Imperial Valley press., 1936-09-09
ARTISTS RALLY
TO SAVE HOME
OF OLD FRIEND

oLlJ LIZ ME, OOIlll. NU.fj - l1le
Florence Griswold House, known to
thousands of struggling artists the
country over as a refuge from any
storm, will be preserved as mus
cum due to the efforts of artists and
friends, who, in years gone by, had
been befriended by Miss Griswold.
What visitor to Old Lyme has not
called at Miss Griswold's home and
looked at the paintings on door
panels, on the mantels, and else
where about the house, by men who
later became famed as artists of the
impressionist school, but who, in
their callow days, were Just strug-
Cling youngsters?
Had it not been that Miss Flor
ence often forgot" their board bills,
they might many day have been
hungry while they waited for rec.
ognition. But Miss Florence had
confidence in them-a confidence
that has been justified.
Happy Ending
Her "boys and girls" have come
to her aid in her declining years and
provided not only for her support
but for the preservation of her ia
nous home as museum, writing
happy ending to tale which
could have been tragic.
Shaded by tall elms, the white
pillared old house attracts atten-
ton for itself, but inside are con
tributions" by artists who once were
Miss GrisWold's guests that now are
valuable items of American art.
Childe HasSam, Henry r. Poore,
William H. Howe, are but three of
the artists who painted on the
mantel, the doors, and the panels of
the rooms. They, and others, eX-
pressed their humor, satirized their
foibles and cracked jokes on each
other in print.
Bottled Genius
Poores' Fox Hunting" under
mantel has broad humor. 1t more
than intimates that the inspiration
of some Of the artists who became
great came from bottles.
Howe's door panel, showing a COW
resting in it's stall, with sunlight
pouring into the space beyond and
Frightening the old-fashioned man.
ger, is a delightful thing. So are
the panels on the wall of the din,
ing room. Each has its memory,
treasured by Miss Griswold and by
all lovers of art.
These are to be preserved through
the establishment of the home as a
museum by the Florence Griswold
association, which was hurreidly
organized few weeks ago to save
the place for Miss GrisWold.
Raise Annuity
While she lives, there will be an
annuity for Miss GriSWold-not q
large sum, but sufficient to keep her
in reasonable comfort.
The story that precedes the
happy ending" is interesting. Miss
Griswold is now 86 years of age, and
an attorney was recently appointed
to handle her estate. He found
what was termed "a mountain of
debts" to clear which the sale of the
property would be necessary.
Selling the home of the patron
saint" of the Old Lyme art colony
seemed a shocking finale to the
career of a woman who had played
such an important and unSelfish
part in making the town one of the
best known art centers in Amer
| ica.
S1OO Contributions
The association was formed, and
life memberships were sold at $100
each. Debts and mortgages were
paid in full, and a substantial bal
ance put into an annuity for Miss
Florence, who now may spend the
remainder of her life in the house
in which she was born, and in which
she was the housekeeper cook, and
model for the artists who were her
boarderS.
Among the artists who stayed at
the place during the past 40 years
were Henry w. Ranger, Willard
Metcalf, Walter Griffin, Paul Des-
sar, Chauncey Ryder, Clareton Wig
gins, William S. Robinson, Jules
Turcas, and Clark VOORHEES, Mrs.
Woodrow Wilson was among those
who came to paint and later brought
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