Photograph courtesy Emile Brunel Park.
b. 1874 d. 1944
Site Affiliation: The Emile Brunel Studio / Residence and Sculpture Park
Emile Brunel, a man of vision and innovation, left a significant mark on both the photographic and cultural landscapes of America. His journey in 1904 from Chateauneuf de Chabre, France to the United States led to a series of remarkable achievements, including a collaboration with Cecil B. DeMille and, in 1910, the founding of what is now the New York Institute of Photography. He became a respected portrait photographer with over 35 portrait studios across the Northeast.
Acquiring 77 acres of land in the hamlet of Boiceville in 1921, Brunel threw himself into crafting a visionary, dreamlike retreat and sculpture park- dedicated to the indigenous spirit that had captured his heart upon first arriving in America and as a personal testament of his love for Native American peoples and the land they stewarded for centuries. His Chalet Indien resort became a sought-after destination for celebrities, artists, and political figures from the late 1920s to the late-1950s, including the Roosevelts, Frederick Kiesler, Harold Prince, Jimmy and Max Ernst, and Irving Berlin. It was not just a place of leisure but a creative sanctuary that inspired many of its distinguished guests from across Europe. The legacy and history of Le Chalet Indien and Brunel’s Studio/Residence continue to be preserved, along with Brunel’s 14 unique sculptures and towering concrete totem poles constructed between 1929 and 1941, capturing the imagination of visitors and historians alike.
Primary Medium: Concrete, photography, film, and acrylic on canvas
Primary Stylistic Term: Neo-rustique
Fun Fact: Brunel’s pioneering work in developing the one-hour photo process was a game-changer for the film industry, allowing for rapid review of daily footage.
Recommended Publications: Underexposed by Lei Isaacs (Ulster Magazine, Winter 1998)