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 A painting signed simply with the name “Chandler” turns out to have been created by the “W. H. Chandler and Co.” of New York City. Founded by William Henry Chandler, the company produced paintings for sale in department stores in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Seascapes, like this one, were the rarest of all Chandler pieces and can sell for upward of $500 today. |
By Mike Wilcox. Over the years, I have come across a great many pastels but never put two and two together regarding the artists. The reasons are many: One, because most were done by amateurs for whom little biographical information exists; and two, most sell for rather modest amounts. After recently coming across several signed by the same artist, a signature reading “Chandler,” I decided to pull out the stops and do a little research into who this Chandler was.
Generally, when one finds a half-dozen pieces of artwork by the same artist over a period of a couple of years, there is generally some biographical information available, but it was not the case with Chandler. None of the usual reference sources I had on hand, nor any I subscribed, to had anything other than sales of Chandler’s pastels at auction.
In such cases, one has to think outside the loop and broaden the research to first find general references to the artist’s name and narrow it down from there, e.g. Internet searches for “Chandler print,” “Signed Chandler,” “Chandler still life,” etc. I hit pay dirt with “Chandler fruit,” a search based on a Chandler I had just seen of a bowl of fruit, which brought up the artist’s full name—William Henry Chandler—and his date of birth and death (1854-1928). Using this new information, I found an obscure booklet on the artist titled “Chandler—Early American Pastel Artist” by Peter Neeley and a few other references sourced in the booklet that allowed me to put flesh to the bare bones.
As it turned out, “Chandler” was no amateur. In fact, his company had probably produced more pastels than any other artist of his time, and he led a rather interesting life.
William Henry Chandler was born on June 9, 1854, in New York City. His working life started as a cameo engraver in a button factory, but his art output didn’t start in earnest until 1887 when he partnered with his brother, Frank Chandler (1857-1912), to create the label of “W. H. Chandler and Co.” in New York City’s lower Manhattan.
Unlike the work of other decorative-art producers, such as Currier & Ives or Taber Prang, W. H. Chandler and Co. did not turn out art in mass production. Instead, it created its art in what was called “The Loft,” where up to 20 easels were set up with some artists working three at a time. Other artists worked at home on a piecework basis. Pastels were not the only product. W. H. Chandler and Co. produced oils, watercolors and charcoals, as well. The bulk of Chandler’s company’s output was in the form of landscapes, featuring some form of water, such as a lake, stream, river or waterfall, with mountain backdrops dotted with cabins and cottages. Still-life images of fruit bowls and hanging wild game are not as common, and the rarest of all Chandler pieces are seascapes.
Chandler pastels were mainly sold through art stores, art dealers, gift shops and department stores such as Simpson’s, Eaton’s and Hudson Bay in Canada, and Marshall Field’s, Sears, Higbee’s and the May Company in the United States. Chandler operated the company until his death on Feb. 26, 1928. The company was taken over then by William McMurray Thompson, who had apprenticed under Chandler. Today, it is still possible to find a Chandler pastel for less than $200, but Chandler’s day as a relative unknown are over, with some of the larger seascapes pieces now selling for more than $500 at auction and even average landscapes pushing $400.
Mike Wilcox, of Wilcox & Hall Appraisers, is a Worthologist who specializes in Art Nouveau and the Arts and Craft movement.
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Interesting article. Nice bit of sleuthing.
Please explain this sentence in last paragraph: “Today, it is still possible to find a Chandler pastel for lrdd than $200 . . .”
I have a large pastel signed by william M thompson. The painting has been hangling in my parents home for over 50 years The paint is a garden scene with mountaing in the back ground. I would like to know more about this artist he names in hard to find in most data bases.
Douglass Moodie wrote:
“Please explain this sentence in last paragraph: “Today, it is still possible to find a Chandler pastel for lrdd than $200 . . .”
