GALLERY OF MODERN ART

A MUSEUM

by

Hanford Yang

f ;fll3

B.A. University of Pennsylvania(1954)

Submitted in partial fulfilmentof the requirements for thedegree of Master in Architectureat Massachusetts Institute ofTe chnologyAugust, 1957

by

Hanford Yang

to

Lawrence B. AndersonHead of Depairtment

"Architecture is judged by eyes that see, by

the head that turns and the leSs that walk.

Architecture ... is made up of pictures

adding themselves together ... like music." -

Le Corbusier

I I

Cambridge, MassachusettsAugust 7, 1957

Dean Pietro BelluschiSchool of Architecture and PlanningMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, Massachusetts

Dear Dean Belluschi:

I have the honor to submit herewith my thesis

entitled:

"Gallery of Modern Art."

Very truly yours,

Hanford Yang

L

ABSTRACT - The purpose of this thesis is the de-

sign of an art museum to display

paintings, sculpture, prints, photo-

graphy, and models of modern architec-

ture. Mr. Huntington Hartford, the

owner of the Museum, has named it

The Gallery of Modern Art, and the

site - costing about $1,000,000

is on Columbus Circle in New York

City.

There are three major components

in this museum: the main exhibition

hall, a small lecture room and a

snack bar. Because of the charac-

teristic of a small site, the building

will be a multi-story one.

With the hope of providing the most

efficient method for exhibitions

in a vertical type of circulation,

the design for this project is intended

to be what the space wants to be: a

play of forms in light and shade.

DEDICATION - To all museum lovers who believe

in the understanding of our past

and of other peoples and their

past, that upon this knowledge

they may build a keener interest

in the future.

t

L

CONT E NTS

GALLERY OF MODERN ART

- - - A MUSETM

CONTENTS - INTRODUCTION Page 1

INQUISITIONS Page 2

PROGRAM

1. Objectives Page 7

2. The Site Page 13

3. Functions Page 17

Public Spaces Page 17

Exhibition Spaces Page 19

Administrative andCuratorial Spaces Page 21

Operating Spaces Page 23

Additional Spaces Page 27

4. Summation ofSpace Needed Page 28

5. Finances Page 33

MAPS Page 34

PHOTOGRAPHS Page 38

A SURVEY OF MUSEUMS INNEW YORK CITY Page 43

SOUVENIRS Page 50

SNTR O D UCTIONS

INTRODUCTION - This is a simple story. Mr. Hunting-

ton Hartford, member of the family

that founded the Great Atlantic and

Pacific Tea Company and the entrepre-

neur of the Huntington Hartford Enter-

prises, has decided to build an art

museum to house his own collections of

art. The site of the museum is to be

near Columbus Circle in New York City.

After the project was announced in the

papers everybody began talking about

it.

"Why not take this museum as the subject

of your Master's thesis in architec-

ture? It might be an interesting one,"

Dean Belluschi -urged me when I went to

see him about a topic.i

So I inquired further about the museum

and learned that it would indeed be an

interesting subject for a thesis.

Thus, it all began.

1

IN Q UI SI TION S

IUISITIONS - A certain amount of information about

the proposed museum was obtained by

direct contact and correspondence with

Mr. Hartford and the Huntington Hart-

ford Enterprises. With this informa-

tion a pro6ram for the design of the

project was then set up.

2

Question: In general, what do your

collections consist of?

Answer: Paintings, later on sculp-

tures.

question: Does your collection rep-

resent one period of art only?

Answer: Yes, nineteenth to twentieth

centuries, 1800 to contemporary.

question: Does your -collection rep-

resent one type of art only?

Answer: No. It includes all types of

art within these restrictions. How-

ever, in the case of contemporary

art the emphasis will probably be less

on the abstract expressionism and ex-

treme forms of art.

Question: How many paintings are there

in the collection?

Answer: Twenty-five paintings at pre-

sent, but the collection will continue

to grow indefinitely.

3

Question: What are these paintings?

Answer: They are mostly by Reginald

Marsh, Frederic Waugh, Edward Hopper,

Blakelock,Inness, Monet, and Orozco.

Question: How many pieces of sculp-

ture are there in the collection?

Answer: None at present, but some

will be gathered by the time the mu-

seum opens.

Question: Do you collect other ob-

jects beside paintings and sculp-

ture?

Answer: The plan is to collect main-

ly paintings and sculpture, but one

floor in the museum will be dedicated

to architectural models, perhaps to

prints and photography as well.

