Modern and Contemporary Craft: Selections from the Robert L. Pfannebecker Collection

Artist Biography

Born in 1906 in Elizabethtown, PA, Eshelman graduated with a BFA from Elizabethtown College and received his MFA from Columbia University. Eshelman served as a member of the industrial arts department faculty at Millsersville State College between 1947 and 1972. Using local materials such as walnut, wild cherry, and ash, bowls were Eshelman's speciality; however, Eshelman crafted other utilitarian forms including candlesticks, furniture, and the occasional bird sculpture. Serving as a career highlight, Eshelman--along with Wharton Esherick, James Prestini, and Bob Stocksdale--represented the United States for wood crafts at the 1958 Brussels Worlds Fair. Following on the previous success, in 1964 Eshelman was included in the ground-breaking "The American Craftsmen" show at the American Pavilion at the Brussels World's Fair. Eshelman's work can be found in numerous private collections and public institutions including the Museum of Art and Design; New York, NY.