Lot 4009
Evelyn Rumsey Cary (American, 1855-1924), Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo / Niagara
Lot Details & Additional Photographs
Sight size 47 1/2 x 25 in.; Frame dimensions 53 x 30 1/2 in.
Private Collection, Emerald Isle, North Carolina
This impressive and historically-important poster is based on Evelyn Rumsey Cary’s celebrated painting, Spirit of Niagara, that she created for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. Cary reimagines Niagara Falls as an allegorical female nude, her outstretched arms and ethereal form delicately veiled by the mist of cascading water. Set against the distant skyline of Buffalo, the composition elevates the great waterfall from a regional landmark to mythological figure.
This imagery draws upon the Mohawk meaning of “Niagara," “Maid of the Mist,” giving visual form to the site’s Indigenous origins. Rendered in twilight hues, the design evokes a dreamlike atmosphere characteristic of the American Art Nouveau. Cary provided the central image, while commercial artist Frederic F. Helmer added the gold metallic lettering and sinuous ornamental border, uniting fine art and graphic design in the service of international exposition culture at the dawn of the twentieth century.
Condition B+: Colors strong and vibrant; scattered creases and tears (many repaired); few nicks; scattered foxing; not examined out of frame.
