PLEASE NOTE THIS COLLECTION IS NOT CURRENTLY ON DISPLAY
By Bruce Williams, Collections Manager
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
August 13, 2020
We have a new offering for visitors on the first floor of the Main House. The “Happy Days in Egypt” exhibition from several years back has been re-envisioned and is now displayed in the Entrance Hall surrounded by objects and architectural elements depicting mythological tales from the ancient world.
In early 1912, as Vizcaya’s owner James Deering prepared to purchase land in Miami and interview architects, he traveled to Egypt. A group of close friends and relatives, including his half-brother Charles Deering, and his sister Abby’s husband, Richard Howe, accompanied James Deering for the three-week tour.
With ample comic relief, this collection of watercolor cards document their trip up the Nile River aboard the riverboat Oonas. Though the cards are unsigned, they are most likely the work of Charles Deering, who studied art in Paris in the early 1890s. These lighthearted illustrations offer a rare glimpse into the social context and personality of James Deering during one of his favorite pastimes: traveling the world.
Each card includes brief captions in which James Deering is referred to as “Chim” and Richard Howe is referred to as “Tick.”
SUPPORT VIZCAYA’S PRESERVATIONCES IN PERSON
Help us protect the estate’s collection
and history for another 100 years.