Question: What is the proposed name

of your museum?

Answer: The Gallery of Modern Art.

4

'Question* How big a museum do you

intend to have?

Answer: It will be approximately

height limit, or ten to twelve sto-

ries, depending on set-back, etc.

question: Do you intend to expand

your museum in the future?

Answer: No, although the building

may not be entirely used for a gal-

lery in the beginning.

question: Is a small auditorium or

lecture room needed?

Answer: Yes. It may or may not go

through--possibly a circle-type

theatre.

Question: Is a snack bar or cafe

needed?

Answer: Yes, some kind of bar or res-

taurant on the top level or roof.

I

Question: Do you intend to have

temporary displays in the museum?

Answer: There will be a room dedi-

cated to the Hartford Foundation in

California where painters could ex-

hibit their works once a month.

Question: Is this museum going to be

open to the public free of charge?

Answer: Probably there will be a

small admission fee, but it is hoped

to keep it somewhat lower than that

of the Museum of Modern Art, which

will be our natural rival.

Question: What is the exact location

of your property?

Answer: At Columbus Circle, between

West 58th Street and Broadway.

Question: Do you intend to expand

your property in the future?

Answer: No.

6

PROG R AM

OBJECTIVES - The purpose of the Gallery of Modern

Art, like any other fine arts museum,

is to give opportunity for enjoyment

to those who seek enjoyment and to

give opportunity for study to those

who seek knowledge.

The entire building, designed to dis-

play paintings, sculpture, prints,

photography and models of modern arch-

itecture, will create a small commun-

ity of art and raise the general level

of refinement by giving pleasure and

imparting knowledge.

Through this institution, and others

like it, people may be led to appre-

ciation and enjoyment of beauty and

to intelligent understanding of our

past and the past of other peoples.

Upon this knowledge they may build a

keener interest in the future.

In studying the true nature of the

space involved, one finds that the

Gallery of Modern Art actually has

7

three major components:

1. the main exhibition space

2. a small auditorium or lecture hall

3. a roof-top eating place

The exhibition space is, of course,

the main feature of the entire museum.

Because of the characteris tics of the

relatively small site, which will be

studied in the following section, the

building will be naturally a multi-

story one. The exhibition space, thus,

should be designed to have not only

easy horizontal circulation on each

floor for the museum visitors but also

carefully considered vertical circula-

tion between the floors, so that a

feeling of continuity of space is pre-

sent. The whole museum, therefore, will

be composed of displays on a series of

levels rather than in different rooms.

The lighting for the exhibition space

is also an important factor that re-

quires consideration in the design.

Mixed light--that is, light coming

from both the sun and lamps --is what

we are accuatomed to during daylight

hours. The natural ingredient does

its share in illumination and at the

same time sets some of our primitive

feelings at rest. The artificial in-&

8redient makes up for the fact that

natural light can not do a fully sat-

isfactory job indoors. Museums must

recognize this double requirement.

Moreover, air conditioning should be

used in museums for the comfort of

visitors and employees and for the

conservation of the collections. Ade-

quate air conditioning retards or e-

liminates shrinking, bulging, warping,

and cracking that may come from tem-

perature and humidity changes. It

keeps out dust; forestalls discolora-

tion, "foxing," and growth of mold,

mildew and fungus; and prevents sub-

9

stances from decaying and softening,

from becoming brittle or loosened. In

short, any museum with important col-

lections to preserve must either meet

the cost of air conditioning or neg-

lect a duty toward its charges.

In addition to the main area, a spe-

cial exhibition space is to be de-

signed for the Hartford Foundation in

California so that painters can dis-

play their efforts occasionally.

- The auditorium with a seating capa-

city of about three hundred is another

important element in the Gallery. Be-

sides offering fine motion pictures

and lectures by various experts in the

field of the arts, the space can also

be used for chamber music concerts, re-

citals, and recitations. It can be a

meeting room, too, if so needed.

For easy control and circulation of a

maximum crowd the location of the audi-

10

torium would best be on the first floor

or in the basement. It is essential

that the assembly hall be usable with-

out opening other parts of the museum.

The auditorium lobby and its service

facilities -- check room, toilets, re-

ception room, pantry, and box office--

-should be adequately designed and con-

veniently located in relation to the

museum entrance.

The stage and auditorium should be

equipped with adequate lighting, in-

eluding footlights or outlets for simi-

lar lights, public address system, two-

way television circuit, area for tele-

vision broadcasting, and apparatus for

sound motion picture and slide projec-

tion.

