William Wild

Featured Artist:

Anthony J. Sisti

More Artists:
(click to open/close)

William Wild (German-American, 1875-1966) painter, commercial artist, naturalist, entomologist & research associate, author, illustrator and photographer. Wild is primarily known for his landscape paintings in oil and watercolor, still lifes, and for his vast research in the field of entomology along with wildlife and insect drawings, sketches and paintings. William was born to German parents in Hechingen, Zollernalbkreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany on January 10, 1875 and is where he attended grammar school and later studied decorative painting under J. Sprissler and also apprenticed as a lithographic artist. He had an older brother Anton Wild (1855-1940) and an older sister Creszenz (née Wild) Kieffer (1864-1944). After immigrating to the United States in 1892, he settled in Buffalo, NY and lived with his brother Anton who was a photo-engraver and superintendent of the photo-engraving department at the well known Buffalo firm of Matthews, Northrup & Co. at the time. Anton later had his own short-lived photo-engraving firm located at 14 & 16 Ellicott St. in Buffalo which went bankrupt in September of 1898, but he soon established a new photo-engraving plant in the spring of 1899 called Wild & Pchellas, located at 113 Oak Street. In his early career, William worked for various lithographic and photo-engraving firms as an artist as well as for the Buffalo Courier newspaper while studying at the Buffalo School of Fine Arts. He also worked for his brother Anton and he later became a foreman for his brother's business Wild & Pchellas. From about 1915-1930, William was the head of the famous J.W. Clement Co. when he then became a freelance artist for several companies and advertising firms, specializing in cover designs, etchings and color work for advertising.

William was a member of the Buffalo Society of Artists, exhibiting at the Albright Art Gallery, as well as with the Buffalo Arts Club (co-founder) where he had several private exhibitions, and the East Aurora Paint and Varnish Club (c.1904-c.1935). He also exhibited in a solo show of nature subjects at the Museum of Natural Science, Buffalo, NY (1922) through the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences. Circa 1910, Wild was also an active member and exhibited with the Saturday Sketch Club in Spring Brook, NY. Other notable Buffalo artists in the Saturday Sketch Club included J.J. Lankes (American, 1884-1960) who founded the club in 1910, William J. Schwanekamp (American, 1893-1970), Arthur Kowalski (American, 1893-1958) and his brother Edgar Kowalski (American, 1891-1968), and the well known instructor of the Buffalo Arts Guild School Ernest George Fosbery (Canadian, 1874-1960).

Apart from his art associations, he was an avid naturalist. In the mid 1930's, William took a part-time job at the Buffalo Museum of Science, to mount, label & classify the various museums collections which contained about 64,000 insect specimens. He later became a research associate in the Entomology Department at the Museum (circa 1951) and he continued on in an advisory capacity until 1965. He was an active member of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences (writing many papers for the society), American Entomological Society, and the Buffalo Botanical Society. He regularly submitted and published new species identifications, as well as entomological camera lucida drawings, sketches and paintings in various entomological news journals, science bulletins and books. Some publications include: Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences, Volume 9 (1908), Annals of the Entomological Society of America (Quarterly, 1913), the Entomological News and Proceedings of the Entomological Section of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (1915), Hobbies (1922), Seventy-five Years; A History of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences, 1861-1936 (1938), and Tracks and Trailcraft (1948). In addition, he has authored several publications such as: The Butterflies of the Niagara Frontier region, and beginner’s guide for collecting, rearing and preserving them…(1939), Household insect pests usually found in the Niagara Frontier region (1960) and Household Pests and How to Eradicate Them (illustrated by William Wild) which was a best-seller and sold through the Buffalo Museum of Science for .35 cents.



William Wild at the
Buffalo Museum of Science,
from an article in The Buffalo
Courier
, April 22, 1956.



Through self-education, William became an expert in entomology and an authority on small moths. In 1959, William told a Courier-Express interviewer that he spent most of his time in the spring and summer months answering calls to identify insects for worried Western New York residents. "It's no disgrace to have an invasion of household pests," said Wild, "It is just a disgrace if you don't get rid of them. I've had specimens to identify from some of the finest homes in Buffalo."



Humorous comic from The
Buffalo Courier-Express
, 1941



William's interest in entomology began in his childhood when he was eight years old collecting butterflies in Germany and continued throughout his professional career and life as an artist. People affectionately referred to him as the "Bug Man", of which he didn't mind being called. He treasured a small collection of various insects and butterflies that he brought with him to America when he emigrated from Germany in 1892.



Another humorous comic from
The Buffalo Courier-Express, 1959



William married Katherine B. (née Ertel) Wild (b. June 6, 1875-d. February 20, 1951) of Buffalo, NY on December 17, 1902 and they had one son Carl William (1905-1976). In 1910, the family moved to East Aurora, NY, where they resided and maintained his art studio at 249 Walnut Street. William died February 16, 1966 at the Orchard Park Nursing Home at the age of 91.


Chronology:

1875- Born, January 10, to German parents in Hechingen, Zollernalbkreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and had an older brother Anton Wild (1855-1940) and older sister Creszenz (née Wild) Kieffer (1864-1944).

Circa early 1890’s- Studied decorative painting under J. Sprissler, Germany.

1892- He immigrated to the United States and settled in Buffalo, NY and lived with his brother Anton Wild (1855-1940).

Circa early-mid 1890’s- Studied at the Buffalo School of Fine Arts, Buffalo, NY.

Circa 1896-Circa 1910's- William worked for his brother Anton Wild's photo-engraving businesses.

1902- December 17, William married Katherine B. (née Ertel) Wild (1875-1951) of Buffalo, NY.

1905- November 23, their son Carl William was born, Buffalo, NY.

