Frank Furness and Henry Holiday: A Study of Patronage, Architecture and Art

The decorative arts are integral and crucial elements in the works of Philadelphia architect Frank Furness (1839–1912) (Fig. 1). The wonderfully inventive embellishments to his buildings, in wood, metal and glass, contribute to a memorable richness and help distinguish his buildings from those of his contemporaries. Our current understanding of Furness and his works has been based primarily upon considerations of the buildings themselves, and on anecdotal information concerning Furness's personality and family, and some reasonable assumptions as to how his work fits within the architectural and design trends of his day. A fuller understanding has been hindered by the fact that he wrote very little, that first-hand accounts of his working methods are few, and that, of his relationships with the artisans who produced his decorative designs, only the collaborations with the furniture maker Daniel Pabst (1826–1910) and sculptor Karl Bitter (1867–1915) have been documented. Therefore, the discovery of new sources of information that document an overlooked but long-time working relationship between Furness and a noted English artist is an important addition to Furness scholarship.