S.H.M. Byers Art Collection will be on display

S.H.M. Byers (submitted photo)

Article written by John Hansen

A number of pieces from the S.H.M. Byers Art Collection will be on display in the Foyer Gallery of Wilcox Library through the months of June and July. Wilcox Library’s hours are 8 A.M. to 8 P.M. Monday through Thursday, and 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. on Fridays. The collection contains works such as “Beatrice Cenci” by Reni and “Venice” by Ricardi.

The collection was donated to Penn College on October 18th, 1893 by friend of the college, S.H.M. Byers. The collection contained nine original works and twelve copies such as “Commander in Armor” by Van Dyke, and “Rembrandt and Saskia” by Rembrandt. The original paintings were purchased in Switzerland, and the copies made from the original paintings that are currently on display in Dresden, Florence, and the Vatican. The collection was originally housed in the chapel of Old Main until the Fire of 1916 during which Old Main was destroyed.

The entire collection was rescued from the fire by Cora Mattison, an english teacher, and a young female student (including some paintings which were quite heavy). After the fire the paintings were kept in various locations including the old gymnasium and the Friend’s Church. After the new buildings were completed, the paintings were hung in the formal lounge of Lewis Hall and Griffith Hall. There are currently thirteen paintings left of the original collection, eight have been “misplaced”.

Major Samuel Hawkins Marshall Byers (1838-1933) was born and educated in Pulaksi, Pennsylvania. He moved to Oskaloosa in 1851. In 1862, after the Civil War began, he signed up to be a part of the 5th Iowa Infantry and became the quartermaster sergeant.

A year later he was promoted to regimental adjutant. During either the Battle of Chattanooga or Mission Ridge, Byers was taken prisoner by the confederates for sixteen months. During his imprisonment, Byers wrote the later famous song “Sherman’s March to Sea.” Byers attempted escape three times during his imprisonment, and on the third attempt succeeded. After his escape, he was assigned to the staff of General Sherman as a messenger between General Sherman, General Grant, and President Lincoln. In 1869, after the Civil War, Byers went on to become Consul General in Switzerland and Italy. It was during this time he bought the art collection that he would later donate to Penn College. Eventually, he retired and moved to Los Angeles, California and died there May 24, 1933. Over the course of his life, Byers wrote numerous poems and a few songs, notably Iowa’s State Song “Song of Iowa”. A selected collection of his work can be read in Poems of S.H.M. Byers which includes the poems “The Happy Isles” and “The March to Sea”