Evening star., 1934-02-02
WALTERS GALLERY
SEEN i. S. FINEST
Many Valuable Items Found
in Baltimore Collection,
Open Today.
8y the Associated Press.

eS Inc AsSOCldDeO fTeSS
BALTIMORE, February a The
Walters Art Gallery, opening its doors
10 the public toda. for the first time
was described by Francis Henry Tay-
lor, director of the Worcester Mass. }
Art Museum, as "a treasure house
the greatest, roundabout private art
collection in the United States and
second to none in Europe
For collections Of its kind-pri-
vate-it has the widest range in the
world" he continued, following a pre-
view of the gallery. which was be-
queathed to the city by the late Henry
Walters. Taylor will head a commit
tee of experts who will study the con-
tents of the massive stone building
under the shadow of Washington
Monument, on Mount Vernon place.
1T is indescribable in its scope and
hexhaustlble in material for students
In every field" Taylor said 1T will
take at least "a years before every
thing in the gallery can be studied
compiled, catalogued and properly
shown
Cuneiform Tablets Found.
ut Is tremendous task for any
persons who undertake it. 1 know OF
only two private collections COmp1r.
able with 1.-THE Lichtenstein in
Vienna and another collection in Lon
don"
Prof. Emil Forrer of Strassburg
France, guest of Robert Garrett OF
Baltimore and visitor at the gal
lery, made discovery in the collec-
tion of cuneiform writing
One tablet, dating back. he said, tc
2230 BIC, was the largest ever brought
TO his attention and he believed it tc
be the largest in any collection. 1t is
an account of thousands Of soldiers or
workmen and history of the brother
Of the King of Ur. He said he knew
Of no other tablet bearing such a
record
Prof. Forrer also was elated at find
Ing in a gallery a block of cuneiform
writing from the City of Lagash and
relating to the King of Babylon, the
professor dating the tablet to 230C
BIC. He said the tablets were price
less.
B. Howell Griswold. chairman of
the board of trustees. in talking to
municipal officials and guests at the
prevlew, explained that Walters in
herlted many of the art treasures
from his father and extended his
parents collection. Instead OF allow
Ing the collection at his death to be
"dissipated," he willed it to the city.
Griswold said there are thousands
Of pieces of art in drawers in exhibit
ton cases that cannot be shown be-
cause Of lack of space There also
are 2l4 boxes of art in the basement
that cannot be displayed at present.
Key Manuscript.
In the Francis Scott Key room is
the original manuscript Of the Star
Spangled Banner" written on th=
back of letter by Key while aboard
Q vessel during the bonoardnent OF
Fort McHenry, in the Baltimore Har-
Dor. in the War of 1872 The national
anthem has been given a patriotic
setting. including the original Gilbert
Stuarts famous portrait of George
Washington.
Some of the masterpieces in the
south gallery are: De,acroixs Jesus
on the Sea of Gallilee," Delaroches
"The Hemicycle." Monet's Spring
time" Constables "Old Mill" Rous-
seau's Winter Solitude Millet's
"Sheepfold" and The Potato Har-
vest" Alma -Tadema's s Triumph of
Titus" "Sappho" and "A Roman En-
peror-Claudius." Legs "Edict of
Charles "" Reynolds The Straw
berry Girl" Brettons Return From
the Fields Gerome's Duel After the
Masquerade" ard Christian Martyrs
the Last Prayer"
Mrs. Sarah w. Walters, widow of
the donor notified officials from her
home in New York that she was un-
able to come to Baltimore because of
illness to take part in the opening of
the gallery.