Ella Condie Lamb: Charles Lamb, Pt. 1

"The Dewey Arch," New York City

"A separate biography would be needed to fully describe the life and career of Charles Lamb.  However, since he must be part of this one, it seems prudent to summarize his achievements rather than weave them into a presentation of the art and life of Ella, his wife. Charles' business career, his passionate involvement with the City Beautiful Movement, his visionary ideas for city planning, his drive to promote fine public art, his avid participation and service in the influential art societies of New York, his public speaking, his strong personality, his need for action and his drive for recognition, all are dazzling.

Together Charles and Ella met the desires of the public, and necessarily the tastes of the era, in order to make a living for themselves and their four children. 

Charles was the second son of five children. This older brother was named Osborn, after Charles came Fred, then Dick and finally Agnes. The parents were strong, artistic and industrious people, desirous that their children be cultured, well educated and above all, well trained in art. Their lives revolved around each other and the family business, the J & R Lamb Studios. At the age of sixteen, Charles became an apprentice at the business and helped his father run the firm, which provided 'everything for the church' including stained glass windows, marble statuary, mosaics, and much more. 

At night Charles studied architecture and took courses at the Art Students League in drawing and laying out designs. His family sent him to study the great architecture, cathedrals, and museums of Europe, and he had become one of the chief designers for J & R Lamb Studios. He had developed a deep appreciation of artistic traditions of the past along with a compelling vision of how beautiful and inspiring the environment of the city and its public art could and should be. By the time he married Ella at twenty-eight, he was a self confident architect-designer who sought the finest in art. 

When one reads a list of his accomplishments throughout his lifetime, one wonders if there were enough hours in the day for Charles to attend to all his enterprises and positions of leadership and creative ideas. Here is a list of just a few:

• President of the Art Students League, 1886-87
• An organizer of the American Fine Arts Society and on the original Board of Trustees as Treasurer.
• Vice-President of the Architectural League for two terms
• 2nd Vice-President of the National Sculpture Society for two terms
• Designer, architect, and supervisor of construction for the Dewey Arch in New York City
  
• An organizer of the National Arts Club, insisting that there be equal entry for women
• The designer, architect, and supervisor of construction for the Dewey Arch
• Active in New York politics
• A major participant in the organization of the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, NY
• President of the Municipal Arts Society, 1906 and 1907
• Director of the Merchants Association of New York and chairman of its City Planning Committee, which presented extensive schemes for improvement in New York
• A major contributor to the City Beautiful movement and published comprehensive plans for city improvement and for reclamation of the waterfront.
• Director of the Boy Scouts of America and lifelong friend of its founder, Dan Beard."

To be continued

(Excerpts from "Ella's Certain Window" by Barea Lamb Seeley.)