Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1907-12-11
ART WORLD ROMANCE
Pictures by Whistler, Long Hid
den, Hung at West Point.
FIVE ORIGINAL DRAWINGS.
Sketches of Academy Life Made When
Great Artist Was Cadet Found In
Fifty year-old Seraphook Stored In
Attie-Camp Life Witty Pictured.


BY the discovery in a half forgotten
box OF tifty-year-old scrapbook con
tanning five original drawings by
James Abbott MacNeill Whistler the
library OF the United States Military
academy at West Point has been en-
riched and new light Is thrown on the
early work Of the great artist says
the New York Herald The other day
the five pictures We're hung on the
walls AT the academy 10 which they
were presented upon their discovery
few weeks ago. The story OF their dis
covery is one of the romances OF the
world of art.
Fifty-siX years ago, IN the summer of
1851. Whistler, then boy OF sixteen
entered the Military academy. At
that early age in life he had already
begun TO show marked talent for
drawing, and the recoas Of the acad-
envy show he was at y head OF his
class in that department. one of the
West Point instructors was First Lieu
tenant Absalom Baird, who afterward
gained distinction in the civii war and
died with the rank of brigadier gen
eral. Lieutenant Baird encouraged the
young cadet in his artistic ambition,
and as a mark OF his appreciation
Whistler gave his instructor some of
the sketches of scenes about the acad-
envy he had made in his leisure time.
Little dreaming that the author Of
the sketches would ever become one of
the most famous American artists.
Lieutenant Baird put them in a scrap
book In which he had filed many me
mentoes of West Point, preserving
them undoubtedly because Of the hui
morous recollections of cadet life
which they called forth. After the
civil war the scrapbook, with other
volumes. was packed in a box and
stored away in. the attic Of the home
of General Balrd's widow. The gen
erars son in turn became an army Off
Ger and IS now on the army list "a
Captain William Baird. retired.
A few weeks ago while rummaging
among rubbish In the attic of his old
home Captain Baird came upon the box
of books and the scrapbook with the
Whistler pictures. knowing the Mill
tary academy was eager to get any
mementoos of Whlstler's life there, he
sent the five drawings to Colonel
Charles w. Larned. professor OF
drawing and dean OF the academic
board Colonel Larned has had them
framed. and four pen sketches repre-
sentng tired cadet on guard duty
have been hung I'm the library. while a
wash drawing occupies a place on the
wall Of the classroom of the depart
ment OF drawing.
There are other works of Whistler
at the Military academy, but they are
simply the prescribed work of the
classes in drawing in his time. copies
of other pictures still life sketches
and Typographical work The five that
were hung recently are original in idea
as well as execution and probably
there are no earlier examples of Wits
tiers original work in existence Only
one of them, the wash drawing of
camp life. is signed That bears the
initials u T. w" Whistler did not
insert the "MacNeill," his mothers
maiden name, until after he had left
the academy. From memoranda in
the scrapbook, however, the other four
pictures are known TO be also Wits
tiers work. There is no way OF plac-
ing the exact date of the pictures, ex-
cept that they must have been made
between 1851 and January, 1851, when
Whistler left West Point TO become an
engineers craftsman.
Four of the pictures are series OF
pen drawings, humorously illustrating
the experience OF Il sleepy cadet on
guard duty. In the first he is shown
proudly shouldering bis rifle and pac-
ing his post. in the second his head
droops and his feet lag. In the third he
Is sitting OH the ground. and In the
fourth he is stretched prone, fast
asleep They are inscribed First Hair
Hour" Second Half Hour" etc, and
each is headed ION Guard In Camp"
Each of these drawings Is about 5 by
10 inches in size. The wash drawing
In monochrome, showing a cadet seat
ed on the ground with the white tents