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William Drane (1839-1905+) lived in nearby Cherry Valley and had many difference occupations: from 1860 until 1880, he was listed as “clerk” or “carpenter” in the census, and then “merchant” in 1892, as was his son Charles W. Drane (1862-1928). Fritz Vogt created this drawing of their business and residence in 1893, carefully including an array of goods in the three shop windows. Drane later listed his occupation as undertaker in 1900 and 1905 (the last known mention of him in the census), but extended family members including his own grandson continued to operate the dry goods store. These buildings were located at the corner of Montgomery and Genesee Streets in Cherry Valley (the traffic light intersection), but sadly neither survives today.
Note the “Public Telephone Office” sign and the external wire. The first public telephones appeared in company offices in the early 1880s. There were six telephones in Canajoharie at that time, two private and four business or public, all on the same shared “party” line. By 1907, there were nearly 700,000 telephones in New York State.
Exhibition History"Drawn Home: Fritz Vogt's Rural America," Mennello Museum of American Folk Art, Orlando, FL, June 1, 2004 - August 31, 2004.
"Fritz Vogt: A Sense of Place," Arkell Museum, Canajoharie, NY, May 29, 2021 - December 30, 2021
Artist
Fritz G. Vogt
(c. 1841 - 1900)
Residence and Shop of William Drane
Date1893
MediumGraphite on paper
DimensionsSight: 17 3/4 × 26 1/2 in. (45.1 × 67.3 cm)
Object numberN0116.1994
Credit LineCollection of the Fenimore Art Museum. Museum Purchase
Photograph by Richard Walker
Label TextThe telephone has become so universal that it has demonstrated its great importance and usefulness, and the Committee recognizes that this is more particularly true of the rural sections of the State than of the populous centers… --Final report of the Joint Committee of the [NYS] Senate and Assemble on Telephone and Telegraph Companies, 1915William Drane (1839-1905+) lived in nearby Cherry Valley and had many difference occupations: from 1860 until 1880, he was listed as “clerk” or “carpenter” in the census, and then “merchant” in 1892, as was his son Charles W. Drane (1862-1928). Fritz Vogt created this drawing of their business and residence in 1893, carefully including an array of goods in the three shop windows. Drane later listed his occupation as undertaker in 1900 and 1905 (the last known mention of him in the census), but extended family members including his own grandson continued to operate the dry goods store. These buildings were located at the corner of Montgomery and Genesee Streets in Cherry Valley (the traffic light intersection), but sadly neither survives today.
Note the “Public Telephone Office” sign and the external wire. The first public telephones appeared in company offices in the early 1880s. There were six telephones in Canajoharie at that time, two private and four business or public, all on the same shared “party” line. By 1907, there were nearly 700,000 telephones in New York State.
Exhibition History"Drawn Home: Fritz Vogt's Rural America," Mennello Museum of American Folk Art, Orlando, FL, June 1, 2004 - August 31, 2004.
"Fritz Vogt: A Sense of Place," Arkell Museum, Canajoharie, NY, May 29, 2021 - December 30, 2021
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