Hi Douglass, I don’t know quite what you mean by your comment. The statement is pretty clear, what it says is you can still pick up a Chandler Pastel for under $200.00.
Mike Wilcox
Hi Cynthia
William McMurray Thompson apprenticed under Chandler and took over his studio after chandler’s death in 1928. Here’s a book for you:
http://openlibrary.org/b/OL56149M/R.-Atkinson-Fox-%26-William-M.-Thompson
I own a Chandler. It hung in my grandmother’s home as far back as I can remember, and when she passed, it was passed to my mother, and in turn, to me. I had it appraised over 12 years ago for $350.00. The appraiser said it was a water color, circa 1920. It is a lake scene.
I own a Chandler landscape of a church. It was my grandparents, passed to my mother and now to me. Would a local authority (at Duke, or the NC Museum of Art) be able to value this piece?
Thanks! Sharon
Mike, I am thrilled that you’ve posted the information you were able to dig up about Chandler and his company. The only thing I could learn years ago is that he and his brother formed the company. I was also told that W.H. was the artist but hired others to produce work for him and his brother oversaw the framing aspects for the company. Is this accurate? I was also told they were from Massachusetts but I learned from you research that they were from NY.
I am fortunate to have (3) Chandler pastels; one is a 24×18″ lake scene with a cabin, sailboats and beautiful soft landscape; one is a 10×20″ landscape with a stream falling over rocks and the style is clearly different with a heavier application of pastel; the third is a large 18×40″ horizontal seascape of a large sailboat in center with two smaller boats in distance, on moonlight water.
As an artist myself, secretly I had hoped I was related to them until I learned that they were born in New York. My Chandlers come into Massachusetts in 1638 and stayed in Mass, CT and Vermont.
I will look for the booklet, “Chandler-Early American Pastel Artist.”
Thank you for your research.
While not mass produced in the modern sense of the term, they were made in fairly large numbers which keeps their values still fairly modest. One sees them on Ebay from time to time, which gives you an idea as to the numbers available
Mike Wilcox
penny, i have a chandler pastel for sale. a road show told me i have a very rare early work of chandler valued at 25,000 to 50,000 dollars. if your interested call me at 315 568 9645. it’s of a sail boat in the water.
I have a print of chandler. “Queen Anne Cottage” 1895
Do you know how common the prints are? I would love to find more!
hi penny,
I finaly found another owner of queen anne’s cottage. I
wasn’t sure about the sigature. Mine is old and in bad
shape but I put it in a nicer frame. We love it. Get back if
you get more news about about it’s value etc.
Thanks Jim Stone
Hi penny
Get back to me Regarding queen anne’s cottage.
Thanks Jim Stone
We just found that same print that was behind another in the frame. Being covered, the colors are still vibrant.
We are interested in it also.
I own two still life Chandler pastels. The larger one was photographed by someone at the Smithsonian when I took it to an “Antiques Roadshow-Type-Happening” in Lancaster, PA.
Someone from Ohio contacted me after contacting the Smithsonian, so I don’t know if the Smithsonian can add to your information.
I was under the impression that they were done by someone in Lancaster County, but after reading your information, I believe they were probably done by the W.H. Chandler company. It would be helpful if you put one with the signature on this page so owners could compare theirs with the signature on the ones you researched.
Thanks for doing this work.
William Henry Chander’s works now sell well into the thousands of dollars for his best pieces and rare pieces. More information can be found at http://www.pastelmasters.com
Timothy Osha, Curator, Pastel Masters Museum Gallery
i have a painting of a millhouse? waterwheel? we have had it in our family for as long as i can remeber it is signed chandler can you tell me anything about the painting or the artist chandler we live in pa
i have a painting of a waterwheel millhouse i am not sure what it is called but it has been in our house as long as i can remember 40 years? can you give me any info on it? it is sighed chandler
Yes, the really well executed,large and or rare scenes can sell for many thousands. check out the http://www.pastelmaster.com to see some beauties. Only wish mine were that nice….
