Fortunately, informative labels were found on the back of both of these watercolors.

    Adam Maeroff is a native of Ohio who has relocated to Pittsburgh. He attended the Art Institute of Philadelphia, The School of Visual Arts and Pratt Manhattan.

    Julius Kahn was born in Frankfurt, Germany on 1 December 1892. Kahn may have served in WWI, as a picture he took of the trenches of that war was mentioned in a history of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh. Kahn gave his place of employment as the Biehl Optical Company on his WWII Draft Registration Card. The October 11, 1962 issue of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette contains a biography of Kahn on the occasion of an exhibition of his artwork at the Gallery Upstairs. The exhibition included oils, watercolors and drawings. According to this article, Kahn studied applied art at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Hamburg, Germany. He came to the United States in 1938 as a result of Hitler's ascent to power. He worked as a printer in Pittsburgh and studied painting with Samuel Rosenberg and Balcomb Greene. He became a member of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh (AAP) in 1943. He exhibited 29 paintings in 20 years between 1943 and 1982 at the AAP annual exhibitions. The last painting, titled "Window", was in 1982. Kahn was married to a woman named Selma Schoemann, who was born on 30 April 1917 in Losnich, Germany, and died on 3 March 1997 in Pittsburgh. Julius and Selma are the grandparents of well known photographer Jesse Kalisher of New York City. Note that the painting in my collection was completed when Kahn was 88 or 89 years of age. This painting was offered at the "Two Day Historic Hillsborough Auction" sponsored by Leland Little Auction and Estate Sales Ltd., at Hillsborough, North Carolina on 16 September 2006. This may give a clue to the estate that it came from.

    Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 11 October 1962:

'Stark Nature Artist' Adept in Other Styles
Julius Kahn Show at 'Gallery Upstairs'

By Jeanette Jena
Post Art Critic

    In a biographical sketch - prepared for his current exhibit at the "Gallery Upstairs" - Julius Kahn says that he deliberately "commits the crime" of copying nature as closely as he can, making only slight distortions or changes when he feels that expression of rhythm requires it, and preferring to paint "right on the spot."
    In spite of this bold assertion, I feel that the artist's pictures of Israel are the most convincing works in the show. And these, he admits, were necessarily done from sketches and snapshots, because he had no time for full scale painting, during his recent brief visit there.

"Emotional Distance Cited

    To be sure, these oils - "Israel Landscape," "Bazaar Street in Akko," "Impression at Tiberias" and "Chalutz" - must certainly be called realistic; as would the portfolio of prints, based on Israeli sketches, which are also exhibited here.
    However, memory has created an "emotional distance" which seems to add more force to these landscapes. And although Kahn's approach betrays an unabashed admiration for Van Gogh's dazzling colors and vivid southern patterns, I think you could call this the lesser "crime" of copying "human nature," which other artists have done before him.
    Largely self-taught and a printer by occupation, Kahn was born in Frankfurt, Germany, came to this country and in 1938 , during the Hitler oppression.

Water Colors, Oils Praised

    A United States citizen since 1944, he has been a member of the Associated Artists since 1943; and, in Pittsburgh, supplemented his early training in applied art at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Hamburg with evening classes with Samuel Rosenberg and Balcomb Greene.
    In addition to the Israel subjects, I like the free handling of a watercolor and an oil called "Parade". Both suggest people caught off guard, enjoying themselves in a crowd; and I would guess that they were also inspired bu quick sketches, rather than carefully worked over "on the spot."
    The exhibition is made up of 25 oils, watercolors and drawings - still-life subjects - in addition to the print portfolio. It continues through October 28.

