Evening star., 1941-11-30
By JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

Mrs McCeney Werlich. prominent
society hostess, who as Gladys
Hinckley was one of the bellies in
residential social circles here, has a
new hobby. She is collecting John
Rogers Statuary groups, famous in
American parlors before and for
many years after the Civil War
period.
Many of her choicest finds are on
display in a room IN her spacious
home at 1923 Sixteenth street NV.
A treasure house of rare and un-
usual objects Of art brought from
the Orient by her maternal great
great -grandparent, John ODOnneu.
He was the president of the East
India Co. and the founder of his
famlly's line in this country.
Mrs. Werlich is specializing in
Rogers Statuary because she feels it
represents 2. trend in art that is
typically American. Not only are
the Civil War groups acknowledged
to be historically important" she
declared, but the others filled a
need for the average person in
thousands of American homes when
our art was passing through rather
2. crude phase
From hardy pioneer American
stock, John Rogers was a descendant
of the Rev Nathaniel Rogers who
settled Ipswich in 1886. The lat
terS son John was president of
Harvard College in 1862 she said
"Slave Auction" Famous.
Mrs Werlichs collection includes
several groups out of the known 81
different subjects which made
Rogers famous. Most of them are
from to "a inches in height and
were ideal centerpieceS for mantels
and parlOr tables of their era.
Among these is "Checkers at the
Farm which overnight brought
/ recognition to its sculptor. It was
modelled for local charity fair in
the interest of the United States
Sanitary Commission while he was
an employe of the city surveyors
Office in Chicago.
The interest in il was so immedi-
ate and overwhelming he was urged
to 60 to New York to display an
other finished group. The Slave
Auction This attracted Nation
wide attention in connection with
Harriet Beecher Stoves Uncle
Toms Cabin" and the abolition
oratory Of New England. The sale
of it was large in the North and
Middle West. In Southern States.
this slavery abolition statuary." as
1t was often referred to. had to be
peddled from door to door because
dealers were afraid to handle it
lest they offend Southern SYM
pathizerS.
Lincoln in the Council of War"
shown seated at a table with Grant
and Seward was declared by the
Presidents son. Robert Lincoln. to
be the finest likeness ever made of
his father. 1t is given a place of
honor in the Princeton Lincoln COL
lection and is extremely rare.
Has Many Noted Pieces.
Taking the Oath of Allegiance"
"Neighboring Pews," Coming to the
Parson,' Going for the Cows"
Fetching the Doctor" and The
Favorite Scholar are some of the
best known of the Rogers statuary
groups in her collection. Others are
popular examples of the literary and
dramatic groups notably models of
Thomas Jefferson as Rip Van VIM
kle and as Fighting Bob in Bob
Acres For both of these studies the
great actor posed.
Mrs Werlich's son, John ODon-
nell Werlich, who is freshman at
/ the Hun school at Princeton. N. j.,
/ shares his mothers enthusiasm for
/ these statuary groups. He has been
/ interested during their New England
summer vacations in discovering
many in out of the way places.
This past fall" Mrs. Werlich said
with amusement. Il don't believe
there was a single car coming from
a wedding at Nonquitt with any
space in its baggage compartment
that didn't transport one of these
groups Of Rogers statuary for us.
Not a single one was even Clipped
either"
Both Mrs. Werlich and her son
have made themselves authorities
on the literature published in con-
nection with this particular form
of American art. Prices today range
from S5 to S25, or approximately
what they did in the Statuary'S hey
day.
Often as many as 500 facSimilies
were struck off from one model in
month and the artists entire
output. it is thought, totaled well
over 100000 pieces.
/ Found in Good Condition.
They were first made of red plaster
around a metal frame, then dipped
in gray paint, their characteristic
color. For the repair of the groups,
when the surface paint cracked,
bottles of ''reinishing color" were
sold by this American master crafts
man of his time, whose only training
was a few months study in Rome
during a trip to Europe in 1858.
These little touchup bottles, Mrs.
Werlich believes, may in part ac-
count for the almost uniformly
excellent condition in which most
of these statuary groups are found,
| in addition to the fact they were