- A roof-top restaurant should provide

a pleasant atmosphere for both museum

staff and visitors. Situated in the

heart of the towers of Manhattan and

11

overlooking Columbus Circle, Central

Park and the skyline of New York, the

restaurant can indeed be one of the

ideal places to dine.

A staff lunchroom or kitchenette sep-

arate from the regular dining room is

not advisable. Where there is a public

restaurant a staff table or section is

the best solution. The kitchen should

be designed with adequate facilities

and be located close to the dining

room.

12

jl

I

THE SITE -

I13

L

Downtown plots in New York City are

occupied by a great number of museums.

Such a location near the business ar-

eas seems to surpass any other.

The property for Mr. Hartford's museum

is located at Columbus Circle. The site,

facing the New York City Coliseum, is

an oddly-shaped island formed by the

junction of Eighth Avenue and Broadway,

between the Circle and Fifty-eighth

Street. The land at present is occu-

pied by a five-story building that

houses a shoe store and offices. About

$1,000,000 was paid for the building

and lot.

To the east, along Broadway, the site

faces a group of tall apartment build-

ings constructed of red brick with

simple facades. They are twenty

stories high, with the ground floors

being leased to drug stores, ladies'

garment shops, and shoe stores.

To the south, across Fifty-eighth

Street, is the General Motors Building.

It is about twenty-six stories high

with a limestone facade.

The site faces the Coliseum on the west

side. Essentially this newly finished

structure consists of a four-level

exhibition hall surmounted along the

Fifty-eighth Street frontage by a twen-

ty-story office building. The entire

basement and sub-basement are used as

parking garage with a capacity of 666

self-parked cars or 850 attendent-

parked vehicles. The conservatively

designed facade is of light-grey brick

with vertical lines emphasized by re-

cessed panels in the windowless lower

portion of the building.

Columbus Circle is directly to the north

of the site. The circle provides an

open view toward Central Park. It is

conceivable that the proposed museum

will have, therefore, a magnificent

outlook toward the wooded park and the

city skyline beyond.

34J

The site is easily accessible from all

parts of the city. Both the Seventh

Avenue-Broadway, Sixth and Eighth Ave-

nue subways have stations at Fifty-

ninth Street, and the Fifty-seventh

Street station of the BMT is only one

block away. The Grand Central Station

of the New York Central and New York,

New Haven and Hartford Railroad, at

Forty-second Street and Park Avenue,

is a short distance by subway, bus, or

taxi. At Thirty-fourth Street and

Seventh Avenue the Pennsylvania Rail-

road Station, which also is the Manhat-

tan terminal of the Long Island Rail-

road and some New York, New Haven and

Hartford and other trains, is even

closer. It is also only a few minutes

from the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

Bus lines on Fifty-seventh and Fifty-

ninth Streets as well as on Fifth,

Sixth., Seventh, Eighth, Broadway, and

Ninth Avenues pass by or are conveni-

ent to the site. The Franklin D.

Roosevelt Drive, the Miller Highway,

and the Henry Hudson Parkway encircle

the island of Manhattan and permit

easy access by automobile by way of

the bridges and tunnels across the

Hudson River from New Jersey, across

the East River from Queens, Brooklyn

and Long Island, and from the arter-

ial highway system of the Bronx, West-

chester, upper New York State, and

New England.

Physically, the site is a rather

small one. Along Broadway, on the east

side, the site is approximately 75 feet,

11 inches; south, along West Fifty-

eighth Street, 97 feet, 1; inches; west,

along Eighth Avenue, 40 feet, 81 inches;2

north, facing Columbus Circle, 75 feet,

9 inches.

j

FUNCTIONS -

I

A museum is a sort of creature for

which the museum building is the sup-

porting structure and covering. A

good building fits its occupant and

provides for natural action, and its

physical volume ought to have ways

of being increased as well as decreased

when the occupant and exhibition

changes. A functional shelter is just

as important as a functional staff,

and through proper housing the staff

can be even more effective.

The following types of space will be

required to provide for the proper

activities of the Gallery of Modern

Art:

I. Public Spaces

Lobbies

A spacious, attractive, well lighted

and well ventilated lobby is neces-

sary to receive visitors. The lobby

should be-designed so as to put the

visitors at ease and orient them to

17

I

1I

the contents of the museum. It con-

trols traffic to exhibits, to meet-

ing rooms and auditorium, to cura-

tors' offices and to the restaurant.

