February 7, 2011
Dear Dear [redacted names], Andan [in handwritten cursive over my name, “Andy” to mark that this was the copy to send to me] -
This is to let you know that Nadine and I have donated to George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon, the following framed works of art:
- H.O. Selous ‘Jerusalem in her Grandeur - AD 33’ no date engraver: C. Mottram
- H.O. Selous ‘Jerusalem in her Fall’ no date engraver: C. Mottram
- Henry Brueckner ‘First in Peace’ 1866 engraver: Join C. McRae
- Hamman Piny ‘Handel at George I - King of England’ no date engraver: P. P. Allais
We believe these were all originally aquired by the families of Juliette Saffarrens and/or John Benton David M.D. (husband and wife) who were early pioneers to the Chehalem Mountain area (Newberg, Springbrook and Gibos) of the northern Willamette Valley as early as the 1840’s. These steel engravings, all of an image size of about 36" x 24" and a frame size of about 52" x 40", were eventually inherited by Frank Edward and Halcyon Videlia David Hobson, one of the five children of Juliette and John. Frank’s grandparents and other family were early Quaker pioneers in the Chehalem Mountain area and instrumental in founding Pacific College, the predecessor of George Fox University.
The art hung in Halcyon’s house, ‘Hayhoops’ on the south side of Chehalem Mountain above Springbrook and below Gibbs, while Onie Gertrude and her syblings Frank Alfred, Thelma Juliette and Henry David were growing up. Later these works were inherited by Emil Albert and Onie Gertrude Hobson Lauber and hung in their houses in Hoodsport, WA, and in Yachats, OR. You may recall seeing them in either of these locations. Still later Nadine secured them.
The donation was made in the name of ‘Frank Edward and Halcyon Videlia David Hobson’. Plaques on or near the frames will so state. A condition of the donation was that no monetary value would be attached to the gift and no appraisal has been made. The Art Department of George Fox University will perform cleaning and restoration activities as they deem necessary. At some future time the works will be hung as part of the University’s permanent collection.
These engravings have recently been seen at George Fox University by representatives of Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. These representatives as well as the University have remarked on the quality and apparent uniqueness of these works. The University is very pleased to have them for those reasons in addition to their teaching possibilities and their historical value as being from the decendents of very early regionally important pioneer families.
In the event you are interested in seeing these historic family artifacts in their permanent location we encourage you to visit George Fox University in Newberg and inquire of the Art Department where they are currently on exhibit.
Alfred E. Lauber Tularosa, N.M.
[in cursive handwriting] Love, Love Dad