Today’s podcast is a short conversation with director of the Bessie Breuer archives Aaron Lisec from SIU. Bessie was Henry Varnum Poor’s Wife, and Mother of Peter Poor. A writer and artist, her papers are at Southern Illinois University. I came to meet Aaron when doing research for the documentary. I had learned about Bessie, but there just wasn’t time and space to go into her story in the documentary as well. I learned much about her however, and learned that her papers were in the state of Illinois, just like the Murals that HVP did at the post office in Chicago. It is also the place where Carl Sandburg and Louis Sullivan made their marks, and who HVP featured in the ceramic Murals.
We came together to talk after the announcement of the passing of Peter Poor. Peter, who was HVP’s son, was an artist in his own right. A documentary filmmaker himself, he has been the champion of the story of his families place in art and American history. He was a tremendous storyteller, very generous to me and others in learning about his father, and an interesting, and intelligent man. Our conversation only skims the surface of our memories of Peter, but we decided to bring them to you today.
Aaron had the chance the last few years to work with Peter on his Mother’s archives, and we chatted about that and a few other topics.
We are looking forward to our next screenings so we can spread the word of this and the other great artists connected in this project. The photo featured on the podcast cover is one that Aaron just discovered in a manilla envelope in Bessie’s archives. It seemed appropriate today.
Memories of Peter