The usual features of a lobby are in-

formation desk, publications and re-

productions salesroom or island,

check room, sitting areas and toilets.

It also provides mailbox, telephones,

writing desks, drinking fountains,

directory and directing devices and

guard post.

Special Exhibits Space

An area of 1000 sq.ft. should be lo-

cated close to the auditorium or main

lobby for the travelling exhibitions

and Hartford Foundation displays.

Auditorium

The auditorium should have a seating

capacity of three hundred. Preferably

it should be located on the first

floor or in t.he basement. The audi-

torium proper should be an unbroken

18

space with a level floori and portable

chairs, so that it gives a useful

room for receptions, meetings and

perhaps even exhibitions. There

should be soft flooring, proper a-

coustical treatment, air condition-

ing, and special lighting. Small

dressing rooms, toilets and storage

spaces should be provided backstage.

II. Exhibition Spaces

Collections for exhibition in the Gal-

lery of Modern Art belong under five

categories: painting, sculpture,

prints, photography, and architectural

models. The allocation of exhibition

space among the various exhibits is

approximately as follows:

Painting ............. 10,000 sq.ft.

*Sculpture ............. 6,000 sq.ft.

Prints ................ 1,000 sq.ft.

Phctography ........... 1,000 sq.ft.

*Architectural models .. 2,000 s.ift.

Total exhibition space 20,000 sq.ft.

19

*Part or all of the rooms for sculp-

ture and architectural models will

require high ceilings.

With new freedom given by recent de-

velopments in engineering and archi-

tectural design, the museum planner

can approach the problem of organ-

izing space in a direct and practical

way. No longer need one take for

granted some conventional form such as

U-and V- shaped, E- shaped, H- shaped

or other such formal plans for exhi-

bitions. These shapes are satisfac-

tory if requirements of the museum

necessitate their use, but they are

no longer indicated before the prob-

lem is worked out. Nevertheless, in

conducting visitors through the muse-

um, passageways and vertical transpor-

tation must be adequate to handle the

large crowds who come to see the ex-

hibits and who move along in groups

from a starting point. Circulation

20

j

areas should also be adequate and

usable for special exhibitions

during quiet periods,

Smoking lounges -with associated

rest rooms, preparation rooms and

temporary storage areas should be

distributed throughout the exhibition

spaces. In addition, all floors must

have the full complement of service

and maintenance facilities including

mop sinks, storage closets for clean-

ing supplies and equipment, outlets

for scrubbing, vacuum cleaning and

waxing.

III. Administrative and Curatorial

Spaces

Administrative offices should have

adequate and well placed space for

the personnel. Location of offices

in the building is a matter of very

practical concern since business

visitors should not ha've to be pri-

vately conducted nor should they be

21

sent exploring through the building

in order to reach a member of the

Staff. The route from the main en-

trance to the offices should be un-

der control from the lobby. This is

partly for convenience and partly to

prevent thefts from the offices.

From the administrative areas it

should be easy to reach the curator-

ial offices, exhibition space and

service quarters.

Modern, ample, and efficient work

places are essential. Offices should

have proper closet and cabinet space.

There should be convenient toilet

facilities for the staff. Dividing

partitions should be light and flex-

ible. Flooring should be wood or

linoleum. The ceiling should be

treated acoustically. There should

be windows to let in some natural

light and air conditioning for the

comfort of the staff members.

22

IV. Cperating Spaces

Housekeeping services of the museum

are a varied number of activities

having to do with supply, mainten-

ance, and shop work, and with the

arrival, movement, and departure of

museum possessions and exhibitions.

The artisans and laborers of the

service force engaged in these oper-

ations are under the control of the

superintendent. The superintendent's

office should be at the service en-

trance to facilitate supervision.

The service entrance, which leads to

workrooms and other parts of the ser-

vice quarters, should also be conven-

iently located for truck traffic.

The rooms of the registrar and photos-

rapher should be grouped with the

service quarters since the recording

and photographing of works of art that

come and go can best be done there.

23

I

Service Entrance

The service entrance should lead di-

rectly to the receiving room with a

packing and unpacking area. A door-

way for the use of service employees,

delivery men, and other persons

should be provided. It requires al-

so a freight portal for the use of

trucks.

The Receiving Room

About 500 sq.ft. is needed for the

receiving room. Other rooms, such

as the superintendent office, storage,

shop, and work areas, and registrar's

and photographer's quarters, should

be conveniently connected.

