The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-11-23
A Noted Ar. Collector Dead.

BALTIMORE. Nd, Nov. 22.-William T.
Walters, q noted art collector and philan-
thropist, died today.
William Thompson Walters was born
on the Juniata river, Pennsylvania, May
%, 1920. He was of Scotch-Irish an cestry,
and his father, Henry Walters. a banker
of Pennsylvania, sent him to Philadelphia
to be educated as civil engineer. He vas
placed in charge of q large smelling estab-
lishment in Lycoming county, Pennsyl-
vania, where, under his management, tho
first iron that was manufactured in the
United States from mineral coal was made.
In 1871 he removed to Baltimore and en-
gagged in the general commission business.
and in 1Si7 he established the firm OF w.
L. Walters Il Co., wine merchants. When
the first line OF steamers between Balti-
more and Savannah was established he
was chosen president, and from that time
he was director IN every line from Balti-
more to the South. After the civil war he
aided IN the reorganization of the
Southern steamship lines. For many
years he was director of the
Northern Central Railway Company, and
be was also interested in many Southern
lines. From 1861 to 1855 he resided in
Europe, where he became the personal
friend of many prominent artists, and
travelled extensively to study the history
and development OF art, and TO purchase
begun at an early period He was art
commissioner from the United States TO
the Paris exposition in 1857, to that in
Vienna In 1855 and to the one in Paris in
1878. He was one of the permanent trus-
tees of the Corcoran Art Gallery in Wash
ington City, and was also chairman of the
purchasing commission, a trustee of the
Peabody institute and chairman of its
committee on art. He was also a trustee
of the estate left for art uses by the
sculptor, William III. Ripehart, who was
enabled to procure his art education
Walters. Albert Wolf, the French artist,
says that Mr.. Walters private collection is
the most complete gallery of French pic
lures in the world, with q single excep-
ton. He owned alargs and rare collection
of Bouvin's watercolors and many Barge
bronzes. His collection of Oriental
porceiains and ceramics numbers
more than 1900 pieces. For
many years Mr.. Walters annually
opened his gallery to the public and the
proceeds were devoted TO the Poor Asso-
citation of Baltimore. He gave To the city
of Baltimore several bronzes, which adorn
the four public squares adjoining the
Washington monument. They are the
great lion, masterpiece made by Antoine
Louis Barge In ls47 for the TuiIeries: four
groups, "War." Peace" Strength" and
Order" productions OF the models made
by Barge Tor the exterior decoration OF the
Louvre; and a reproduction in bronze by
Barbedienne of Military Courage" made
by Paul Dubois for the Lamorciere monu-
ment in Nantes. He also gave to the city
a reproduction in bronze of the statue Of
Chief Justice fancy in Annapolis, Md,
made by Rinehart. During his visit TO
Europe Mr.. Walters became interested in
tbs Percheron horses. He brought
eighteen of them TO the United States in
1866, and extended the importation of
this stock. To increase an intelligent in
tsrest in this subject. he published The
Pereheron Horse. from the French of
Charles Du Hays. with artistic stching,.
He also published Antoine Louis Rarye.
From the French Of Various Critics.n and
Notes Upon Certain Masters Of the Nine
tenth Century"