New-York tribune., 1912-02-23
Trustees of Art Museum Plan
Additional Structure for COL
lection To Be Brought
from Europe.
ASK THE CITY FOR $750,000
Want Space for Exhibition of
All the Pictures and Other
Objects Under One Roof
TO Change One
Park Entrance.

To provide space for the vast collec-
ton Of art treasures Of j. Pierpont Nor
gan. which he is soon to bring 10 this
country, the officials of the Metropolitan
Museum Of Art are planning for new
wing TO the museum which will be spa
cious enough to permit Of the exhibition
of the Morgan collection in its entirety.
The proposed addition will be twice he
size of addition II. now i'm the course of
construction. which will provide tempo
rary exhibition quarters for at least
part of the Morgan treasures from the
Victoria and Albert Museum and his
home in London.
In confirming the statement that the
trustees had taken. such course. Dr.
Edward Robinson, director OF the mu-
scum. said yesterday that the plan was
known TO Mr.. Morgan. and was all a
part Of the scheme to bring together .he
Morgan collection in this country. From
other sources 1t was learned that Mr..
Morgan had expressed the desire to see
at no distant time his entire collection on
exhibition In the proposed new addition.
To provide such a wing as will accom-
modato the Morgan treasures the trus-
tees will ask the Board Of Estimate for
$4,000 which Will be only part Of the
budget estimate this year for the mu-
scum. The total will be Sas5.0o0. The
request Of the museum has been filed
with the Park Department.
According 10 the budget Of the museum
S75OOOO Of the S9S5.OO0 will be used to
construct the new addition. The one
now under construction cost approx
mately S45O,O0O. Instead Of naming the
proposed addition I, thus conforming IN
the alphabetical rule which has obtained
heretofore. Dr. Robinson says II Will he
called and K because Of the SINH
larity OF the figure I and the letter !.
DR.. Robinson said that $4,000 would
he required this year for the enlarge
ment Of the power plant and Sl25.oOo for
fitting up, furnishing and making altera- |
tions 10 the museum additions. In
speaking Of the proposed new addition |
he said.
There win be space enough I'm the
new addition to exhibit the entire Nor
gan collection which is 10 be brought to
this country. Until the new addition is
erected however. only part Of the col
lection can be exhibited in addition ".
This wing was erected to hold other art
objects in the museum which have been
stored away because Of lack Of room. |
They will still have to remain uneX-
hIbited now that the museum Is facing
the problem Of the big Morgan collec-
ton"
Asked II other additions Of an equal
size with that to hold the Morgan col |
lection were in contemplation, DR.. Robin |
son said:
1T is not possible to look 50 far ahead |
Such a matter must rest with the future |
development Of the museum"
According TO Park Department officials |
the addition TO the museum will necessi-
tate the changing of one of the entrances
to Central Park, that at 10Th street |
which connects with the East Drive |
There have been informal discussions as
to proposed changes which would be |
necessary with the erection of the Nor
gan addition.
Nothing further could be learned yes |
terday as to the intentions Of Mr. Nor |
gan regarding his collection; whether il |
would be gift or loan TO the museum |
In the last few days he has loaned to |
the museum four canvases which had |
formerly hung in his library In this city. |
Robert w. de Forest, vice. president |
and secretary Of the museum, has gone |
South for three weeks. and could not be |
seen yesterday regarding the proposed |
Morgan addition. In his statement a few !
days ago, at the time of the meeting OF |
the museum trustees and the day the |
81 100000 gift was received from Francis |
l.. Leland, Mr.. de Forest said the trus- |
tees did not know whether the Morgan |
treasures were TO be a loan or a Gift. |
but that whether as loans or gifts the |
museum should provide space for the |
collection.
In the last year Mr.. Morgan has |
loaned TO the museum a priceless collec- |
ton Of Merovingian antiquities, number
ing go pieces; seventeen paintings, in
Guiding works by Van der Heyden. Van |
der Nicer, Memling, Tarburg, David and |
Holbein. He made additions to his col |
lections Of Chinese porcelains and Gobe- !
lin tapestries.