Stenzel, Franz

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Dr. Franz Stenzel, a Portland, Oregon physician and one of the foremost authorities on early art of the Pacific Northwest, was born March 8, 1906 in Aberdeen, Washington. Two years later his family moved to Portland, where he would spend most of his life. He graduated from Bates College in 1933, and attended Harvard Medical School, studying internal medicine and specializing in cardiology. After working for nine years in Boston, he returned to Portland in 1946, where he entered private practice and was on the staff of Good Samaratin Hospital until his retirement in 1970. He also served as an instructor in cardiology at the University of Oregon Medical School, and became President of the Oregon Society of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Stenzel married Kathryn Marie Mathison in 1951 and the couple began collecting art of the American Northwest in 1955 after Dr. Stenzel was given a painting by a patient. While amassing a collection that eventually included approximately 2500 works of art, Dr. Stenzel became an authority on the early pictorial art of the Northwest, specializing in the period between 1800 and 1950. Research done while investigating sources for their collection evolved into a projected book on artists born before 1900 who worked in Washington, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, southern British Columbia, and southern Alberta. Though this book was never published, research for this book contributed to his studies of two prominent Northwest artists: Cleveland Rockwell, Scientist and Artist, 1837-1907 (Portland, Or.: Oregon Historical Society, 1972) and James Madison Alden, Yankee Artist of the Pacific Coast, 1854-1860 (Fort Worth: Amon Carter Museum, 1975).

As an expert in his field, Dr. Stenzel was often called upon to give lectures and advice. He also wrote the text of several exhibition catalogues. Another offshoot of Dr. Stenzel's collecting was an interest in art restoration, a skill he taught himself. He constructed a conservation studio in his basement, which may be seen in an April 13, 1959 Life magazine article.

Works from the Stenzels' collection were exhibited many times, including major exhibits at the Amon Carter Museum, the Cheney Cowles Memorial Museum in Spokane, the Montana Historical Society, the Museum of Art at the University of Oregon, Eugene, and the Portland Art Museum. In 1973, four Stenzel pieces were the only privately owned art included in the first art exhibit by the United States Information Agency shown in former communist countries since World War II. Over the years, the Stenzels donated pieces of their collection to the C.M. Russell Gallery, the Montana Historical Society, the Oregon Historical Society, the Alaska State University in College, Alaska. In addition, the Stenzels offered 206 works of art for sale at a Sotheby's sale in Los Angeles June 24, 1980.

Dr. Stenzel died March 29, 1998 in Portland, Oregon at age 92, after a long illness. Mrs. Stenzel passed away in 2006.

From the guide to the Franz R. and Kathryn M. Stenzel Collection of Western American Art Addition, 1853-1962, (Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library)

Dr. Franz Stenzel, a Portland, Oregon physician and one of the foremost authorities on early art of the Pacific Northwest, was born March 8, 1906 in Aberdeen, Washington. Two years later his family moved to Portland, where he would spend most of his life. He graduated from Bates College in 1933, and attended Harvard Medical School, studying internal medicine and specializing in cardiology. After working for nine years in Boston, he returned to Portland in 1946, where he entered private practice and was on the staff of Good Samaratin Hospital until his retirement in 1970. He also served as an instructor in cardiology at the University of Oregon Medical School, and became President of the Oregon Society of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Stenzel married Kathryn Marie Mathison in 1951 and the couple began collecting art of the American Northwest in 1955 after Dr. Stenzel was given a painting by a patient. While amassing a collection that eventually included approximately 2500 works of art, Dr. Stenzel became an authority on the early pictorial art of the Northwest, specializing in the period between 1800 and 1950. Research done while investigating sources for their collection evolved into a projected book on artists born before 1900 who worked in Washington, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, southern British Columbia, and southern Alberta. Though this book was never published, research for this book contributed to his studies of two prominent Northwest artists: Cleveland Rockwell, Scientist and Artist, 1837-1907 (Portland, Or.: Oregon Historical Society, 1972) and James Madison Alden, Yankee Artist of the Pacific Coast, 1854-1860 (Fort Worth: Amon Carter Museum, 1975).

As an expert in his field, Dr. Stenzel was often called upon to give lectures and advice. He also wrote the text of several exhibition catalogues. Another offshoot of Dr. Stenzel's collecting was an interest in art restoration, a skill he taught himself. He constructed a conservation studio in his basement, which may be seen in an April 13, 1959 Life magazine article.

Works from the Stenzels' collection were exhibited many times, including major exhibits at the Amon Carter Museum, the Cheney Cowles Memorial Museum in Spokane, the Montana Historical Society, the Museum of Art at the University of Oregon, Eugene, and the Portland Art Museum. In 1973, four Stenzel pieces were the only privately owned art included in the first art exhibit by the United States Information Agency shown in former communist countries since World War II. Over the years, the Stenzels donated pieces of their collection to the C.M. Russell Gallery, the Montana Historical Society, the Oregon Historical Society, the Alaska State University in College, Alaska. In addition, the Stenzels offered 206 works of art for sale at a Sotheby's sale in Los Angeles June 24, 1980.

Dr. Stenzel died March 29, 1998 in Portland, Oregon at age 92, after a long illness.

