Dora Wheeler Keith, also known as Mrs. Boudinot Keith, was a portrait artist, muralist, designer and illustrator of books and magazines, and designer of tapestries for her mother Candace Wheeler's firm, the Associated Artists.
Miss Dora Wheeler by William Merritt Chase, oil on canvas, 1883, collection Cleveland Museum of Art
Women's Building Library, Columbian Exhibition 1893. Dora Wheeler Keith's ceiling mural brought her national attention.
Boy with a Dog by Dora Wheeler, oil on canvas, High Museum of Art. The model was Dora's cousin, Raymond D. Thurber.
Henry Stimson and Mimi the Cat by Dora Wheeler, oil on canvas, private collection. The model was Dora’s nephew, Henry L. Stimson.
Candace Wheeler, traditionally credited as the mother of interior design, was one of America's first woman interior and textile designers. She helped open the field of interior design to women, supported craftswomen, and promoted American design reform. A committed feminist, she intentionally employed women and encouraged their education, especially in the fine and applied arts, and fostered home industries for rural women. She also did editorial work and wrote several books and many articles, encompassing fiction, semi-fiction and non-fiction, for adults and children. She used her exceptional organizational skills to co-found both the Society of Decorative Art in New York City (1877) and the New York Exchange for Women's Work (1878); and she partnered with Louis Comfort Tiffany and others in designing interiors, specializing in textiles (1879-1883), then founded her own firm, The Associated Artists (1883-1907).
Candace Wheeler
Principles of home decoration, with practical examples, Candace Wheeler, 1903
Associated Artists embroidered card table cover, 44" x 44", silk thread embroidery on cloth, circa 1900