The year is 1902 and, as a visitor to Mohonk Mountain House from either Manhattan or Philadelphia, spending time in nature observing exotic and native flowers is much anticipated. For evening entertainment, the parlor at Mohonk is packed with guests interested in learning a little more about the environment surrounding the mountaintop resort.
Today, visitors are drawn to Mohonk for the same reasons: to relax, unwind, and enjoy all nature has to offer in the surrounding area. And now, the resort presents the opportunity to walk through the halls to cherish the same beautiful imagery shown over a hundred years ago, albeit in a new way.
A Legacy Continued
“Essence by Design,” which debuted on Earth Day (April 22), brings to light a collection of hand-painted slides from 1902 depicting exotic and native flora that were presented via projector to resort guests. These slides, previously stored in Mohonk’s archives, are 3×4-inch pieces of glass that were painted using watercolors. Thanks to efforts by Daniel Smiley, who established the Mohonk archives in 1976, and his daughter, Pril, these slides were preserved and found in perfect condition.
Forty-one slides were selected by Pril Smiley—a fourth-generation steward of Mohonk Mountain House and Director of Art—to be digitized into large-scale prints (26×32-inch) for the Grove building section of Mohonk Mountain House, which will be their permanent home.
“Albert [Smiley] was passionate about flowers. He believed the indoors and outdoors defined each other,” Pril notes.
Albert, the founder of the Mohonk Mountain House who purchased the 300-acre property back in 1869, believed that the natural setting was important because of the emotions it evoked within a person. It was no surprise that he specifically curated floral gardens around the property, showcasing native flowers in addition to exotic species, including different varieties of orchids.
It feels fitting that the new art installation is on display within the walls of the resort, continuing the legacy of mending both the indoors and outdoors. Pril shares that the feeling people get when interacting with nature is what she would describe as “essence,” a concept that perfectly embodies the exhibition.
The original artist of the slides was a man named Walter T. Weaver. With an excellent artistic eye, he thoughtfully arranged each species and took photos of them, later colorizing them with watercolor directly onto photographic slides. The process of capturing the region on one small slide with gorgeous hues took two days.
“He had to wait for each color to dry before painting another layer,” Pril explains. Watercolor is not an easy medium to manipulate, so the intricacy of the painting, saturation of the hues, and opaqueness of the black background are incredibly well done. Since each slide is small in size, fine brushes were used, including single-hair brushes, to capture the incredible detail.
Not too much is known about Weaver.“He checked into the hotel in July 1902,” Pril notes, adding that it’s most likely that he stayed on the property to create each piece.Even though information is lacking about Weaver as an individual, the large, digitized images unveil a lot about Weaver as an artist. From his decision to cut a leaf a certain way to better showcase a bloom to his selection of paint colors just a bit more saturated than the natural flower, it’s obvious he knew a lot about watercolor and how to capture the beauty of nature.
From Glass to Print
Thanks to the work of Chad Kleitsch, these pieces were brought to life in a whole new way through innovative digitization. Kleitsch brings expertise from years of experience in digital fine-art photography, which is demonstrated in the artwork, as the quality and detail are preserved perfectly. He uses a technique called “scanography,” which relies on high-resolution digital scanning to capture historic documents and botanical objects in extreme detail. His work has been demonstrated in other prestigious museums throughout the country, including The Art Institute of Chicago and The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum.
The frames for each print were intentionally selected as well. Pril shares that the wood framing was chosen to match the trim work in the resort’s hallway. She didn’t want to choose something super ornate that could distract from the artwork. Rather, she opted for frames that were more traditional around the edge, with a more informal, or natural look on the inner lip that overlaps the piece. She adds that this look is a go-to for most art pieces throughout the property.
Each print hangs intentionally throughout the hallways, often placed next to other botanicals that match in color. Pril made an effort to group the art in sets of three, with an “eye-catching middle” piece and two less ornate botanicals to the right and left. Some groupings also play with balance, showcasing a beautiful flower print in the middle, with a wispy “light” flower print to one side and a “heavier” piece with more blooms or elements to the other side.
Having the slides presented in this new way allows the observer to truly see and appreciate the detail created by the artist.
A Showcase to Enjoy
Both overnight and day guests have the opportunity to view these incredible pieces in person. Day pass experiences must be purchased to enter the property; visit the website to learn more about offerings. In addition, the exhibition will be featured at Mohonk’s annual Birding and Spring Nature Weekend happening May 16-18.
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