From the guide to the Franz R. and Kathryn M. Stenzel collection of western American art, 1728-1966, (Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library)

Dr. Franz Stenzel, a Portland, Oregon physician and one of the foremost authorities on early art of the Pacific Northwest, was born March 8, 1906 in Aberdeen, Washington. Two years later his family moved to Portland, where he would spend most of his life. He graduated from Bates College in 1933, and attended Harvard Medical School, studying internal medicine and specializing in cardiology. After working for nine years in Boston, he returned to Portland in 1946, where he entered private practice and was on the staff of Good Samaratin Hospital until his retirement in 1970. He also served as an instructor in cardiology at the University of Oregon Medical School, and became President of the Oregon Society of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Stenzel married Kathryn Marie Mathison in 1951 and the couple began collecting art of the American Northwest in 1955 after Dr. Stenzel was given a painting by a patient. While amassing a collection that eventually included approximately 2500 works of art, Dr. Stenzel became an authority on the early pictorial art of the Northwest, specializing in the period between 1800 and 1950. Research done while investigating sources for their collection evolved into a projected book on artists born before 1900 who worked in Washington, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, southern British Columbia, and southern Alberta. Though this book was never published, research for this book contributed to his studies of two prominent Northwest artists: Cleveland Rockwell, Scientist and Artist, 1837-1907 (Portland, Or.: Oregon Historical Society, 1972) and James Madison Alden, Yankee Artist of the Pacific Coast, 1854-1860 (Fort Worth: Amon Carter Museum, 1975).

As an expert in his field, Dr. Stenzel was often called upon to give lectures and advice. He also wrote the text of several exhibition catalogues. Another offshoot of Dr. Stenzel's collecting was an interest in art restoration, a skill he taught himself. He constructed a conservation studio in his basement, which may be seen in an April 13, 1959 Life magazine article.

Works from the Stenzels' collection were exhibited many times, including major exhibits at the Amon Carter Museum, the Cheney Cowles Memorial Museum in Spokane, the Montana Historical Society, the Museum of Art at the University of Oregon, Eugene, and the Portland Art Museum. In 1973, four Stenzel pieces were the only privately owned art included in the first art exhibit by the United States Information Agency shown in former communist countries since World War II. Over the years, the Stenzels donated pieces of their collection to the C.M. Russell Gallery, the Montana Historical Society, the Oregon Historical Society, the Alaska State University in College, Alaska. In addition, the Stenzels offered 206 works of art for sale at a Sotheby's sale in Los Angeles June 24, 1980.

Dr. Stenzel died March 29, 1998 in Portland, Oregon at age 92, after a long illness.

From the guide to the Franz R. and Kathryn M. Stenzel research files on western American art, 1859-1997, (Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Franz R. and Kathryn M. Stenzel research files on western American art, 1859-1997 Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
creatorOf Franz R. and Kathryn M. Stenzel Collection of Western American Art Addition, 1853-1962 Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
creatorOf Franz R. and Kathryn M. Stenzel collection of western American art, 1728-1966 Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Alden, James Madison, 1834-1922 person
associatedWith Amon Carter Museum of Western Art. corporateBody
associatedWith Bierstadt, Albert, 1830-1902 person
associatedWith Boughton, George Henry, 1834-1905 person
associatedWith Burbank, E. A. (Elbridge Ayer), 1858-1949 person
associatedWith Catlin, George, 1796-1872 person
associatedWith Darley, Felix Octavius Carr, 1822-1888 person
associatedWith Eastern Washington State Historical Society. corporateBody
associatedWith Eastman, Harrison, b. ca. 1823 person
associatedWith Elswa, Johnny Kit. person
associatedWith Ferbraché, Lewis. person
associatedWith Flagg, James Montgomery, 1877-1960 person
associatedWith Fragley, Lewis. person
associatedWith Gifford, Sanford Robinson, 1823-1880 person
associatedWith Harnett, William Michael, 1848-1892 person
associatedWith Harrison, Michael. person
associatedWith John Howell Books (San Francisco, Calif.) corporateBody
associatedWith Johnson, Eastman, 1824-1906 person
associatedWith Kehoe, Joseph, 1890-1959 person
associatedWith Kleiber, Hans, b. 1897 person
associatedWith McEntee, Jervis, 1828-1891 person
associatedWith McIlwraith, William Forsyth. person
associatedWith McNeill, Thomas S. person
associatedWith Miller, Alfred Jacob, 1810-1874 person
associatedWith Montana Historical Society. person
associatedWith Moser, James Henry, 1854-1913 person
associatedWith Paxson, E. S., 1852-1919 person
associatedWith Pease, Lute, 1869-1963 person
associatedWith Provincial Archives of British Columbia. corporateBody
associatedWith Remington, Frederic, 1861-1909 person
associatedWith Renner, Frederic Gordon, 1897- person
associatedWith Rockwell, Cleveland, 1837-1907 person
associatedWith Roesen, Severin, ca. 1815-ca. 1872 person
associatedWith Rosenthal, Sam. person
associatedWith Russell, Charles M. (Charles Marion), 1864-1926 person
associatedWith Stanley, John Mix, 1814-1872 person
associatedWith Stenzel, Kathryn M. (Kathryn Mathison) person
associatedWith Stuart, James Everett. person
associatedWith Swan, James Gilchrist. person
associatedWith Toft, Peter Peterson. person
associatedWith University of Oregon Library. corporateBody
associatedWith Whittredge, Worthington, 1820-1910 person
associatedWith Wiggins, Guy C. (Guy Carleton), 1883-1962 person
associatedWith Winter, Daniel. person
associatedWith Wood, Charles Erskine Scott, 1852-1944 person
associatedWith Wores, Theodore, 1858-1939 person
Place Name Admin Code Country
West (U.S.)
Northwest, Pacific
West (U.S.)
Northwest, Pacific
Subject
Art
Haida Indians
Indians of North America
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1906-03-08

Death 1998-03-29

Information

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SNAC ID: 18638846