August Eisenmenger

Notes:

AUGUST EISENMENGER
(translated by Ernst Weber)

History painter, born February 11, 1820 in Vienna, died there on December 6, 1907. At the age of 15, he enrolled in the Akademie (Viennese Academy of Painting) but interrupted his studies in 1848 to join Karl Rahl and his atelier, who was in bitter competition with Carl von Blaas, who had received the order for the frescoes at the Vienna Arsenal in 1859. In his fight against Blaas, Rahl's other students Griepenkerl, Bitterlich, Lotz, Gaul, Fblix joined with Eisenmenger. On the other hand, the close friendship of Rahi with Theodor von Hansen was very fortunate because Hansen was very fortunate because Hansen directed many large commissions for monuments after Rahl's death to his students. Eisenmenger who was valued as the best student of Rala and who also was unquestioned master of wax mold painting, received the most important commissions. The first assignment was the decoration of the front entrance of the "Heinrichshof" with allegories and festoons using the last named technique; these paintings have been preserved rather well. In 1890 followed the ceiling frescoes (Apollo and the 9 Muses) in the large hall of the Musikverein, and then in the newly built City Hall of Vienna a depiction of the expansion of the city (beyond the raised city walls) and the apotheosis of "Austria". 1872 to 1874 followed the 12 frieze medallions in the Austrian Museum of Art and Industry, as well as the frieze "The Taming of Nature's Power by the Graces" in the Court staircase of the Court Theater (State Theater). Very remarkable are his ceiling frescoes in the Palais Gutmann (child presentations of the twelve months), the frescoes (The Graces and Peace) in the staircase of The Palais Tietz on the Schottenring, paintings from the life of Maximilian I and Leopold von Babenberg for the Chateau Hornstein of Archduke Leopold. 1878 he achieved his greatest success with the Aesop curtain for the theater in Augsburg, on which be memorialized his teacher Rahi in a Portrait.

1881 he created the "Triumph of Justice" a large cyclic frieze for the Palace of Justice; the "Development of the Modern Government" in the Parliament and as the last large commission a series of 50 medallions in the "Antique" halls of the Museum of Art History. Eisenmenger had also been successfully active as portraitist (portrait of Johann Strauss in the Museum of History of the city Vienna, and of Minister Duke Leo Thun, portrait in the possession of the Austrian Ministry for Education). For the Church of the Scots (Schottenkirche) he painted two altar portraits (Saint Benedict and Saint Gregor). He also created the design of Austrian banc note of 1 Gulden. Since 1872 be had been Professor of the Vienna Academy and director of a Master class of History painters and had a number of excellent students, all outstanding in the use of color. In 1901 he retired. He has been the last representative of that exceptional era who under Hansen, Ferstel, Schmidt, Rahl, Makart have created the new Vienna.


Name:
A well-know artist that painted the frieze in the Austria Parliament Building in Vienna

Family/Spouse: Emma Singer. Emma was born in 1841; died in 1907. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Naturalized US Citizen: 13 Jan 1922

Notes:

Died:
NY Times Obituary 8/29/1950

HUGO E. EISENMENGER, ELECTRICAL ENGINEER

Hugo E. Eisenmenger of 2400 Morgan Avenue, the Bronx, retired electrical engineer who was a rate expert with the Consolidated Edison Company of this city for many years until his retirement, died yesterday in Northern Westchester Hospital, Mount Kisco, N. Y., where he had been a patient since Aug. 10. He was born in Vienna seventy-four years ago.

Educated in Austria and Germany. Mr. Eisenmenger did his first important work for the North German Lloyd Steamship Line as an operator of marine engines from 1898 to 1906.

From 1907 to 1909 he was, in Khartoum, building an electrical plant for the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. The next ten years he spent in Tokyo, as a representative of a German electrical firm

Then he came to the United States, and for two years was the assistant to the chief of the National Lamp Works of the General Electric Company at Nela Park, Cleveland, and while in this post traveled extensively throughout the world. He joined Consolidated Edison in 1921.

Mr. Eisenmenger wrote "Central Station Rates in Theory and Practice" and many articles in technical journals.

He leaves his second wife, who was Lydia Alber of Mount Vernon, N. Y., at their marriage in 1940; two daughters of his first marriage, Mrs. Hertha E. Flack and Mrs. Greta Neelsen, and four grandchildren.

Hugo married Charlotte Sonya Escherich on 5 Aug 1913 in Vienna AT, and was divorced in Aug 1936 in Reno NV. Charlotte (daughter of Prof. Theodor Escherich and Margarethe Pfaundler) was born on 22 Jan 1895 in Graz AT; died on 4 Jul 1984 in Oetz, Tyrol AT; was buried on 7 Jul 1984 in Oetz, Tyrol AT. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Hugo married Lydia Alber in 1940. Lydia was born in 1907 in Germany. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

VICTOR EISENMENGER
[Extract from Wikipedia, published 19 Jun 2022]

EARLY LIFE
Eisenmenger was born in Vienna in 1864, the son of portrait painter August Eisenmenger and his wife Emma. Victor Eisenmenger had two brothers, a well-known engineer named Hugo and a civil servant in finance named Ewald.

