Forgotten painting rediscovered in Oakes mansion (WD) 5-27-81WE*;D»r
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May be hlostorically priceless
Two mural -sized original paintings
paintings is unknown at this time,
esthna,'-ed to be over 50 years old were
said Sharon Lei -ter, - director of thc,
rediscovered recently by workmen
North Palm Beach Public Library,
restoring the roof of the Oakes
however, she said, the historical value
mansion, formerly known as the
is priceless in view.O'f the upcoming
Winter Club.
25th anniversary of the Village of
The paintings, one an elliptical
North Palm Beach.
shape and one rectangular with the
Nancy Moore, reference librarian at
rough measurements of 7 feet by
the North Palm Beach Library said
nearly twenty feet have a south
that the paintings are probably of the
Florida setting and are thought to be
coastline of Lake. Worth and of the
pictures of early North Palm Beach.
Intracoastal areas of North Palm
Workers found the artwork walled up
Be ach at the time when the area was
over a fireplace in the upstairs of the
just starting to be developed. Mrs.
mansion as they were taking out a
Moore said she kne%v the paintings
false ceiling.
were still hanging at the Oakes
The estimated value of the
Mansion due to her previous
THIS PAUSFMG estimated to be over 50 years old, was reA-,ently
rediscovered by workmen who found it and another one measuring
roughly 7 ft. by nearly 20 ft. behind a falsfe, cefling on the upper floor of the
Oakes Mansion.
Mrs. Leiter agreed, pointing out
the need for expert restoration of the
paintings.
"But we hope to have them em ready
for the 25th anniversary . celebration
so we can have an Open House and
show people the renovations we've
done here at the library
association with the building. She also
remembe-ts a chandelier Chaff was
walled in with the paintings when the
false ceiling was put in a number of
years ago in an effort to make the
building more energy efficient.
"I have spoken with Mr. Charles
Branch who has lived here quite some
time and who was a friend of
Harry Kelsey, the founder of this
area. Mr. Branch said that the artist's
name was Torno; he didn't know his
first name. Mr. Torno was
commissioned by Mr. Kelsey to do
the paintings sometime during the
twenties, probably about 1928. "
The Oakes Mansion was originally
a country club built by Kelsey who
developed Lake Park. It was the first
building in what was to become the
Village of North Palm Beach. Last
year the building was declared by the
State Department to be a national
historic site.
Betty Robin, local artist and art
expert who is also co-founder of the
Oakes Foundation, a non-profit group
that seeks to preserve the mansion for
future use as an arts center, has
studied the two paintings and
concluded that one artist, probably
Torno, is responsible for both
paintings, according to Mrs. Moore.
"The sky, the water, the trees, are
all similar, in both paintings. Also,
on the'.boat that's painted in one of
the pictures, you'll find the letters
H -S -K, wick stands for Harry S.
Kelsey. There are also the letters
P -B -W -C painted into the setting. Mr.
Branch said that stands for Palm
Beach, Winter Club," added Mrs.
Moore.
Brought over to the North Palm
Beach Library in a dump truck, the
works of art required six men to carry
them in. Currently, they are leaning
against the wall of the Library
meeting room waiting for a decision to
be made about what to do with them. .
"The frames look to be cypress and
are in need of .attention, it's a project
that we will see through, Mrs.
Moore commented.