Neal A. Prince & Herbert (Bert) W. Hemphill, Jr.
Estate Holding Trust Collections
from 1949 to 1967
Neal Prince and Hebert Waide Hemphill, Jr. located at the New York Botanical Gardens.
Mr. Neal Prince, and late Mr. Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. (a/k/a Bert Hemphill) were introduced to each other by a mutual friend, Carrie Donovan (she later became the New York Times Fashion Editor and after that, the Television Public Relations spokesperson for the Old Navy Clothing Store, which she was best known for her wearing those enormous black frame glasses) in the spring of 1950. Soon Mr. Prince and Mr. Hemphill, Jr. decided to moved in together to share an apartment from 1950 until the late 1967. Mr. Prince supported Mr. Hemphill, Jr. in various ways until he was able to realize his talents to become the leading American Folk Art Collector and Expert of that field of American Folk Art. Both gentleman regularly attended Broadway productions and the era's chic Cabarets and Clubs, such as the Copa Cabana, Bon Soir, Upstairs at the Downstairs, and Basin Street until the late 1960's. Mr. Prince came to New York from Houston, Texas, during the late 1940's, in hopes of becoming a Playwright and Director, and was active at Lee Strasberg's Actor's Studio for approximately five years as a Directical and Playwright. Mr. Prince supported himself as an Architect, and by the early 1960, he was the Vice-President of Interior and Graphic Design for Inter-Continental Hotels. Between 1950 and 1952. Mr. Prince and Mr. Hemphill, Jr. shared a brownstone on East Sixty-Fifth Street with Katherine Anne Porter, who was then slowly writing her book, and later became the movie, Ship of Fools until their move to another apartment. Mr. Prince and Mr. Hemphill, Jr. enjoyed rubbing elbows with the likes of Noel Coward who gathered in the garden to listen to Ms. Porter read aloud from her work. These two men proved to be formidable party-goers and givers themselves, and at their salon-style gatherings on Saturday nights one could have met Alice Ghostley, Paul Lynde, Eartha Kitt, Paul Newman, Leonard Sillman the (Broadway producer), Jerome Robbins, or Carrie Donovan, then the editor for Vogue. The following Collections were acquired together by Mr. Prince and Mr. Hemphill, Jr. during the period they were together.
UNIDENTIFIED Artist, Primitive, Portrait, Oil on Canvas, Man with White Sock, (25" x 20½")
UNIDENTIFIED Artist, American Folk Art, Oil on Tin, "Cabbage Kids" (20" x 21")
UNIDENTIFIED Artist, American Folk Art, Oil on Tin, "Cabbage Kids" (20" x 21")
UNIDENTIFIED Artist, Primitive Folk Art, Playing Cards, Water colour; (5" x 3")
Willie White (1908-2001) Marker on Poster Board, (22-½" x 28")
Leon Bakst (1866-1924), Russian, Water Colour,"Parting of Daphnis and Chloe", Act 3, (31-½" x 51")
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones (1833-1898), English, Pencil on Paper
(Click on Image for Further Review)
Charles Edward Condor (1868-1909), English, Pen and Color Chalk, "A Fantasy with Women and Butterflies" (7-1/8" x 4-½")
Robert Courtright (1926-__), American, Collage, Torre Comunale, Velletri (39½" x 8½")
Richard Dadd (1817-1886),English; Surrealism Framed Etching, (6.0" x 9-3/4")
(Click on Image for Further Review)
Serge Ferat (1881-1958), Russian, Abstract, Cubistic Style, (9-¼" x 9.0")
(Click on Image for Further Review)
Robert Galster (1923-1991), American, Gouache (11-3/4" x 8")
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), Japanese, Block Print "Moored Boats in the Evening"
Dudley Huppler (1917-1988), American, Water Color, (9-½" x 13-½")
Alexandre Lunois (1863-1915), French, Water Color, (9.0" x 4-3/4")
(Click on Image for Further Review)
Sir John Everett Millais (1829-1896), English, Pen and Ink on Paper, (2-3/4" x 4-1/8')
Francis Luis Mora (1874-1940) American, Water Color, (6-3/4" x 9-3/4")
Paul Ranson (1864-1909), French, Water Color; (12-¼ x 8-¼)
George Segal (1924-2000), American, Oil on Canvas, ca.1958 (30" x 36")
Walter Richard Sickert (1860-1942) English, Pen on paper, "Merchant of Venice"
(Click on Image for Further Review)
Albert Edward Sterner (1863-1946), American, Water Color, (12-½" x 9-½")
Jacques Villon (1875-1963), French, Acquaint and Lithograph, "Les Cartes", ca.1903, no.5/25
Andy Warhol (1928-1987) American, Drawing, Whitewash on Paper, (10-¼" x 8-1/8")
(Click on Image for Further Review)
Stanford White (1853-1906), American, Water Color, (10-1/8" x 13-½")
Robert Yahn (1921-19XX), American, Portrait, Oil on Canvas, Pointillist, (30" x 24")
Neal Prince and Herbert (Bert) W. Hemphill, Jr.
