From The Poet’s House

poets house1000

It’s almost 30 years since John Hubbard visited New Harmony, a small town in Indiana, USA, established in 1825 as a model community by the Welsh utopian thinker and social reformer Robert Owen. John was invited by Jane Blaffer Owen, New Harmony resident and the wife of Robert Owen’s third great grandson.

New Harmony Photos 44-XL

In its long history, Poet’s House has nurtured many visitors of renown – scholars, writers, poets, musicians, and artists – who have in turn nurtured New Harmony’s townspeople. In the fall of 1988, Poet’s House welcomed the artist John Hubbard, who came at my invitation to capture New Harmony’s indwelling spirit. Hubbard’s eye and hand offered a reality outside the confines of the brick, wood, and limestone surfaces of New Harmony. The etchings that evolved from the charcoal drawings he made during the time he and his wife, Caryl, spent there justified my initial faith in his sensitivity and skill. His rendering of the Poet’s House is tender and devout, as were the Harmonist hands that built it.

New Harmony, Indiana: Like a River, Not a Lake: A Memoir: Jane Blaffer Owen

Rick-Rack Fence

Rick-Rack Fence

Barn Abbey

Barn Abbey

Coxie's Lane

Coxie’s Lane

Rainy Day

Rainy Day

Fence, Carol's Garden

Fence, Carol’s Garden

Fountain, Carol's Garden

Fountain, Carol’s Garden

Cemetery Sunset

Cemetery Sunset

9020467

In 1990 a book of 12 facsimile etchings was published by the Robert Lee Blaffer Trust.
It’s now out of print but some of the original etchings are still available from The Rowley Gallery.

065674pv

065676pv

065677pv

065675pv

The Poet’s House, New Harmony, Indiana, December 1958.
Four black & white photographs from the Library of Congress, Historic American Buildings Survey.

John Hubbard / The Rowley Gallery

Frames of reference

2 thoughts on “From The Poet’s House”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this: