Using Data to Identify La Rose's Work

The seal of the Missionary District of the Philippine Islands.  Most likely designed by la Rose between 1913-1917.  Image is from DeKay (1993).

As my research on Pierre de Chaignon la Rose (1872-1941) progresses, I recently discovered another coat of arms within the theme of the "cross in national colors," found in the arms for the Missionary District of the Philippine Islands of the Episcopal Church.  This new discovery seemed oddly perfect for a coat of arms designed by la Rose.  Rendering the cross in various forms combining red, white, or blue is a key theme found in several designs for arms la Rose created.  For a full analysis on the theme of the "cross in national colors," please click here to the article. 

Currently, I am unable to locate any evidence as to who designed the arms and seal.  Using the data that I have been collecting since 2014, I am able to analyze several elements to render a verdict.  

Firstly, the district was formed in 1901 and its status changed in 1937--dates that all nicely fit within la Rose's lifetime.  That piece of information, however, is too easy and the researcher must dig deeper.  Yes, the engraving above is a dead-ringer of la Rose's work with the lombardic font and artistic layout.  But, we need more information!  With limited access to the district's complete series of journals online, I have pieced together the following information to inform my attribution to la Rose. 

Architectural rendering of the seal in full color. 
Image is from Wikipedia.

According to the missionary district's annual reports that are accessible, reports for the years 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, and 1913, there is no use of the seal or mention of its adoption.  However, a very interesting fact surfaced in my review of these documents.  In Missionary District of the Philippine Islands (1913), noted Boston architect Richard Clipston Sturgis (1860-1951) is mentioned twice for preparing architectural designs for St. Luke's in Manila (page 11 and 36).  

In 1910, Sturgis and la Rose worked together for the architectural rendering of arms for the Brookline Public Library in Massachusetts.  Click here to read my story about the arms of Brookline Public Library.  Thus, it is likely that if Sturgis needed a coat of arms for his architectural rendering for St. Luke's in 1913, he would have already known la Rose's capabilities.   

Date-wise, we can presume these arms were likely designed after 1913 and very probably around 1916 given la Rose's unique design for the Diocese of Maryland and it's cathedral as noted in Diocesan Convention of Maryland (1916).  Other than The Rev. John Abel Nainfa, S.S. (1878-1938) no one else in the US was designing arms using the quarterly-counterchanged cross method in the early 20th Century.  Nainfa designed the arms for the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America in 1918 (La Rose, 1918) and la Rose blazoned these arms, "argent, a cross quarterly azure and gules" (pg. 193). 

The arms of the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America (Maryknoll) devised by The Reverend John A. Nainfa, S.S. in 1918.  Nainfa was a dedicated partner early on with la Rose.
Image source from La Rose (1918).

Moreover, the cathedral for the missionary district--in place and referred to in the annual reports--is named the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. John in Manila.  The silver/white star in the coat is very likely a reference to either the Philippine's status vis a vis the US or the Blessed Virgin Mary, a unique method employed by la Rose.  

In my data of more than 200 corporate coats, I have 19 diocesan coats designed by la Rose where he uses a charge or certain tinctures as a reference to the patron saint of the see's cathedral.  Another example can be found in my analysis of the arms of the College of Notre Dame of Maryland.  Click here to read my analysis of the arms of the College of Notre Dame of Maryland.

La Rose's painting of the proposed arms for the Episcopal Diocese of New York.  The arms were never adopted.  Note the mitre.  Image is from Facebook and found in the Archives of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York.

The mitre used in the vesica piscis is unique to la Rose.  In a letter from September 3, 1912 to The Rt. Rev. David Hummell Greer (1844-1919), Episcopal Bishop of New York, la Rose provides sketches for possible arms for the Diocese of New York to consider, see above.  The letter is housed in the archives of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York.  As he closes the letter to the bishop, la Rose addresses the mitre he prefers to use as the external ornament placed above the shield:

"The mitre on my drawing [proposed coat of arms for the Episcopal Diocese of New York] is copied with very slight modification from those on the roll of peers dated 1515 in the Herald's College [College of Arms, London], a type which has crystallised and become now practically their official heraldic form for a mitre, and here we are concerned only with the mitre from the point of view of heraldry, not of archeology or liturgies" (Letter from Pierre de Chaignon la Rose to the Right Reverend David H. Greer).

