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Our "Peaceable Kingdom"
Shortly after the American Revolution, painter Edward Hicks was born in Attleboro, Pennsylvania. Although born to Anglican parents, Edward was raised by a close family friend who introduced him to the beliefs of the Society of Friends, or Quakers. By 1813, he became a Quaker preacher, with his circuit taking him around the Philadelphia area. In order to pay for his expenses, Edward began a small-time painting trade, decorating farm equipment and tavern signs. Hicks was desperate to further supplement his income, and while decorative painting was the more lucrative endeavor, it clashed with Quaker sensibilities. As more Quaker immigrants came to the fledgling United States, schisms between various sects arose. This break between Quakers, as well as the potential financial windfall, encouraged Edward to focus more on painting than preaching. Nevertheless, during his time, Edward was known more so as a preacher than a painter.
Around 1820, Hicks began painting the first of over 60 versions of The Peaceable Kingdom. The painting shows a number of various animals in an idyllic setting, with a group of Native Americans and colonists meeting in the background. The latter was most likely an allusion to the peace treaty William Penn, founder of the Pennsylvania colony, had with the local Lenni Lenape tribe, with Hicks using the imagery from a painting by the famous Benjamin West. Hicks greatly admired Penn for fostering an environment of religious tolerance and a sort of “peaceable kingdom” here on earth, allowing the Quakers to flourish in the commonwealth. The animals in the piece were both prey and predator; a theme Hicks illustrated to demonstrate peace amongst God’s creatures. This was based on the prophecy of Isaiah 11:6-9: "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.”
Our story became one of local importance decades later in the early 1900s when a young Vinelander (and future president of the Historical Society) named Loren Flood had a chance meeting with Asbury “Brownie” Brown. Brownie owned a shoe factory on Montrose Street and also took care of his neighbor’s horses. One day, as Brownie was collecting refuse from a neighbor’s house with his horse and cart, Loren spotted a painting destined for the dump. Loren asked Brownie if he could have it and he obliged. Loren had it in his possession for a few years and told his mother he was going to give it to Frank Andrews of the Historical Society, as he had always been kind to Loren when he would ride his tricycle past the museum. Mr. Andrews accepted the kind gift and hung it on the wall of the museum. Years later, in 1962, after being a part of the museum for 40 years, the trustees learned that it may have value after a visitor offered $5,000 for the painting. This prompted the trustees to place the work in the museum’s vault.
In May of 1976, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, working with Sotheby’s auction house, held a “Discovery Day” where people could bring in artwork to be appraised. President of the VHAS Nicolas C. Anastor and Vice President William Hughes went to the appraisal with the painting. After waiting in line for hours, they were finally seen and were shocked when they were told that they had version number 60 of Hicks’ The Peaceable Kingdom, painted when he was 67. This particular version has a more primitive quality than his earlier works and has a starkness that is absent in previous pieces. They were given an appraisal value of $100,000-150,000 and the painting was sold to Sotheby Parke Bernet in New York City for $125,000. After cleaning and commission fees, the Society received $110,600, which was a world record price for a Hicks painting at that time. Even so, Anastor stated that “we expected a little more.” Today, versions of The Peaceable Kingdom are valued in the millions.
The trustees still had the task of physically bringing the painting to Sotheby’s in New York City. Anastor, Hughes, and fellow trustee Mrs. Theresa Winslow (mother of present VHAS Treasurer Naomi Winslow) took public transportation up to the city with the painting in tow. Anastor joked, “I bet we’re the only people who came to this sale by subway,” and according to a recent recollection made by Mrs. Winslow, Anastor also quipped “three hicks carrying one Hicks!” The money from the sale was sorely needed, as the Society was running dangerously low on funding. The money was first used for maintenance and repairs at the museum and the remainder was put into an investment fund which is still the basis for a majority of the museum’s savings today. As of the publication of this article, the present location of the painting is not known. This story is a cautionary tale for those quick to throw things away as well as negative reinforcement and encouragement for hoarders who will not part with anything that may have value. Alas, as the old saying goes, “one man’s trash is another man’s Edward Hicks painting.”
- Daniel Kuzma, VHAS Board Historian
Victor Durand, Jr.
In our last article, the museum highlighted the history and contribution of the Puerto Rican American community in Vineland. For this installment, we will focus on an individual who also came to Vineland in search of better opportunities. July was “French-American Month,” therefore we will honor one of the most famous of the French immigrants who came to our city, the world-renowned glassmaker Victor Durand Jr.