Julius Kahn, Pittsburgh Artist

    Julius Kahn, a Pittsburgh artist and retired printer, died Monday in Forbes Hospice. He was 90.
    Mr.Kahn who lived at 5326 Bartlett St., Squirrel Hill, was native of Germany and came to this country in 1938.
    He studied art here under Samuel Rosenberg but his full-time occupation was as a printer. He owned a shop in the former Pittsburgh Life Building Downtown.
    Mr. Kahn's works were exhibited at the Arts and Craft center in Shadyside and at one-man shows in the Museum of Art, Carnegie Institute.
    He was a member of B'nai-Zion Congregation; the Pittsburgh Society of Artists; and a 25-year member of the Zionist Organization of America. He also was a member of the defunct Friendship Club and its predecessor, the German Club.
    Mr. Kahn is survived by his wife, Selma; a daughter Ilse Kalisher of New York City; a sister, Alice Blumenthal of Bethesda, Md,; and a grandson.
    Services will be held at 1 p.m. tomorrow in the Ralph Schugar Chapel, 5509 Centre Ave., Shadyside. Visitation will be one hour before services. Burial will be in the Beth Shalom Cemetery, Shaler
    Memorial contributions may be made to the Gertrude Nachman Memorial Book Fund of the Hebrew Institute of Pittsburgh, Forbes and Deniston avenues, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15217. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Julius Kahn

    Pittsburgh artist Julius Kahn, 90, died yesterday at the Forbes Hospice in the East End.
    Mr. Kahn of 6326 Bartlett St., Squirrel Hill was a native of Germany who came to the United States in 1938. He worked as a printer with offices in the Pittsburgh Standard Life Building, Downtown.
    Mr. Kahn studied with Pittsburgh artist Samuel Rosenberg and had been a member of the Associated Artists Guild since 1943. He was a 25-year member of the Zionist Organization of America and belonged to the Pittsburgh Society of Artists, the Pittsburgh Center for Arts and the Carnegie Museum Society. He also belonged to the former Congregation B'nai Zion in Squirrel Hill and the now defunct Friendship club.
    He is survived by his wife, Selma of Squirrel Hill, a daughter, Ilse Kalisher of New York City; a sister, Alice Blumenthal of Bethesda, Md., and a grandson.
    Services will be at 1 p.m. tomorrow at the Ralph Schugar Chapel, 5509 Centre Ave., Shadyside. Friends may call an hour before the service. Burial will be in the Beth Shalom Cemetery, Shaler.
    Contributions may be made to the Gertrude Nachman Memorial Book Fund of the Hebrew Institute of Pittsburgh.

    Jennifer "Jen" Hagen was raised in New York and Florida. She received a degree in commercial art and worked in various related positions for several years. Hagen eventually felt that her true calling was fine art and she was accepted into the full time program at the Studio Incamminati in Philadelphia, which focuses on teaching classic Italian Realism. She completed a four year certificate at the Studio Incamminati and was awarded a teaching fellowship there.

    Jesse Rogers Ullrich was born in Philadelphia on 6 July 1887 a son of Charles H. and Sarah A. Rogers Ullrich. Charles owned a printing shop in Philadelphia. Jesse received a B.S. in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania in 1910. He married Amabel Gertrude Law on 30 December 1911 in Delaware County, PA. He received a certificate in Industrial Drawing from the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1911.  He was employed as the Head of Technical Drawing at Wilkes-Barre High School in 1913. Jesse was employed at the Department of Architecture of the University of Pennsylvania in 1934. He was a painter, working in watercolors and oils. There is no information available about Ullrich's work as an artist and he is not listed in any art reference work, though he was a talented artist. The seller of this painting and several other works by Ullrich described him as a "University of Pennsylvania Art Teacher (Long passed) and Science Fiction Author". I have not been able to confirm whether or not he taught art, but he did write three short stories for "Amazing Stories" magazine between 1929 and 1931, under the pen name J. Rogers Ullrich. He also wrote an article for "School Arts" magazine in 1921 and another for "Popular Science" magazine in 1930. He often used the initial instead of his first name.
    Amabel died on 29 March 1939 in Upper Darby, Delaware County, PA. Ullrich died in October 1970 at Ocean City, Cape May, New Jersey. They are both buried in the West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Montgomery County, PA.

Ullrich monogram

    Katheryn Stott Buxton was born in the South West, but now lives in New Berlin, PA. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a BFA focusing on painting in 1993. She has a blog and a web site.