1908- Spring, exhibited, group show, “Fourteenth Annual Exhibition of the Buffalo Society of Artists”, for the painting “Ruffed Grouse”, Albright Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY.

1910- Spring, exhibited, group show, “Sixteenth Annual Exhibition of the Buffalo Society of Artists”, Albright Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY. Moved to East Aurora, NY and resided & maintained his art studio at 249 Walnut Street.

1911- Spring, exhibited, group show, “Seventeenth Annual Exhibition of the Buffalo Society of Artists”, two landscapes, Albright Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY. December, exhibited, group show, Saturday Sketch Club, held in the rooms of the Buffalo Camera Club, Buffalo, NY.

Circa 1915-1930- He was the head of the famous J.W. Clement Company (James W. Clement), a well known printing firm located at Seneca, Lord, and Seymour Streets, Buffalo, NY.

1922- March, exhibited, group show, an exhibit of cover designs, six artists represented including William Wild, George Bender, William Schindler, Carl L. Bredemeier, Irene H. Rosinska and Phillis Potter, 276 pieces shown, Lafayette Hotel, Buffalo, NY. Exhibited, solo show of watercolor landscape studies, through the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences, Museum of Natural Science, Buffalo, NY.

1926- January 30-February 17, exhibited, group show, “32nd Annual Exhibition of the Buffalo Society of Artists”, Albright Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY. April, exhibited, group show, “The Arts Club 2nd Annual Exhibition”, 3 paintings shown, Buffalo, NY.

By 1928- Was an active member in the East Aurora Paint and Varnish Club (c.1904-c.1935), along with several other notable Buffalo artists including its founder Alexis Jean Fournier, Margaret Evans Price, Merle James, Walter and Rixford "Rix" Jennings, Karl Kipp, Robert North, Charles Rohrbach, and George Scheidemantel.

1931- October-November, exhibited, group show, “Hobby Fair”, nature field photographs shown, Buffalo Museum of Science, Buffalo, NY. Nov. 21-December 28, exhibited, group show, “24th Annual Thumb Box Art Exhibition”, Buffalo Society of Artists, Albright Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY.

Circa 1934- William began a part-time job at the Buffalo Museum of Science to mount, label & classify the various museums collections that contained about 64,000 insect specimens, Buffalo, NY.

1941- Spring, exhibited, group show, “47th Annual Exhibition of the Buffalo Society of Artists”, 2 paintings shown, Hotel Statler, Buffalo, NY.

1942- Spring, exhibited, group show, “48th Annual Exhibition of the Buffalo Society of Artists”, 3 paintings shown, Hotel Statler, Buffalo, NY.

1943- Spring, exhibited, group show, “49th Annual Exhibition of the Buffalo Society of Artists”, 3 paintings shown, Hotel Statler, Buffalo, NY.

1945- Spring, exhibited, group show, “50th Annual Exhibition of the Buffalo Society of Artists”, 1 painting shown, Hotel Statler, Buffalo, NY.

1947- Spring, exhibited, group show, “52th Annual Exhibition of the Buffalo Society of Artists”, 1 painting shown, Hotel Statler, Buffalo, NY.

1949- April, exhibited, solo show, Buffalo Museum of Science, Buffalo, NY.

1951- February 20, William's wife Katherine died suddenly and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery (Section 6, Plot 979), East Aurora, NY. Spring. exhibited, group show, “56th Annual Exhibition of the Buffalo Society of Artists”, 2 paintings shown, Hotel Statler, Buffalo, NY.

Circa 1951- William became a research associate in the Entomology Department for the Buffalo Society of Natural Science, at the Buffalo Museum of Science, and continued in an advisory capacity until 1965, Buffalo, NY.

1966- Died, February 16, at the Orchard Park Nursing Home and funeral services were held at Howe Funeral Home and he is buried along with his wife at Oakwood Cemetery (Section 6, Plot 979), East Aurora, NY.

1976- September, their son Carl W. Wild died, State College, PA.


Exhibited Also At: Guild of Allied Arts, Buffalo, NY; Paint and varnish Club, East Aurora, NY; East Aurora Art Society, East Aurora, NY.

Memberships: Buffalo Society of Artists, Buffalo, NY; Buffalo Arts Club (co-founder), Buffalo, NY; Saturday Sketch Club, Spring Brook, NY; East Aurora Paint and Varnish Club, East Aurora, NY; Associate Fellow of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences, Buffalo, NY; American Entomological Society, Buffalo, NY; American Artists Professional League; Buffalo Guild of Allied Arts, Buffalo, NY; East Aurora Art Society, East Aurora, NY; Buffalo Nature Study Club, Buffalo, NY; Photographic Club; Izaak Walton League of America, Niagara Frontier Chapter (charter member); and the Buffalo Botanical Society, Buffalo, NY.

Honors/Awards/Prizes: Associate Fellow, Buffalo Museum of Science; Prize-winning exhibit at the Erie County Fair, Hamburg, NY (1960); Dinner held by Isaak Walton League to honor him for creating a prize-winning exhibit at the Erie County Fair (1960).

Collections: Cornell University, entomological collections donated by William Wild, of 245 species of small moths, Cornell, NY; Buffalo Museum of Science, various American and British newspaper & magazine clippings of over 1000 insects, flora, fauna and other nature specimens and lore with many full-color illustrations, Buffalo, NY (1956); University of Milwaukee, 5000 butterflies, moths and beetles, Milwaukee, WI (1964).

For additional information on this artist or for other possible examples of his works, please visit the AskArt link.

(Rewritten in parts & compiled chronologically by Mark Strong of Meibohm Fine Arts, Inc., East Aurora, NY, meibohmfinearts.com, sources: Too long to list here and are furnished upon request.)

PLEASE CLICK FOR MORE INFO