When viewing la Rose's painting above for the Episcopal Diocese in New York (note that it's dated 1912), it is the exact same mitre used for the Diocese as Maryland as can be seen below.  I've added the Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette (La Rose, 1923, 407-408), designed in 1923, to illustrate that la Rose did not discriminate between denominations.  La Rose would adorn countless diocesan coats with this exact mitre.  

Over the years, la Rose would rework and change up the mitre a bit and I have a few examples in my data of his evolving style.  Artistically, notice the curvature of the top of the shields shown in New York, Maryland, and Marquette.  Notice how the mitre fits rather snuggly on top of the escutcheon--these details are characteristic of la Rose and his obsession with decoration and elegance.  

Finally, la Rose was no stranger to the Philippines.  He devised arms for the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Tuguegarao in 1911 (La Rose, 1911, 8-9) and Zamboanga in 1917 (La Rose, 1917, 624-625).  

To review all known data for the arms of the Missionary District of the Philippine Islands:  we have the right dates for la Rose, we have the simplicity of the design, the design matches a key theme of la Rose's work, we have a named architect who la Rose worked with around the same time, we know of other arms designed in the Philippines around the time, and we have a match with the style of mitre used by la Rose.  Data does not lie.  Thus, given all of this information, I proudly give la Rose credit for the arms of Missionary District of the Philippine Islands.  

DeKay (1993) gives the blazon as, "quarterly gules and argent, a cross counterchanged, in dexter chief a mullet of the second" (pg. 87).

La Rose's painting of the arms for the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland and designed in 1916.

La Rose's painting of the arms for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette in Marquette, Michigan.  Designed in 1923 (La Rose, 1923).

One prevailing criticism of DeKay's (1993) work is that it lacks citations.  At no point in his book will the reader find references to his data.  I remember receiving my copy back in 2006, and like most amateur students of heraldry, I simply loved thumbing through all the pictures.  It never once occurred to me back then to look for references. 

In DeKay (1993), there are several coats designed by la Rose in which DeKay does not mention the designer.  Those coats designed by la Rose and unattributed by DeKay (1993) are in my data and verified with sources.  Thus, here is what I find rather ironic.  In his early section which describes the heraldic artists who dominated the landscape within the Episcopal Church, DeKay writes:

"Among the seals he [la Rose] designed for dioceses of the Episcopal Church are those for the Dioceses of Springfield, Quincy, Lexington, Massachusetts, Western Massachusetts, Michigan, West Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Rhode Island, Spokane, and Milwaukee.  

Truly Mr. LaRose has left his mark.  These are listed in the same order as they appear in this book, so that you may browse through the diocesan section and spot them.  His style will become immediately apparent so that you will easily recognize a LaRose design when you see one..." (DeKay, 1993, 14).

Clearly, la Rose's style was not apparent to some, and I readily admit to passing over la Rose's arms for the Missionary District of the Philippine Islands many times in the past.  I was taught in my master's program at Sewanee to be kind and charitable towards all authors as a sign of respect for their work and contributions.  DeKay does give us a great overview of heraldry in the Episcopal Church as he makes an important contribution in advancing the literature on the subject.  Furthermore, we have the benefit in 2023 of a great many works digitized and easy to search.  Primary sources are readily available today thanks to the internet.  So, I will be kind.  Though, as I've said to my students in the past, cite everything.

Works Cited

DeKay, Eckford (1993).  Heraldry in the Episcopal Church.  Acorn Press. 

Diocesan Convention of Maryland (1916).  Journal of the one hundred and thirty-third annual convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the Diocese of Maryland.  Diocese of Maryland.

La Rose, Pierre de C. (1923).  Recent episcopal arms.  In H.J. Heuser (Ed.), The Ecclesiastical Review, vol. 69(October), 407-408.

La Rose, Pierre de C. (1918).  Some examples of corporate Catholic heraldry.  In H.J. Heuser (Ed.), The Ecclesiastical Review, vol. 55(February), 189-198.

La Rose, Pierre de C. (1917).  Some recent episcopal coats of arms.  In H.J. Heuser (Ed.), The Ecclesiastical Review, vol. 56(June), 624-625.

La Rose, Pierre de C. (1912 September 3).  Letter from Pierre de Chaignon la Rose to The Right Reverend David H. Greer.  Unpublished letter.

La Rose, Pierre de C. (1911).  The arms of his Eminence Cardinal Gibbons. In H.J. Heuser (Ed.), The Ecclesiastical Review, vol. 5(45), 8-9.

Missionary District of the Philippine Islands (1913).  Journal of the tenth annual convocation of the Missionary District of the Philippine Islands.  Missionary District of the Philippine Islands.