Update: L. Hagenbuch Identified as Louise (Schantz) Hagenbuch

One of the many wonderful things about this site is how it brings people together and permits them to share information. Many times this is about loved ones or connections to the Hagenbuch family. Sometimes, however, it is about artifacts—ones that provide key details for solving a family mystery.

In January of this year, I wrote a piece discussing a watercolor painting that was found in a thrift store in Glenville, New York. Encased in a gilt frame, the painting depicted what looked like Venice, Italy, complete with a gondola boat floating on a canal under a bridge. It was tastefully created and exhibited some level of skill. The artist signed their name “L. Hagenbuch.” Judging from the age of the frame and paper, I guessed it may have been painted in the early 20th century.

Watercolor painting by L. Hagenbuch

Even with this evidence, I was unable to identify definitely who had painted it. My best guess was that it could have been made by Lloyd G. Hagenbuch Sr. or his son, Lloyd Jr. Both men lived in the state of New York, had “L” as their first initial, and came from some means—enabling them to appreciate high art. Still, I wasn’t completely sure.

Then, a few weeks ago, I received a message from Suzanna from Ohio. In a comment on this site, she wrote:

I have [a] hand painted plate with three ladies [in] long dresses working in a field and hand signed by L. Hagenbuch… it is perfect.

Ah-ah! This new lead revived my hopes for uncovering the true identity of L. Hagenbuch. In a followup message, Suzanna revealed that the plate was located in Xenia, Ohio—600 miles away from where the painting had been found in New York. This detail was particularly useful, since I knew there were several groups of Hagenbuchs that lived in Ohio.

A porcelain china plate decorated by L. Hagenbuch with a copy of Millet’s painting “The Gleaners”

I performed a quick search for Ohioans who were alive in the early 20th century and matched the name “L. Hagenbuch.” The best fit was Louise Georgianna (Schantz) Hagenbuch. Louise was born on September 30, 1875 to John Schantz (b. 1846) and Maria “Mary” Anna (Schaefer) Schantz (b. 1855) in Greene County, OH. Xenia also happens to be in Greene County. According to her obituary, she graduated from the University of Chicago and the Oxford College for Women in Ohio. In addition, she studied art at Meissen College in Germany. Louise was educated, appreciated art, and had traveled to Europe. The pieces of the puzzle were falling into place.

A final clue came from newspaper clippings. One noted that Louise had won a prize at the 1901 Miami County Fair for her painted china. Another advertised a 1904 exhibition of her china paintings at Sargent’s Drug Store in Dayton, OH. It seemed clear that Louise had not only studied art, she was also an artist in her own right.

Notice of Louise Schantz’s exhibition of china paintings from the Dayton Daily News, December 17, 1904

These characteristics all made sense after looking at the porcelain china provided by Suzanna. The plate was made by Haviland in France and was hand painted with a copy of a famous French work: The Gleaners by Jean-François Millet. Millet completed the work in 1857, and it was put on display at the Louvre in 1891. Louise may have first seen it there or later owned a lithograph print of it.

Louise G. Schantz married Frank Harbine Hagenbuch (b. 1875) on January 15, 1907. Frank’s Hagenbuch line is: Andreas (b. 1715) > Henry (b. 1737) > Christian (b. 1773) > Stephen (b. 1803) > William Augustus (b. 1831) > Frank Harbine (b. 1875). Like Louise, Frank was from Greene County, OH. Although, at the time they married, he was living and working as a grain dealer in Sulphur Springs, Henry County, Indiana. Since the china plate and framed watercolor were both signed “L. Hagenbuch” instead of “L. Schantz” they must have been painted sometime after 1907.

Louise Schantz and Frank Hagenbuch’s wedding announcement from the Xenia Daily Gazette, January 15, 1907

According to census records, Louise and Frank lived in Indiana until the 1940s, when they returned to Greene County, OH. They had two children: Louise Harbine (b. 1915, d. 1999, m. George S. Pugh) and William “Bill” Harbine (b. 1918, d. 2012, m. Grace Horner). Census documents reveal that Louise was working as an antiques collector and buyer during the 1920 and 1930s.

Frank Hagenbuch died on February 5, 1952 and Louise (Schantz) Hagenbuch on May 29, 1967. They are buried together in Woodland Cemetery in Dayton, OH. Louise’s obituary states that before Frank’s death, he had been the president of the Hooven & Allison Company in Xenia. His son, Bill, would later become CEO of the business. Hooven & Allison produced rope, and the Hagenbuchs’ connection to the company is deserving of its own article.

Louise (Schantz) Hagenbuch’s obituary from the Xenia Daily Gazette, May 29, 1967

This brings us full circle to L. Hagenbuch’s first artwork—the watercolor discovered in 2024. At that time, I had wondered why the artist didn’t include their first name and, instead, chose to replace it with an initial. Now, the answer seemed obvious: L. Hagenbuch was a woman. There is, of course, a long history of female artists not being taken seriously. To avoid this, some women used pseudonyms or abbreviated their names to obscure their gender identity.

Louise G. (Schantz) Hagenbuch was college educated and had studied fine art in Europe. She understood art history and likely signed her name “L. Hagenbuch” to keep her art from being overlooked. One could argue it worked too, as I erroneously thought her watercolor of Venice was painted by a man! Thanks to the information provided by Suzanne, we are now able to give Louise proper credit for her creativity.