Park, Lawrence, 1873-1924

Lawrence Park attended Harvard University from 1892 to 1896 and was a practicing architect, beginning his career in Boston in 1901. As an author he wrote about colonial art. Park served as a non-resident curator in the Department of Colonial Art at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Lawrence Park (1873-1924) of Worcester and Groton, Mass., author and authority on American portraiture, worked as a draftsman and architect in the firm of Park and Kendall until 1914, when he chose to devote his time to the sutdy of colonial art, especially portraiture. Park soon became an authority on the works of Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828), wrote several descriptive portrait lists, was granted membership in various historical societies, and was hired as a consultant for several museums. He also produced a few genealogies and wrote for many scholarly journals.

Lawrence Park (1873-1924) was born in Worcester, Mass. to John Gray Park and Elizabeth Bigelow Lawrence. He attended Harvard and the School of Drawing and Painting in the Museum of Fine Arts at Boston. After graduation, he worked as an architect in Boston, commuting from Groton. He married Maria Davis Motley in 1905 and they had two children.

Lawrence Park became interested in family portraits in 1914 while writing a genealogy. He wrote publications regarding portraitists Joseph Badger, Joseph Blackburn, and Gilbert Stuart. He became an authority on early American painting and was made curator of Colonial Art at the Cleveland Museum in 1919. Park went on two Frick Art Reference Library photographing expeditions, to Virginia in 1922 and South Carolina in 1923.

Lawrence Park (1873-1924) became interested in family portraits in 1914 while writing a genealogy. In addition to his work on Gilbert Stuart, he also wrote publications regarding portraitists Joseph Badger and Joseph Blackburn. He became an authority on early American painting and was made curator of Colonial Art in the Cleveland Museum in 1919.

Gilbert Charles Stuart (1755-1828) was an American painter from Rhode Island. Considered to be one of the foremost American portraitists, the image from his best known painting of George Washington has appeared on the United States one-dollar bill for over one century. Gilbert Stuart produced portraits of over 1,000 people, including the first six presidents of the United States.