Herman Perlman
Sculptor, Polish, 1904 - 1995
Herman Perlman, a noted artist whose glassworks are on display at area government buildings, synagogues, universities and hospitals, had been an artist for The Washington Post, where he did caricatures of political and show business personalities in the 1920s and 1930s, and had worked briefly for Walt Disney, the creator of Mickey Mouse, and Max Fleischer, the creator of Popeye the Sailor Man. He also helped artistically refurbish five bathtubs in the Truman White House before becoming renown through the Washington area and beyond for his work in glass.
He started working in glass in 1949, creating a wide variety of works that were seen in some of the Washington area's most prominent public and private institutions. He did murals for Howard University and a memorial wall for the Washington Hebrew Congregation. He also designed a holy ark for the chapel at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, fashioned doors for the Renwick Gallery and created frosted-glass interior doorways for Blair House. He worked on church windows and on glass sculptures for the Federal Reserve Board and the National War College.
In the mid-1960s, he created a series of glassworks that were exhibited at the B'nai B'rith's Klutznick Museum. The works depicted Abraham Lincoln and historic personalities from Jewish history.
Mr. Perlman was born to Jewish parents in Poland and lived in Kiev before coming to the United States in 1914. He lived in Columbus, Ohio, before coming to Washington in 1924. He studied commercial art at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and attended the Corcoran Art School.
He started working in glass in 1949, creating a wide variety of works that were seen in some of the Washington area's most prominent public and private institutions. He did murals for Howard University and a memorial wall for the Washington Hebrew Congregation. He also designed a holy ark for the chapel at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, fashioned doors for the Renwick Gallery and created frosted-glass interior doorways for Blair House. He worked on church windows and on glass sculptures for the Federal Reserve Board and the National War College.
In the mid-1960s, he created a series of glassworks that were exhibited at the B'nai B'rith's Klutznick Museum. The works depicted Abraham Lincoln and historic personalities from Jewish history.
Mr. Perlman was born to Jewish parents in Poland and lived in Kiev before coming to the United States in 1914. He lived in Columbus, Ohio, before coming to Washington in 1924. He studied commercial art at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and attended the Corcoran Art School.