The sun., 1903-10-18

HISTORICAL SOCIETYS TREAS
URES POORLY HOUSED,


the New York Historical SOclety--a COL
lection which in some respects is the most
remarkable in New York or in this country
In spite Of its value however, there are
thousands OF persons in this city who have
never even heard of the collection. There are
comparatively few, In fact, who ever put
] foot in the old fashioned building at the
corner OF Tenth street and Second avenue,
where it is deposited.
The collection is not on public view at
| any time. A card OF introduction from
member OF the society is needed to gain
, admission to It, Some persons think
that this is to be regretted. B. P.'s'
protest. however, had nothing to do with
that. II is the condition Of the building
he found fault with.
He ia amazed, he says, to find 80 valuable
collection housed sin a ramshackle, neg
lected building and exposed to annihilation
from fire at any moment" He adds that the
collection is badly arranged and poorly
catalogued, and expresses astonishment
at the lack Of appreciation and public spirit
shown in the failure to protect such a col
lection from peril. In conclusion, he
suggests that the collection be sold to
Western municipalty-he himself halls
from the West-which presumably would
take better care OF it.
There is one serious drawback to carry
ing out B. P.'s" suggestion-the collection
Ia not for sale. This is what member OF
the society says on that point:
+The collection is priceless, containing
as it does pictures and specimens which
cannot be duplicated the world over
Although admitting that in the main
B. p" was perfectly right in his criticism,
he denied that there was any very great
cause for alarm as to the danger from fire.
Although old fashioned, the structure Is
solidIy built, it is not Of particularly in
aammable nature, and IL Is we'll guarded
At all events for another year at least, no
attempt will be made to shift any part OF
the collection to other quarters as -B. P.'
suggests.
mo one can or does realize more poign-
antly than the Historical Society the
inadequate provision for its treasures,
continued this member. we have scarcely
held meeting for the last twenty years at
which that subject was not brought up.
1T is not the easiest thing in the world,
though, for society comparatively small
we have only 372 members who pay dues
to get together more than. half a million
Of dollars to put into ground and suitable
structure. Land is not 30 cheap In New
York as it il out West. -, ,
Then, although New Yorkers are liberal
spenders. there are many other things they
| would rather put their money INTO than
| museums. When the Historical Society
celebrated it's fifty-third anniversary by
one dreamed that In less than thirty years
they would be outgrown. At that time
| every member was quite proud of the edi-
Ace. It was woman-Mrs. Robert l.;
| Stuart who came to the rescue In 1885, and
started building fund with gift OF
since, the fund has been rolling up until
| now the society expects to celebrate its
| one hundredth anniversary IN November
| 1904, by moving into q fine new building,
the cornerstone Of which will be laid next
| month. .
aThe ediflce, American Colonial in de-
sign and three stories high, will occupy
! the entire block from Seventy sixth street
| to Seventy seventh, in Central Park
West, and will have depth on each street
of 125 feet. / believe that In another year
no one will be able to find fault with the
housing and arrangement OF the historical
Socety's collection
Visitors get only partial idea OF the
Historical Society's collection by turning
to the catalogue, which confines itself
principally to mentioning the Aooot! COL
lection OF Egyptian antiquities ana the
canvases in the art gallery: 4 page rs ,. given
to tho Lenox collection Of Nineveh sculPt-
ures, given in 1857, thirteen In all. each IN
the form of huge square plaque about
six feet across. For lack Of space these
sculptures are poked away in a corner OF
the basement, to which few penetrate.
There is no mention in the catalogue OF
the Phoenix collection Of heraldry and
numerous rare pamphlets, manuscripts,
volumes of biography, genealogy, heralory
and history included in a library OF many
thousand volumes. Hundreds OF fine
engravings stored away in chests are noC
entered on its pages, there is no attempt 10
| classify the coins and jewelry specimens.
| The most important part OF the society
collection has been gathered within the last
| fifty years. The Abbott collection OF LIZ
pieces, gathered by DR.. Abbott during resi-
| tlence OF twenty years in Cairo, came INTO
the possession Of the society, in 1850. 10
quote from the society annals; =, ~-.
This collection, together with the Nine-
yeh sculptures and the American collec-
tions awaiting the space and means OF ar
rangement, will bear comparison with the
collections OF Europe
| IL contains some specimens which can
| not. it Is said, De QupllCdteu. hihoiiS
these are three mummies of the sacred
bull Apis found in the tombs at Dashour,
! of which no other museum possesses speci-
| men.
The art gallery now contains s1s paint.
ings, representing all the old schools OF
painting, and includes 1856 Which form the
nucleus Of portrait gallery OF America s
famous men. The collection embraces
that OF the New York Gallery OF Fine Arts,
which was purchased in 1858; the Bryan
gallery Of old masters, presented by the
late Thomas j. Bryan in 1857, the Durr
collection, given by the executors OF Louis
| Durr in 1882.
| Apropos of the last, note in the cata-
lopue calls attention to the fact that IL is
especially valuable to the society In In.
creasing the admirable facilities offered
to the historical student In the Bryan col.
lection for tracing the development and
progress of painting during the long and
important period between the fourteenth
and eighteenth centuries.
In the gallery are also the original water
colors prepared by Audubon for his WORK
on natural history. -,
The majority OF the paintings in the
Historical Socety's collection are from the
| most noted collections Of the world; and
large proportion Of them. il genuine, are
practically priceless. There are examples
from the brushes Of the worlds greatest
painters.
For instance, OF the ancient Venetian
school there Ii Perugino, Alteration OF
| A., T,Ro rI,riok " which Naa FORMERLY In