Our subject was born in Baccarat, France, in 1870. This region of France was famous for its glassmaking and home to the acclaimed glass factory the Cristalleries de Baccarat. Victor Jr. followed his father and grandfather in joining the glass business. At fourteen years old, he left France to work at Whitall Tatum and Company in Millville, New Jersey, where his father was employed. Victor Jr. shortly thereafter left to work at the Wheaton Glass Company where he truly immersed himself in learning the craft, including the ancient art of glassblowing.
In 1897, Victor Durand Jr. and his father were able to establish a factory of their own, which they named the Vineland Flint Glass Works. The company gained a reputation as a manufacturer of a variety of glass products including hand blown tubing, lamp chimneys, beer and whiskey bottles, and medicine bottles. Around 1915, additional product lines were added including one which is still produced in Vineland today: scientific and laboratory glassware. By 1920, Victor Durand Jr. became sole proprietor of the Vineland Flint Glass Works, which became the largest individually owned glass factory in the country.
In addition to producing the aforementioned products, Victor Durand Jr. wanted to establish a “fancy shop” or art glass shop that would manufacture artistic glassware similar to Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Favrile glass , Frederick Carder’s Aurene glass, and Quezal art glass. When Victor Durand Jr. learned the Quezal Art Glass and Decorating Company was winding down its affairs, he invited master glassmaker Martin Bach Jr. to Vineland to demonstrate his expertise and ability in mixing the requisite formulas for art glass.
In 1924, Bach Jr. was hired as the shop’s superintendent, formula maker and designer. He was placed in full charge of the operations in the Durand Art Glass division, which was blowing its first glass by December 1, 1924. Durand’s dream to create a line of beautiful and artistic glassware was certainly fulfilled and affirmed when in 1926, Durand Art Glass was awarded a medal of honor at the Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition in Philadelphia.
The art glass department produced a full range of colorful and stylish pieces for the modern household, including vases, compotes, tableware, stemware, rose bowls and console sets as well as decorated lamp bases and art glass shades for lamps, chandeliers and sconces. Durand art glass was retailed in various cities throughout the country and by many famous retailers, including Macy’s in New York City and Marshall Field’s in Chicago. The popularity of Durand’s glass also meant that many Vinelanders were under his employ and buoyed the city’s economy.
In 1931, merger talks were already underway between the Vineland Flint Glass Works and the Kimble Glass Company when Victor Durand Jr. was unexpectedly killed in an automobile accident while returning from a visit to his dentist in Philadelphia. Durand's new vehicle did not have a windshield outfitted with safety glass, therefore his death was one of unfortunate irony. In 1932, the Kimble Glass Company absorbed the Vineland Flint Glass Works and ceased production of art glass.
Although Durand’s production of art glass lasted only between the years of 1925-1931, the realization of Victor Durand Jr.’s dream remains an enduring legacy of the city of Vineland. He brought international attention to the glassworks in Vineland and was a philanthropist to many local causes throughout his life. In 1973, Durand School on Forest Grove Road was named in honor of his wife Marie Dumas Durand, who was from the city of Grenoble, France. A number of fine pieces from Durand’s art glass are on exhibit in museums throughout the nation, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC as well as our very own Vineland Historical and Antiquarian Society museum. Come visit and see firsthand the beauty and artistry of Victor Durand’s Art Glass. Merci Monsieur Durand!
- Daniel Kuzma, VHAS Board Historian
Caribbean Heritage Month
June is Caribbean Heritage Month and Vineland has a special relationship with the islands that dot the area, as many citizens can trace their family lineage back to that tropical paradise. Thanks to research done by myself and Justin Roig, the following article will briefly discuss the history, contribution, and legacy of the Puerto Rican American community in Vineland. A longer form version will be published in our yearly members magazine. The Vineland Historical and Antiquarian Society is currently in the process of curating a new exhibit at the museum, honoring the contributions of Hispanic Americans and other ethnic groups in Vineland. This is long overdue and we ask the community to help us in this endeavor. If there are notable past events, causes, and individuals you believe we should highlight, please reach out to Valerie Neuber at VinelandEvents@gmail.com.
Since its founding in 1861, Vineland has attracted dynamic groups of people from across the United States and the world. When Charles K. Landis initially planned his utopian vision, he wanted to integrate people from outside of South Jersey to make the city more prosperous and cosmopolitan. The first major group of pioneers who ventured to the “land of pines and vines” were mostly from New England, drawn to Vineland for the warmer weather, longer growing season, and the ability to create a new community based on their progressive, reform-minded ideals. By the late 1800s, Landis felt the need to strengthen the city’s agricultural labor force and actively recruited Italians to emigrate to Vineland. As the city surged into the 20th century, African-Americans from the south moved en masse to Vineland in search of jobs during the Great Migration period.
