{"id":822782,"date":"2026-07-25T10:44:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T10:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/822782\/"},"modified":"2026-07-25T10:44:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T10:44:14","slug":"visiting-a-shrine-to-the-wyeths-in-brandywine-reading-a-rare-manual-at-the-library-company-and-other-art-to-admire-this-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/822782\/","title":{"rendered":"Visiting a shrine to the Wyeths in Brandywine, reading a rare manual at the Library Company, and other art to admire this weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"

A shrine to the Wyeths opens at Brandywine<\/p>\n

There\u2019s plenty of and about Betsy Wyeth\u2019s potent aesthetic in \u201cBy Design: The Worlds of Betsy James Wyeth,\u201d currently on view at the Brandywine Museum of Art. In her adaptive reuse of early American buildings in Maine and the Brandywine \u2014 in everything she touched, really \u2014 Wyeth\u2019s design sense is specific and immediately recognizable: a cool, austere echo of Shaker and other American vernacular styles.<\/p>\n

The show\u2019s star is Brinton\u2019s Mill, the Chadds Ford complex of 18th century (and later) structures that, with Betsy\u2019s extensive renovations, became the distinctive place where she and her husband, the artist Andrew Wyeth, lived and worked. The shrine is now open to visitors for the first time.<\/p>\n

But to take the full measure of Betsy Wyeth, you will want to read the show catalog of the same name (Rizzoli Electa, $65). Here, in a series of essays and reminiscences, Wyeth emerges as a shrewd businesswoman and impresaria \u2014 mastermind of a \u201cgenerally understood, unified Andrew Wyeth brand,\u201d as Wyeth curator and administrator William L. Coleman puts it in the opening essay.<\/p>\n

As you\u2019d expect, the book is filled with illustrations: Andrew Wyeth paintings, striking photos of the craggy Brandywine and Maine landscapes and structures that make up the familial Wyeth visual language, as well as images of Betsy, always formidable.<\/p>\n

\"AndrewAndrew Wyeth’s ‘Maga’s Daughter,’ from 1966.Andrew Wyeth (1917 – 2009), Maga’s Daughter, 1966, egg tempera on panel, 26 \u00bd \u00d7 30 \u00bc in. Wyeth Foundation for American Art Collection, P5008. \u00a9 2026 Wyeth Foundation for American Art\/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York<\/p>\n

Perhaps the sharpest image, though, comes in written form, from author David Michaelis on the partnership between Betsy and Andrew. <\/p>\n

We already knew that she handled just about everything that needed doing in order to free her husband to paint. But what Michaelis beautifully details is how deeply involved she was in the art itself \u2014 giving titles to his work, and exerting influence over the color, composition, and subject matter.<\/p>\n

In many ways, Betsy spent her life creating the aesthetic for which Andrew is known.<\/p>\n

She urged him to simplify, to take things out of paintings he had wanted to include.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re going to ruin it,\u201d he would protest.<\/p>\n

Then, Michaelis wrote, he would go off and do exactly as she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy Design: The Worlds of Betsy James Wyeth\u201d is on view at the Brandywine Museum of Art, 1 Hoffman\u2019s Mill Road in Chadds Ford, through Jan. 10. Related exhibitions are running at the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine, through Dec. 31; and at Colby College Museum of Art in Waterville, Maine, through Nov. 2. brandywine.org\/museum <\/p>\n

\u2014 Peter Dobrin <\/p>\n

A portal to Black girlhood in a Library Company artifact <\/p>\n

Nearly every Friday night when I was a child, my mother washed my hair, conditioned it, sectioned it into four parts, and let it dry overnight. <\/p>\n

The next morning, we\u2019d take our places next to the kitchen stove and turn the channel to Soul Train on our small black and white TV. Mommy oiled my scalp again then, with a sizzling iron comb with the tiniest teeth, she straightened each section of my hair; making my tresses sizzle. Sometimes the comb would kiss my ear. When she was done, I had shiny shoulder-length hair with a flip on the bottom. <\/p>\n

