The San Francisco call., 1897-10-03
NEW HALL Open
TO THE PUBLIC
The Art Gallery at the Park
Museum Is Ready for
Visitors.
Beautiful Paintings by Local
and Foreign Artists Are
on View.
An Unostentatious Beginning of a
- Future Feature of the
Institution.

Without exercises or ceremony of any
kind the recently completed art gallery in
| connection with the museum at Golden
Gate Park was thrown open to the public
yesterday morning. The bui ding is thor
oughiy freproof, being made of brick.
with an iron and glass roof, and is so con-
structed with regard to the admission OF
| light that it is particularly adapted for
the exhibition of oil paintings, the pur-
pose for which it was erected.
When the museum was started nearly
three years ago there was no intention on
the part of the movers in the undertaking g
to attempt anything in the way of a fine
art exhibit; but donations and gifts OF
paintings and etchings have been made TO
such an extent that i: was found necessary
to provide a suita BILE place for them, and
the art collection now bids fair to become
one OF the important features of the insti.
| tuition.
Tie attendance at the museum yester-
day was 1913, which is three times the av-
erage OF ordinary week days. Mr.. Will
comb. the curator, attributes this to the
new exhibits and expects that the mum ber
OF visitors will be greatly increased by the
addition of this attraction.
In the new hall, which is situated i'm
| mediately west OF and ad djoining the old
museum, are hung In the neighborhood
of hundred oil paint tings by local and
foreign painters. About half of these are
| new additions TO the COLLECTION, and the
! majority are by local artists. Among
those whose works are in the exhibit are
Henry Raschen, Thomas Hill, William
Keith, William Hahn. Charles c. Nahl,
Edwards Capweil, A. G. Rodriguez,
Charles L. Signoret. Grace Hudson, Miss
NJ. l. Morrison, Miss Lillian O'Hara. A.
Hamilton, L. P. Latimer, Mary Il. Men
ton, c. Chapel Judson, A. Green, G. Won
Perbandt, k. ID. Yelland, c. j. Hitteli,
Helen HYDE, Anna Nordgren, ii. r.
BIoomer, Oscar Kunath, William Huba. y.
Heemans Abbott.
The work OF removing the paintings 10
their new quarters and arranging them so
tina: each would appear 10 the best ad-
vantage has taken up the greater part OF
DIR. Wilcomb's time for several months
and his success in the effort is apparent 10
any one casting even s. casual glance at
the gallery. In the collection of the pic
lures and their hanging the curator says
he was assisted by the artist Henry Ras-
chen and that TO him'a great deal of the
credit is due.
The water colors, etchings, engravings
and prints are hung in the old gallery.
hcic ais iouliu tne Cp''OneI anu Mdrlanne g
Matthew collections. The latter exhibit
was collected for and exhibited at the
Worlds Fair and this is the first time IL
has been on exhibition since. 1t comprises
a series of thlrty-eight water color paint
ings of California wild flowers and is con-
sidered very valuable.
The new hall came none too soon as it
is already filled and the museum is as
much in need of another ona for paint
lngs as it was six months ago, As for the
other portions of the museum new exhib-
its are being continually received. At
present there are ten cases of Egyptian
curios at the Custom-house, and besides
these there Is on the way q collection of
antique costumes, furniture and pipes,
also a mum Der OF instruments of torture
used in the inquisition.