At the same time, another group which would have an indelible effect on Vineland’s culture and economy soon migrated to the area. Puerto Rico became a territory of the United States after the Spanish American War and its people became official US citizens in 1917. One of the first Puerto Rican Americans to settle in Vineland during the post-WWI pionero wave was Georgina Figueroa. Arriving from the town of Manati, she made her home on W. Montrose St. and gained employment as a seamstress. During World War II, thousands of Puerto Ricans came to Vineland, enticed by job opportunities in the farming, trucking, and textile industries. In the 1950s, an economic revival plan began on the island known as Operation Bootstrap. It had the unintended consequence of leaving many already-impoverished rural Puerto Ricans unemployed. They joined their fellow countrymen in Vineland, as they heard of the economic opportunities open to their people. Many of these early immigrants came from the cities of Utuado (many from Barrio Angeles) and Aibonito. When they arrived, most found lodging in boarding houses and barns on the farmland they worked. Large groups of Puerto Ricans eventually populated the Montrose area and subsequently moved into center city proper.
The process of integration was difficult, which mirrored the experience of many immigrant groups that came to the United States. Conversely, Puerto Ricans were already citizens of the United States. Nevertheless, this did not stop the discriminatory practices that occurred in labor, housing, medical justice, and policing. By the 1960s, Puerto Ricans made up 20% of Vineland’s population; therefore a sizable portion of the town felt the need for better representation. Assistance came in the late 1960s with activist groups such as Club Borinquen, SORA (Spanish Organization for Research and Action) and later Casa PRAC (Puerto Rican Action Committee) which began to advocate for Puerto Ricans in South Jersey.
An outgrowth of these politically charged times was the creation of the Puerto Rican Day Festival, with the first being held at Giampietro Park in 1969. Originally conceived as a venue in which to organize the Puerto American Community, the festival allowed for the discussion of issues hampering economic growth and stressed the need for Puerto Rican pride and unity in the face of discrimination. The festival is still held at Landis Park, with this year’s celebration spanning the week of July 21st to the 28th.
Today, Vineland’s stated percentage of citizens with Puerto Rican heritage is close to 30%. In 2013, Ruben Bermudez became the city’s first Puerto Rican mayor, joining a number of boriqueños from Vineland who have gone on to do great things, such as NFL Super Bowl winners Isiah Pacheco and Jamil Demby, Latin Grammy winner Obie Bermudez, artist Soraida Martinez, as well as many others. For Puerto Ricans in Vineland, a noticeable sense of orgullo purveys throughout the community, not just for their ancestral home but also for the city they have helped to define.
The Board of Trustees at the Vineland Historical and Antiquarian Society feel it is beyond time to celebrate and honor our Vinelanders of Puerto Rican heritage, as well as all of our diverse ethnic groups that make our city great. With this in mind, we would like to take this opportunity to ask the community for input on how we can augment and amplify these voices in our museum. We appreciate contributions for our forthcoming exhibit on Hispanic Americans and other cultural groups that have impacted our city. We will be publishing a longer, more detailed, and in-depth article on Puerto Ricans in Vineland by the end of the year.
- By Daniel Kuzma, VHAS Board Historian, with assistance from Justin Roig
Vineland's Veterans Memorials
Silently standing amongst the oaks and pines at Vineland’s Landis Park is a black granite memorial honoring the brave men from this city who lost their lives during the Vietnam War. On May 30th, 1988, this monument was solemnly presented as a reminder of the ultimate sacrifice that was made only a few decades prior. Mayor Joe Romano, along with the Memorial committee members, unveiled the triptych to a large crowd of Vietnam Veterans, family of those fallen, community leaders, as well as a bevy of children, like myself, who stood in wonder and reverence for something we could not yet understand. As the official program for the unveiling stated “the Vineland Vietnam Memorial is dedicated to those who gave their lives, to those who served and returned, and to those who remain in action.” Next to the monument is a plaque with the following inscription:
“Beneath this plaque is the ammo box containing the names of the fourteen men from Vineland who gave their lives during the Vietnam War. The names were scribed from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. and hand carried 150 miles to Vineland, N.J. May 9, 1988. The trek took five days, the first ever in the State of New Jersey in which veterans scribed the names from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and walked back to any city in N.J. from the Vietnam War.”
The design for the Memorial was submitted by my father, Vladimir Kuzma. The central portion of the monument bears the names of those who were killed in action during the war. Situated next to the names is a map of Vietnam, showing the location where their deaths occurred. Featured on the other side is an engraving depicting a soldier wading through reeds with helicopters overhead; a familiar scene for those who served in Southeast Asia. This image was originally conceived by the late Bob Montagna and illustrated by my mother, Daria Kuzma.
