Henry Chapman Mercer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | June 24, 1856 (1856-06-24) Doylestown,Pennsylvania, United States |
| Died | March 9, 1930 (1930-03-10) (aged 73) Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Known for | Tile |
| Notable work | Pennsylvania State Capitol (floors) Casino at Monte Carlo Kykuit Grauman's Chinese Theatre |
| Movement | Arts and Crafts Movement influence |
Henry Chapman Mercer (June 24, 1856 – March 9, 1930)[1] was an Americanarcheologist, artifact collector, tile-maker, and designer of three distinctive poured concrete structures:Fonthill, his home; theMoravian Pottery and Tile Works; and theMercer Museum.
Henry Mercer was born inDoylestown, Pennsylvania on June 24, 1856. Mercer first traveled to Europe in 1870. He attendedHarvard University between 1875 and 1879, obtaining aliberal arts degree. Mercer went on to study law at theUniversity of Pennsylvania Law School between 1880 and 1881, and heread law with the firm of Freedley and Hollingsworth. The same year he began studying at the University of Pennsylvania, he became a founding member of the Bucks County Historical Society.[2][3]
Mercer, however, never practiced law;[2] he was admitted to the Philadelphia County Bar on November 9, 1881, but departed for Europe the same month.[4] From 1881 to 1889, he traveled extensively through France and Germany.[3]
TheUniversity of Pennsylvania Museum appointed Mercer as the Curator of American and Prehistoric Archaeology in the early 1890s. He was elected to theAmerican Philosophical Society in 1895.[5] Leaving his position with the Museum in the late 1890s, Mercer devoted himself to finding old American artifacts and learning about German pottery. Mercer believed that American society was being destroyed by industrialism, which inspired his search for American artifacts. Mercer founded Moravian Pottery and Tile Works in 1898 after apprenticing himself to a Pennsylvania German potter. He was also influenced by the AmericanArts and Crafts Movement.
Mercer is well known for his research and books about ancient tool making, his ceramic tile creations, and his engineering and architecture. He was among the paleontologists who investigatedPort Kennedy Bone Cave. He wrote extensively on his interests, which included archaeology, early tool making, German stove plates, and ceramics. He also published a collection of tales of the supernatural,November Night Tales in 1928. He assembled the collection of early American tools now housed in the Mercer Museum. Mercer's tiles are used in the floor of thePennsylvania State Capitol Building inHarrisburg, Pennsylvania and in many other noteworthy buildings and houses. In the Pennsylvania State Capitol, Mercer created a series of mosaic images for the floor of the building. The series of four hundred mosaics trace the history of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from prehistoric times, and is the largest single collection of Mercer's tiles. Other collections of tiles by Mercer can be found atKykuit, theRockefeller estate inPocantico Hills, New York;Grauman's Chinese Theatre inHollywood, California; theCasino at Monte Carlo inMonaco; theSt. Louis Public Library; and the former Morton (Richmond) High School Building inRichmond, Indiana.
Besides making mosaics, Mercer also painted, drew, and wrote poetry. Sometimes, he blended these interests together, such as in thepastel paintingOctober, which also showcases his fascination with rural life.[6]
Mercer was an outspoken opponent of theplume trade.[7]
Henry Ford stated that the Mercer museum was the only museum worth visiting in the United States, and the Mercer Museum was apparently Henry Ford's inspiration for his own museum,The Henry Ford, located inDearborn, Michigan. The Mercer Museum houses over forty thousand artifacts from early American society. Mercer died on March 9, 1930, at Fonthill, the house he designed and constructed fromreinforced concrete in 1908-1912.
The Bucks County Historical Society now ownsFonthill, which is open to the public, and the Mercer Museum. TheMoravian Pottery and Tile Works is owned by theBucks County Department of Parks & Recreation and operated as a working history museum by The TileWorks of Bucks County, a non-profit organization. These three buildings make up "the Mercer Mile". All three buildings were designed and constructed by Henry Mercer in the early part of the 20th century.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