The receiving room and the freight

elevator should lend themselves to

movement of materials throughout the

building.

Superintendent's Office

This is the control room. It should

be placed so that the superintendent

can see through a window or glazed

24

partition what goes on at the service

entrance and in the receiving room.

100 sq.ft. is required.

The Freiht Elevator

Generally it should be large, slow,

and powerful, and should be oper-

ated by push button. 70 sq.ft, is

required.

The Registrar's Quarters

The registrar's room should communi-

cate freely with the receiving room

and should also be arranged for com-

plete closing under lock and key.

The storage place may require simple

picture racks and shelves to take

care of the works of art.

Photography Workrooms

Required are a studio or camera room

of at least 150 sq.ft., a dark room

of 40 sq.ft, for loading, unloading,

film developing and drying, and an-

other larger room for printing, en-

larging, and the developing, fixing,

washing and drying of prints.

Shops

Not only should adequate space be pro-

vided in a suitable location, but the

space too should be planned for the

required shop operations by someone

experienced in the work.

The principal kinds of shop work for

which provisions are needed are car-

pentry, painting and finishing, ma-

chine and sheet metal work, electri-

cal maintenance, and structural in-

stallation. About 600 sq.ft. is need-

ed.

Storage Space

An area for exhibition cases, equip-

ment, and collections not in use is

required. About 1000 sq.ft, should

be enough. Other housekeeping stor-

age, as of restaurant supplies, jani-

tor's supplies and office supplies,

should be put in places convenient

to those who use them.

26

Pr

Boiler Room and Air Conditioning Room

As a rule, the space should be cen-

trally located at a level lower than

the basement or in a sub-basement.

It should be isolated and ventilated.

V. Additional Spaces

Restaurant

The restaurant will operate princi-

pally for lunch for visitors and mus-

eum employees. It will be arranged

to serve as a snack bar for refresh-

ments during morning and afternoon

periods.

The kitchen should be conveniently

located to the dining room. Storage

space and service area should be ade-

quate.

xterior paces

Outdoor exhibits, sculpture, foun-

tains, garden patios, sheltered

spaces, benches and roof terraces

should be considered.

27

SUMMATION OF.-SPACE NEEDED

I* Public Spaces

Lobbies ........... 900 sq.ft.

Check rooma . 100 sq.ft.

Toilets ........... 200 sq.ft.

Storage roomp ...... 100 sq.ft.

Sales ............. 100 sq.ft.

Special exhibi--tion space *.... 1,000 sq.ft.

Auditorium *..... 1,600 sq.ft.

Other spaces .... 1,000 sq.ft.

Total 5,000 sq.ft.

28

rI

I

L

II. Exhibition Spaces

Painting ..... 10,000 sq.ft

Sculpture .... 6,000 sq.ft

Prints ........ 1,000 sq.ft

Photography ... 1,000 sq.ft

Architecturalmodels ....... 2,000 sq.ft

Smoke loungesand toilets .... 800 sq.ft

Storage ......... 200 sq.ft

Other spaces .. 1,000 sq.ft

Total 22,000

29

L

.

.

.

sq.fft.

I

III. Administrative and CuratorialSpaces

Director'soffice ........ 200 sq.ft.

Receptionroom .......... 400 sq.ft.

Pantry ......... 100 sq.ft.

Toilets ........ 200 sq.ft.

Stenographers .. 300 sq.ft.

Files andstorage ....... 300 sq.fft.

l,500 sq.ft.

Ouratortsoffice,.......

Stenographers .

Library

Files and

200 sq.ft.

300 sq.ft.

200 sq.f t.

storage *...... 300 sq.ft.

1,000 sq.ft.

Staff lounges .. 600 sq.ft.

Other spaces ... 400 sq.ct.

1,000 sq.ft.

Total 3,500 sq.ft.

30

IV. Operating Spaces

Serviceentrance

Receiving room

Superintendent'soffice .........

Freight elevator

Registrarsquarters .......

Photographyworkrooms ......

Shops

Storage ....... 1

Boiler roomand air-con-ditioningroom ......... I

Toilets andlocker rooms

Other spaces

Total

100

500

100

100

sq.ft.

sq.ft.

sq.ft.

sq.ft.

200 sq.ft.

250

600

$000

sq.ft.

sq.ft.

sq.ft.

,500 sq.ft.

6oo

450,sq.ft.

sq.ft.

5,400 sq.ft.

