Frank Walter
Frank Walter was a wood sculptor and carver of architectural designs whose work decorated the homes of John D. Rockefeller, Sr., Jay Gould and others.
He was born in New York, on October 12, 1879, and died on February 29,1960. For the last almost 40 years of his life he lived at 37-35 94th Street, Jackson Heights (formerly Elmhurst)
Frank Walter's father, George, who died in 1905, was a cabinet maker, i.e., a maker of fine furniture. Frank Walter probably apprenticed with his father and in that process learned how to make fine furniture. This would explain why so much of Frank Walter's sculpture and carving involved structures that he designed and built. The decoration of furniture, etc., would have followed naturally from such an apprenticeship. His interest was Tudor architectural design and he attended The Cooper Union in New York, to expand his expertise in this area.
He was the President of his wood carvers union for nine years. He was an avid fisherman, loving to fish at Coney Island, in Brooklyn and at La Guardia Airport, which was just north of his home, in Jackson Heights. Below are a photo of Frank Walter in 1907, a family photo of Frank Walter, his wife Marie and children, on December 19, 1920, which is about the time the family moved to Elmhurst, a photo of Frank Walter dressed for work, a photo of Frank and Marie Walter taken in the mid 50's, and his death notice in the March 2, 1960, Long Island Star-Journal.
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November 23, 2009 11:11 PM