Vineland is also home to other memorials honoring our fallen soldiers from wars past. Near the Vietnam War Memorial is the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Circle, presented to the city in May of 1919, remembering those lost in World War I. In 1955, the Diamond Social Club presented the World War II and Korean War monument. More recently, the sacrifice of Sgt. Pilla was also remembered with a monument and a school named in his honor. One of the most recognized memorials in town is the Civil War monument located on Landis Avenue and the Boulevard. Presented during Vineland’s 50th anniversary celebration in 1911, members of the Grand Army of the Republic were present to witness the monolithic structure unveiled, emblazoned with a perched eagle flanked by a soldier and sailor from our national conflagration that pitted brother against brother.
One characteristic that all of these soldiers shared was not just their service in our nation’s military, but that they were all from Vineland. They walked the same tree-lined avenues, attended the same schools, played sports on the same verdant fields as you and I. They took their memories of Vineland to war with them and never came home.
While memorials are necessary to honor our fallen comrades, it is equally significant to remember those whose names are not listed: our living veterans. Many came back from war but their brothers in arms did not. The number of World War II and Korean War veterans is dwindling, and our Vietnam Veterans never received their rightful appreciation when they returned home from the war. The sacrifice made by our Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is often overlooked as well. No matter the cause of the war, or whether they volunteered or were drafted, they fought not just for their country, but for the soldiers serving alongside them. On this Memorial Day, remember those who have fallen and take the time to thank a veteran and service member for all they have done to protect and preserve our domestic peace.
Nestled among our many treasures at the Vineland Historical and Antiquarian Society Museum are a number of war-related items, including a room dedicated to Civil War artifacts as well as a section on World War II curio. Visit, become a member, and help us to preserve Vineland’s history together.
- By Daniel Kuzma, VHAS Board Historian
- Photograph by Devry Becker Jones
Vineland’s Hobble-Skirted Daisies
With homes and businesses decorated in red, white, and blue bunting, the city of Vineland celebrated its 50th anniversary in August of 1911. Following a practice that originated in 19th century New England known as “Old Home Week,” former residents returned to visit their ancestral land and remember the heady years of nascent Vineland. The week-long festivities drew 30,000 visitors from across the United States, including some of Vineland’s original settlers. The celebration included a reception at the Baker House hotel where Charles K. Landis Jr. spoke to the crowd, thanking them for making Vineland a success. The jubilee also staged a dramatized re-enactment of the seminal stake being driven into the ground at Landis Avenue and the Boulevard as well as a grandiose parade led by Civil War veterans. On-lookers waved miniature flags and were clad in green and white, the colors of Vineland. Other events included the dedication of the Civil War Veterans monument, a hot air balloon launch, an automobile race, and an evening vaudeville revue.
The attached colorized photograph was donated in 1998 by Nick Mesiano, an auctioneer from Norma, NJ. He noticed six names carved in the back of the frame and knew that the men in this photo were prominent leaders in Vineland. The sign behind them reads “Vineland’s Hobble-Skirted Daisies” which is an allusion to the popular and controversial style of skirt worn by early 20th century women. Costumed as fin-de-siecle “tramps,” it is conjecturally possible that they were dressed for a special event or vaudeville show celebrating Vineland’s 50th anniversary.
The men in the photograph:
- Charles K. Landis, Jr.- Son of Vineland’s founder
- Leverett Newcomb- Newcomb Hospital philanthropist
- Edward R. Johnstone- Principal of Vineland Training School; Vice-President of Tradesmen Bank & Trust Company
- Col. Evan E. Kimble- President of Tradesmen Bank & Trust Company
- Benjamin F. Ladd- Proprietor of Vineland’s Evening Journal
- Herbert Lubin- Manager of Lubin’s Grand Theater
- By Daniel Kuzma, VHAS Board Historian
New Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church
New Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church on N. Seventh Street was one of the original places of worship in Vineland and was certainly one of the first to serve the African American community in the area. After the Civil War in 1865, a small assemblage of laity banded together and cleared the pine-dominated terrain. The land was primitive and according to what may be apocrypha, was frequented by rattlesnakes, bears, wild cats, and panthers.
The early congregation met in a log cabin called the “Red House” located on the southwest corner of 7th Street and Park Avenue and had one room. Charles K. Landis and his wife Clara purchased this land on February 3rd, 1872 and bequeathed it to the modest group of parishioners for a place of worship. A small frame building was erected and was named the First African Methodist Episcopal Bethel Church on March 7th, 1873.
A humble red brick structure was built after the first church was consumed by fire. This church was renamed Allen Chapel but was condemned in 1921 and eventually torn down. A new church was built on the present site and renamed the New Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. They recently celebrated their 152nd Anniversary as a congregation and the church still holds services to this day.
- By Daniel Kuzma, VHAS Board Historian
- Photo (Altar of the church from the late 1800s. The photo is credited to Charles J. Olson.)