Rest In Peace, Bill Porter

by Bruce Johnson

 

I met Bill and Patsy Porter in 1988 at the first National Arts and Crafts Conference held at the Grove Park Inn overlooking Asheville, North Carolina. Their reputation had preceded them, as their keen eye and appreciation for the fine design elements of the works of Gustav Stickley, Charles Rohlfs, Dirk van Erp and other masters of the Arts and Crafts movement had distinguished the pair.

Even in those early days of the rediscovery of the Arts and Crafts movement, collectors and dealers often resorted to unscrupulous tactics. That was never the case with Bill and Patsy. Always quiet, unassuming, and modest, they were always engrossed in learning and discovering more about the history of the Arts and Crafts movement.

As much as they learned, they shared with anyone who asked, from museum curators to beginning collectors — like myself. They not only attended each of our annual February conferences, they were also fixtures at every seminar, immersing themselves in the flow of information from the podium and the excited news among their friends over a latest shared discovery.

 

 

 

During one of our early Arts and Crafts Conferences, Bill and Patsy came to me with an idea, suggesting that we supplement our large ballroom seminars with smaller, more intimate discussion groups in the adjacent meeting rooms. Those small group discussions became one of the most valuable aspects of every Arts and Crafts Conference which followed, as it gave collectors the opportunity to informally share information, opinions, and discoveries with each other.

More important, they fostered friendships, which lasted long after our Sunday night departures.

I welcomed each opportunity I had to talk with Bill, to gleam his opinion of whatever puzzle I was hoping to solve. When I asked, he was always ready to take his turn at the podium, sharing his research and insight into the design elements of Arts and Crafts pioneers. Whenever he did, the spacious ballroom at the Grove Park Inn was always packed, with every chair taken, as collectors young and old relished the opportunity to absorb Bill’s insight and experience.

 

 

Like all of you, I learned a great deal from Bill, not just about design, proportions, and details, but about the value of debate, and discussion, and, most important, of friendship.

 

That, above all else, will always remain Bill Porter’s lasting legacy.