31

L

IrlI

I

I

V., Additional Spaces

Restaurant ..... 2,

Kitchen

Storage

Toilets

Roof terracesand outdoorexhibits ...... 2,

Other spaces .....

Total

000

800

200

200

000

300

sq.ft.

sq. ft.

sq.ft.

sq.ft.

sq.ft.

sq .ft.

5,500 sq.ft.

Total for theGallery ofModern Art ......... 41,400 sq.ft,

or approximately ... 42,000 sq.ft.

II

I

h

L32

FINANCES - As head of the institution, the presi-

dent, Mr. Huntington Hartford, should

take the initiative in providing in-

come, but in order that the museum may

have a healthy life and growth he

should have the support of the execu-

tive committee and of the trustees--if

such an organization is desired by

Mr. Hartford--as well as the assist-

ance of the director, who functions

as professional advisor to the board

and as agent of the board in the con-

duct of museum business.

The cost of the new building is es-

timated at #1,500,000. About #1,000,000

was paid for the property by Mr. Hart-

ford.

Admission fees; income on endowment con-

sisting of interest or dividends on

stocks, bonds, mortgages, loans and ren-

tal of real estate; and contributions

and gifts will be the income for main-

tenance of the museum.

33

L

MAP S

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Musnus of Modern Artat West FiftythirdStreet

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To the east, along Broadway,

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39

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Fifty-eighth Street, is

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A

A SURVEY. OF MUSEUMS

IN NEW YORK CITY

A SURVEY OF -MUSEUMS INNEWY YORK CITY

1. Brooklyn Museum: Houses extensive

and varied collections covering the

fine and applied arts. Also here

are held important temporary exhi-

bitions. Permanent collections con-

tain fine European and American

paintings, especially early works of

this country and an inclusive group

of modern artists; Indian objects

from the United States, Mexico and

South America; and African art,

2. The Cloisters: Is a branch of the

Metropolitan Museum, at Fort Tryon

Park overlooking the Hudson River

in uptown New York. This museum is

a successful attempt to recapture

the effect of medieval art through

the use of architectural ensembles,

reconstructed as accurately as pos-

sible and used, as they were in the

past, as the setting for sculpture

and painting and other artistic

43

works. Included in the displays

are the series of "Unicorn" tapes-

tries, individual Romanesque and

Gothic sculpture like the thirteenth

century heads high up in a chapel,

and the multi-colored Madonna and

child of the fourteenth century

which was sold by Hitler under the

pretext that it was French art.

3. The Coliseum: Has four exhibition

floors with 273,672 sq.ft. for

boat shows, flower shows, dog shows,

home shows, do-it-yourself shows,

and other exhibitions.

4. Cooper Union: Contains collections

of applied arts, especially textiles.

5. Frick Collection: Is kept on a high

level. The paintings include master-

pieces by Duccio, Piero della Fran-

cesca, Castagno, Bellini, Titian, El

Greco, Goya, Rembrandt, and Hals.

Fine porcelains, enamels and numerous

L4

other objects are included.

6. Grolier Club: Offers important tem-

porary exhibitions and permanent

collections devoted to the arts of

book-making and printing.

7. Hispanic Society of America: Contains

a collection of paintings, sculpture,

and drawings covering Spanish-Amer-

ican subjects as well as works by the

great Spanish masters.

8. The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Re-

puted to cover the fine arts more

fully than any other museum although

it still excludes much primitive

work. The comprehensiveness of the

collections is matched, in numerous

fields, by their richness in works

of very high quality. The galleries

of classical art cover the whole de-

velopment from an early Archaic fig-

ure of more than life size to a series

of frescoed rooms from Boscoreale

45

T

(near Herculaneum) which are unique

outside of Naples and Pompeii. The

Egyptian collections are, in part,

from the museum's own excavations.

The assemblage of arms and armor is

the finest in America. Also excel-

lent are the collections of silver,

lace, textiles, ceramics and the

other applied arts. The painting

collections include works of Filip-

po Lippi, Raphael, Titian, Veronese,

and Bronzino; the Spanish school,

with numerous works by El Greco and

Goya; magnificent examples of Van

Eyck, Van der Weyden, Bruegel, Rubens,

Hals and Rembrandt; French painting

from the time of the Avignon and Fon-

tainebleau masters; and English and

American works. The department of

prints and drawings is also of great

importance.

9. Museum of the City of New York:

Houses many objects which have, beside

46

their historic value, the quaint

charm of early days. Certain old

American portraits are also dis-

played.

