L. Hagenbuch: Identifying a Watercolor Artist

Our Hagenbuch family tree is full of creative energy, filled with relatives who are artists. They express themselves through writing, painting, music, and acting—to name a few. This list doesn’t even include crafts such as sewing, cooking, woodworking, and the like. It’s very likely that every person in our family, whether past or present, has left some creative mark upon the world.

One notable artist who has been featured on this site is William L. Hagenbaugh (b. 1878, d. 1943). A Los Angeles police captain by day, he had a passion for painting. Beginning in the early 1900s, William put a brush to canvas and brought to life scenes filled with conquistadors and cowboys. Eventually, he turned to landscapes, painting scenes from southern California where he lived.

Another painter whose work has been shown here is Joseph Hagenbuch (b. 1924, d. 2016). He was the younger brother of James “Jimmy” Hagenbuch, who was killed in action during the D-Day invasion in 1944. Joseph was a portrait painter, and he captured the likenesses of many people including bankers and businessmen. One more family artist worth mentioning is William Howard Sechler (b. 1916, d. 1992), who went by his middle name. His first cousin, Hannah (b. 1889, d. 1967), married Clarence Hagenbuch (b. 1889, d. 1967). Howard lived in Montour County, Pennsylvania and painted scenes of the area’s rural countryside.

Watercolor painting by L. Hagenbuch

In August of 2024, my father, Mark, and I received information about an unidentified Hagenbuch artist. A woman named Katie sent us a message through Facebook and described a unique watercolor painting that she had found at a thrift store in Glenville, New York—a small town northwest of Albany. She provided a number of photographs of the painting too. The framed picture depicts what may be a view of Venice, Italy, complete with a gondola boat floating on a canal under a bridge. The painting is tastefully done and exhibits the skill of someone who has been practicing their craft for some time. The artist signed signed their name “L. Hagenbuch” and placed the watercolor in a gilt frame. Judging from the age of the frame and paper, it may have been painted in the early 20th century. Who was L. Hagenbuch? Katie, my father, and I all wanted to know.

I started my search for L. Hagenbuch by looking for Hagenbuchs that may have lived near Glenville, NY. One of the first that showed up was the family of Jay R. Hagenbuch (b. 1935, d. 2020). They lived nearby in Oneida County, NY. However, Jay wasn’t born until 1935 and no one in his immediate group had a name starting with “L.” Another possibility was the family of Richard N. Hagenbuch (b. 1923, d. 2014). Richard worked in Schenectady, NY for General Electric, although he eventually moved back to Pennsylvania. Again, this didn’t seem like a strong possibility.

Detail of L. Hagenbuch’s signature on the painting

Then there was Lysle L. Hagenbuch (b. 1887, d. 1939). He died in the Bronx in New York City and spent his career painting buildings and hanging wallpaper. His age, name, line of work, and location all seemed to fit with the mystery watercolor artist. Yet, upon digging deeper, it was revealed that he was only in New York for a brief period of time at the end of his life. Lysle had served in World War I and was admitted to a veterans’ hospital in the Bronx only a short time before he died. Otherwise, he spent most of his life in Shenandoah, PA.

Still, there was one final option: Lloyd G. Hagenbuch Sr. or his son, Lloyd Jr. Lloyd G. Hagenbuch (b. 1870, d. 1947) was from Pennsylvania but lived much of his life in the affluent New York City suburb of Larchmont in Westchester County, NY. Lloyd did well for himself and was an executive for the American Car and Foundry Company which had offices in Lower Manhattan. Lloyd had several children, including Howard V. Hagenbuch (b. 1919, d. 2006) and Lloyd Jr., who was born in 1912. Unfortunately, Lloyd Jr. died in 1939 at the age of 27, after suffering from Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Lloyd G. Hagenbuch Sr. and his wife, Marie (Cody) Hagenbuch, c. 1946

Considering the available evidence, it is plausible that Lloyd G. Hagenbuch Sr. or his son, Lloyd Jr., may have been the “L. Hagenbuch” who painted the thrift store watercolor. Both men lived in the state of New York, had “L” as their first initial, and came from some means—enabling them to imagine Venice or even visit the popular Italian city. While we cannot say for certain who created the work of art, it is hoped that sharing these pictures and family names will generate more leads and ultimately solve this mystery!