Sketch Club Feed, F. O. Marvin

Exhibition Label: "Trees & Other Ramifications: Branches in Nature & Culture," Mar-2009, Steve Goddard F.O. Marvin contrived an alphabet of log letters for this 1888 etching announcing the 1888 Sketch Club Feed. This may refer to the Sketch Club in Kansas City (later the Kansas City Art Institute), whose first exhibition was held in 1887. After serving as principal of Lawrence High School, Marvin held several teaching positions in mathematics, physics and engineering at the University of Kansas and was the first dean of the engineering school. He was also a remarkably adept amateur etcher. Archive Label 2003: In addition to his duties as professor of civil engineering and dean of the University of Kansas Engineering School, F.O. Marvin was an enthusiastic amateur artist who organized a number of informal sketching clubs. Marvin was also active locally as an exponent of the international “etching revival” at the end of the last century. His experimentation with different papers and etching inks is evident in the adjacent etchings of lighthouse and ships. He also etched many Lawrence scenes.