10. Museum of Modern Art: Was estab-

lished in 1929 as a place for the

exhibition of contemporary masters

and experimenters. It has already

a collection of fine works along

with important modern exhibitions,

Picasso's "Guernica," and one-man

shows of Rouault, Leger, and Miro.

In addition, there are collections

of moving pictures, photography,

architectural material and applied

arts.

11. Museum of Non-objective Art (or

Guggenheim Museum): Set up by the

Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation.

The permanent collection centers

.around Bauer and Kandinsky, with

other works of similar type.

47

12. National Academy of Design: Has

been holding annual exhibitions for

over a hundred years. It possesses

too an extensive collection of works

by and of its members.

13. New York Historical Society: Owns

several galleries of paintings to-

gether with a multitude of histori-

cal objects. Some paintings are by

early Americans while others date

from a time before New York had a

permanent art museum. These works,

along with Egyptian, Assyrian, and

ancient Mexican ones, were given to

the Historical Society during that

period.

14. New York Public Library: Has varied

collections of paintinga, including

works by Turner, Reynolds, Copley,

and Stuart, and a large number of

prints.

48

15. Pierpont Morgan Library: Is one of

the great private libraries of the

world. It is especially rich in 11-

luminated manuscripts and other

rarities of the book-making art.

Drawings by masters, including an

impressive group of works by Blake,

are housed here.

16. Whitney Museum of American Art: De-

veloped from exhibitions held at a

club founded by Gertrude Vanderbilt

Whitney. It still stages important

exhibitions of contemporary American

painters and sculptors. A long con-

tinued program of support to Ameri-

can artists by the purchase of their

work has given the museum a perman-

ent collection. It is affiliated

with the Metropolitan Museum.

49

SOUVENIRS

New York Times

June- 11-, 1956

fualjiArt Museum at Columbus Circle

nk- Planned by Huntington Hart ford'tst- A. & P. Heir to Build 10 -storybenic Gallery for Modern Works

'he at Cost of $2,500,000 L 7ogn

heat,.if-

By SANKA KNOXThe burgeoning plans for the

Columbus Circle area havegrown to include a new art gal-

-in lery. Huntington Hartford, mem-ber of the family that founded --

:e- the Great Atlantic and Pacific 5STea Company, plans to build the S O A

on gallery. CALLERY OF 0Ls- Mr. Hartford's project, al- -N

rs though not yet in the blueprintW 57 Sed stage, is planned as a ten-story W 5 ST

rs building that would be a marble lot showplace of the visual arts. Theas site, facing the Coliseum, is anig island, formed by the juncture of Setting for planned museum

of Eighth Avenue and Broadway,nt between the Circle and Fifty- and will be designed to match

eighth Street, the Coliseum.le The land is occupied by a five- The name of the institutioni

)Y story building housing a shoe will be the Gallery of Modernfstore, office space and a large Art. Mr. Hartford said he fa-ts advertising sign. About $1,000,- vored a liberal approach to con-. 1 000 was paid for the building and temporary painting, but opposedId oddly shaped lot. The cost of the extreme trends.

ginew building is estimated at Mr. Hartford wants a gardend $1500,000. restaurant at the top of the

y An architect has not been se- building. He is tentatively Plan-

glected for the new building. But, Ining a theatre for art films. Six

Mr. Hartford said yesterday, the or seven floorls, with approx-

building will be simple. It will imately 4,000 square feet each,

be white or off-white in color, Continued on Page 3 Column 3

4

- COtumBU~ PARK0 cc SOUTr

L

TI

IArt Museum at Columbus CirclePlanned by Huntington Hartfo rd

Continued From Page 1 were pitched'i a fa' milder keythan other of- his public state

will be. devoted to art. The space ments on the subject Last year,is about equal to that in the in full-page advertisements inMuseum of Modern Art. New York newspapers, Mr. Hart-

The remaining floors will be ford defined his views of whatrented'as office space at first- art is. These views excludedBut eventually the entire build- both photographic realism anding will be used to display paint-i abstraction.ings, sculpture, prints, photo-. The state of art in the nation,graphy and, possibly models of he wrote, in "the profession ofmodern architecture, Mr. Hart- painting, at. least; has esthet-!ford said. -ically, morally and in certain

There.,will be shops at street quarters even politically becomelevel. The entrances will be on' a thoroughly. degenerate one."Fifty-eighti Street. he said. Mr. Hartford asserted that Pablo

Mr.,;Haitford said he thought Picasso had gone "an amazingof his new 'Venture mostly as distance toward wiping out sin-a museum,, with a curator in gle-handed all the gains thatcharge. But paintings will be have been mad- in tit'iord ofsold in the gallery. painting in the ia 500 yeat-s."

