The New York herald., 1921-09-09
REMbRANDTS
DESTROYED BY FIRE
Three Paintings Of Great Value
Consumed by Blaze in
Home.
HOUSE FULL OF TREASURE
Short Circuit Believed Respon-
sible for Flames in Bankers
Dining Room.

Three paintings which were said by
the caretaker to have been Rembrandt
landscapes were destroyed yesterday
afternoon when fire burned a section
of the wall In the dining room of the
home Of James Speyer In 1858 Fifth
avenue, at the corner OF Eighty-sev
enth street. A fourth painting, also
said to be Rembrandt landscape, was
badly damaged by smoke and water
but there is some hope that art ex-
perts may be able to restore it to al
least semblance of it's original beauty
and value.
In the absence of Mr.. Speyer, who is
in Europe, 1t was not possible to obtain
definite Information last night regarding
the paintings or the extent Of the loss.
A man who said he was the bankers
secretary said that the earlier reports
that the loss would be heavy had been
greatly exaggerated and that the total
loss would not exceed $4,000. II the
four destroyed and. damaged paintings
are genuine Rcmbrandts. however, Mr.
Speyer's loss will amount to several hun
dred thousand dollars.
The Speyer home Is laden with art
treasures. and Gustave Kirby Of the
American Art Association, who made an
appraisal of the art objects there some
time ago. said last night that the col
lection included several paintings by the
famous Dutch master. Mr.. Kirby. how
ever. did not recall whether any Of them
hung In the dining room. The caretaker.
Martin Beuttner. said that he was posi-
tive the paintings were Rembrandts.
Mr.. Speyer mad told him so. he said.
and he had also seen the title plates or,
the frames. One of them, he said, was
six by four feet and the other three were
each two feet by twenty inches. The
big one and two Of the smaller ones
were destroyed. the caretaker said.
Mr.. Kirby said that Mr.. Speyer in
recent years had filled his house with
one Of the largest and most valuable
private art collections In any American
home. His paintings include many old
masters including several fine specimens
of Rembrandt. The English and Barbi-
zon schools also are largely represented.
as are the best known of Amer
lean painters. He owns a three-quarters
length Gilbert Stuart George Washing
ton. wnlCn Is TcEdIueu Dy cApert % dS ttc
finest example of the kind. His furni-
turc and tapestries are all fine period
examples. His collection includes also
a number OF ancient Grecian and Roman
bronzes The modern school Of sculptors.
including Rodin. also Is largely repre-
sented
The fire was In the wall of the dining
room behind an electric heater and near
q. door that opens into the pantry. The
smoke was seen coming FROM window
by the caretaker or an adjoining house
and he notified Beuttner. The two men
went into the house through the base
ment and found the dining room ablaze.
They managed to attach a lire OF hose
to a standpipe and Beuttner attacked
the flames with this while the other man
telephoned to the Fire Department.
Beuttner said that he tried to get
some OF the paintings down from the
wall, but he was afraid that II he de-
voted his time to that the fire would
spread. The firemen found when they
reached the house that Beuttner had
put the flames out with his hose. but in
order to make sure that II was gone
they ripped away large section of the
wall and part of the ceiling. 1t is be-
licved that the fire started from short
circuit.