153 - LBJ Bust by Margaret Withers

Plaster Bust of Lyndon Baines Johnson

36th President of the United States of America, 1963 – 1969

Born 1908 – Died 1973

About the Artist, Margaret Withers

Margaret Withers was a Johnson City artist during the period from the 1950’s to the 1990’s and was most active during the 60’s and 70’s. In addition to sculpture she worked with pastels, acrylics, oil, and pen and ink. She painted portraits of Lady Bird Johnson and John Connally, former Governor of Texas and Secretary of the United States Treasury. Both portraits now hang in the Johnson City Library.

Margaret originally produced two bronze busts from this casting. One bust is currently exhibited at Johnson City Bank of which LBJ was a founding partner.

Margaret was a native on Johnson City. Ms. Withers was married to Nelson Withers who owned the hardware store in Johnson City. She had three children and was the President of the Art Guild. She was also active in the Johnson City Lions Club which sponsored many art shows in the gazebo built by the organization in Memorial Park. An interesting historical footnote, Margaret’s ancestor was Al Lackey who became infamous as the last person to be hung in Blanco County.

– from an interview with Pat Dildine, daughter of Margaret Withers –

From the Preservationist, Susan Kirchman

This is the original Margaret Withers plaster bust, from which the mold was made for the bronze castings. About 10 years ago, when I discovered this original plaster LBJ bust at a garage sale, I was amazed to learn that it had been thrown in to a crawl space under a house for all this time. It was rotting and peeling from exposure and neglect.

I did the preservation based on the condition it was in when I got it, out from under the house of a relative of Margaret! Preservation was limited to adding beeswax as the preservative to the existing finish on the bust. The presentation has been completed with the help of Victor Summers’ wood work using a the piece of Cabinet Oak for the base. Beeswax was also used to finish the base.

I bought the plaster bust out of respect for him and the artist who created it. This project provides a way for me to leave it in the hands of someone who has respect for the artist, Margaret Withers, and for the American President that it represents. May they bring it into the limelight that it deserves.

– by Susan Kirchman, Kirchman Gallery, Johnson City, Texas –