The Washington times., 1935-05-21
URGE SUITABLE
HOUSING FOR
PAINTINGS
Pictures of National Figures
Said to Lack Proper Care
Under Present System

Under Present System
Artists and art experts Joined
today in urging passage OF the
Walsh resolution for the establish
ment of a National Portrait Gal
lery in washington.
Edward Bruce, consulting expert
In the Division of Painting and
Sculpture of the Treasury Depart
ment, headed the list Of en-
thusiasts who saw an excellent be-
ginning for the gallery in the reSo'
luton introduced by Senator
David I. Walsh CD OF Massachu
sets.
Mr.. Bruce, who is an artist OF
some note and who formerly was
director Of the Public Works OF
Art Project, said:
"'There is a great need In
Washington for such a gallery.
If the National Capital is to be-
come the art center Of the world,
as we all fervently hope, then
this is good beginning.
1 PAINTINGS ABUSED
"POrtraits of our national fig.
ures, such as this National Por-
trait Gallery would house,
should be centered in one place
instead Of being distributed all
around the city.
81 believe that the lack of care
which has been shown in the
preservation of the large num-
Der Of portraits in the posses
sion Of the Government is al
most criminal. There is virtually
NO care given to their upkeep
and they are just being kicked
around the various Government
departments.
"In one of the departments,
I saw some fine old portraits.
which actually had holes kicked
I'm them.
"A National Portrait Gallery
would be valuable not only for
the preservation Of some Of the
fine portraits in the possession
of the Government, but also
would provide an adequate
place for their exhibition"
C. Powell Minnegerode, direc
tor of the Corcoran Gallery OF
Art, believes that the gallery
would be valuable from the his
torical point Of view. He said:
"A gallery such as the one
In London would undoubtedly
be a fine thing for Washington.
The London portrait gallery is
one of the outstanding inStitu-
tons of its kind in the world,
not so much because of its
famous works Of art, but be-
cause of the historical Signifi-
cance."
Miss Elizabeth Lewis, head OF
the division of fine arts of the
Public Library, declared:
"The National Portrait Gal
lery would be a valuable ad-
iunct to the proposed new Ma
tionaI Gallery of Art. I be-
lieve we should have a place
where the famous portraits Of
outstanding Americans could be
exhibited.
| SPACE TOO SMALL
cat the present time, the
Government has no suitable
place to house the many val
liable paintings in its posses
sion. Everybody knows that
the space allotted to the Ma
tional Gallery of Art in the Ma
tional Museum is inadequate.
Miss Eleanor Parke Gusts, we'll.
known Washington artist and il.
illustrator, said:
establishment Of the pOr-
trait gallery seems the logical
thing to do in taking another
step forward to make Wash
ington the art center Of the
world.
There are some famous pOr-
traits in Washington which
could be shown to better ad-
vantage if we had such a pOr-
trait gallery"
Senators Walsh's resolution
provides for the creation of a
National Portrait Gallery Com
mission, which would be au-
thorized to draw up plans for the
gallery. A fund Of $4,000 would
be appropriated for the expenses
of the Commission, which would
be obliged to report back to Con-
gresS by January 4, 1896, the open.
ing day Of the next Congress.
aRARHAP IN nan n