Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-13
TRICKS EVEN IN ART.
Replicas Sold as Originals and the
Fraud lndorsed by Law.
DISP0SING OF INFERIOR WORKS.
The west Has More Enthusiastic Collectors
Than the East.
SALES OF PICTURES In CANADA
SALES OF PICTURES IN CANADA
icoRREsPoNpENcEo OF THE DISPATCH,

NEW 1Ohh, July 1Z.-lt Is always q
thankless task to undeceive people; its more
than thankless when the undeception af-
fects beliefs and traditions that have
become respectable and even dignifed with
| old age. Yet this is what must be done re-
specting our preconceived notions concern
ing high art in the q nited States, il we are
to believe two of our greatest experts whom
I encou.- .red at the Hoffman House last
evening.
eff there be any well-esta blished legend, -
said one, "it is that New York City is the
art center of the Western continent, and
that all good pictures 20 to its many gal
leries. Nothing is further from the truth.
While there are many excellent art collec.
tions In the metropolis, there is but little
enthusiasm, and, oldest of all, there are
very few art collectors. At the present time
there are two worthy of the name-Cornelins
Vanderbilt and George /. Seney. The
former keeps what he purchases, while the
latter periodically sends his treasure trove
to the auction room. He did this few
years ago, and almost stripped the walls OF
his home. He has made up another collec-
ton since that time, aud proposes to auction
It of in turn the coming autumn. Or his
hrst accumulations tws-thirds were eventu-
ally secured by Western buyers ana a
larger proportion ol the coming sale will
take the same path. There are no art col
lectors In Boston or Philadelphia worth
mentioning. There is none in Washington
since the death Of W. W. Corcoran. In
Baltimore is n distinguished collector, Mr..
w. 7. Walters, whose fame IL worldwide
When YOU get this lar you have exhausted
tho Eastern and Middle States
MORE EkfHustAsTfe IN THE WEST.
"wheh you lock at the West you find
ten times the enthusiasm and al least ten
times a. many collectors. There are 70
many Of the latter that II would take an
hour 10 call the roll. But among them may
be mentioned, rs leaders, j, W, Ellsworth
and Marshall Field, ol Ghieagoj General
Russell II. Alger, Of MiehiganI 7, u.
Walker, Of MiBneapoisI Leland Stanford,
OF San franeise0I Byron Reed, OF OmahaI
Andrew Carnegie, OF Pittsburgh ex-senator
Catlin aud Brush, the electrical Inventor,
Of Cleveland, In fact, thers IL scarcely y
thriving Western city that hasn't NJ least
one jealous art collector. Not alone New
York, but the entire East sinks Into inHig-
nl6eAneo alongside OF the West In all
matters Of this sort.
between the twoI II IN seldom or never that
M Eastern man attends aH art sale ~ CHI.
eago, while on tho other hand every sale In
Boston aud New York IL orow ded With
Western buyers You'll find the latter In
Montreal, Mexico and Europe graft ying
his esthetio desires, while the Gtaid Goth
anlite usually employs an agent or waits
unit some rich dealer brings over 40 invoice
ol hne works, o imported pielures 70 per
cent In number and value go West aud re-
main there, and this II true In the face OF
the Singular tendency OF millionRiFeS TO
break up their homes and settle peFma-
nently In New York. How large this ele-
ment amounts 10 IL easily showniby such
names ~ ID, o, Mills, John W. Mnekay, u.
J.. Huntington, Charles Croker and James
w, keene, who are lew oi those who have
come To the metropolis Tor good. Had ali of
these remained In the West, the dispropor-
tion would have still been greater to the
disadvantage Of New York. / Isupposs the
reason is that the Empire City 10 SO rich
and satisfied with It's accumulation In every
field that it has lost ambition aud become a
slow and conservative community.
FULL OF CHEAP JOHN METHODS.
"Another popular delusion," said the
second expert, sis that the high art business
is conducted upon the same heightened.
elegant and conscientious lines as the dIa-
mond, jewelry and lace trades. 1t is
honeycombed with cheap-john methods and
can give points to the brightest members of
the bunko profession. The art collectors
and buvers of the country number a few
thousands and are more or less known to
the dealers, who keep an index of names
and addresses that is correct down to date.
Many of them have gauged their customers
so carefully as to know just what goods can
be sold to them. Upon this knowledge and
a large amount of humbug all the tricks
are based.
Gan importer or dealer has lot of pict-
ures which have fallen fat on the New
York market. He marks out a route along
which reside his prospective customers or
victims, summons his representative
manager superintendent or agent but
never clerk or sulesmen, and sends h.m off
with the invoice. The representative
reaches Poughkeepsie, hires a hall or en-
cages the parlor of hotel. He scours the
town, hunting up some laudable charity.
Anything will suit, from a founding
asylum to melodeon for mission school.
This secured, he promptly advertises "A
,superb art exhibition ior the benefit Of
etc. The receipts are usually larger than
The hotel bill, the local newspaper or news
papers give gratuitous reading notices and
criticisms, and the one or more ministers
advertise and praise it from the pulpit. Tn
the meantime the home house has sent to
e Very known buyer within 20 miles of
which the party addressed is deicately fat
ter4d, or worked to the Queens taste as It
ia ch billed by the trade.
PRICES ALWAYS HIGH ENOUGH.
"Ehe salesman does the rest. The prices
askad are very high and are put 30 with A
vie3 Of encountering the bargain fend.
Thel prices accepted are high enough to
max the sale OF one picture pay al the
expanses o the trip for month. Some of |
The tsalesmen are exceedingly clever and
oire9ls methods 10 fne art. The |
mani pulateh Of Munkaesy's Christ
be lote filRte' few seasons ago and |
The a, foit manner In which the artist him.
sell bFas employed ~ his own best advertise |
tnenk will be remembered by most people. |
W hi the picture was finally sold 70 John |
WI fiamukef, II II said that the dealer and |
hIs Ahrewd representative had made mere
monty cut o. the entire lnvestmsnt than tho |
aftdt himself
llni'fent 10 oil Hrt matters, q representative |
,0ld two ehByHAea IN o very unique way,
md exhibition had Jailed 20 bring pufs
BhMseF, and sumethlhg new had ~ he titled,
Hal plekHd 0utA wealthy, ambitious, bBt |
piskfly resident, Induced him 10 deliver a
seJufe on painting ieF the benefit Of some
,halfity, and 'wrete up the lecture and
sefufef In the local press, The latter be.
iskiRe that be had become suddenly
q Ineus, was 50 everioyed that he baug6t
,Jt one but two Of The pictures, On these
Am IA ga ia
10 effect sale, He takes adyantags of
family quaTFels, personal feuds, parry and
faetiepsl lines and fashionable vagAriss,
ALWAYS A SHOW OF ELEaAheE.
'ft should be sdded that everything is done
with the refinement and elegance that 10
supposed to surround the art world, His
raiment IL the finest, hiscards and stationery
are The latest that France and England have
lraI n nd ali hia uadi iuernn