I don\u2019t remember when she first told me about Sarah Breedlove, also known as Madam C.J. Walker. But by the time I was 10, I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that because of her, Black women everywhere knew how to press hair, and that her haircare business made her the first Black woman millionaire during the early 1900s at the dawn of the Harlem Renaissance. <\/p>\n

\"TheThe first page of this early 1900s pamphlet explaining Madam CJ Walker’s Walker Method to salon owners.The Library Company of Philadelphia<\/p>\n

Walker trained hundreds, possibly thousands, of Black women on how to use the hot comb in a technique she called the Walker Method. Black salons practicing the method became staples in Black neighborhoods and raised many Black women entrepreneurs. <\/p>\n

The Library Company of Philadelphia recently purchased one of the original pamphlets describing the Walker Method<\/a>, step-by-step, and what was included in the Walker Special Outfit, the all-inclusive entrepreneurial kit. That included a stiff hair brush, face towels, Walker\u2019s specially formulated conditioning concoction, a smock \u2014 that Walker refers to as a hair dresser\u2019s cloth \u2014 and, of course, a handmade steel comb. <\/p>\n

After a thorough shampoo and conditioning, the hairdressing is applied and each section of the hair is methodically straightened. <\/p>\n

Just reading these instructions brought me back to my girlhood, before chemical relaxers, weaves, and extensions became the norm. <\/p>\n

\"StepStep by step instructions of how to do Madam CJ Walker’s Walker Method to salon owners. The pamphlet was given to Black salon owners in the early 1900’s.The Library Company of Philadelphia<\/p>\n

Wynn Eakins, the Library Company of Philadelphia\u2019s Africa Americana subject specialist, acquired the pamphlet earlier this year, paying a few thousand dollars for it. <\/p>\n

Like her, I believe it was worth every penny. <\/p>\n

Getting my hair pressed every week wasn\u2019t just my introduction to a beauty regiment, it was how I bonded with my mother and other Black women. <\/p>\n

Funny thing is, I took for granted that Black women always knew how to do press hair. For better or worse, this skill is in our DNA. The Walker Method pamphlet reminded me of a time when pressing hair was new technology and it\u2019s a reminder that every American experience has a history that\u2019s worth saving and remembering. <\/p>\n

The Library Company of Philadelphia is located at 1314 Locust St, 19107.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Elizabeth Wellington <\/p>\n

A bicentennial logo makes a nostalgic comeback during the semiquincentennial <\/p>\n

\"AA vintage print of the logo that was sold by Sales by Helen in 2023.Courtesy of Sales by Helen<\/p>\n

How much has Philly changed from the bicentennial to the semiquincentennial? Not much, by the looks of the 1976 bicentennial logo. <\/p>\n

Created by Philadelphian graphic designer and watercolor painter Frank Nofer, the logo features several iconic symbols of Philadelphia standing for the letters in the city\u2019s name. After copyrighting, Nofer\u2019s logo was printed on seemingly infinite pieces of merchandise, from T-shirts to mugs to ashtrays.<\/p>\n

There are historic references, like Benjamin Franklin and the Liberty Bell. The logo also features a paintbrush and tuba to represent the city\u2019s arts scene, sports balls for our athletic passion, a giraffe for the zoo, and a sailboat for the rivers on either side of Philly.<\/p>\n

There is one outdated reference: a lobster as the second \u201cl\u201d; in reference to the now closed seafood restaurant, Bookbinder\u2019s. The Old City<\/a> spot, which shut down in 2009, was world famous for its oysters and lobster. Though it may not be relevant to 2026 Philadelphia, that little lobster is sure to spark nostalgia for anyone who lived in the area before the 2010s.<\/p>\n

\"FrankFrank Nofer’s “Philadelphia” logo featured on a mug, one of many pieces of merchandise.Courtesy of Sales by Helen<\/p>\n

