| Birth date | October 31, 1895 |
|---|---|
| Birth place | Orleans Parish, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Death date | June 27, 1958 (aged 63) |
| Death place | Louisiana, U.S. |
| Education | Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts |
| Mother | Mary "Lily" Weeks |
| Father | Gilbert Lewis Hall |
William Weeks Hall[1] (1894–1958), was an American artist, photographer and art critic.[1] He was the last individual owner of the Shadows-on-the-Teche, a historic house and former sugar cane plantation.
Biography
William Weeks Hall was born in October 31, 1894 in Orleans Parish; to parents Gilbert Lewis Hall and Mary "Lily" Weeks.[1][2] His maternal grandparents David and Mary Conrad Weeks had built the Shadows-on-the-Teche plantation in 1834.
Hall attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA).[3] Around 1917, Hall won a scholarship through PAFA to travel to Europe.[4] His early paintings were abstract.[3] He lived in Paris for a few years after college.[3] During World War I (1914–1918), Hall served in the Office of Naval Intelligence.[3]
In 1920, Hall returned to New Iberia and in 1922 he started to restore the Shadows-on-the-Teche.[3][5] He had many notable guests and friends in the arts that would come visit him in New Iberia including D. W. Griffith,[6] Henry Miller,[7][8] Cecil B. DeMille,[8] among others. A New Iberian local musician Al E. Dieudonne dedicated his song, "Shadows-on-the-Teche" to Hall in 1930.[9]
In 1927, Hall was a charter member of the New Orleans Art League.[10] He injured his arm in 1937, and was forced to give up painting, and around this time he started to focus more on photography.[3]
Death and legacy
Hall died on June 27, 1958, and was initially buried at the Rose Hill Cemetery.[3] In 1961, his body was moved to the family plot at Shadows-on-the-Teche cemetery.[3] He never married.[1] Hall left the Shadows-on-the-Teche to the National Trust for Historic Preservation after his death.[11]
Hall's art work is including in public museum collections at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.[12] In Henry Miller's book, The Air-Conditioned Nightmare (1945), includes information about his time in New Iberia and Hall is quoted (page 97).[13]
References
- ^ "Weeks Hall Rites Held In Iberia". Newspapers.com. The Crowley Post-Signal. 28 June 1958. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
- ^ "William Weeks Hall in the New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., Birth Records Index, 1790-1915". Ancestry.com. State of Louisiana, Secretary of State, Division of Archives, Records Management, and History. Vital Records Indices. Baton Rouge, LA. 31 October 1894.
- ^ "William Weeks Hall Has A Final Resting Place At The Shadows". Newspapers.com. The Daily Advertiser. 27 June 1961. p. 9. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
- ^ "Art Scholarship". Newspapers.com. The Morning News. 28 May 1917. p. 3. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
- ^ Smith, George Everard Kidder (1996). Source Book of American Architecture: 500 Notable Buildings from the 10th Century to the Present. Princeton Architectural Press. p. 178. ISBN 978-1-56898-025-6.
- ^ "D. W. Griffith Films "The White Rose" At New Iberia". Newspapers.com. Abbeville Meridional. 24 February 1923. p. 4. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
- ^ Warren, Mark (2009-07-28). "Acadiana: The Most Un-American Place in America". Esquire. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
- ^ "Shadows-on-the-Teche - New Iberia LA". AAA.com. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
- ^ "New Iberia Man Has Song Published". Newspapers.com. The Eunice News. 3 October 1930. p. 4. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
- ^ "New Orleans Art League". 64 Parishes. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
- ^ Griffin, Bob (4 August 1978). "Let's Talk Travel, From New Iberia to New York". Newspapers.com. The Shreveport Journal. p. 10. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
- ^ "Museum collection". Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA). Retrieved 2021-05-22.
- ^ Donnelly, Jessica Foy (2002). Interpreting Historic House Museums. Rowman Altamira. p. 309. ISBN 978-0-7591-0251-4.
External links
- David Weeks and family papers, 1782-1957 at LSU Libraries. Louisiana State University