New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-31
NEW HOME FOR ARTS CLUB
GRAMERCY PARK SITE.
Samuel j. TiLden House Selected
for Studio Building.

The recent purchase by the National Arts
Club of the Samuel ]. Tilden house, Nos IA
and - Gramercy Park, involves a cooperative
movement which it may be authoritatively
announced, will include in all an expenditure of
100000. new and ingenious combination is
proposed by the club. While there have been
clubs before studio buildings and rooms for
organization work, never before, it is asserted,
has there been a proposition to combine them
in a way that will be mutually beneficial.
1t is the purpose of the organizers of the
movement to erect a studio building, with all
modern conveniences. and at the same time have
it in direct connection with the gallery and
an art club in the membership of which
are to be found many of the citys best known
cornoisseurs. In the studio building there will
be rooms specially arranged for affiliated socie-
ties The organizers feel confident that in bring
ing these factors together they viii materially
advance the interests of each. The NATIONAL
Arts Club believes it will have in the old Tilden
mansion an ideal building for such purpose.
Practically the only changes made will be the
rearrangernent of the basement into cafe eX-
clusively for men, On the main floor will be the
common assembly rooms, reading and writing
rooms In the rear the gallery will occupy the
space in the extension between the two build
ings. The restaurant and kitchen will have
facilities thoroughly up On Tie secosd
aoor tha women viii have reception rooms, tea
rooms or sitting rooms exclusively for their
use. There viii be ample accommodations for
the library, as it is we'll known that ex-Gov
ernor Tilden arranged his house with the ex-
pectation that it would be the final home Of the
library which he gave to the city.
MANY more rooms will be at the disposition
of the club, as the Tilden mansion alone is vast
ly larger than the present accommodations OF
the club in West 34th-st. 1t was this lack
of adequate facilities and the rapid change of
34th-st to a purely business street that led the
governors to secure this property on Gramercy
Park It will, of course. be necessary TO retain
both properties while changes and building are
going on It is the present intention eventually
to use the 34th-st properties as galleries Tor
more important exhibitions and rooms for
members of the club who prefer this location for
business reasons,
Regarding this scheme, Frederick 8. Lamb
chairman of the building committee of the Ma
tional Arts Club, said yesterday:
We cannot see how the proposition as pre-
pared by the building committee and accepted
unanimously by the board of governors can
possibly fail. The location on Gramercy Park
is ideal, quiet refined, with the homeike quality
so much needed in this busy city of New YORK
In the Tilden mansion have historic
building so arranged to lend itself admirably
to the purposes of an art club
There will be. fortunately, sufficient space for
us to have representative work in all lines Of art
expression prints etchings faience, fine speci-
ments of repousse. In fact besides the regular
picture exhibitions in the galleries there is suf-
ficient space in the club building itself TO have
minor exhibitions.
The studio building in 19th-st. will be so
placed as TO have the north studio windows
toward Gramercy Park. Thus the artist Will be
assured that his light is forever protected. The
studios will have a Gramercy Park entrance
as well as a 19th-st entrance. The galleries also
can be entered by special entrance on l9th-st
as we'll as from the clubhouse. We are in re-
ceipt of endless congratulations on the PROPOSE
ton as formulated.