Honoring the Point: The Gwynne McDevitt Sporting Dog Collection

Apr 12, 2024 - Sep 15, 2024

In the spring of 2023, the National Sporting Library & Museum (NSLM) was the recipient of a generous bequest from member and supporter Gwynne McDevitt. To recognize this extraordinary gift, now on view at the NSLM is Honoring the Point: The Gwynne McDevitt Sporting Dog Collection featuring all 84 paintings, works on paper, sculptures, and a weathervane. Artists include Robert K. Abbett, Antoine-Louis Barye, John Emms, Marguerite Kirmse, Edmund Henry Osthaus, and Percival Leonard Rosseau.

McDevitt was a member of the American Kennel Club and had a particular affinity for Gordon Setters. She trained her dogs at her Doubledee Farm and Kennels in Newtown Square, PA, and frequently competed and won at field trials. She commissioned several paintings of her winning dogs and beloved companions from Abbett. The collection also includes 19th- and 20th-century works depicting a range of dog breeds and subject matter: gun dogs in the field, foxhounds, canine portraits, and even a charming scene of puppies observing a frog. There are a few non-canine compositions, like a pair of bronze pheasants by Barye, a polar bear by Abbett, and a bobwhite quail by Edwin Penny (British, 1930–2016). We are honored Gwynne McDevitt entrusted the NSLM to be the steward for her beloved collection.

The Museum exhibition was curated by George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Deputy Director & Head Curator Claudia Pfeiffer and extends into the Library’s Forrest E. Mars, Sr. Exhibit Hall with drawings, prints, and watercolors curated by George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Curator of Library Collections Dr. Colleen Yarger to incorporate rare books and historic titles on sporting breeds within the Library’s collections.