2014-12 RHS Newsletter – WINTER 2014

Celebrating its 100th anniversary, the Vanderpoel Art Association (VAA) was established in 1914 to honor John H. Vanderpoel, a renowned Beverly Hills resident and premier art instructor at the Art Institute of Chicago. The article details Vanderpoel's life, his influential textbook "The Human Figure," and his sudden passing in 1911. It chronicles the origins of the VAA collection, which started with a single painting purchased by friends for the Vanderpoel School before eventually moving to a dedicated gallery in the Ridge Park Field House. The piece also highlights other local artists represented in the collection, such as Alice Helm French and Matilda Vanderpoel, and concludes with an overview of ongoing historical research attempting to determine whether the Vanderpoel or French family settled in the Beverly area first using census data and historical directories.

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John J. "Jack" Simmerling (1935-2013) is remembered as a talented artist, a founding member of the Ridge Historical Society, and a passionate preservationist. The article describes his ownership and restoration of the historic Ingersoll-Blackwelder House and his deep fascination with the Glessner House and other mansions in Chicago's Prairie Avenue Historic District. Witnessing the decline and demolition of many of these grand homes in the mid-20th century, Simmerling rescued architectural artifacts and built meticulous miniature dioramas of the buildings' facades and interiors. The article concludes by noting that his miniature collection was featured in an RHS exhibit, and his extensive collection of salvaged artifacts has now been permanently housed at the Glessner House Museum's newly opened Simmerling Gallery of Prairie Avenue History.

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On November 11, 2014, the Ridge Historical Society held a Veterans Day ceremony to raise a new U.S. flag on the lawn of the Graver-Driscoll House headquarters. The flag was donated by Elaine Spencer and Marilyn Stone in memory of Carl Spencer, a dedicated patriot and former RHS Board Emeritus member. The event featured participation from local veterans of various military branches (including Bill Sandstrom, Cliff Hullinger, and Harry Tunnehill), the Morgan Park Woman's Club, and Boy Scout Troop 609, who served as the Honor Guard. The article also provides a brief history of the evolution of Armistice Day into the modern Veterans Day.

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The Ridge Historical Society (RHS), a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that relies entirely on private donations and grants, recently sent out its annual fund appeal letter from President Edris Hoover. The funds raised are necessary to maintain the historical collection and building, assist patrons in research, and educate the public through exhibits, programs, and publications. As a special incentive for the 2014-2015 drive, all donors whose contributions are recorded by January 31, 2015, will be entered into a drawing to win a one-week, two-bedroom timeshare accommodation in Orlando, Florida, St. Martin, or other international resorts.

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