Photo of Neal Prince and Herbert (Bert) W. Hemphill, Jr., Photographer: Robert Galster,1958 ©2000
To seek further Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. (Bert's) Primitive American Folk Art Collection being held at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. and the American Folk Art Museum in New York, Please review below:
Made with Passion - The Hemphill Folk Art Collection, c.1990
SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM
8th Street and "F" Street, Washington, D.C. 20004
t. 1202.633.7970, t. 1202-633-5285
To further view Herbert W. Hemphill, Jr. (Bert’s) vast collections in the "Made with Passion - The Hemphill Folk Art Collection" Publication, please consult your local Bookstore. Or, to personally view Bert's vast and various Primitive Art Collections, which are permanently held at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington DC (USA), then please visit them on their website by clicking on the above banner. Their collection is the most highly praised American Primitive Collection in the world. If you any further questions on the Prince Trust Collections, please email us at: legal@nealprincetrust.org, and we will be more then pleased to assist you at will.
AMERICAN FOLK ART MUSEUM
2 Lincoln Square Columbus Avenue at 66th Street,
New York, New York 10023
t. 212.595-9533
To further view Herbert W. Hemphill, Jr. (Bert’s) Limited Holdings at the American Folk Museum in New York, then please visit their website by clicking on the above banner¹. Their collections are limited with respect to Bert’s Collections, however; their outstanding exhibits various by Periods, Mediums, and/or Artist. Please consult their website to review their current and/or upcoming exhibits. This Trust highly recommends visiting the American Folk Art Museum since their Senior Curator, Mrs. Stacy C. Hollander has continued the wide range focus of American Folk Movement and/or Mannerism as to Mr. Hemphill, Jr. had exhibited in the early years of the Museum. If you have any further questions on the Prince Trust Collections, please email us at: legal@nealprincetrust.org, and we will be more then pleased to assist you.
Footnote 1:
“Flag Gate”, Unidentified Artist. ca. 1876, painted wood and iron brass, 39-½” x 57” x 3-3/4” in. The Flag Gate was originally made for the Darling Farm, physically located in Jefferson County, New York. Mr. Hemphill, Jr. had identified this Gate when this item came up for Auction at the Parke-Bernet Auction House, which Mr. Prince had purchased for the purpose of being used as their Gate for their in-house Bar, which they were famously known for their parties within their Apartment. In 1961, with Mr. Prince’s newly position with Pan-Am Airlines, the owner of the newly International Inter-Continental Hotel Company, hired and assigned Mr. Prince to fly to the Phoenicia Inter-Continental Hotel in Beirut, Lebanon to redesign and complete the construction of the New Hotel. During Mr. Prince’s duration in Lebanon, Mr. Hemphill, Jr. had removed from Flag Gate from the hinges and decided that this Gate would be the first Item to be donated to the Newly Formed American Folk Art Museum before he notified Mr. Prince that his adored gate was given away, as a donation, to the Museum without credit. Hence, this “Flag Gate” is listed under the American Folk Art Museum as “gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr., 1962.1.1”. In late 1963, Mr. Hemphill, Jr. attempted to mend the situation by donating the carved and painted wood 19th Century “Turtle”, (Unidentified Artist- 7-¼” x 20-3/8” x 7-5/8”) as a gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr., in the name of “Neil Adair Prince”, 1964.1.2. However, his first name was misspelled and the event was not mended as attempted by Mr. Hemphill, Jr.
DISCLAIMER: A considerable effort has been made in good faith to ensure that all information accessible from this site of Archives and memoirs are accurate. Despite this effort, it is clear that errors are inevitable. Consequently no guarantees are expressed or implied as to the accuracy, timeliness, currency or completeness of any information authored by persons at or agents of the Neal Adair Prince Trust or its Estate Trust Holding affiliates, or accessible using links from this site. Nor is any warranty made that the information obtained from this Educational Archival site or that of an affiliate is valuable or useful for any purpose. A reader assumes full responsibility for any actions taken based on information obtained from this Educational Archival of Neal Prince Trust web site. In particular, we emphasize that the information available through this site is for Educational and Informative purposes only. All information from these archives, are available to be reviewed by researchers by appointment only. Please contact the Trust Agents for further instructions.
