Carolyn Phinney Sweetser (1863–1952) was an American watercolorist and amateur botanist who lived and worked in Oregon.
Carrie Sweetser | |
|---|---|
 Carolyn "Carrie" Knowles Phinney Sweetser (1863–1952) | |
| Born | Carolyn Knowles Phinney September 11, 1863 Centerville, Massachusetts |
| Died | September 9, 1952 (aged 88) Eugene, Oregon |
| Known for | Watercolorist |
Early life and education
editCarolyn Knowles Phinney, daughter of Nelson and Eunice (Clark) Phinney, was born in Centerville, Massachusetts, on September 11, 1863.[1] She married Albert Raddin Sweetser (1861–1940) in Centerville on February 29, 1888.[2] The couple had no children, but they raised Carrie's nephew, George Phinney.
They moved to Forest Grove, Oregon, in 1897 when her husband was hired by Pacific University.[3] They moved to Eugene when her husband joined the Botany faculty of the University of Oregon in 1902, and became head of the department in 1909.[2][4]
Watercolorist and amateur botanist
editSweetser spent much time over the years on botanical exploring trips with her husband and others,[5] during which she painted watercolors of wildflowers and fungi, though she had no formal training in art.[3] More than 300 of her paintings are in the special collections in the University of Oregon Libraries.[4]
Reception
editThe Eugene Guard noted, "For many who have not had the opportunity to roam over the hills and meadows of the Oregon country, these delicate watercolors are a source of great interest and knowledge. And for those who have more intimate knowledge of the wildflowers of the area, the pictures are a delightful reminder."[3] Biographer Rhoda Love wrote, "Her surviving paintings, photographs, and diaries provide a vivid picture of a Northwest botanist's life in the early twentieth century."[4]
Sweetser died in Eugene on September 9, 1952, two days short of eighty-nine years.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Massachusetts Marriage Records, 1840–1915". ancestry.com. February 29, 1888. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
- ^ a b Love, Rhoda M. (1996). "Albert Raddin Sweetser, Founder of the University of Oregon Herbarium" (PDF). Kalmiopsis. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
- ^ a b c Moore, Jo (January 7, 1948). "Widow of Botanist is Painter of Fine Collection of Watercolors". Eugene Guard. Retrieved January 20, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d Love, Rhoda. "Carrie Phinney Sweetser (1863–1952)". www.oregonencyclopedia.org. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
- ^ Glenda Riley (1999). Women and Nature: Saving the "Wild" West. U of Nebraska Press. pp. 56–. ISBN 0-8032-8975-8.
External links
edit- Albert and Carrie Sweetser papers at the University of Oregon
- Carrie K. Sweetser paintings at the University of Oregon