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| River St. Lawrence Oak Point, ca 1916, F.R. Rosseel |
Many of Rosseel's artworks are housed in the Frederic Remington Art Museum located at 303 Washington Street in Ogdensburg, New York. The connection between Rosseel and the location of the Remington Art Museum is interesting.
Frank Rosseel's father John and his grandfather Joseph both acted as representatives for the Parish family. The Remington Art Museum was originally the Parish Mansion, built by David Parish in 1810. Through his agents John and Joseph Rosseel, Parish also bought hundreds of acres in New York state helping to develop St. Lawrence County.
In the two centuries after David built the Parish Mansion, it was inhabited by his nephew George Parish, his mistress Madame America Vespucci and many other interesting people including Eva Remington, the wife of Frederic Remington who arrived after her husband's death in 1909. Eva and several of her friends, including owner George Hall, founded the Remington Art Memorial in 1923 which was later changed to the Frederic Remington Art Museum.
This report is from the Remington Museum Organization.
"Frank Raymond Rosseel’s watercolor paintings and other works. F. R. Rosseel found a career for himself in newspapers and magazines, illustrating many of the articles that he wrote. His writings appeared in national magazines over a period of forty years until 1935. He worked for such publications as the Buffalo Express and the Marine View of Cleveland, where he was referred to as ‘the historian of the Great Lakes,’ having covered stories in that region, and using the lakes as his subject matter in many artworks. He also enjoyed painting and sketching St. Lawrence River scenes in his native Ogdensburg. Rosseel was born just a few years before Frederic Remington, and the two knew each other. Rosseel was quoted in writing saying 'I did know and sketch with Frederic Remington when I was 18 or 20.'
As a book author, Rosseel found inspiration writing about Madame America Vespucci, again having lived in the Parish Mansion as George Parish’s mistress. Rosseel’s grandfather was George’s agent. F. R. Rosseel came to possess a collection of historical family letters and papers on which he used to write a book. Vespucci was an interesting subject, arriving in Ogdensburg after being won in a card game by George Parish from John Van Buren, son of Martin Van Buren, then current President of the United States. America was travelling at the time in upstate NY as Van Buren’s mistress. She was from France and was seeking status as a U.S. citizen, pleading the case that she was a descendant of the famous explorer Amerigo Vespucci, for whom the north and south continents were named after.
Rosseel possessed unusual ability as a painter and sketcher, many of his subjects being old time river boats and landmarks. He and his wife lived in Eden, NY. Rosseel died in Hamburg NY in 1936."
Frank Raymond Rosseel was also responsible for marketing the Pan-American Exposition of 1901.
From Buffalo Spree Magazine:
"It was, some might justifiably say, Buffalo’s finest hour, as millions traveled over land and sea to witness the wonder of emerging technology at the dawning of a new century."
"The Pan-Am was one of the best marketed events in early American history. The journal Profitable Advertising in June 1901 said advertising was “the golden key that has opened the door of success to the Pan-American Exposition.” The Publicity Committee, which included E.H. Butler, William C. Cornwell, and Darwin Martin, appointed Frank R. Rosseel to spread the word. Rosseel’s successful merchandising created the legacy that Penney, Lavin, and Grant use to effectively continue his work."
Source: To Preserve & Extend The Pan-American Exposition Lives on Through its Collectors By Darwin McPherson. The story of Pan-Am collectors Charles Penney, Fred Lavin, and Kerry Grant.