Jack B.
We have a 18 x 24 approx. print done in ink that features a hunter type with rifle standing beside a lady by a stream. There are some cows in the near background. It has been in my wife’s family for many years. It is signed simply Chandler.
Any information on this one?
I received a “CHANDLER” oil painting well over 30 years ago as a gift. It’s a forest scene with a river running through the centre with trees on both sides, including embankments. Its size is 32”x16” (81cmx40cm). I often wondered about its history and came across your site. Appreciate any information, regarding its history and value etc.,
Hi, I have just been given a painting by my aunt, it is a moon picture over looking the lake,
it is about 8″ width and about 19-20″ long,
just wondered if you know what year it would have been done, and how much it would be worth
thank you
I inherited a chandler signed pastel of a winter night setting. subject of a blacksmith’s shop with brilliant orange lite emitting from the shop door onto a snowy trail…backdropped with a crescent moon and trees with buildings in the distance…one cannot take their eyes from this painting. I’d like to know more about this artist…no initial just Chandler….this painting was owned by a 90 yr. old veterinarian from nebr. and my Mom aquired it in the early 90′s….thank you
thank you very much for this info. I have been very curious about this picture which has been in my family for the past 90 years. It is quite large 22×44 and was framed by my grandfather circa 1920 he was a photographer. I had all these years assumed it was an English scene. It is a lake scene, small mountains a waterfall with sailboats in the distance.
Mike,
I recently was looking at an old picture frame that belonged to my Grandmother and behind the pictures in the frame was a Chandler print entitled Rough Winding Hills and simply signed Chandler. I came upon your article when I did the a search on Chandler. I could not find anything in regards to this print online. Do you have any information on this print?
Pat
Hi Pat,
I have the same exact painting that has been in my family for over 100 years. Did you find out anthing on the painting. I am curious!
As far as I know there is no definitive reference material about Chandler or a complete catalog of his production to search out individual titles. All one can do is check auction records for past sales based on the artist’s name and title of the work.
The painting I have has been in the family for at least 100 years. It is a winter country scene with horsae sled with passangers crossing a country bridge coming up to an old farm house. Colors are very calming, nostalgic and I love it. It is in an original frame-white with gold colored embellishments. I would love to get some information on it. Thanks. Mary
I think I have a lithograph by Chandler. It is a picture of a lady and man in a row boat in a stream surrounded by trees. There is a full moon. It is signed Chandler. It is in an old picture frame. If you could give me any information on this, I would be most appreciative.
I went to an auction about 10 years ago,and purchased a Chandler print. There were 2 reasons I was drawn to this print.#1 My son that passed away name was Chandler and #2 my dad that passed away 2 years before my son, had sheep on his farm. I love this print could you tell me more about it It was signed by Chandler in the left hand corner Thanks Penny Wilson
Quite often artists are ” Unknowns”, meaning they were hobbyists and not professionals, or their work never really developed a following. In such case there is often not any biographical or auction records available. In the case of any artist I check sources such as askart.com, findartinfo.com or liveauctioneers.com under the artist’s name and then go from there.
I have a medium small landscape painting from about the late forties early fifties it is signed G Chantler. When I typed the search only CHANDLER came up. Do you know anything about G. CHANTLER??
The Chandler pastel my husband and I have belonged to my late in-laws and I expect they purchased it in Chicago. I have not had it appraised but the canvas was cut to the beautiful rounded edge frame. It is an evening setting of a camper by a fireside ashore a river with rapids. The painting itself appears to be 18 x 40. Its beautiful. I cannot believe it is only worth $500 or less. Certainly worth more to my husband and me.
Thanks for the reference source, I’ll add that one to my list.
Check out the book, The Power of Pastels by June Rhode. She has backround information, pictures of signatures, and photos of artwork by Chandler, Gunderson, Glatthaar, etc. Very informative if you are interested in pastels or chalks as they are also called.
i just purchased a oil painting (i think its oil) but its black and white painting of the moonlit seascape with seagulls flying in the air, and the waves breaking. the signature is signed chandler at the bottom right. i hear so much about chandler’s pastels and have heard that there were some oil painting done by him i just wondered if he ever did black and white seascapes. just wanted to check if it was really w h chandler. thanks
Erica,
I’m not aware of any black & white seascapes by Chandler. There’s probably hundreds of other artists out there that share the same last name, “Chandler”
i have a chandler painting that i would like to find out infomation about. its a farm with cows in the front and have only the name of the painter on it. if u could help me please.
There’s not much left to be said that has not been covered already in the comments made here. I can only suggest checking out the book, The Power of Pastels by June Rhode. As far as I know there is not a definitive listing of all Chandler pastels.
Thank you for that extremely interesting article on Chandler paintings. It took some time to locate who I felt was the artist of a very beautiful 20 x 18 pastel that I have of a winter scene of a log cabin in the woods with a sunset in the background and a team of horses pulling a sleigh with a man and woman riding in the sleigh and a gentleman standing in the lane behind as they were leaving the cabin. The pastel was signed by the name Chandler only in the lower part of the picture. Just wondering from your write up of W. H. Chandler and Co. if the artists were all part of the Chandler family. The quality of the work is amazing. I am not sure where it was framed but it has a lovely 5″ molded gold frame which really sets the picture off nicely. Was wondering if there is somewhere that one could view some of these paintings by Chandler.
Hi Barb,
As far as I’m aware all the work from Chandler’s company was the work of Hired Artists and not family members. Most of the Chandler pastels I’ve viewed have been on auction sites such as liveauctioneers.com . New examples appear every month on such auction sites, you could also check Worthpoints Worthepedia, it covers about the largest range of items sold at auction and online you’ll find anywhere.
My husband and I just purchased a Chandler at an antique store down the road from us. They had it labeled as a print behind glass, but it’s actually a pastel. A little bit of the pastel is on the glass. It is a campfire scene with a woman looking out at a lake. We have no idea what it’s worth but we paid $73 for it including tax. It’s beautiful and we love it.
Well, you made a good deal Heidi. This past year at auction even the smaller Chandlers often sell for about twice what you paid.
I have a signed Chandler with a very old tag on the back that reads 1893 lito…it is of 2 log cabins..one on each side of a brook in the winter time large picture in a very old frame…signed Chandler in the lower left corner…Value?
You’d have to use our “Ask a Worthologist” service to get a detailed response to your request for a valuation on individual pieces of art. You will have to provided deatiled images of your piece and any markings on it in your valuation request.
I have a Chandler wintery painting with a church with a house next to it pickett fence around it and theres a small pond with rocks around the pond. There are people walking down the snowy street and theres a moon in the painting.
I believe i have a lithograph of the same picture. It is in a beautiful raised (embossed) embellished frame and the really strange thing was , when the glass broke during a move , we found an original charcoal signed by Chandler of a dog called “Ned” behind the litho.
Hi: I have a Chandler painting. It has two people in a horse carriage, going a cross a snow bridge to a beautiful house on the hill. It was given to me by my father and he said either his mother or his grandmother owned it. It is a beautiful painting and I now have it hanging in my house. Do you have any idea what the value of this painting might be.
Markola McLaughlin
I just rechecked the original Dog charcoal and it is signed F.F.Chandler,1888. William’s Brother!
To all those requesting values for their Chandlers, their value depends a great deal on the size and subject matter.
for a general overview here’s a link to Chandler’s sold at auction since 2004:
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/search?q=Chandler+pastel&hasimage=true&dtype=gallery&type=complete&rows=20
How can you tell whether you have a print or original. Even tho the paper backing it brittle the majority is intact. Must I have to remove the paper and wood backing to determine this?
Thanks,
Scott