Miriam Tindall Smith

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Miriam Tindall Smith
A young white woman with dark eyes, wearing a large Russian-inspired headpieces and robes, one hand raised to show rings on her fingers
Miriam Tindall in Russian-inspired costume for a student production, from a 1924 publication
Born
Miriam Pauline Tindall

1901
Norwood, Pennsylvania
DiedJanuary 13, 1973
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
OccupationArtist

Miriam Pauline Tindall Smith (1901 – January 13, 1973) was an American artist, based in Philadelphia. She made paintings, murals, sculptures, and costume designs.

Early life and education[edit]

Tindall was born in Norwood, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Alfred Ashton Tindall and Jennie Minerva Baltz Tindall. Her father worked for the railroad. She graduated from Chester High School in 1919,[1][2] and trained as an artist at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Arts,[3][4][5] and with Arthur Beecher Carles.[6]

Career[edit]

Smith was a painter active mainly in Philadelphia in the 1930s and 1940s.[7][8] She was known for her murals, including scenic murals inside the Empire State Express rail cars,[9] and a mural for the 1939 New York World's Fair, depicting "the triumph of asbestos over the elements".[10] Also in 1939, she finished a large mural depicting the Sermon on the Mount and other Gospel scenes, in the sanctuary of the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Norwood, as a memorial for her mother.[11][12] She also designed theatrical costumes[4] and masks.[13][14][15] She worked for the Public Works Administration during the 1930s.[16]

Smith and her husband were active in the alumni organization for the Pennsylvania Museum School of Industrial Art.[3] In 1955, Smith had a solo show at the Allentown Art Museum.[17]

Personal life and legacy[edit]

Miriam Tindall married fellow artist William Singerly Smith in 1926. She died in 1973, in her seventies.[18] In 2019, Immanuel Lutheran Church in Norwood held a celebration and re-dedication, marking the 80th anniversary of her mural there.[19]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Chester High School, Our 1919 Annual (1919 yearbook): 49. via Ancestry
  2. ^ "Norwood Club to Hear Art Talk". Chester Times. March 11, 1955. p. 12. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via NewspaperArchive.com.
  3. ^ a b Smith, W. Singerly. "Alumni News" The Sketchbook (Spring 1935): 30-31. via Internet Archive
  4. ^ a b "Art School Students Act as Living Models". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 1923-05-03. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-03-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Studying English Poster Art". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 1923-03-22. p. 15. Retrieved 2023-03-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Miriam Tindall Smith". Papillon Gallery. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
  7. ^ Lewis, R. Edward (1938-05-08). "Annuals Deal 10 Art Honors; Exhibits Cover Many Media". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 52. Retrieved 2023-03-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Sketch Club's Small Oils". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 1940-05-12. p. 70. Retrieved 2023-03-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Stainless Steel Cars for the Empire State Express" Railway Age 111(25)(December 20, 1941): 1029.
  10. ^ "Asbestos" Asbestos 20(11)(May 1939): 3. via Internet Archive
  11. ^ "In and Around the Studios". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 1939-10-29. p. 74. Retrieved 2023-03-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Norwood Mural is Dedicated". Chester Times. December 4, 1939. p. 7. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via NewspaperArchive.com.
  13. ^ "Masked Players of a New Type". The North-China Herald. March 22, 1939. p. 527. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Internet Archive.
  14. ^ "This Can't Be Love" Kingston Daily Freeman (February 18, 1939): 9. via Internet Archive.
  15. ^ "Helen of Troy to Greta Garbo--That's Range of Mask Show Here". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 1934-02-18. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-03-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "PWA Helps Artists". Lancaster New Era. 1934-01-27. p. 16. Retrieved 2023-03-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Novel Display". The Morning Call. 1955-07-29. p. 7. Retrieved 2023-03-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Smith (death notice)". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 1973-01-14. p. 42. Retrieved 2023-03-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Church Events around Delaware County". Delco Times. 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2023-03-25.

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