pictures and I tell him to sit out awhile. I ask M about Gernhardt and he says ‘I think he must be dead. The cards I have sent him for two years have come back. ‘ I tell of my last call on Kress in Boston. McM says that Mrs. Storrs [Frances Hudson Storrs] called him up and said that N D Potter was asking for me and that he McM would of course know. So she was sending him – that P was then living in Windham and that he said that he was wanting to get me to live up there. Mrs. Potter was with ND and McM says, when I speak of Potter’s death, that he felt very bad to know that ND had been living in Lyme right across the street from him and – that he never went near him because he didn’t realize he was the same man who came to see him about me – and when he heard he was gone he felt much upset – says ND had a very fine drawing of a nude torso in the Exhibition last year. Poor Potter – Mc says also he thinks that Mrs. Potter is going to keep the studio, a stone building they had put up by a woman who owns adjoining property. It must be the time mentioned by Mc as being the date of Potters visit to Mrs. Storrs [who is endeared to sculptors for having paid the expense of putting Paul Bartlett’s equestrian Lafayette into bronze for Hartford] was the period of our change of residence from Church St. Manchester to School St. I remember Potter saying that he had been to see Mrs. Storrs. I think I may have written him at Windham giving the new address but that he – being in Hartford at the Storrs house may have asked for possible direction to my new location. That must have been 1933 and not last year – for it was last year that he called at my later locations – Bissel St. and here at the old Oakland house – and I, to my great regret on learning of his visits happened to be away both times staying at my sisters house in Hartford. I do not recall Potters mention of meeting McM if he made any so that I am much surprised when I hear what I now hear. Well, it is quite an experience to have sitting before me, in the long grass of my painting field two old associates of Art League days. Anderson after some time sitting, rises and urges that we go inside as he is anxious to see the paintings. As McM gets up I tell them that they must accompany me on my walk down the path to my box as I say ‘this is where I take my exercise’. They demur, and Anderson takes me by the arm and points to the house says with a laugh ‘we’re going this way’, but I insist they go along the path with me. They do so, and reach the box and turn around, before I arrive. At the box I sit down to rest a moment and call their attention to the remarkable old cherry tree. They enjoy it, and the old apple trees, so now I turn toward the house with them and reaching the back door I turn to the south side and propose we enter the front southwest door. They admire the old house and I call attention to the fine big sand stone doorstep and ask Anderson to open the door and enter. So we are soon in among the pictures and A pokes around seeming anxious to miss nothing. Picks up the head of Patrick Riley, and McM takes the portrait of Dan Wentworth to try in a better light and says ‘that’s a fine portrait, it look like an old master.’ Both like very much the portrait of Josephine Hill. Anderson admires the one of Valencampf and says ‘I think maybe that one of your best’ also approaches the portrait of Bob Watson and I remark to McM that this painting now 27 years old looks as it did when it was painted to which he agrees. Anderson examines the portrait of ‘Cornelia’ very closely and asks about the profile portrait of Rose Manning – asks especially about the colors I put into the background – saying ‘you changed your palette when you went to New York.’ McM once again goes up to my old landscape ‘Tom Eumming’s Barn’ and says ‘the place is now all gone to hell’. I tell him the picture is 35 years old. He remembers when I painted it, was probably with me, as he used to paint over in ‘my’ South Meadows in Hartford. Mc remarks the big spring picture with St. Mary’s church saying ‘that’s a fine one’ Well, we are having a good time. They say now it is near six o’clock they must be going. I tell them I am sorry Mrs. B is not here to make something to eat. I mention to organist Anderson my arrangement of Beethoven’s ‘Mass In D’ and sit down to play it but can’t find the score so I say ‘I’ll play my Sag Harbor Sonata’ A remarks my ‘alizarin chords’ a good remark. The piano is especially vile so I desist. McM remarks the flageolets standing on the piano and I take the blue one and ask Anderson to play in the key of F Haydn’s grand hymn. He sits down and we begin. The clarinet is out of tune at first but gets better as it warms up as I tell McM who has a good laugh. However I persist telling A to play just the right tempo not allegretto but Haydns designed tempo Andante. He does so and I sit down and we go through the fine music McM dutifully listening. This is the fitting conclusion of our session together. They now must go and as McM puts out his had I tell him I am glad he is now at the head of the Conn. Academy and I shall probably write something for the ‘Courant’ in support of him. He seems to appreciate that and says he will soon come out again – though of course he must wait for an accommodating friend with a car – as Bill Anderson. So off they go – I sit to rest, the excitement of seeing old friends is and ordeal, even though a pleasure. The old heart pumps and the breathing is hard – I must sit quiet, to be able to resume any movement at all, later on.”

“Since 1922, McManus has spent his summers at Old Lyme where, from 1929-1934, he occupied one of Guy Wiggins’ studios and taught in the summer art classes. During most of his life, McManus has lived and painted in Connecticut, but in 1930 he took a trip to Europe where he studied the museums of England, France, and Italy, but was ‘much too busy seeing things to do any painting.’ The lure of Old Lyme and especially Hamburg Cove was always strong for McManus, and in 1937 he and his sister purchased one of the little white clapboard houses which line the Eight Mile River near the concrete bridge on the Joshuatown Road. From here he wanders over the Connecticut River Valley setting up his easel and painting picturesque views which have been a feature in exhibitions at Old Lyme and Hartford for many years.”

“In 1938, McManus was given a one-man exhibition of twenty-nine of his pictures at the Art Museum of the New Britain Institute. (now the New Britain Museum of American Art) Since its inception he has been active in the affairs of the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts and he served as secretary for sixteen years and as its president from 1935 to 1948. …..Besides the Academy, McManus is a member of the Hartford Salmagundians, the Salmagundi Club of New York, the Lyme Artists Association, the New Haven Paint and Clay Club, and the Academic Art Association of Springfield. “ McManus was a founding member and leading light of The Hartford Salmagundians. His paintings were included in every annual show at the Wadsworth Atheneum from 1929 to what appears to be their last exhibition in 1953.

McManus never married. Toward the end of his life he moved to 8 Ridgebrook Drive in West Hartford but continued to spend his summers in Old Lyme. He died on September 5, 1958, at his summer home. He is buried in St. Patrick’s Cemetery near St Lawrence O’Toole’s Church in Hartford.

Ask/Art The Artist Bulletin Board under James Goodwin McManus

Britton, James, “Diaries, in James Britton Papers”, Smithsonian Archives of American Art, July 1927 (volume 7, page 115-)

Britton, James, “Diaries, in James Britton Papers”, Smithsonian Archives of American Art, May 15, 1935 (volume 29, page. 89-)

Cunningham, C. C., “James Goodwin McManus” Retrospective Exhibition, Wadsworth Atheneum, 1954

Katlan, Alexander W., “The Hartford Salmagundians: A Connecticut Art Society Painting Exhibition Records 1929-1953”