On April 15, Hammond Castle Museum will debut Eric Pape at Hammond Castle Museum, an exhibit of more than two dozen works by artist Eric Pape, a former Annisquam resident and the designer behind the Tablet Rock Memorial in Stage Fort Park, which commemorates the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1623. .
At the time of the exhibit, it is expected to be the largest collection of Pape’s artworks on public display anywhere in the world, many of which haven’t been publicly seen in nearly a century. The artwork is primarily on loan from the private collection of avid Pape collector and biographer, Dr. Gregory Conn, one of the world’s leading experts on the 20th century artist.
The exhibit will include examples of Pape’s work in various mediums including pencil, pen, watercolors, and oils.
The catalog includes Natalie Hammond in the Orchard, which holds special meaning to the museum as she was Hammond’s sister and reflects the extremely close relationship between Pape and the entire Hammond family. Pape and John Hays Hammond Sr, the mining magnate, were long-time friends and collaborated on numerous civic projects and celebrations.
This exhibit will celebrate the completed restoration and preservation of The Wireless Naval Battle of Gloucester Bay, the only surviving mural by the famed artist. This oil painting, which depicts a fictitious battle in Gloucester Bay, was designed as a gift for the museum’s founder, noted inventor John Hays Hammond, Jr.. Pape based the scene on his own experiences with Hammond and was heavily influenced by Hammond’s work for the military. The naval battle scene includes Hammond’s own radio towers, which he erected on the bay shore as well as the searchlight that Hammond installed for light-controlled, guided vessels.
Dr. Conn is writing a limited-edition, hard cover, companion guide to the exhibit which will discuss each of the featured artworks in detail, explore the close relationship between Pape and the entire Hammond family as well as include Pape’s biography and feature the restoration of the mural at Hammond Castle Museum. The book, Eric Pape at Hammond Castle Museum, will be available for purchase at the museum. In addition, Hammond Castle Museum curatorial director John Leysath is producing a short documentary on the Pape’s life which will play on loop during the exhibit.
The exhibit will run through April 30, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On weekdays, exhibit tickets for adults will be $10. On Saturdays and Sundays, tickets will be $20 and include self-guided tours of the museum. Children ages 12 and under are welcome for free but require a ticket. Tickets are available for purchase at hammondcastle.org or onsite upon arrival.