    Eric Kahn was born in 1949 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a son of Louis Kahn. I could find little information about this artist until I contacted a dealer in his works who knows him personally and has been a collector of his work for ten years. The mentions that I did find were the result of an auction of several of his works by the Alderfer Auction Center on ArtFact.com in February 2010. Alderfer Auction Center is located in Hatfield, PA. It was noted in the auction notice that works not sold on ArtFact.com would be sold at the auction center. My painting has an Alderfer tag on it, and was part of the Alderfer lot of fifteen Kahn paintings purchased by the dealer I obtained this work from. Kahn is mentioned on several on line art sites, AskArt, ArtInfo, etc. This work is signed and titled in marker on the stretcher, verso, and also signed "E. Kahn" lower right. A nice little painting and it came nicely framed, too. The dealer who sells his works told me that Kahn is still active, painting almost every day in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Kahn has studios in both New Jersey and New England. Kahn is mostly self taught but studied with his father, Louis Kahn in Philadelphia, according to the dealer. Eric Kahn took classes in Photo Illustration at Rochester Institute of Technology.

    Nadine Karnow was born 7 December 1942 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Paul and Anastasia Goregliad Karnow. Nadine was a painter, sculptor, musician, dancer, and illustrator. She graduated from the Tyler School of Art with a Masters degree. She taught art at Sarah Lawrence University and Penn State University. After her death many of her works of art, paintings and sculptures, along with a large collection of musical instruments, were sold at auction. Probably, since the works were from her private collection, many were not signed. Many were marked "NFS", not for sale, so likely had been exhibited. I found some indication that she also collected art, so I do not think it can be said with certainty that the painting in my collection is her work, though her name is written on the dust cover and the seller acquired it as a part of a lot of her works, some signed. I removed the dust cover and there is nothing written verso. Interestingly, the painting was done on a wooden board that was apparently run over by some type of wheeled vehicle that left a tire mark on the wood. It appears to be a very thin plywood. I could not find any examples of her paintings for comparison, or clear photos of her. It is possible that this is a self portrait based on the rather indistinct photo shown below. I like the colors, use of light and shadow and general style of the work. I would appreciate any information about Nadine, her work as an artist, and would like to find a better photograph of her.
    Nadine's obituary appeared in the Philadelphia Enquirer:

Nadine Karnow, renown artist, illustrator, teacher and musician fell asleep in our Lord on July 8th 2009. Born in Philadelphia to Anastasia and the late Deacon Paul Karnow, her musical and artistic talents quickly emerged. She was a singer, dancer, and instrumentalist with the Saint Andrew Balalaika Orchestra for more than four decades. As a student, she attended the Tyler School of Art, earning a Masters Degree in Art. She than went on to teach Art at the Sarah Lawrence College in New York, and at Penn State University. She also taught in the local Philadelphia area. As an artist her art works and ceramics were exhibited at many art galleries in the Philadelphia area. She also worked as an illustrator, illustrating technical manuscripts and exhibits for the Philadelphia Museum of Natural History. She also illustrated Russian Costumes for various publications She was a member of the Balalaika and Dombra Association of America since its inception. and a member of the Saint Andrew’s Orthodox Cathedral Choir. Although her tragic accident in 1986 disabled her, it did not diminish her love of art, culture and all things Russian.

