Introduction
Florence V. Cannon
FLORENCE V. CANNON was born in Camden, New Jersey on January 30, 1883 to Catherine M. and William H. Cannon. A brother, Horace Cannon, was born in 1886.
The City Directory for 1883 states that the Cannon family was living at 918 Newton Avenue. The City Directories from 1887 through 1894 show the family at 294 Mount Vernon Street. William Cannon was working as a deck hand as early as 1878, as an engineer for the American Dredging Company in 1883, as a “foreman” in 1887, by the following year his occupation was “captain.” By 1894 he had risen to the position of Assistant Superintendent of the American Dredging Company, and by 1895 the family had moved to 576 Benson Street. Another child, William J.B. Cannon, arrived in August of 1896. Sadly, on March 2, 1899 Catherine Cannon became a widow, when William H. Cannon was lost at sea off Norfolk, Virginia while bringing a dredge back to Camden. Florence Cannon and other members of the Cannon family maintained residence at 576 Benson Street until her death in 1963.
Florence V. Cannon’s talent as an artist soon was recognized. She studied at the Philadelphia School of Industrial Arts and was teaching art at Gloucester City High School as early as 1908. At the New Jersey State Fair held in October of 1914, Florence V. Cannon won nine first prizes and ten second prizes for paintings on various materials including fabrics and china, as reported in the October 6, 1914 edition of the Trenton Times.
Florence V. Cannon was well-known as an artist and operated an art school in Philadelphia. Another venture Florence Cannon undertook was a business in the early 1920s manufacturing doll houses and doll house furniture. She traveled to Europe in 1928, returning from London aboard the S.S. Minnesota, arriving in New York City in October of 1928. In 1939 she was a founding member and first president of the American Color Print Society. Besides prints, she worked in a number of other mediums, including oil painting and sculpture.
Florence V. Cannon passed away on April 7, 1963 at Cooper Hospital in Camden.
Captain Lost Off the Capes
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Philadelphia Inquirer, March 9, 1899 – click to view full PDF
Death of Captain Cannon
Macon, Georgia Weekly Telegraph —
Macon, Georgia Weekly Telegraph, March 9, 1899 – click to view full PDF
Art School Sketches
Trenton Sunday Times-Advertiser —
Miss Florence V. Cannon of the Philadelphia School of Industrial Arts has entered the school for special instruction in porcelain designing and china painting.
Gleanings from Gloucester
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Gleanings from Gloucester
Special to The Inquirer.
GLOUCESTER CITY, N. J., June 6.—The big net at the Washington Park fishery was yesterday put out of commission for the season and placed in the fish cabin until next year.
An open air meeting will be held at Burlington and Market streets on Monday evening by the Socialist party and an address will be made by John Henderson.
P. A. Stewart, of this city, has received inquiry from a large shoe firm which wants to locate its plant here. The matter will be taken up by the Board of Trade.
Miss Florence Cannon, teacher of drawing, has invited the parents of the pupils of the High School to visit the school on Saturday, June 20, and inspect the work done in the drawing department.
Florence C. Cannon Co. Advertisement
Philadelphia Inquirer —
SALESMEN to cover Pennsylvania with a line of doll’s furniture. Men experienced in toy line preferred. In answering state age, reference and experience. Address.
FLORENCE C. CANNON CO.,
369 Pearl st., Camden, N. J.
Painter Wanted
Philadelphia Inquirer —
PAINTER wanted, spray machine operator. Florence V. Cannon Co., 10th and Chelten ave., below Ferry ave., Camden, N. J.
At Tea and Doll House Exhibit
Philadelphia Inquirer —
AT TEA AND DOLL HOUSE EXHIBIT, SCHOOL OF INDUSTRIAL ART
Left to right: Mrs. Warrick, Mrs. Lenning, Dr. Woodhouse, Mrs. Woodhouse, Miss Wolfe, Miss Helen Mann, Mrs. Keates, Mrs. Laird, Mrs. Hamon, Mrs. Copeland, Mrs. John Gill Willets (pouring.) In inset at left: Miss Florence Cannon, the hostess and builder of dolls’ house.
Pride of the Neighborhood
Philadelphia Evening Ledger —
PRIDE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. That is the status of the “artist lady,” Miss Florence V. Cannon, 576 Benson street, Camden, who is painting North Camden’s shipyard scenes. She is seen finishing a picture of schooner, Copperfield.
Oil Painting by Florence V. Cannon
Oil painting by Florence V. Cannon
Trenton Artists at Camden Show
Trenton Times —
Trenton Artists At Camden Show
Trenton artists are planning to participate in the first annual exhibition of the South Jersey Society of Artists to be held June 1–10 at Camden, open to artists throughout the State.
Entries will compete for three prizes, including $100 for the best oil painting, $50 for the best water color, and $25 for the best black and white drawing or print. The show will be held in the Camden Athletic Club quarters. Entry blanks are to be filed by May 25 with Raymond Bancroft, art exhibition chairman, Collingswood.
The jury of selection includes Miss Florence Cannon, Camden; Frederick Nunn, Cape May Court House; Luigi Spizzirri, Haddonfield, and Mr. Bancroft.
Painter to Speak
Trenton Times —
Florence Cannon
Who will give a demonstration in water colors at a meeting of The Contemporary to be held this afternoon at 2:15 o’clock in the clubhouse. The program is being sponsored by the art department of which Mrs. George A. Bradshaw is chairman.
Florence V. Cannon, Artist, Dies at 80
Camden Courier-Post —
Miss Florence V. Cannon, 80, of 576 Benson st., a nationally known artist, whose landscape paintings are familiar in galleries here and abroad died Sunday in Cooper Hospital.
For many years, Miss Cannon headed her own art school in Philadelphia, and is represented in permanent collections in the Philadelphia Art Alliance, the Woodmere Art Gallery, the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs and the Philadelphia Art Museum.
She studied at the Academy Grand Chamier in Paris and was a graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy School of Fine Arts and the School of Industrial Art, both in Philadelphia. Her club memberships included every nationally known art association and she has exhibited from Maine to California. She is listed in “Who’s Who of American Women” and was the recipient of numerous awards.
Her only survivor is a niece, Mrs. Patricia C. Feehery of Chicago.
Services will be conducted Wednesday at 11 a.m., in the Funeral Home of B. C. Schroeder and Son, 715 Cooper st., where friends may call tonight. Burial will be in Harleigh Cemetery.