DVOC Main Page > History
> Founders of the DVOC > George
Spencer Morris
Facts about George Spencer Morris
Personal Life
- Born in Olney, Philadelphia, PA, July 11, 1867
- Son of Samuel Morris and Lydia Spencer
- His aunt, Buelah Morris Rhoads, a lover a nature, was a
major influence in his life. She was the stepmother of Samuel
Nickolson Rhoads.
- On his mother's side he was connected with Edward Harris
of Morrestown, NJ, friend and patron of J.J. Audubon
- Attended school at the Haddonfield Academy, Haddonfield,
N.J.
- Attended Westtown Boarding
School
- Studied architecture and drawing at Drexel Institute and
the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts 1886-1904
- Married 1895 in the Gwynnd Meeting.
Spouse - Lydia Ellicott
- Son - Samuel Morris born June 12, 1896
- Daughter - Lydia Spencer Morris born November 29, 1900
- Daughter - Nancy born April 3, 1898
- Daughter - Edith Ellicott, August 12, 1899
- Daughter - Anna Perot. May 14, 1906
- Applied for a passport May 27, 1885. Passport application
describes him as - Stature: 5' 6 3/4", Forehead: Medium, Eyes: Blue-gray,
Nose: Straight, Mouth: Medium, Chin: Round, Hair: Brown, Complexion: Light,
Face: Oval
- Visited England in 1895
- Known for coastal landscape painting,
- Established camps at Catoxin on a branch of the Rancocas,
near Medford, NJ and at Four-ways on the Egg Harbor
- Visited Beach Haven New Jersy with Samuel Nickolson Rhoads
- Regular visitor to Cape Charles, VA and Eaglesmere, PA
- Visited Tampa Bay, Florida in 1889
- Visited Washington and British Columbia with Rhoads
and J. W. Evans
- Active member of the Society of Friends
- Lydia Ellicott Morris applied for a passport on June 11,
1923
- Spent his last winters in Miami
- Died April 12, 1922 in Olney, Philadelphia, PA
Professional Life
- Apprenticed with Addison
Hutton, Cope
& Stewardson and Walter Smedley
- Morris and William S. Vaux, Jr worked together as partners
in an archtectural firm until 1905 after which they worked independently
- Morris and Richard Erskine founded Morris
and Erskine about 1909. Erskine worked for the firm of Morris & Vaux
before becoming Morris's partner. This firm existed until Morris's death.
Memberships / Organizations
- Boy Scouts of Philadelphia, Director
- Philadelphia Sketch Club, Vice-President 1907-1901, 1913,
1921, Board of Directors 1902-1906, 1910-1912
- American Ornithologists' Union, Member
- Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Council member,
Curator, Vice Director of the Ornithological Section
- Pennsylvania Audubon Society, Director
- Friends Hospital, member Board of Managers
- Christiansburg
Industrial Institute, Virginia, member Board of Managers
Click
Here for the obituary
of George Spencer Morris as published in Cassina Volume XXV (1922)
Interesting Links
http://www.schwarzgallery.com/index.php?page=artist&modifier=detail&artist=351
http://www.schwarzgallery.com/index.php?page=painting&modifier=detail&painting=408
http://www.archives.upenn.edu/people/1800s/morris_and_erskine.html
http://www.dvoc.org/CassiniaOnLine/Cassinia65/C65_12_14.pdf
Pictures
Interesting
Specimens Collected by George Spencer Morris
(There are 719 specimens collected by Morris in
the collection at the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA)
|
Bonaparte's
Gull
Delaware River below Philadelphia PA 3/31/1890
|
|
Red-headed
Woodpecker
Cresentville (Philadelphia) PA 11/16/1881
|
|
Pine
Warbler
Olney (Philadelphia), PA May 1, 1890
|
Residences
- In 1870 US Census, age 3, living in Olney, Philadelphia
with his parents, a brother and a sister. Father's occupation "Farmer"
- In 1880 US Census, age 12, living in Philadelphia with
his parents and a sister. He is listed as "at school". Father's
occupation "Gentleman". Included in the household 2 servants and
a boarder.
- In 1900 US census, age 32, living in Philadelphia with
his wife, a son and two daughters. The household included three servants
- In 1910 US Census, age 43, living in Philadelphia with
his wife, a son and three daughters. The household included three servents
- In 1920 US census, age 53, living in Cresentville, Philadelphia
with his wife, a son and four daughters
- The Morris family estate was along Tookany Creek in Cresentville,
Philadelphia, PA
- His father's house was named "Olney"
- William Spencer Morris built a house on his father's property
and named it "Birdfield"
Final Resting Place
George Spencer Morris is buried in section C of the Germantown
Friends Meeting Cemetery in Germantown, PA.
Sources
Various US Census records
http://www.schwarzgallery.com/index.php?page=artist&modifier=detail&artist=351
http://www.archives.upenn.edu/people/1800s/morris_and_erskine.html
http://www.sketchclub.org/PSC_memOfNote.html#GeoMor
