Imperial Valley press., 1914-02-14
What Will Younger Morgan
Do with Art Collection?


month. What is the attitude toward
the rare and the beautiful of the man
who owns the most stupendous private
collection ever assembled-the objects
which have raised young New York
to the first rank as a museum city?
When j. Pierpont Morgan, the elder,
died, he left his son a great deal of
money, but with it several very oner-
Gus burdens. He left him the duty of
explaining a series of colossal finan-
cial operations in which the younger
Morgan had been little save a spec
tator. He left him the chieftainship
of the greatest financing concern in
the Western Hemisphere, and perhaps
on the globe. He left him church
duty, philanthropic duties and social
duties as head of the house of Nor
gan, but most perplexing of all he
left him this mighty burden, this gi-
gantic white elephant of art.
Why weighty-Why a white ele-
phant?
Because the American people has
come to believe in some way or other
without a special rhyme or reason
that these are treasures belong to it
Perhaps it is an intuitive feeling-a
feeling that American dollars. the
sweat of American brows. the strain
ing of American muscles and the col
lective thinking of American brains
bought this hoard.
The elder Morgan fostered this idea,
undoubtedly. He is said to have ex-
pressed the wish to make New York
the leading art center of the world.
Nothing gave him greater pleasure
than to stand as one of the reception
committee at a function of the Metro
politan museum of art and meet the
art aristocracy (far different from the
aristocracy of wealthy which crowded
in. 1t was then he relaxed the most,
that his too infrequent smiles most
often grew expansive. that he seemed
truly the grandson of the hospitable
Hartford innkeeper, whose progeny
have become Americas banking die
tators.
Then did he most enjoy the great
fortune he had amassed- 1t was as
the modern Maecenas more than the
modern Croesus he liked to consider
himself and would have liked to be
remembered.
Is ]. Pierpont Morgan the younger
a chip of the old block? se
He is no longer young man. He
is now AZ years old. In build. personal
appearance, manner of dress, he
greatly resembles his father at the
same age. He has his fathers imper-
ativs, forceful manner if he lacks
some of the Olympian gruffness. He
has his fathers habits of hard work,
his love of yachting, even his ability
as a trencherman. He has fitted so
well into his fathers niche that those
who criticise the Morgan financial
dealings often fail to discriminate be-
tween the works of the father and
the works of the son.
But what of the other Morgan, the
Morgan of the exquisite marble Ii
brary, the Morgan of the Princes
gate treasure house, the Morgan of
the Cope of Ascoli, the Morgan who
was the despair of Europe?
Outwardly young" Mr.. Morgan has
shown little interest in those things
in which his father reveled. He has
become officially identified with the
Metropolitan museum, but this was to
be expected ex officio, from the heri-
tage of his father. No one has heard
of this Morgan speeding half million
for some one thing he must have. No
one has heard of his adding a single
article to his fathers collection since
the latter's decease.
Moreover-and this is the point so
eagerly watched in art circles-he ad-
mits that he will sell part of his
fathers treasures. Part? How large
a part? Will it be simply some Of
the old gentleman's unlucky pur-
chases-the results of the incidents
in which according to common report
his shrewdness was bested?
Or will it be such disposal of in
trinsic elements as will destroy the
fabric of this wonderful collection
this assemblage so vast that hundreds
Of thousands Of dollars were spent In
cataloguing alone?
Above the art heritage of Morgan
was referred to as a great burden 1t
is such a burden as would bury and
ruin a poor man, or even moderately
wealthy man.
Disregarding the care and worry,
consider the financial drain. Here is
sum variously estimated at from