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Antonius (Anthony) Johannes Thieme was born in Rotterdam, Holland on February 20, 1888 to Karel and Alida (Lans) Thieme. At the age of 17 he left the school, and against his parents’ wishes, took up art. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rotterdam (1902-1904), the Royal Academy at the Hague (1905), was an apprentice artist in Düsseldorf, Germany, under George Hoecker, Germany’s foremost stage designer (1906-08), and at the school of Fine Arts in Turin (1909-10), where he studied under the architect Giuseppe Mancini. He eventually became fluent in six languages. After completing his studies, he traveled and worked as a stage designer in Europe, England, and South America before coming to the United States in 1917.

His connection with the North Shore Arts Association and his friendship with the noted sculptor Richard Recchia led him to Rockport, Mass. At the Recchia’s wedding, Thieme met and later married (on August 1, 1929) Lillian Beckett of Portland, Maine. He and “Becky” later purchased a 160-year-old house at 6 South Street, Rockport, Mass. From this home Thieme operated a working farm and ran his Thieme School of Art (1929-1943). In 1936 Thieme became a citizen of the United States at ceremonies in Boston, Mass. Ten years later a devastating fire destroyed his studio and a good portion of thirty years of artwork.

Thieme was an avid amateur photographer and the bulk of this collection consists of the photographs and slides he took of his artwork and his travels.

Read the finding aid here.