This biography from the Archives of AskART:
| The following biography is provided to AskART.com by Nancy Underwood, great-grand daughter of Guernsey Moore. She sent a copy of Moore's obituary and also wrote: "The lettering style he designed for the 'Saturday Evening Post,' referred to in the obituary, is now called Post Old Style and is the style used for the title of the magazine on most covers.
T. Guernsey Moore, Noted Artist, Dies
Succumbs at His Home in Swarthmore to Dilatation of Heart
Famed as Decorator
Thomas Guernsey Moore, widely known artist, designer and decorator, died
suddenly early today at his home on Princeton Avenue, Swarthmore, from
acute dilation of the heart. He passed away while asleep. He had not been
in good health for about a year.
Shortly before Christmas he suffered a severe heart attach resembling a
stroke and for a time his right side was partially paralyzed. He rallied
from this attack, however, and hopes were held for his complete recovery.
Mr. Moore came from an old Germantown family. He was an authority on
Colonial art. His work in design and in decoration was familiar to
thousands throughout the country.
Educated in This City, Mr. Moore was born in Germantown February 14, 1874. He obtained his early education at Germantown Academy and in 1891 entered the Academy of the Fine Arts. In his later life, in recognition of his work and his ability, he was made a fellow of the Academy.
In his youth, he was employed for a time in the art department of the
"Philadelphia Press." Later he had a studio with George Gibbs, the
illustrator, and devoted his time largely to perfecting himself in design.
In 1900, he designed a new style of lettering for the "Saturday Evening Post,"
and he aided in evolving a number of new art features for that publication.
Four years later he became art editor of the "Post."
From 1906 to 1908, he devoted himself largely to magazine, advertising and
art work. In 1908, he assisted Ellis P. Oberholtzer in designing the
costumes and decorations for Philadelphia's great Founders' Week. The
following year he became art director for the Beck Engraving Company.
The year 1912 was a busy one for Mr. Moore. He was art director for the
George L. Boyer Company in New York City, and for Calkins & Holden, also of
New York, and he was designer and director for the large historical pageant
held in Fairmount Park.
Designed Pageant Settings
Until 1914 his time was entirely taken up with magazine and art work. In
1915 he designed the costumes and stage settings for the pageant "Amulet,"
staged at the Bellevue-Stratford by the Matinee Musical Club.
One of his largest pageantry achievements was in December, 1917, when he
designed and directed the Red Cross pageant here. He became art editor of
the "Country Gentleman" in 1917. He directed his last pageant, that
depicting the progress of Woman Suffrage, in Philadelphia in 1921.
Save for a short period in New York, Mr. Moore lived for his entire life in
Philadelphia and vicinity. For the last eleven years he had made his home
at Swarthmore; before that he lived in Germantown.
He had the distinction of designing the first color cover to appear in the
"Saturday Evening Post." He was a member of the Society of Illustrators and
the Franklin Inn Club.
"I respected him as a great authority on costume and on design," Ellis P.
Oberholtzer said today. "He was rated highly."
In the last few years he had devoted himself largely to decoration and
design. He possessed a number of fine articles of Colonial art, most of
which had descended to him from his ancestors.
"He was an acknowledged authority on lettering and designing and
decoration, especially of the Colonial period," Charles D. Mitchell, one of
his associates, said. "He was also known as a colorist of rare ability; in
fact, his delicate colors formed one of the chief charms of his work. His
illness interfered seriously with his work, and he had to forego numerous
opportunities because of this."
Recently he accepted a position as special instructor at the School of
Design for Women, having one class in decoration each week.
He is survived by his widow and two sons, Lawrence and Theodore Moore.
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