Vigo County Historical Society

Scenic sandscapes merit close inspection

Detailed designs interwoven in sand paintings

The scenic sandscape from the Condit estate displayed in the parlor of the museum merits a close inspection.

The more closely one studies the stoppered glass jar filled with minute grains of sand tightly packed to form detailed designs, the greater one marvels at such workmanship.

At top and bottom of the jar are border designs.

On one side a wreath of yellow, red and white flowers with green leaves surround the name "Sarah M. Condit," which appears in gray letters.

On the other side the eagle carries an American flag with 36 tiny stars.

All such sand paintings were probably the work of Andrew Clemens of McGregor, Iowa.

He has been acknowledged the inventor and possibly the sole practitioner of the meticulous art form. Most of his work was completed between 1880 and 1886.

Much of it is on display in the McGregor, Iowa Historical Museum.

Andrew Clemens collected more than 40 different colors of sand from river banks.

He then rubbed the sand dry on blotting paper with the bowls of spoons to get tiny uniform grains. With a tin scoop and an especially constructed 9-inch curved want, he constructed several hundred minutely detailed sand paintings. He used no dye, glue or paste.

An almost indecipherable label on the bottom of the jar carries his name and the name of McGregor, Iowa.

Sarah M. Condit, whose name in gray sand identified the owner, was the wife of Blackford Condit and the daughter of Caleb Mills, known as the father of public education in Indiana. She was the mother of several children, the last survivor being Helen, who died in 1962.

The sandscape is only one of the many items the museum has from the Condit estate. A family shell collection, exquisite dolls, and a bed are among the important gifts from the estate of the Condit family that are on display at the museum.