NEBRASKA CITY - The Nebraska City Historical Society is the oldest in the state, but not to set in its ways to shy away from a new way to get people interested in history.

Historical Society Vice President Jason Phillips said for the first time in the society’s 88-year history, it is buying artwork by famous Nebraskans.

 

Phillips: “Frank was an artist who grew up in Nebraska City and we recently discovered over the summer some of his paintings online for sale on EBay and we decided to try and bring some of them home to Nebraska City.”

The water color of Zimmerer’s boyhood home and some pencil drawings are on display at the Nelson House, which is part of Nebraska’s winter passport this year.

Sue Quambusch, director of special projects for the State Historical Society, and community engagement coordinator Teresa Breazile presented a $1,000 grant for the artwork.

 

 

Phillips: “We’re hoping that it drives interest in the museum, as well as Zimmerer’s art. We hope to continue to acquire more pieces and perhaps put on community events where we could showcase them.”

Zimmerer’s artwork is seen on the first floor of the Otoe County Courthouse and society members believe large murals are unseen, but still may exist, on the walls the Pioneer Theater in Nebraska City.

 

1888 – Anton Zimmerer was a Republican candidate for the house.

1889 – Nebraska City legislature paid Anton Zimmerer $4.25 for supplies

1891 –

1893 – Good pasturage for 50 head of stock, running water and good sheds. Inquire of Anton Zimmerer.

1911 – Frank Zimmerer was elected head of the Art Institute of Kansas City.

1912 – Frank Zimmerer spent the day in Douglas. He and his mother plan to spend the summer on a farm near Adams.

1913 – Frank Zimmerer was studying in Paris

1915 – A.E. Stocker purchased the Anton Zimmerer house at 11th Street and Third Avenue.

1926 – Frank Zimmerer did the color work in Douglas Fairbanks’ “The Black Pirate.”

1929 – Anton Zimmerer was a Nebraska City pioneer settling in 1857. He was owner of a retail store and had real estate in Pawnee and Gage counties.

1029 – Frank Zimmerer is expected to meet his mother who has traveled from California to Nebraska City. A ‘commercial artis of note’ he is known for designing cosmetics and scenery for Hollywood studios.

He was prominent in early day politics and one of the oldest members of the Odd Fellows Lodge of Nebraska.

1930 – Mrs. Zimmerer came to Nebraska City in 1869. She died at her home in California and was buried at Wyuka Cemetery.

1932 – Frank Zimmerer has a studio in Los Angeles and showroom on Olivera (Olvera) Street. He was working at the Arroyo Del Vista hotel in Pasadena.

1932 – Frank Zimmerer and Helen Duff are identified with the Greenwich Village of the West Coast, where a puppet show is being held nightly.

1932 – Both former Nebraska Citians Frank Zimmerer and Helen Duff involved in rejuvenating Olvera Street (old Los Angeles) by encouraging the establishment of a sort of Bohemian quarter inhabited by artists and Spanish-speaking people. Zimmerer and Duff have studios there. Famous motion picture stars go there for the puppet theater.

1934 – Frank Zimmerer painted stage sets at Paramount. A Sensation House in the south of 1895. His sets include music hall, gambling room, white ostrich plumes, crystal chandeliers and yellow gaslight. There are 40 paintings on the wall.

1943 – the library held an art exhibit featuring Frank Zimmerer.

1945 – Frank Zimmerer sent lilies to St. Mary’s Episcopal Church on Easter in memory of his mother.

1950 – The July 19, 1950 edition of the News-Press has photos of the Clemmy Holmes life in murals by Frank Zimmerer. However, the digitized copies do not preserve the photos. The murals were completed in the showroom of Clemmy Holmes Ford Motor Company. Holmes is shown sitting on a horse, plowing corn, washing a car and with his children overlooking the horizon.

The Aug. 6, 1950 edition has a photo of Zimmerer painting a mural at the Nebraska City News-Press, but the digital copy does not preserve the image. Under Cherry Road Media the News-Press discarded the bound volumes, so the photo may be lost to history.

The story says the mural depicts ferryman John Boulware, editor J. Sterling Morton, printer Thomas Morton and proofreader John Freeman.

The 7x11 foot mural depicts the printing of the first edition of the newspaper on Nov. 14, 1854, out in the open, in front of the block house.

1953 – The motto on the proposed centennial seal isn’t the motto that is on the Nebraska City Municipal Seal although many people thought it was. The centennial seal, created by Clarence Vigen and Lee Jessup and then sketched by Frank Zimmerer has this wording: ‘ Labor, Progress and Integrity.’

1953 – Frank Zimmerer, the muralist who did work for Clemmy Holmes, Pioneer Theater and the News-Press, has been commissioned to do a similar job for a theater in Coos Bay, Ore.

1953 – Frank Zimmerer did the illustrations in a booklet about the middle years of Nebraska city. He is described as a native-born artist and painter of well-known murals. The booklets sold for 25 cents.

1954 – Frank Zimmerer painted the centennial picture of Steinhart Lodge.

The official Nebraska city seal, which incorporated the Blockhouse back to 1855 had the wording ‘Labor, economy and intelligence.’

1955 – It appears there is a photo caption, but the photo is not preserved by the digital process. The caption on Jan. 23 says Zimmerer is famous for painting the Desert Inn in Palm Springs, Calif.

In 1983, it was announced that Zimmerer’s art teacher at Nebraska City was Harriette Hershey.

1987 – Pat and Arden Bonebrake auctioned off Zimmerer pictures.

1996 – The Zimmerer pen and ink sketches were part of the displays when Peg Nelson transferred ownership of the house to the historical society.