"I want, to encourage artists, Mr. Hartford has acolledtianbut the emphasis 'Will be on ex- of twenty-five paintings, whihhibition;"4Mr. Hartford said. he will continue to' add to, he

He considers himself- "quite said. His pictures inclde workliberal"' in bhis views on art. by -Reginold Marsh, Frederic

"But I don't favor extreme ab- Waugh and Edward Hopper,* stract expressionism, or -other Blakelock, Inness, Monet and

extreme trends," he said. Orozco. The collection will be onMr. Hartford's exceptions to permanent loan in the new gal-

'certain trends in art yesterday ler.

.....I

Office of the Dean of Architecture and Planning

April 29, 1957

Mr. Huntington HartfordRiver House435 East 52nd StreetNew York, New York

Dear Mr. Hartford:

Mr. Hanford Yang, a graduate student at the School of Architectureat Massachusetts Institute of Technology, came to me in search ofa subject for his Master's thesis. I recommended your Museum projectto him as I thought it nmight be an interesting one.

It is understood that the thesis is one of the requirements forall students who wish to obtain a Master's degree and the solutionof any thesis project is purely academic. Lt will not in any waycompete with any work on the Museum that your architects may beat present engaged on.

I would appreciate jrour assistance to Mr. Yang in the matter offurnishing some essential information for the thesis. This willcomprise a map of the Museum site and a simple program of therequirements, etag

Sincerely,

Pietro Belluschi

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

PB:ef

ED

OIE BEEKMAN PLACENEW YCRK CITY

May 13, 1957

Dear r. Belluschis

I would be delighted to co"peratein any manner with Mr. Hanford Yang. I have notyet selected an architect for the museum, but Ihope to do so within the next few weeks. Whoeverthe architect turns out to be, I will make surethat he gives Mr. Yang whatever information heneeds.

Kindest regards,

Huntington Hartford

cc

Huntington Hartford Enterprises420 Lexington Avenue

New York 17, N.Y.

July 9, 1957

Mr. Hanford YangSchool of ArchitectureM.I.T.Cambridge 39Massachusetts

Dear Mr. Yang:

As Mr. Huntington Hartford is still out of town andwill not be back before next week he asked me to thank you for yourletter of June 24,1957. Unfortunately I do not have the questionnairewhich you enclosed with your letter but I will try and reply as directlyas possible.

Mr. Hartford's collection consists almost entirely of oil

paintings of the western hemisphere. It represents the period19/20th century-1800 to contemporary. It will include all typesof art within these restrictions - however, in the case of contemporaryart the emphasis will probably be less on the abstract expressionismand extreme forms of art. There are about 25 paintings in Mr. Hartford'scollection but he hopes to continue collecting for an indefinite periodof time along the same lines as he has been doing.

So far he has no sculpture but hopes to have some whenthe museum is ready.

Although the object in niid is to collect paintings andsculpture, Mr. Hartford hopes to have one floor dedicated to architecturalmodels.

The name of the building will THE GALLERY OF MODERN ART.It will be approximately height limit, which will probably be 10/12 stories,depending on set-back, etc. It will not be possible to expand. Thebuilding may not be utilixed entirely for a gallery at the beginning butwill be to the greatest possible extent. Mr. HartBfrd has a tentativeplan to build a theatre on one floor which may or may not go through -possibly a circle type theatre. Definitely planning to have some kind ofbar or restaurant on top floor or roof. Mr. Hartford intends to have a roomdedicated to his Foundation in California, where painters could possiblyexhibit once a month in the room.

There will proball7 be a small admission charge but it ishoped to keep it somewhat less than that of the Museum of Modern Art whichwill be our natural rival.

- --- -- -- 4

(co hED

-2-.

The property is located at Columbus Circle here inNew York City. I do not have any plans of the property readilyavailable but could possibly get stome for you if you wish. Theenclosed newspaper clipping may be of interest to you, as it showsthe site of the proposed gallery.

If there is any additional information which yourequire please let me know and I will be delighted to send itimmediately.

Sincerely yours,

Barbara SolierSecretary to

Encl: Mr. Huntington Hartford

4

"Architecture is the play of forms

under the light, the play of forms

correct, wise and magnificent."

Le Corbusier

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