New-York tribune., 1918-05-27
D. M. Armstrong,
Famous Artist,
Dies at Age of 81
One of the Originators of
the Metropolitan Mu-
scum Idea

D. Maitland Armstrong, American
artist and citizen of the world, lies
dead to-day at his home. at So West
Tenth Street.
Ever since his return from Florida,
about a month ago, the man who is
credited with having introduced Ameri-
can painting into France. who was one
of the originators of the idea of the
Metropolitan Museum in this city and
whose stained glass windows perpetu-
ate his memory throughout the coun-
try had been ailing. On April Is he
celebrated his eighty-second birthday.
A fortnight later he suffered a stroke.
From that time on high blood pressure
and complication of minor troubles
left no hope for recovery.
The end came quite peacefully early
yesterday morning. Mrs. Armstrong
was with her husband at the time
The body will be removed to MARI
borough -on-the- Hudson to-day where
funeral services will be held to-mcy-
row. The ceremonies. Lieutenant Ham
llton Fish Armstrong, the artists
younger son, said yesterday, will be of
the simplest.
An intimate of St. Gaudens. Elihu
Vedder, Winslow Homer and their
group, Maitland Armstrong was dedi-
Gated throughout his long career to
this ideal of the integrity of American
art as national expression. Born at
Newburgh, N. Y, in 1885, he was grad
uated from Trinity College in 1858.
Subsequently he read law in this city
and was admitted to the New York bar.
Later he went to Paris, where he be-
came the first pupil of Luke Olivier
Merson.
There for two years he shared quar-
ters with st. Gaudens and later CON
tlnued his studies in Rome. In 1869
he was appointed United States Consul
to the Papal States.
In 1872 Mr.. Armstrong returned to
this country, and definitely embarked
upon his career as an artist He kept
IN close touch with artistic movements
abroad and when the first Paris Ex-
position was organized in 1878 he was
made director of the American art sec
tion.
The result was one of the great
trlumphs of his career and resulted in
his election as a chevalier of the
Legion of Honor. It was the real
Initiation of the French people into a
realization that such a thing as Ameri-
can art existed.
1t was on his return from this ex-
ploit that Mr.. Armstrong, who had for
some time been experimenting in
stained glass work, founded the firm
OF Maitland Armstrong & Co.
Besides his regular work, Mr.. Arm
strong until the day of mis- death was
actively interested in all forward
looking artistic movements. Not onlv
did he, in company with Robert Cor
don and DR.. Nevln, first start the agita-
ton for representative museum in
this city, but he also drafted sug-
gestions for the carrying out of the
project, with the result that the Met
ropolitan Museum as it exists TO-DAY
is largely organized on the lines he
laid out. In 1893, too, Mr.. Armstrong
was one of the originators of the
Chicago Worlds Fair.
He is survived by his widow, who
was Helen Nelson, niece of Ham
ilton Fish. whom he married in
1866; two daughters, MARGARET, well
known as a magazine writer and IL
lustrator, and Helen Maitland Arm
strong, junior member of the firm. and
two sons, Noel and Lieutenant HamiI
tion Fish Armstrong, poet and writer.
now with the 22d Infantry, at Cover
nor's Island