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Object Timeline
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1926 |
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1953 |
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1970 |
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1974 |
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2014 |
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2015 |
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2025 |
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Hanging, New York Waterfront
This is a Hanging. It was designed by Lydia Bush-Brown and made by Lydia Bush-Brown. It is dated 1926–53 and we acquired it in 1974. Its medium is silk and its technique is hand drawn wax resist dyed (batik), plain weave foundation. It is a part of the Textiles department.
Batik, an ancient craft often associated with Indonesia, became popular in United States in the 1910s and 20s, with artists such as Arthur Crisp, Pieter Mijer, and Lydia Bush-Brown attracting national attention. These artists worked in the traditional manner, painting paraffin and beeswax on their cloth to create a resist, but expanded the traditional design vocabulary to include patterns inspired by contemporary design and painterly subjects such as landscapes and still lifes. Bush-Brown gained acclaim for her wax-resist illustrations depicting scenes both imagined and real. This example depicts the Manhattan skyline, capturing New York City’s industrial expansion with factories billowing with smoke, and skyscrapers, two of which are under construction. Based in Greenwich Village, Bush-Brown would have borne witness to this expansion. Whether or not she supported it remains open to interpretation.
This object was featured in our Object of the Week series in a post titled Lydia's New York.
It is credited Gift of Lydia Bush-Brown.
- Drawing, Study for Maximum Mass Permitted by the 1916 New York Zoning Law,...
- black crayon, stumped, pen and black ink, brush and black wash, varnish on....
- Gift of Mrs. Hugh Ferriss.
- 1969-137-4
- Poster, 65 Bridges of New York
- photo-offset lithograph and screenprint on paper .
- Gift of Sara and Marc Benda.
- 2009-20-50
- Drawing, Study for Maximum Mass Permitted by the 1916 New York Zoning Law,...
- black crayon, stumped; brush and black ink over photostat, varnish on....
- Gift of Mrs. Hugh Ferriss.
- 1969-137-2
Our curators have highlighted 2 objects that are related to this one.
- Drawing, Abstract Cityscape
- graphite, orange crayon on wove paper.
- Gift of Anonymous Donor.
- 1992-127-1
- Mural, The World of Radio
- cotton.
- Gift of Nicholas Meredith Turner in memory of Jessica Dragonette..
- 1983-73-1
Its dimensions are
H x W: 90.5 x 123 cm (35 5/8 x 48 7/16 in.)
It is signed
In batik, lower right corner: LBBH set within a tree motif
Cite this object as
Hanging, New York Waterfront; Designed by Lydia Bush-Brown (American, 1887–1984); USA; silk; H x W: 90.5 x 123 cm (35 5/8 x 48 7/16 in.); Gift of Lydia Bush-Brown; 1974-23-6