Eisenmenger enjoyed art and natural science, but, as he put it, "An artistic career and a study of natural science were both denied to me, the former because my talent was not sufficiently pronounced, the latter because I was forced to earn my living as soon as possible. Thus, I decided to study medicine." He hoped that a medical career would satisfy his curiosity in science and also allow him to teach others. He graduated from medical school at the University of Vienna in 1889.

MEDICAL CAREER
Early career
After beginning his career as an unpaid assistant surgeon at a Viennese clinic, Eisenmenger secured a position at the laryngology clinic of Leopold von Schrötter in 1894. By the following year, Eisenmenger was suffering from poor health. von Schrötter, who had become something of a father figure to Eisenmenger, arranged for him to become the personal physician to the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, who had just been diagnosed with tuberculosis. von Schrötter thought that such a position would be less physically taxing for Eisenmenger than other positions in medicine.

Service to Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Eisenmenger was the personal physician to the archduke as well as to Charles I of Austria. He worked for the archduke from about 1895 until Ferdinand's assassination in June 1914. "You and the valet are my only friends," Ferdinand once told Eisenmenger.

Eisenmenger wrote Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand (Archduke Franz Ferdinand), a 200-page memoir published by Amalthea Verlag [de] about his time spent with the Archduke. The book was rather critical of the Archduke. Even before it was published, the work generated some controversy among Viennese physicians because Eisenmenger included information that was thought to violate standards of doctor-patient confidentiality.

Eisenmenger married the former Anna Hoberg, and they had two daughters, Anna and Hilde. Eisenmenger's wife was also connected to royalty. When Archduchess of Austria Infanta Maria Theresa of Portugal arranged to sell the Napoleon Diamond Necklace (worth US $450,000 at the time) in the U.S., she received only a few thousand dollars in return, so she sent Anna Hoberg Eisenmenger to the U.S. to recover the necklace. Archduke Leopold of Austria, Prince of Tuscany was jailed on a grand larceny charge in the matter, but he was acquitted at trial.

EISENMENGER'S SYNDROME
In an 1897 article in a German medical journal, Eisenmenger described signs of low blood oxygen levels (including a bluish hue to the skin and nail clubbing) in a 32-year-old man who had been born with a ventricular septal defect. Eisenmenger had seen the patient during his time working with von Schrötter.

Since the 1950s, as the understanding of heart and lung disease has evolved, Eisenmenger's syndrome is the name given to the situation in which a cardiac defect causes too much blood flow to the lungs, which in turn causes changes to the blood vessels in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension) and a reversal of blood flow so that now there is insufficient flow to the lungs.

Family/Spouse: Anna Hoberg. Anna was born in 1874; died in 1944. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

A civil servant in finance [Wikipedia notation under brother Victor's page]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Married Name: Flack
• Naturalized US Citizen: 13 Jan 1922
• Education: 1934, A.B. Davis High School, Mt. Vernon NY
• Education: 1938, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore PA; Zoology major
• Education: 1941, Yale Nursing School, New Haven CT; Nursing MS degree
• Residence: 1942, Wilton CT; WWII - after Jim joined the Navy & married Tah, they moved to Wilton CT while Jim went to flight school in Boston
• Residence: 1943, Miami FL; WWII - stationed in Miami for short time
• Residence: 1944, Minneapolis MN; WWII - stationed for another short period, Jim II born in April
• Residence: 1944, Chicago IL; WWII - stationed in Chicago. Drove mid-winter from Miami in a rickety unheated 2-seater with holes in the floor boards.
• Residence: 1944, Norman OK; WWII - Unclear dates
• Residence: 1945, Danbury CT; Lived in Sonny & Ernst Weber's vacation home at Candlewood Lake. Sonya Karen born on Nov 19.
• Residence: 1945, Dallas TX; WWII - final station near end of war
• Residence: 1946, Westford MA; 1946-50 abt - lived in 2 homes before spending a year in Puerto Rico
• Residence: 1950, San Juan PR; 1950-51 abt - Jim & family was re-located to San Juan for a year while working for Textron. Returned to Westford MA in time for Suzanne M. (Tita) birth.
• Residence: 1952, Westford MA; 1952-54 abt - lived in 2 homes, including the large yellow house across from the Frost School. Tita is born 4 Mar 1952
• Residence: 1955, 623 Wilderness Road, Tryon NC 28782; 1955-62 moved in Aug to Tryon NC, road trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway
• Residence: 1962, New York NY; 1962-75 moved to NYC, 3 addresses, kept Tryon NC home for summer/vacations
• Residence: 1975, Tryon NC; JMF-HEF moved back to Tryon NC after Jim's retirement in Dec 1974.
• Residence: 2004, 615 Laurel Lake Drive, Columbus NC 28722; Moved in Jan to Tryon Estates, assisted living community (Apt 145)