Now, 50 years later, merchandise featuring the logo is no longer sold anew. But vintage pieces have been popping up on eBay (which is where I saw it). Per the comments on a Facebook post<\/a> from someone who purchased a Nofer \u201cPhiladelphia\u201d T-shirt on eBay, several people have still held onto their merchandise, praising the design.<\/p>\n

The logo feels incredibly timeless, while also maintaining the funky nature of the 1970s. If you have a piece from 50 years ago, I say hold onto it \u2014 whether to admire it, or to make a pretty penny from it online. <\/p>\n

\u2014 Morgan Ritter<\/p>\n

\"BenBen Vaughn. His new new song together with Deer Tick is “Imitation Wood Grain,” and Vaughn’s just announced new album ‘Magnetic East: The Deer Tick Sessions’ is due on Yep Rec Records in October.Shana Cassidy<\/p>\n

A vintage Ben Vaughn brings back the romance of \u201cthe South Jersey pines\u201d<\/p>\n

Back in the 1990s, Camden County rocker Ben Vaughn<\/a> specialized in producing veteran artists whose greatness the music loving public need to be reminded of; like rockabilly eccentric Charlie Feathers<\/a> and soul music songwriter Arthur Alexander. <\/a><\/p>\n

Vaughn, the radio host of the syndicated The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn, which broadcasts from \u201cparts unknown\u201d and airs locally on WXPN-FM (88.5)<\/a>, tells tales of his encounter with such legends on his Straight From The Hat podcast.<\/a><\/p>\n

Now, Vaughn is getting the elder statesman treatment himself. Back in 2019, Providence, R.I. rock band Deer Tick did a cover version of Vaughn\u2019s 1990 song \u201cToo Sensitive For This World,\u201d that featured John Hiatt whistling in the background. <\/p>\n

The band\u2019s fandom has resulted in a friendship and playing shows together, and now a forthcoming Ben Vaughn album called Magnetic East: The Deer Tick Sessions that\u2019s due out Oct. 30 on Yep Roc Records.<\/a> <\/p>\n

This week, \u201cImitation Wood Grain,\u201d the first track from the album was released. <\/p>\n

\u201cInspired by a visit to the thrift store, it\u2019s probably the first most nostalgic song I\u2019ve ever written,\u201d Vaughn wrote in a Facebook post<\/a>. It\u2019s also vintage Vaughn; a clever, well-crafted ironic-yet-not-ironic song that meshes with Deer Tick\u2019s own bemused sensibility (and features Vanessa Carlton on backing vocals).<\/p>\n

Kitschy details in the lyrics \u2014 the sight of an old clock radio or a fake wood paneled hotel hallway \u2014 do the Proustian job of bringing back memories of the romance of cruising through \u201cthe South Jersey pines\u201d in the good old days \u201cwhen you were mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Listen below. <\/p>\n

\u2014 Dan DeLuca<\/p>\n

\"Peter<\/a><\/p>\n

I cover classical music and the arts with an emphasis on the business of the arts and the life of the city. <\/p>\n

\"Elizabeth<\/a><\/p>\n

As a staff photographer, I document the stories of the people. My photos capture the spirit of the individuals and events that shape the Philadelphia region. <\/p>\n

\"Dan<\/a><\/p>\n

I’m The Inquirer’s Pop Music Critic. I cover Philly music makers of all genres, spotlighting local acts on the rise, telling stories from throughout the city’s rich music history, and reviewing big-name touring acts when they come to town. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A shrine to the Wyeths opens at Brandywine There\u2019s plenty of and about Betsy Wyeth\u2019s potent aesthetic in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":822783,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[449,458,459,64,63,396966,460,134],"class_list":["post-822782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-betsy-wyeth-btandywine-cj-walker-ben0vaughm-best-art-philadelphia","tag-design","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/822782","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=822782"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/822782\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/822783"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=822782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=822782"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=822782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}