Mildred Stapley Byne
Mildred Stapley Byne (1875-1941) was an American art historian who specialized in Spanish art and architecture. With her husband Arthur Byne (1883-1935), whom she married in 1910,[1] she wrote many of the first academic works in English on the architecture and ironwork of Spanish colonial North America.[2]
Byne's first noted essay on "The Great Queen Isabel" was published in Harper's Monthly Magazine in June 1912.[1][3] Her most famous book is Christopher Columbus, a popular biography that brought new research done in Spanish to English-speaking audiences.[4] Seventeen editions have been published between 1915 and 2012.[5]
Both members of the couple were corresponding members of the Hispanic Society of America,[6] and served as curators of architecture and applied arts from 1916 to 1921.[1] In 1921, the Bynes ended their relationship with the HSA and settled permanently in Madrid.[1]
Through their friend Julia Morgan, the couple helped American collector William Randolph Hearst acquire Spanish art and decorative items.[7] After 1921, the Bynes established themselves as dealers.[1] They also served as historical consultants for Spanish colonial and colonial-style houses in California.[8]
Their work was widely praised, and one reviewer wrote of one of their books: "A book like this is a stimulant to the creative faculty."[9]
In 1931, couple bought a home in Madrid built in 1885 by Don Manuel Caldero, the Marqués de Salamanca.[10] It was purchased by the United States government in 1944 and now serves as an American diplomatic building.[11] In 2006, the building was added to the Register of Culturally Significant Property.[11]
The couple's last name is often misspelled as "Byrne" or "Bryne."[9]
Publications
- "The City of Towers," Harper's Monthly Magazine, October 1911.[12]
- "The Great Queen Isabella," Harper's Monthly Magazine, June 1912.[3]
- Rejería of the Spanish Renaissance (New York: The Hispanic Society of America, 1914), with Arthur Byne[13]
- Spanish Ironwork (New York: The Hispanic Society of America, 1915), with Arthur Byne[14][15]
- Christopher Columbus (New York: The MacMillan Company, 1915)[4]
- Spanish Architecture of the 16th Century (New York: G. P. Putnam and Sons, 1917), with Arthur Byne[9]
- Translation of Orestes Ferrera, Causes and pretexts of the world war: a searching examination into the play and counterplay of European politics from the Franco-Prussian war to the outburst of the great world war (New York: American-Neo-Latin Library, 1918)[16]
- Spanish Interiors and Furniture: Photographs and Drawings, vol. 1 (New York: Architectural Book Pub. Co., c. 1921-1922)
- Decorated Wooden Ceilings in Spain (New York: G. P. Putnam and Sons, 1920), with Arthur Byne[17]
- Spanish Interiors and Furniture, vol. 2 (New York: William Helburn, Inc., 1922), with Arthur Byne[6]
- Popular Weaving and Embroidery in Spain (New York: William Helburn, Inc., 1924)[18]
- Provincial Houses in Spain (New York: W. Helburn Inc., 1925), with Arthur Byne
- Forgotten Shrines of Spain (New York(?): J. B. Lippincott and Co., 1926)[19]
- Important mediaeval and early Renaissance works of art from Spain: sculptures, furniture, textiles, tapestries, and rugs: collection of Conde de las Almenas, Madrid, Spain (New York : American Art Association, 1927), with Arthur Byne and Ercole Canessa.[20]
- The Sculptured Capital in Spain: a Series of Examples Dating from the Sixth to the Sixteenth Century (New York: William Helburn, Inc., 1928)
- Spanish Gardens and Patios (New York(?): J. B. Lippincott and Co., 1928)[21]
- Majorcan Houses and Gardens: A Spanish Island in the Mediterranean (New York: William Helburn, Inc., 1928), with Arthur Byne[22]
Other Resources
- The University of Pennsylvania has compiled a webpage dedicated to Stapley Byne's digitized works.
- The couple was the subject of an unpublished thesis by Victoria Rodriguez Thiessen, Byne and Stapley: Scholars, Dealers, and Collectors of Spanish Decorative Arts (Thesis (M.A.)--Cooper-Hewitt Museum and Parsons School of Design, 1998). Online catalogue record.
References
- Kagan, Richard L. (2019). The Spanish Craze: America's Fascination with the Hispanic World, 1779-1939. University of Nebraska Press. pp. no page numbers given, information appears between Fig. 30 and Fig. 31. ISBN 978-1-4962-1113-2.
- "Byne, Mildred Stapley, 1875-1941". Archives Directory for the History of Collecting, The Frick Collection. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
- Byne, Mildred Stapley (June 1912). "The great Queen Isabella". Harper's Magazine. ISSN 0017-789X. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
- Byne (Mrs), Mildred (Stapley) (1915). Christopher Columbus.
- "Byne, Mildred Stapley 1875-1941". OCLC WorldCat Identities. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
- Byne, Mildred Stapley (1922). Spanish Interiors and Furniture. W. Helburn.
- Harris, John (2007). Moving Rooms. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. p. 220. ISBN 978-0-300-12420-0.
- "PCAD - Mildred Stapley Byne". pcad.lib.washington.edu. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
- Bragdon, Claude (1917). "The Renaissance in Spain". The Dial. London: Jansen, McClurg & Company. pp. 17–18.
- "Byne House, Madrid, Spain". The Secretary of State's Register of Culturally Significant Property (PDF). Arlington, VA: Overseas Buildings Operations, Cultural Resources Committee. 2009. pp. no page numbers.
- "The artistic treasures of the residence of US Embassy's 'number two'". The Diplomat in Spain. 2017-03-21. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
- Byne, Mildred Stapley (October 1911). "The city of towers". Harper's Magazine. ISSN 0017-789X. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
- Byne, Arthur; Byne, Mildred Stapley; Hispanic Society of America. (1914). Rejería of the Spanish renaissance: a collection of photographs and measured drawings with descriptive text. Hispanic society publications ;no. 87. New York: Hispanic Society of America.
- Byne, Arthur; Byne, Mildred Stapley; Stapley, Mildred (1915). Spanish Ironwork. Hispanic society of America.
mildred stapley byne.
- Byne, Arthur; Byne, Mildred Stapley (1915). Spanish Ironwork. The Hispanic society of America.
- Ferrara, Orestes; Byne, Mildred Stapley (1918). Causes and pretexts of the world war; a searching examination into the play and counterplay of European politics from the Franco-Prussian war to the outburst of the great world war. New York, N. Y.: American-neo-Latin library.
- The Bookseller, Newsdealer and Stationer. Excelsior Publishing House. 1920. p. 640.
- Byne, Mildred Stapley (1924). Popular Weaving and Embroidery in Spain. W. Helburn.
- Byne, Mrs Mildred (Stapley) (1926). Forgotten Shrines of Spain. J. B. Lippincott Company.
mildred stapley byne.
- Important Mediaeval and early Renaissance works of art from Spain : sculptures, furniture, textiles, tapestries and rugs, collection of Conde de las Almenas, Madrid, Spain. New York: American Art Association. 1927.
- Spanish Gardens and Patios. J. B. Lippincott Company. 1928.
- Byne, Arthur; Byne, Mildred Stapley (1928). Majorcan Houses and Gardens: A Spanish Island in the Mediterranean. W. Helbvrn Incorporated.