Notes:

JMF-HEF-WSM TIMELINE
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1907 WSM (Wray S Monroe) born in Colorado: 2 Aug 1907
1913 JMF (James M Flack) born in Baxter MS: 29 Aug 1913
1916 HEF (Hertha E Flack) born in Cleveland OH: 10 Oct 1916
1934 HEF graduated A.B. Davis High School, Mt Vernon NY
1935 JMF graduated Delta State Teachers College, Cleveland MS
1935-1939 JMF Principal at Shaw MS High School
1938 HEF graduates from Swarthmore College, Swarthmore PA
1939-1942 JMF Yale Divinity School, Divinity Degree
1941 HEF graduated Yale Nursing School, New Haven CT
1941 JMF-HEF marriage at Mt Vernon NY: 30 Aug 1941
1942-1945 JMF Commissioned Naval Officer
__abt-1942 Stationed in Boston (flight school-lived in Wilton CT)
__abt-1943 Stationed in Miami FL
__abt-1944 Stationed in Chicago IL
__abt-1944 Stationed in Minneapolis MN, JMF II born: 20 Apr 1944
__abt-1944 Stationed in Norman OK (date unclear)
__abt-1945 Stationed in Dallas TX
1945 JMF-HEF Lived in Danbury CT
1945 Sonya Karen born Danbury CT: 19 Nov 1945
1946 JMF Standard Oil Corp of NJ, Employee Relations Depart
1946-1950 lived in Westford MA - 2 homes
1946-1953 JMF Textron, Inc. Officer, subsidiary Director
1948 Robert Frank born Westford MA: 19 Feb 1948
1950-1951.abt JMF-HEF lived in San Juan PR: 1123 Piccioni Calle
1952-1954 JMF-HEF lived in Westford MA - 2 homes
1952 Suzanne Margaret born Westford MA: 4 Mar 1952
1953-1972 JMF Indian Head, Inc, Vice-president, Director
1955-1962 JMF-HEF moved from Westford MA to Tryon NC: Aug 1955
1962-1975 JMF-HEF moved to New York City, 3 addresses, kept Tryon home
1972-1974 JMF Indian Head, Inc, Vice-chairman (retired Dec 1974)
1975 JMF-HEF moved back to Tryon NC
1989 JMF died in Moscow: 16 Jun 1989
1993 HEF-WSM marriage Tryon NC: 21 Jan 1993
2001 WSM died: 21 Sept 2001
2004 HEF moved to Tryon Estates, Columbus NC (assisted-living community)
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COMMENTS ON HERTHA'S PAINTING

Inspired by a lifetime of travel, Hertha Flack's recent landscape paintings are rendered in bold, rich color. Her work is most often in the impressionistic style, occasionally tending toward abstract. Ms. Flack, who has painted for over 25 years and has had several successful one-person shows, has exhibited in numerous states and is a member of several art organizations. She now works mainly in acrylics.

She has studied with Carole Barnes, Carrie Brown, Maxine Masterfield and Mary Todd Beam. Her home and studio are in Tryon, North Carolina.

June 1934, Hertha graduated from High School in Mt. Vernon. She had applied for admission to Swarthmore College.

SWARTHMORE SCHOLARSHIPS
The Flack Achievement Award, established by Jim and Hertha Flack in 1985, is given to a deserving student who, during his or her first 2 years at the College, has demonstrated leadership potential and a good record of achievement in both academic and extracurricular activities.

The Flack Faculty Award is given for excellence in teaching and promise in scholarly activity by a member of the Swarthmore faculty to help meet the expenses of a full year of leave devoted to research and self-improvement. This award acknowledges the particularly strong link that exists at Swarthmore between teaching and original scholarly work. The president gives the award based upon the recommendation of the provost and the candidate?s academic department. This award is made possible by an endowment established by James M. Flack and Hertha Eisenmenger Flack ?38.


SWARTHMORE 1938 YEARBOOK - HALCYON

HERTHA EMMA EISENMENGER
Lab haunting Hertha Emma Eisenmenger is the foremost product of Third East's ability to rouse sleepy heads, have its vertebrae counted, send forth a member with the right date near the right time all on a Saturday night. In return, the corridor may be favored with a wordless rendition of a new song, a constant supply of food, the thrill of having a night picture snapped from a rainy window sill. Appreciative of her roommate's kindness in explaining jokes and her leniency in the matter of lima beans, Hertha plays favorites, breaking a rule by remembering the roommate's name.

