We have at least 3-4 paintings by Arthur Lavinger. Can you forward information about the gallery in Detroit. We had bought the items in Detroit about 30 years ago. Looking to hear from you soon. Thanks, Jane

We were cleaning out some stored paintings and have come across sever paintings by Arthur Lavinger. Do you have any information on him?

You bet! And I'm sorry I didn't answer you when you contacted me before, but I was very busy.
Arthur LaVinger was my uncle; he was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1902, and came to America in 1921 with his parents and siblings. He lived in Detroit until 1936, at which time he moved to LosAngeles, with his wife and son.
As a young man, he was considered an up-and-coming artist in Detroit, won an award from the Scarab Club ( a prestigious art organization) and exhibited paintings in the Detroit area.His work was written up by art critics in the Detroit newspapers in the 1920's and 1930's.
Two of his works are in the Archives of American Art at the Detroit Institute of Art; another one was recently exhibited at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.
While living in LosAngeles in the early 1960's, he helped authenticate and return two masterpieces to the Uffizi Gallery in Italy; these had been confiscated during World War II.
Arthur LaVinger died in California in 1963. If you want any further information about him, you can e-mail me privately at patigail@msn.com and I will send you his son's address and e-mail number. Thanks for inquiring.

Thank you for your email. Can you tell what connection is to Honore and Lavinger.

So far what we have found out is that one of his paintings sold at auction for $800.00. Have you found out any info.? Can you send pictures of what you have?
Jane

Hello, Jane,
To answer your first question, I don't know if there was any connection between my uncle, Arthur LaVinger and Paul Honore, other than that their work was shown in some of the
same exhibitions back in the 1920's and 1930's; I have some old catalogs from these exhibitions, held in Detroit, in which both are listed. Whether they actually knew each other or not, I have no idea. I do know that another Hungarian-born painter, Zoltan Sepeshy, who has become quite well known, was a friend of my uncle's when they were young men, but I believe that their paths diverged in the later years of their lives.
I cannot give you any information about sales or auctions or the monetary value of his paintings because I am not involved in any of that. I have some paintings of his, which were in my family and have been in my home my entire life, since Mr. LaVinger was my mother's brother. I never met him, by the way, although I did get to meet my aunt and I know and am friendly with my cousin, Allen LaVinger, who is the only child of their marriage. I am not interested in selling any of the art work that I have. If you would like to communicate with Allen, I can send you his address and also his e-mail; I have spoken to him and have his permission to have you contact him, but I don't want to put that information on a message board. You can e-mail me directly at patigail@msn.com and I will be glad to send it to you. Thanks for your Interest, Pat Loeffler

My name is Allen E. LaVinger (the capital "V" was created by my father when he lost everything in the '29 crash).
I have more info aqbout him if you're interested, in addition to that which my cousin Patricia Loeffler had sent you.
I have a few of his paintings, drawings and sketches. And, I'm very interested to know what work(s) of his you have.

Allen LaVinger
505 N. California St.
Burbank, CA 91505-3538

Hello, MJ Honor,
My name is Phyllis Akif, formerly Phyllis Honore. I was married to the grandson of Paul Honore, the artist. My understanding is that his name was Bidwell. He married Ethel York and had two children: Ethelmary and Paul York, both deceased. His family remained in the Philadelphia area for many years and now lives in Northeastern Maryland, where Paul Honore started an art community on a farm back in the 1950s. You can locate his grandson, Paul, who lives on Liberty Grove Road in Port Deposit, MD. There is a granddaughter also -- Suzette Honore Jackson, who lives, I believe, in Havre de Grace, MD. If you wish further contact, you can write me at my email: pakif@cox.net. I only signed up for this to give you a lead! Take care. Phyllis

I was just searching the internet for a name of an artist on a painting that belongs to my mother-in-law. The painting is of a donkey and the name on it is M.J. Honner. Could that be you?

Cindy Jamison

Hi Cindy -

Yes, I am an artist too. Hmmm. Don't remember painting a donkey but you never know. Lots of paint under the bridge. Please email me and I'll see.