Etchings of NC Scenes
History of the Etchings on North Carolina by Louis Orr by Robert Humber, 1975
"The South always, from childhood, intrigued me;I love North Carolina, and if the Etchings express some of this sincere admiration, then I have not been chasing a mirage."
- Louis Orr
How the Collection Came to Be
The Louis Orr etchings were 51 etchings by world-class artist Louis Orr, portraying public school buildings, churches, private residences, and scenic views around North Carolina selected for their historic, architectural, or geological significance. A native of Hartford, Conn., Orr lived and worked for most of his life in Paris, where he gained a reputation as one of the foremost etchers of his time. Attorney and businessman Robert Lee Humber, who hailed from Greenville, lived in Paris during the 1920s and 1930s. In 1927 Humber and Orr met and developed a close friendship.
During the 1930s, Humber proposed that Orr execute a series of etchings reflecting some of the finest examples of North Carolina's architecture and historical sites. Humber hoped to preserve North Carolina's heritage through the work of a recognized master of the art and to provide affordable, original artwork to schools, colleges, public libraries, and institutions as well as individuals throughout the state.
Meeting in New York City in 1939, Orr and Humber agreed that Orr would produce 50 etchings of a uniform size, plus a larger one of the State Capitol. Humber would underwrite the cost of the project. They refined the final list of subjects in consultation with North Carolina historians and other authorities on the state's history, including C. Christopher Crittenden, R. D. W. Connor, and Archibald Henderson.
Orr began the series in 1939 and completed it in [1951 or] 1952*. He made several tours of the state to sketch his subjects, returning to his Hartford studio to execute the copper plates. In 1953 Orr returned to Paris, where he continued to work until his death in 1966.
*Most sources, including letters in the library's possession from Humber, say Orr completed his etchings of North Carolina in 1951, but this particular source references a completion date of 1952.
Reference:
Humber, Robert Lee. "History of the Etchings on North Carolina by Louis Orr," North Carolina Libraries 23 (Summer-Fall 1975).
The Public Library of Johnston County & Smithfield Acquires Complete Collection
The library bought the full set of 51 etchings in the 1960s for about $3,000. Created by Louis Orr, a famed artist, the etchings went into storage because the library had no money to frame them. They are now valued at more than $60,000.
In the 1960s, after finishing the building that merged the Johnston County and Smithfield libraries, the newly merged Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield had approximately $3,000 left over. Robert Lee Humber, who personally underwrote the etching projects, approached the library board of trustees and convinced them to buy a complete set of the etchings. Humber, a North Carolina Native, was well-known at the time, as he founded the North Carolina Museum of Art and lived in Paris for years as an international lawyer (he would later help found the United Nations).
After the Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield purchased the etchings in the 1960's, the pieces lay packed away until around 2011. A group of people came together and raised about $9,000 to have the etchings framed with protective method to preserve them.