    Albert Washington Weitershausen was born on 20 April 1879 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, a son of Charles R. and Antonetta Weitershausen. Charles worked as a fire insurance agent. A. W. Weitershausen is listed in the 1902 Pittsburgh and Allegheny directory as an  employee of the Commercial Glass Co., of Millvale, PA. Albert was listed as "prest" of the Commercial Glass Co. in the 1903-1905 city directories. This may have been an abbreviation for "president". Albert is listed as the secretary-treasurer of the Pittsburgh Art Glass & Mosaic Decorative Co. 1906-1910. He appears in later directories at the same company with various titles, including Superintendent, etc. Albert married a woman named Mary Bertha about 1907, probably in Allegheny County. The couple was living in Millvale, PA in 1910 where Albert was employed as a stained glass designer. I have not been able to discover where Albert received his training. Albert received a  patent for an improved technique in creating leaded glass constructions in 1914. He was an employee of the Pittsburgh Art Glass Company at the time. Albert completed WWI and WWII draft registration cards and in 1942 was still employed by the same company, which had been renamed Pittsburgh Art Glass Studios in 1924. This company was founded in 1903, so Albert was certainly one of its longest serving employees by 1942. Albert's profession was given as stained glass artist in the art glass industry in 1930. The Weitershausens had one daughter, Mary H., born about 1919.

Label, verso

    I have found several references to Albert's work as a stained glass artist, but he seems to be completely undocumented as a fine artist. Several contemporary stained glass artists in Pittsburgh, and the vicinity, were also well known fine artists. Judging by the monogram on the front, and label attached to the back of this painting, his lack of recognition, may be attributable to the fact that he signed his work using a monogram. The fact that a special label was printed for this painting would seem to indicate that Albert routinely created fine art. I found the following definition of thumb-box sketches using Google Books: "They were such sketches as an artist commonly makes in the field, with a small box of colors held on the thumb, and arranged, when open, to serve both as palette and easel - hence the name 'thumb-box sketch.'" It was also noted in various sources that such paintings tended to be miniatures, so this painting would be a rather large example of such a work. Mussini Oil Colors are still in production today.

    George Knecht was born on 31 October 1926 in Philadelphia, PA, a son of Elmer and Marie E. Church Knecht. He graduated from the Hussian School of Art. Knecht was the founder and Chairman of the Graphics Art Department at Temple University until he retired in 1987.
    George Knecht died on 15 January 1998 in Meadowbrook, PA. His obituary appeared in a local newspaper:

George Knecht

George Knecht died January 10, 1998 at his home in Meadowbrook. He was 71. Born in Philadelphia, he was the son of the late Marie E. Church and Elmer Knecht. He was a graduate of the Hussian School of Art in Philadelphia. An accomplished artist, he started and headed the Graphic Arts Department at Temple University until his retirement in 1987. Mr. Knecht was an Army veteran of World War II, having served in the Philippine Islands. He is survived by his wife, Henrietta W. Dotterer Knecht; a brother, William Knecht of Philadelphia; a sister, Betty Fidler of Philadelphia; stepchildren, Scott S. Dotterer III of Tokyo, Japan and Susanna E. Lipscomb of Catlett, Va.; and a step grandson, Thomas Lipscomb. A memorial service will be held Friday, January 16 at 1:30 p.m. in the Baron Rowland Funeral Home, 1059 Old Yord Rd., Abington. The family will receive friends after 1 p.m. Interment will be private. Remembrances may be sent to the charity of the donor's choice

    He was also mentioned in the Temple University staff and alumni publication:

Label on back of painting

    Knecht exhibited and sold his work, as evidenced by the label on the back of this painting. The Hussian School of Art web site emphasizes that the instructors there are also active professionals in the world of graphic design. Knecht may have incorporated this into the Graphic Arts Department at Temple University. This work is not dated, and it may also have been painted after his retirement. I have not found many mentions of his professional work and none of his fine arts work. Knecht is not listed in any major art reference source.

Knecht's signature from this painting

    Robert "Bob" Karsten was born 17 April 1943 in New York, a son of Erna Karsten. At 22 Karsten earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, majoring in painting with a minor in sculpture and intaglio printmaking. He graduated Cum Laude in 1965, then in 1967 earned a Masters degree at the Maryland Institute College of Art Huffberger School of Painting, again majoring in painting with a minor in intaglio printmaking. Karsten was a tall man, about six foot four, and slender of build at about 220 lbs. He was an Olympic-style weightlifter and much of the information below comes from a weightlifting acquaintance who met Karsten in Louisiana and became a friend of both Karsten and his mother for many years.

