The Frick Art Museum to Present Civil War Era Drawings From The Becker Collection, 11/9

PITTSBURGH, Pa., Nov. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ This fall, the Frick Art & Historical Center presents Civil War Era Drawings from the Becker Collection at The Frick Art Museum. The exhibition, which opens to the public on November 9, 2013, will remain on view through January 12, 2014. An opening celebration will be held at The Frick Art Museum from 6:008:00 p.m. on November 8, 2013. Admission is free.

This fascinating exhibition of more than 100 drawings features work by 18 artists employed byFrank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper during the Civil War and through the following decade. Some of the first "embedded" journalists to cover war, these pictorial journalists, called special artists, traveled with the troops and sent notes, sketches and finished drawings from the front to Leslie's art department in New York City. For the first time, news from the battlefield and the reality of war reached hundreds of thousands of Americans relatively quickly through Leslie's and its competitors.

Frick director Bill Bodine comments, "In recognition of the sesquicentennial of the Battle of Gettysburg, the Frick is pleased to be able to present this fine selection of original Civil War-era drawings, which provide an intimate look at American life during a volatile decade of war, change and growth. In the 1880s, the Frick family purchased bound volumes of Civil War-era illustrated periodical publications such as Frank Leslie's Illustrated News and Harper's Weekly, which are normally found in the library at Clayton. For the duration of this exhibition, these volumes will be on view at The Frick Art Museum."

The Becker Collection is the legacy of Joseph Becker (18411910), art director for Leslie's from 18751900. At the time that Becker worked for Leslie's the original artists' sketches were used as the basis for wood engravings and then discarded. Kept by Becker, this trove of more than 700 drawings was passed down in his family, and given scholarly attention by a team of academics from Boston College including his great-great-granddaughter Sheila Gallagher. The resulting exhibition at the McMullen Museum at Boston College was described by The Boston Globe as "a revelation."

Civil War Era Drawings from the Becker Collection was curated by Judith Bookbinder and Sheila Gallagher and the traveling exhibition is organized by Curatorial Assistance Traveling Exhibitions, Pasadena, California. Drawings from the Becker Collection premiered at the McMullen Museum at Boston College in the exhibition First Hand: Civil War Drawings from the Becker Collection which was organized by the McMullen Museum and underwritten by Boston College and Patrons of the McMullen Museum.

A variety of public programs will be offered in conjunction with this exhibition. Details are available at www.TheFrickPittsburgh.org.

Media Contact: Greg Langel, Frick Art & Historical Center, 412-342-4075, glangel@thefrickpittsburgh.org

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SOURCE Frick Art & Historical Center