Adalbert J. Volck

Adalbert J. Volck (1828–1912) was a dentist, political cartoonist, and caricaturist born in Augsburg Bavaria, who resided for most of his life in Baltimore, Maryland.[2] A dentist by profession, Volck is best known for his support of the Confederacy during the American Civil War through his political cartoons, which has led him to be described as "the Northern art world's most famous Confederate sympathizer."[3][4] Volck's support for the Confederacy extended beyond his cartoons, including smuggling items for the Confederate army, and acting as a personal courier President Jefferson Davis.[2]

Adalbert J. Volck
Born(1828-04-14)April 14, 1828
Augsburg, Bavaria
DiedMarch 25, 1912(1912-03-25) (aged 83)
Baltimore, Maryland
NationalityUSA
EducationBaltimore College of Dental Surgery (DDS)
Known forCaricatures, Political cartoons
Spouse(s)Letitia Roberta Alleyn[1]

Early life

Volck was born April 14, 1828 in Augsburg, Bavaria, the third of thirteen children born to Andreas Volck, a vinegar maker.[5] He received his education in art in Nuremberg and Munich.[6]

Move to America

Upon arriving in America, Volck initially joined a brother-in-law in St. Louis, before following the California Gold Rush west in 1849.[1]

Volck had previously studied dentistry in Germany, and resumed that profession in Baltimore.[7] While working under the supervision of Chapin A. Harris, he received his dentistry degree from the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery in 1852 with a thesis on the subject of "nerves."[8] After graduating in Baltimore, he established a lifelong practice there. Volck was known for his work on porcelain restoration techniques.

Volck was a member of many of elite Baltimore's social clubs, including the Athenaeum Club, and James Innes Randolph's Whitebait Club.[9] He was a founding member of Baltimore's Wednesday Club, an arts and culture society influential in the city during the latter 19th century.[10][11] Volck was also a founding member of the Charcoal Club of Baltimore, a prominent artists' group.[12][13]

Artistic Output
Caricature of Lincoln writing the Emancipation Proclamation, a political cartoon by Volck.

Beyond sketches and cartoons, Volck's areas of artistic skill included landscape painting,[14] silver smithing[15] and sculpting.[12] Volck's metalworks included copper and silver brooches and shields, including one fashioned after the nibelungenlied.[7] He also designed a giant brass growler for the use of the Charcoal Club, which was cast by famous Baltimore silversmith W.F. Jacobi and remains in the club's possession for use in ceremonies.[16]

Death

Volck injured both knees in an accident, following which he retired from his dentistry practice, focusing his final years on landscape paintings based on sketches he had made of the American West.[7][17] He died at his home on Linden Avenue on March 26, 1912.[1] After his death, an acquaintance wrote to The Baltimore Sun that Volck "deeply regretted" having caricatured Lincoln, "whom he had entirely misunderstood."[9]

References
  1. "Death of Dr. A.J. Volck". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. 1912-03-27. p. 16. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  2. Emmelkamp, P. M.; Straatman, H. (1976). "Adalbert J. Volck (1828-1912): Confederate dentist, artist and anti-Lincoln satirist". Behaviour Research and Therapy. 14 (3): 245–9. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(76)90017-6. PMID 9060. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
  3. "1st popular art exhibit to open July 2". The Gettysburg Times. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. 1987-06-12. p. 3. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  4. "A Southern View (Memory): American Treasures of the Library of Congress". Library of Congress. 1864. Archived from the original on 5 February 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
  5. "Andreas Volck geb. 30 Nov 1800 Strakowitz gest. 26 Sep1888 Tharandt". Paul Wolfgang Merkelsche Familienstiftung (in German). Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  6. "Adalbert J. Volck Manuscript Collection, 1878 - 1948, MS 867". Maryland Historical Society. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  7. "Dr. A. J. Volck Recovering". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. 1908-03-17. p. 12. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  8. "Local Matters - Annual Commencement off the College of Dental Surgery". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. 1852-03-19. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  9. "Reminiscences of Two Baltimoreans". The Evening Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. 1912-04-05. p. 6. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  10. "Adalbert Volck Etchings - Enoch Pratt Free Library". Digital Maryland. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  11. "Editor "Answers"". The Evening Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. 1912-09-27. p. 5. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  12. "Der "Charcoal-Club," sein Wirfen und seine Kunstler". Der Deutsche Correspondent (in German). Baltimore, Maryland. 1888-04-26. p. 4. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  13. Kirwin, Liza (1985). "Back to Bohemia with the Charcoal Club of Baltimore". Archives of American Art Journal. 25 (1&2): 42. doi:10.1086/aaa.25.1_2.1557460. S2CID 192724496.
  14. Dorsey, John (1984-04-23). "Goal dwarfs the art in Hagerstown show". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. p. 11. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  15. "Heute vollendet Dr. Volck". Der Deutsche Correspondent (in German). Baltimore, Maryland. 1899-04-15. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  16. Jones, Carleton (1983-05-01). "Art Club Still on Tap". Baltimore Sun Magazine. Baltimore, Maryland. p. 50. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  17. "Dr. Adalbert J. Volck". Westliche Post Daily Country Edition (in German). St. Louis, Missouri. 1912-04-04. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
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