Elfriede Abbe

Elfriede Martha Abbe (1919–2012) was an American sculptor, wood engraver and botanical illustrator, often displaying nature and simple country living inspired by her Upstate New York home. A self-publisher, Abbe created numerous hand-printed books, which she printed on a printing press in her studio.

Elfriede Abbe
Born	Elfriede Martha Abbe February 6, 1919[1] Washington, DC[1]
Died	December 31, 2012[1] Manchester, Vermont[1]
Nationality	American
Education	Cornell University
Known for	Sculpture Engraving Illustrator

Personal life and teaching

Sixth Day by Elfriede Abbe

Elfriede Abbe was born in Washington, D.C. in 1919.[2] Her statue "The Hunter" was featured at the 1939 New York World's Fair in New York.[3] She graduated from Cornell University in 1940,[4] earning a degree in architecture, and attended Syracuse University.[2] From 1942 until her retirement in 1974 she was an illustrator at Cornell.[4] After retiring from Cornell, she lived and worked in Vermont. She lived in Manchester[5] until her death in 2012. During her retirement, she published on art and natural history, continuing to produce artwork throughout her life.

Notable awards

• Barrett-Colea Prize; National Sculpture Society
• Elliot Liskin Award; Salmagundi Club
• Gold; National Arts Club
• Gold; Pen & Brush
• Fellowship; The Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation[5]

Notable collections

• Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania[6]
• Cornell University, Ithaca, New York[7]
• Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City[8][9][10]
• National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.[11]
• New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York[12]
• Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts[13]
• Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut[14]

Published works

• Abbe, Elfriede. The Plants of Virgil's Georgics: Commentary and Woodcuts By Elfriede Abbe. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1965. ISBN 0-8014-0001-5
• Abbe, Elfriede. Seven Irish Tales. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1957.[15]
• Abbe, Elfriede. Mushrooms: Wood Engravings in Color. Elfriede Abbe, 1970.[16]
• Abbe, Elfriede. How Prints Are Made. Manchester, Vt.: South Vermont Art Center Press, 1971.[17]
• Abbe, Elfriede. An Introduction to Hand-made Paper. Manchester, Vt.: Southern Vermont Art Center Press, 1972.[18]
• Abbe, Elfriede. The Fern Herbal: Including the Ferns, the Horsetails, and the Club Mosses. Ithaca: Comstock, 1981.[19]

References

1. "Legacy.com Obituary".
2. "Artist biographies" (PDF). Arizona Timebank. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 23, 2011. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
3. https://www.sevendaysvt.com/LiveCulture/archives/2013/05/08/elfriede-abbe-1919-2012-a-short-appreciation-of-an-amazing-vt-artist
4. "Elfriede Abbe work on exhibit at Cornell's Kroch Library". Cornell Chronicle. 1996. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
5. "Elfriede Abbe". Printmaking. Frog Hollow. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
6. "Art". Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation. Carnegie Mellon University. Archived from the original on July 2, 2002. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
7. "Guide to the Elfriede Abbe Papers, 1840–2010". Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections. Cornell University Library. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
8. "Garden spice and wild pot-herbs". Watsonline. Thomas J. Watson Library The Catalog of the Libraries of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
9. "Seven Irish Tales". Thomas J. Watson Library. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
10. The city of Carcassonne. Thomas J. Watson Library. Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1988. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
11. "Plants of Virgil's Georgics". National Gallery of Art. National Gallery of Art. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
12. "snap dragon". Botanical Art Database. New York Botanical Garden. Archived from the original on June 29, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
13. "Liber amicorum : presented in honor of Ruth Mortimer, 1994". Archivegrid. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
14. "Fine Press". Yale University Library. Yale University. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
15. Abbe, Elfriede (January 1, 1957). Seven Irish tales. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. OCLC 823231182.
16. Abbe, Elfriede (January 1, 1970). Mushrooms: wood engravings in color. Elfriede Abbe. OCLC 3367729.
17. Abbe, Elfriede (January 1, 1971). How prints are made. Manchester, Vt.: South Vermont Art Center Press. OCLC 606840921.
18. Abbe, Elfriede (January 1, 1972). An introduction to hand-made paper. Manchester, Vt.: Southern Vermont Art Center Press. OCLC 5437260.
19. Abbe, Elfriede (January 1, 1981). The fern herbal including the ferns, the horsetails and the club mosses. Ithaca [u.a.: Comstock Publ. OCLC 311589972.

External links

• Elfriede Abbe papers, 1948–1978 in the collection of the Archives of American Art
• Elfriede Abbe papers, 1840–1910 in the collection of the Cornell University Library