MAJOR: Zoology
HOME: 159 Lorraine Ave, Mt Vernon, NY

Yale School of Nursing Class of 1941

HIGH SCHOOL

Graduated 1934 from A.B. Davis High School Mt. Vernon, NY

MARRIAGE TO WRAY MONROE

Wedding ceremony on Thurs 1/21/1993, followed by honeymoon trip to Hong Kong on 1/26. Wray takes annual trips sponsored by the Rotary Club for free clinical dental work.

Hertha married James Monroe Flack, I on 30 Aug 1941 (Civil) in 159 Lorraine Ave, Mt Vernon NY. James (son of Jesse James Flack and Louella Lenora Lucas) was born on 29 Aug 1913 in Baxter MS; died on 16 Jun 1989 in Moscow RU (on tour); was cremated in Tryon NC Holy Cross Episcopal Church. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Hertha married Wray Stockton Monroe on 21 Jan 1993 (Civil) in Tryon NC. Wray was born on 2 Aug 1907 in Colorado; died on 21 Sep 2001 in Tryon NC. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Naturalized US Citizen: 13 Jan 1922

Margaretha married Peter George Neelsen on 16 Mar 1941 in West Haven CT. Peter was born on 7 Jul 1918 in Mt Vernon, NY; died on 4 Jan 1999 in Aptos, CA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Ceramic Artist

(Commentary by Lea Nickless, research curator at The Wolfsonian Museum, Miami FL, re: Credo Altar in permanent collection - abt. Dec 2018)

CREDO ALTER

Viennese sculptor Annie Eisenmenger created this massive ceramic triptych altar for an international exposition of modern Christian art in Padua, Italy in 1931. Depicting the coronation of the Virgin Mary in its central panel and scenes from the life of Christ at either side, the triptych folds neatly for travel, its closed doors spelling "Credo" in bold, interlocking, wrought-iron letters. A brief mention in a 1932 Viennese publication stated that the work had been universally applauded.

Annie went on to produce work throughout her life. She collaborated with Konrad Lorenz, the Nobel Prize-winning founder of the study of animal behavior, illustrating his book Man Meets Dog. In 1960, she created a mosaic mural of Saint Francis of Assisi at the Schoenbrunn Zoo in Vienna. Despite Annie's many accomplishments, there is little known about her; it is almost as though she didn't exist. Even her date of death had never been correctly recorded, leaving a void in her biographical data. Fortunately, after tracking down her great niece, who was able to provide her actual death date, we updated the Zentralfriedhof Vienna's central cemetery where Annie is buried. The fact that Annie had almost disappeared from the historic record underscores the enormous challenges facing women, especially in the early 20th century, as they struggled to navigate within a patriarchal, gender-biased culture. As The Wolfsonian moves forward in growing its collection, we will continue to seek out women artists, so often overlooked and sometimes even forgotten, and bring their stories to light.


ANNIE EISENMENGER TIMELINE

1898          Born April 30, 1898, Meran, Southern Tyrol

1920-21     Attended Kunstgewerbeschule (School of Applied Arts)
 
1924          Studied at General Sculpture School of the "Akademie der Bildenden Künste" under Joseph Müllner

1924-25     Studied at Special School of Sculpture, under Joseph Müllner
 
1928          Studied at Special School of Sculpture, also under Müllner
 
1931          Completed Credo Altar, originally titled Glaubensgeheimnisse des Credo
 
1940          Found in Vienna directory Eisenmenger, Anna, af. Bildhauerin, IV Favoritenstrasse 12 (Bi ldhauerin Sculptor)
 
1954          Illustrates book Man Meets Dog with brother-in-law Konrad Lorenz
 
1959          Credo Altar Installed in Notkirche or "emergency church" Zum Gottlichen Erlioser
 
1960          Completed mosaic mural of St. Francis of Assisi as well as label panels for the Schoenbrunn Zoo in Vienna
 
1961          Credo Altar transferred to the Doblinger Pfarrkirche St. Paul in Hofzeile 
 
1971          Credo Altar sold to an art dealer
 
2004          Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. purchases Credo Altar from dealer in Vienna

Notes:

Tennis Player

Sonya married Thomas Haworth Bonnell [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Suzanne married Thomas Smith Young [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

James married Elizabeth Hodge [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Robert married Lucy Arrington [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Robert married Frances S. Forman [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Sharren Bates. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Jennifer married Jonathan Bartlett Bellack [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Mark Werner. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Nena Perez. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Mary married Craig Sunada [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Anne Elizabeth Riesenfeld. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Sophie married Joshua Aaron Charles [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Timothy Cassedy. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]