William Justema Part II - The frames

As noted in Part I it is thanks to the foresight of Chip Doyle that informative archival materials documenting Justema’s effort to market a line of his frame designs in New York still exist.

 Justema worked with the company F. H. Newcomb in the late 1930s as well as the Newcomb Macklin Company in 1941. [1] An undated sales brochure from the F.J. Newcomb Company in New York (FIG 1) asserts “At present there are nearly thirty different Justema designs. Each may be had in various widths and combinations and in an almost unlimited range of finishes.” While the claim may be accurate, I have been unable to identify thirty different designs- just the 13 noted below.

 The aim of this post is primarily to make the material known. (If you wish further information on any of them, please contact me directly.) Eight of the frames are named after notable artists: the Cezanne, the Derain, the Dufy, the Laurencin, the Matisse, the Picasso, the Renoir and the Van Gogh. As the images show, Justema had detailed notes for each design and suggestions for what artworks they would be well suited for and desirable finishes.

FIG 1 - FJ Newcomb Justema brochure

FIG 2 - Cezanne sketch and sample

FIG 3 - Derain sketch and sample

FIG 4 - Derain molding as a table

FIG 5 - Dufy frame samples

FIG 6 - Dufy sketch

FIG 7 - Laurencin sketch and sample

FIG 8 - Matisse sketch and sample

FIG 9 - Picasso sketch and sample

FIG 10 - Renoir samples

FIG 11 - Renoir sketch

FIG 12 - Van Gogh sketch and sample

 The remaining five are named alluding to the actual design- the Running Drape (not illustrated), the Camelia — a tondo mirror frame (not illustrated), the Sphere Corner (not illustrated), and the friendship frame (FIG 13 and 14) and the Banked Corner (FIG 15).

FIG 13 - Friendship Frame sample

FIG 14 - Friendship frame sketch

FIG 15 - Banked corner sketch with sample

 We also know that Justema sought patents for his designs. (See the patent for his Picasso design below.) Interestingly, I have thus far been unable to locate an extant frame in any of his designs. Should you know of one, please do let me know.

FIG 16 - Patent app design

 As discussed in my essay on Florine Stettheimer’s frames in the journal American Art (Summer 2025 39:2) Justema was adamant that his designs were his own and that he had not plagiarized her (or even been inspired by her frames). That said, his Dufy, Picasso and Renoir designs all have a striking similarity to the style of the frame that she designed for her Cathedral Series beginning in 1928. (FIGS 17 and 18). What do you think?

FIG 17 - Stettheimer Cathedrals of Art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art

FIG 18 - Stettheimer Cathedrals Frame Detail

It is especially ironic that Justema’s Dufy ‘pie crust’ design became a style offered by APF Framemakers many years ago surprisingly known as the ‘Stettheimer.’

FIG 19 - APF Stettheimer design


[1] The relationship between F. H. Newcomb and the Newcomb-Macklin Company of Chicago and New York is one that warrants further research as they do appear as separate entities in New York City directories for many of the same years. It was Newcomb-Macklin that became more widely known during the 19-teens and 20s having started in Chicago then adding a factory and showroom in New York City and a work force of salesmen that traveled the country and cultivated business, especially with the Taos School in New Mexico.

Posted on July 10, 2025 .