The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-19


 purchased through the dealers the larger part of the collection. CoIleetors are also persuaded that Henry C. Prick purchased a considerable portion of the collection and will place it in the new home which he has recently occupied upon upper Fifth avenue.
 Not Question of Dollars
 Collectors now are venturing the opin- ion that while Mir. Morgans collection of porcelains was marketed for sum which will return a fair profit on the original investment nevertheless the entire collection made by MT. Morgan. including paintings. works of art of all knds, would if sold at this time bring sum much less than that which represents the elder Morgans entire investment. A rough estimate of the cost of MT. Nor gan's collection including everything, has been that it was not far from $500 GOO. Personally he did not give much thought to the cost or value of the collection. He is presumed to have felt regarding his collection precisely as he felt regard ing his yacht. When some one asked him what the cost of maintaining his yacht was he replied that he never considered the cost and if the time came when he did give it consideration then he should sell the yacht.
 Although the common estimate of the total investment by MT. Morgan in works of art fixes the amount at about S50,000,0oo yet there is excellent authority-not the authority of dealers but of those who have had long experience as collectors for the belief that were Mr. Morgan collection offered for immediate sale It would probably bring not more than s2o,- 000,o00, perhaps not as much as that If, however. it were sold gradually. different collectors being willing to offer high prices for one or more of the works, then it might ultimately fetch approximately what Mir. Morgan in the aggregate paid for all these works.
 The Morgan collection is probably with out parallel either here or in Europe in the magnitude of the money invested. certainly in the magnitude of investments of this kind made by one man. But there are other large collections, representing investments of millions, some of which are known to the public and some only to collectors or to those who have en- thusiastic appreciation of art. The col lection which is known by the name of the late Benjamin Altman is much richer in paintings that is the Morgan collection. Various estimates of it's immediate money value have been made All reach well up in the millions. Probably the pictures could be more readily sold than could porcelains or other forms of ceramic art. fo- there seems to be wider apprecia- ton or paintings than or other Works oi art
 | The Altman collection, which has been l fo1 sometime on exhibition. would have been more satisfactorily displayed had the ! pictures been open to view in the gallery 1 which MT. Altman built for them. The | light is better there and the accessories are more in keeping with the collection One of the finest collections in the | United States is known only to a few col | lectors and perhaps to the leading deal l CTS. It has been made by Jewish fam | fly or firm, and the paintings have never ! been placed upon public exhibition Very llikely at some date in the future there | may be announcement that one of the finest of American collectors of paint ] ings, one representing a large invest ment, is to be placed on exhibition or of | fered for sale Then 1t will be learned | for the first time that this wealthy family /; has been paying millions for pictures. | The unusually fine collection of Johr l G. Johnson of Philadelphia, numbering | about 1000 in all, represents his own judg ment and appreciation. Mr. Johnson i' | understood to have found reasonable mental excitement ir his search for pie | tures and if he were to make publi