Victoria Donohoe (March 21, 1929 – November 21, 2018) was an artist, art critic and historian who wrote for papers[1] such as The Catholic Standard & Times[2][3] and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She has been described by editor Gabriel Escobar of the Inquirer as "indomitable" and having "an aura of legend". She did not drive a car or own a television, preferring to travel by public transit and avoid the use of telephones, answering machines, and computers. Throughout her career, she would file her columns in person at the Inquirer suburban newsroom in Conshohocken, typing them from her handwritten notes. She published over 1,000 articles in the Inquirer over 50 years between 1962 and 2012.[1]
Victoria Donohoe | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 March 1929  |
| Died | 21 November 2018 (aged 89) |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Art critic, historian |
| Employer | |
Early life and education
editVictoria Donohoe was born March 21, 1929.[4] She lived at her parents' home in Narberth, Pennsylvania for much of her life. Her father Daniel J. Donohoe was an artist and illustrator who worked for the Evening Bulletin. Her mother, Ann (O'Neill) Donohoe,[5] taught art classes at Moore College of Art and Design.[1]
Victoria attended high school at Mater Misericordiae Academy (now Merion Mercy Academy), a Catholic college preparatory school for girls in Merion, Pennsylvania, in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.[6] She received her bachelor’s degree from Rosemont College in 1950, as well as a teaching certificate. She taught art at Rosemont while earning her Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Pennsylvania.[2][7] She then went to Florence, Italy, where she attended Pope Pius XII Institute-Graduate School of Fine Arts for Women[6] at Villa Schifanoia[8] in 1953.[1]
Career
editDonohoe wrote over 1,000 articles about art and architecture for the Philadelphia Inquirer over a fifty-year period from 1962-2012. Described as "grace personified", she wrote both perceptively and frankly about the artists, works and events she reviewed, but phrased her criticisms gently. "Her insightful but honest interpretations of their work earned her respect throughout the art world."[1]
She was active in community events such as Narberth Borough Council meetings, and served on the Committee of Sacred Liturgy of the Philadelphia Catholic Archdiocese.[4] In addition to the Inquirer, she wrote for The Catholic Standard & Times.[2]
Donohoe was active in local historical preservation activities, resulting in the creation of historical markers by the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission in honor of NFL commissioner Bert Bell (1998) and John Dickinson, who drafted the Articles of Confederation (2001). In 2003, Donohoe helped to obtain registration for Narbrook Park Historic District in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.[1] She was a co-author of Narbrook Park: A Garden City Experiment (2015).[9]
Victoria Donohoe died of pneumonia on November 21, 2018.[1][4] In her will, she left both a financial gift and a manuscript about local Narberth History to the Lower Merion Historical Society. The Society is preparing her manuscipt for publication.[6]
Awards and honors
edit- 1985, honorary doctorate in fine arts, Villanova University[1]
- 2013, Artists Equity Award, Philadelphia Tri-State Artists Equity Association[1][10]
Archival collections
edit- Victoria Donohoe Collection, Stuart Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania[7]
- Victoria Donohoe Papers, Rosemont College Archives [2]
- Victoria Donohoe Family History Collection, Historical Society of Pennsylvania
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i Cook, Bonnie L. (27 November 2018). "Victoria Donohoe, 89, longtime Inquirer art critic and Narberth historian". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Collection: VICTORIA DONOHOE PAPERS | ArchivesSpace Public Interface". Rosemont College. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
- ^ "The Catholic Standard and Times 17 June 1960 — The Catholic News Archive". thecatholicnewsarchive.org. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
- ^ a b c "Obituary for Victoria Donohoe at McConaghy Funeral Home, Ltd". McConaghy Funeral Home.
- ^ "Daniel Donohoe was artist and illustrator, 83". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 12 October 1973. p. 62. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
- ^ a b c "Annual Meeting & Victoria Donohoe Celebration". Lower Merion Historical Society. 2024.
- ^ a b "Donohoe, Victoria | Stuart Weitzman School of Design". University of Pennsylvania.
- ^ "Research Guides and Class Pages: Archives: Foreign Programs". Rebecca Crown Library, Domiican University.
- ^ Greene, Nancy; Committee, Narbrook Park Centennial; Donohoe, Victoria; Reed, Elaine (June 20, 2015). Narbrook Park: A Garden City Experiment. Narbrook Park Improvement Association. ISBN 9780692736616.
- ^ "ABOUT | Artists Equity Philadelphia/Tri-state". ArtistsEquity2021.