unnamed, Robert Karsten, 14" x 11", oil on masonite panel, 1965

    Karsten was as an Associate Professor in the School of Art at Louisiana Tech University, starting in 1968, teaching painting and drawing,
including figure drawing and anatomy, as well as graduate courses in painting. About 1984 he relocated to Red Lion, Pennsylvania where he worked as an fine artist. Karsten was a painter in oils and pastels, and an illustrator. He had a "massive fascination" with trucks, trains, and horse racing and painted those things. Among other subjects, he created a series of semi truck paintings in pastels and lithographs that were created from his original oil paintings. He was commissioned by a hobby shop, Trainmaster of Montgomery, located in Montgomery, Alabama, to paint a series of paintings for lithographs of well known trains. These lithographs are now very sought after by train afficianados. He was also commissioned by Wither's Publishing to do covers for two books about trains, Norfolk & Western Volume 1 and Volume 2. Karsten did a book cover for a book about Seaborn Air Lines trains for an author named Warren Calloway. The first painting above reminds me a bit of the "flatscape" style of Harold Gregor.

"Study for 'In Harmony'", Robert Karsten, 8" x 12", casein on masonite panel, 1966

    Karsten did not marry and his only relatives were his mother and a childless aunt and uncle on his mother's side. His mother and sister came to the US about 1918 from Germany at the end of WWII. They all settled in York, PA. Karsten did not know his father. Karsten's aunt and uncle died in York County, and later his mother died there, too. Karsten lived with his mother for many years both in Pennsylvania and Louisiana. Robert Karsten apparently became despondent upon the death of this mother and possibly due to a diagnosis of macular degeneration which resulted in him taking his own life.
    Robert Karsten died 16 August 1996 in York, PA.

    Nathan "Nate" Dunn was born 4 July 1896 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Polish/Russian parents, Israel and Edith "Ida" Dunn. Israel Dunn was a dry goods peddler in 1900 and immigrated in 1890, becoming a naturalized US citizen in 1895. Nate was painter in oils and watercolors and began his career in Uniontown, PA and later settled in Sharon, PA before 1930. He taught for ten years at the Girls Buhl School in Sharon. He was an early member of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh and a member of the Royal Society of Art. He studied at the Carnegie Institute of Technology with Arthur Sparks, Alfred Taylor, and George Sotter. Dunn was known as a Pennsylvania Modernist and is thought to have been associated with the Pennsylvania Impressionists of the New Hope School. His teacher, George Sotter, was definitely associated with the Pennsylvania Impressionists. Dunn exhibited widely, including yearly at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, and his work is part of the permanent collections of the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio and the Carnegie Institute of Technology. His work was included in the Vincent Price Collection.
    Dunn is mentioned in Who's Who in American Art (1973-1984), Who Was Who in American Art by Falk, and Davenport's Art Reference and Price Guide.
    Dunn was in the habit of going to Cape Cod to paint for two or three weeks each summer. He was married to a woman named Beatrice who died in January of 1983. Nate Dunn died in November 1983 in Sharon, PA. I found a record of the arrival of Nate and Beatrice Dunn from Hamilton, Bermuda on 8 February 1926, a trip that may have been their honeymoon.

    Harriett Curtin Ermentrout was born 26 November 1915 in Philadelphia, PA the daughter of Allen Sheldon and Theresa B. Ermentrout. Her father worked in the leather trade for many years. Her mother died between 1920 and 1930 and her father remarried and moved to Bucks County, PA. Harriet is an artist in watercolors, oils, pastels, pen, and pencil but prefers watercolors. She studied interior design at the Moore Institute of Art, and also studied with Roy Nuse, John Pike, Ranulph Bye, and Ed Whitney. Ermentrout is a member of the Philadelphia Sketch Club and exhibited at the Woodmere Art Museum and other places. She is a resident of Bucks County, PA and best known for painting Bucks County scenes of buildings and landscapes. She was still exhibiting her work in her nineties. Her signature is very consistent on all of the paintings I have seen, and I suspect that she uses a stamp.