The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-01
A LONG LOST ART MAGAZINE.
ANgRICAN COVN0ISsEtR sT0fE
CgRTIgIT PRETTT.
tRa sptSrsi artists 1gats esfsr'IS"s NJ
$50 specimens, hut ~ ~ Ns, ne
NSmfWai TgesaassV. 4Hsss Naue y ~
THem " f'reslfeHt ltas seen NJ FHWds

WV " 49, 49, 49, W
$50 Specimens. hut ~ n tas ne
NSmfWai TgesaassV. NHsse NasHe - nv
Tbsm ~ President Ilas seen w FWWds
m sNof' was mads yesterday N And
nut chat has her0fne ~ ths AmsrcgH
~ToHHofssssf . monthly adaaklHs ~ -
devoted ~ american aft. no fortbcomios
publics'lon ~ witch Under mo dirretion
~ Charles No Kay waa announced ihfer
years aGp. Although several thpHu,nd
doliafs Wa collected from artists end
patrons n aft ~ start fhe Journal tho hhat
numtsf h still . thing n fhe future What
has berofue ~ Tho lo-' n sazine is y quea-
zion witch haa been a spbiect for talk among
New York artists for some time. Inquiries
made n Mf. de- Nay and " " Vonnoh.
who have been connected With tho man
aRefnsn, NJ the ma sszine and other artists
whose relation has consisted solely IN sub
scribtne ~ ita capital stock failed 10 throw
much light upon the fate ~ Tho journal.
except that n Ia, appg rently 'tnl lost.
fsidors konti VIII got tho gold m,dal
for sculpture ~ the 81. Louis sxposition,
saId yesterday when asked what h. knsw
about tho fortunes ~ the American CON-
notsssVp,
4 am In the dark AZ much as any n
else. My connection with the magazine
consisted entirely in my subscribing so
for 4 sha res ~ the capital stock. I went
into the thing In the same spirit, ! suppose
a. did Saint -Gaudens, Niehats. Harvey.
n. W. vonnoh. MacNeil and dozens Of sculp-
tors and artists. subscribed because the
enterprise was a worthy one. OF course I
had no idea Of getting any return for the
money. ! am. however, Interested in the
fate Of the journal. And when II was am
nounced for publication in November.
1908. then announced for a later date and
then delayed until the American Connois-
seur apparently IL now a thing for gotten.
one wonders exactly what has become Oft
Mr., Ronti's certificates are very pretty
pieces Of paper. The American Connois-
seur Company according 70 them, was
Incorporated at Albany in 1902, with a
capital stock Of $50 900; sha res. $40 each.
Mr.. Konti's shares bear June rs, 1903, as the
date Of issue and the signature Of Charles
de Kay as president Of the company. $. r.
Bonnell 10 down as secretary. Mr.. Konti
aid that Mr.. de Kay said last night that he
was not the president of The American
Connoisseur Company" and never had
been to his knowledge. Just now V. Lucien
Sawyer Of 3Ss Fifth avenue. a former life
insurance agent. was president. general
mana ger and director Of the company, and
Mr.. de Kay was treasurer. He had never
had any Of the funds in his hands.
MY connection with the American
Connoisseur has been rs ther vague" he
said. In 1902 I made an effort to start
an art ma ga zine which should be 10 Ameri-
can art what such a m magazine as the Studio
is to English art, The need of such a maya
zine was more apparent than the capital
to start it. l had made some Roadway
under great difficulties with the project
when several gentlemen. among them this
Mr.. Sawyer. came 10 me and suggested
that since they had interested a good deal
OF capital in a similar enterprise we c~oalesce.
They begged that | allow the Use OF my
name as editor in chief and they woul
get the funds to start the ma gazine. |
said, L can't do anything until you furnish
the funds We finally got together on that
proposition. They were to furnish the
ca pital and | agreed to turn out a national
art ma ga zine that would pay, the best in
the country. 1t was to be beautifully
printed, with colored illustrations and was
to sell at SIS a year in monthly numbers.
the capital TO start the thing may have
used my name as president in the beginning.
If so, it was done without authority. and
this is the first | know about II. r. W.
Vonnoh vas president of the company
at the first, | think, and put considerable
money into It. This Mr.. Sawyer was then
the leading spirit. however, along with a
man named S. R. Bonnell.
81 am sorry to hear that Mr.. Konti lost
any money in the project. | do not know
how much was collected, perhaps several
thousands. l knew nothing about any COL
~lections having been made from artists or
I should have stopped it. That isn't right.
| myself tried to interest several men of
affairs in the journal, some successfully.
They are the ones who should have been
approached, and / If any considerable money
was collected, II came from them. | don't
suppose anything wrong has been done;
/ dare say the money has been consumed
in the usual expenses of management.
Mr.. william Sartain, the artist, who is now
down as secretary of the company. and
myself nave tried to see Mr.. Sawyer re-
peatedly of late and ask for soma informa-
ton on the status of the enterpriA, but we
have never been able to find him. haven't
heard from him in months, and 40 far as /
have heard the journal Ia still going to be
put out IL the funds can be raised"
Mr. Vonnoh declined to say what his
connection with the magazine had been.
For Information on the money raised he re-
ferred the sun eporter to Mr.. de Kay.
Il severed my connection with the man
agement some time ago" he said, The
in our money and took our chance that the
thing might go. We lost the money, and
there's no use squealing about it. | sup
pose what was raised has been eaten up
by the expense of management
V. Lucien Sawyer has an Office in the
Billings Court Building at Fifth avenue
and Thirty-fourth street, as the Anne rican
ship Directory says Of the company: In
formation unattainable." which talies with
the experience of the treasurer.
BOND COMPANY IN TROUBLE.
x...~t,.nt,. n,,rans ALL fnr a naoaiyar ,