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Florence Griswold

Florence Griswold Museum

“At first the artists adopted Lyme, then Lyme adopted the artists, and now,
today, Lyme and art are synonymous.”

– Florence Griswold, 1937

hanks in large measure to house in 1899 and returned with friends the
“Miss Florence” Griswold following spring to create a Barbizon-oriented
Miss Florence T(1850-1937), what is known art colony. After Childe Hassam arrived in
today as the Florence Griswold 1903, it would become the largest and
Museum has, for more than a century, best-known Impressionist art colony in
been the home of the Lyme Art Colony in Old Lyme, Connecticut. America. Florence Griswold was a major
Florence Ann Griswold was born on Christmas Day, 1850 to force in making it all happen.
Robert and Helen Griswold of Old Lyme, Connecticut. “I was never Miss Florence was extraordinarily kind
more pleasantly disappointed,” wrote Helen, announcing the new and catered joyfully to the needs of her
arrival to the father, who was sailing the Atlantic. Helen may have been boarders, friends, visitors, and the countless
especially aware of the limited opportunities that her era offered stray cats that flocked to her home. She
women. Had she known what was to become of her new daughter, she charged such low rent that often she could
would surely have been amazed. not pay her own bills and also acquired
Florence had a distinguished ancestry. She was a descendant of two additional mortgages on her home to keep
governors of Connecticut, including her grandfather, who was also a things moving. Her unfailing optimism
U.S. Congressman and a Connecticut Supreme Court judge. Her endeared “Miss Florence” to the artists. She Front Parlor, Florence Griswold
immediate family, however, were considered the “poor became their friend and House, ca. 1905-08, By William
relations” of the large and wealthy Griswold clan. confidant. Her sunny Chadwick (1879-1962), Oil on
Robert’s life as a ship’s captain began well, but by outlook never wavered, canvas. Bathed in soft northern light,
1855 he became weary of the hardships of sailing even as financial troubles a woman—likely Florence Griswold—
boats family shipping line out of New York to the multiplied. contemplates a book during a quiet
moment in her parlor.
West Indies and China and retired. Robert chose to [Grateful for her
invest heavily in an ox-and-horseshoe factory in Old hospitality, the artists painted on the walls and
Lyme, but it failed in the 1860s, and his family strug- doors of the house. This unique collection is
gled financially from that time on. By 1877 Robert was preserved within the Florence Gris-wold House
not only in poor health but also had three mortgages today, making the building itself one of the most
on the family home. His death in 1882 left them in a important aspects of the collection.]
genteel poverty that continued to plague his family. Florence Griswold’s family home where the She packed and shipped paintings and other
Despite the family’s misfortune, Florence and her American Impressionist movement began. belongings that “her boys,” as she called them, left
photo: Judy Gonyeau
two older sisters received the education of socially elite behind. She divided her attic into bedrooms,
young women. They attended a private finishing school, where they converted outbuildings into studios, and organized entertainment.
studied music, painting, the needle arts, and foreign languages. A woman who ran a busy boardinghouse, aggressively sold paintings
Florence became fluent in French and proficient in piano, harp, and out of her front hallway, and took an active part in her town’s affairs
guitar, and she was skilled at English-style horseback riding. Such an might be expected to favor women’s rights, but Florence Griswold did
education was intended to make a young woman eligible for a suitable not fit the stereotype of a suffragette and did not support them. Like
marriage, but none of the Griswold sisters married. these feminist “New Women,” she had defied precepts that restricted
In 1878 Helen and her daughters opened a girls’ school in their women of her class to a domain of genteel domesticity, but
home, which ran with modest success until about 1892, with circumstances, not modern ideas, had shaped her life. She may have
offerings that at times included English, history, French, German, feared that suffrage would spoil
Latin, Greek, the “higher mathematics,” music, art, and “the rich and the apolitical, behind-the-scenes
elegant styles of French embroidery, ancient and modern, not elsewhere power that such traditionally
taught in this country.” By 1891 a close friend believed that their only “feminine” women believed they
income was from a few seasonal boarders and lessons in piano and had. Florence Griswold—
needlework. Matters grew worse after the passing of her sisters and her energetic, aggressive, and uncon-
mother by 1900. Florence was the only ventional, but also refined,
one left to take care of her family home. domestic, and happily compliant—
In 1898 Florence Griswold placed combined elements of both.
ads in a local newspaper, looking to sell In old age, she managed the
(and deliver) pansy and rose plants she new Lyme Art Association gallery
There are 38 individual painted panels and
propagated in her garden. Even so slight next to her house, yet her final 8 double panels (where two images on two doors
a business venture stretched the limits of years were filled with money complete the picture) created by some of the many
the domestic sphere that highbred concerns which became over- artists who boarded with Miss Florence.
females were bound by. The boldness of whelming, even though friends In this dining area photo are examples of
her action suggests she was strong and and relatives intervened. The 3 double panel and 7 single panel paintings.
self-reliant, but artist Arthur Heming, Florence Griswold Association photo: Judy Gonyeau
who boarded with her in the early was formed in 1936 and helped
1900s, said she was neither. Nor was her to stay in her home, where she died in 1937 at the age of 86. Her
she, by other accounts, always sensible. New York Times obituary read, “In her delicate and high-bred way,
Florence Griswold was, nonetheless, Miss Florence had her part in fostering an authentic American art.”
The front hall where Florence would destined to run a famous boardinghouse --Adapted from an online essay by independent scholar and curator
beckon buyers and art lovers to see what for artists. Artist Henry Ward Ranger Hildegard Cummings. Read more about Miss Florence and the Lyme Art
works were available.
photo: Judy Gonyeau discovered Old Lyme and the Griswold Colony artists at FlorenceGriswoldMuseum.org.

20 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles The Florence Griswold Museum is located at 96 Lyme Street, Old
Lyme, Connecticut. For hours, directions, and more information on this
museum and its exhibitions, visit www.florencegriswoldmuseum.org.