the new york etching club minutes - cnx.org

The New York Etching Club Minutes

Collection Editor:Stephen Fredericks

The New York Etching Club Minutes

Collection Editor:Stephen Fredericks

Authors:Stephen Fredericks

marilyn kushner

Online:< http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1/ >

C O N N E X I O N S

Rice University, Houston, Texas

This selection and arrangement of content as a collection is copyrighted by Stephen Fredericks. It is licensed under

the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

Collection structure revised: February 27, 2009

PDF generated: October 26, 2012

For copyright and attribution information for the modules contained in this collection, see p. 208.

Table of Contents

1 Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 About This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Introduction: The Birth of American Artist Printmaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 1877 Minutes of the New York Etching Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 1878 Minutes of the New York Etching Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 1879 Minutes of the New York Etching Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338 1880 Minutes of the New York Etching Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439 1881 Minutes of the New York Etching Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5510 1882 Minutes of the New York Etching Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6911 1883 Minutes of the New York Etching Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8512 1884 Minutes of the New York Etching Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10713 1885 Minutes of the New York Etching Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11314 1886 Minutes of the New York Etching Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12315 1887 Minutes of the New York Etching Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12916 1888 Minutes of the New York Etching Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13917 1889 Minutes of the New York Etching Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15118 1890 Minutes of the New York Etching Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15519 1891 Minutes of the New York Etching Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16320 1892 Minutes of the New York Etching Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17721 1893 Minutes of the New York Etching Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18922 The Constitution of the New York Etching Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206Attributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208

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Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

Chapter 1

Acknowledgments1

External ImagePlease see:http://rup.rice.edu/nyetching-buybutton.jpg

1.1 Acknowledgments

In 1998, Ms. Roberta Waddell, Curator of the New York Public Library Print Collection, started me on myjourney with the New York Etching Club. Her passion for prints, printmakers, art history, and discoveryis a continuing source of inspiration, and I am grateful for her support and guidance through my years ofresearch at the library. I also would like to thank the library's unique sta� of associates in the micro�lmdivision, whose patience and creative approach contributed broadly to this e�ort.

I owe a great deal of appreciation to historian, writer, and print dealer Ms. Rona Schneider for alertingme to the existence of the New York Etching Club minutes, and pointing me in the direction of the NationalAcademy of Design. Rona's patience, curiosity, sense of humor, and generosity were a constant source ofmotivation. Her professional perspective and personal in�uence can be found throughout this book.

I am deeply indebted to the National Academy of Design for providing me a photocopy of the minutes;to Ms. Annette Blaugrund, then Executive Director of the National Academy, for allowing me permissionto proceed with the publishing project; and to Mr. Marshall Price for his assistance with several technicalmatters.

Mr. and Mrs. Dave Williams provided me virtually unrestricted access to their world-class nineteenth-century print collection at the Print Research Foundation in Stamford, Connecticut. This made it possiblefor me to bring the minutes alive with reproductions of period etchings. I cannot thank them enough fortheir support and generosity. Their excellent sta�, including Emily Hall, deserves mention for its alwaysprofessional and cheerful assistance.

Martin Hopkinson, former archivist of the Royal Society of Painter Printmakers, who graciously conductedcritical research in London for this project, also deserves acknowledgment. I remain indebted to him for tohis generosity and enthusiasm.

Marilyn Kushner, PhD, another professional role model of mine, gracefully provided publishing advice,editorial perspective, and a preface to this book. It has been a privilege to share the development of thisproject with her.

Editor Bernard Rittersporn warrants special mention for the commitment and long hours he dedicatedto this project. Another outstanding editor, Pat Kirkham, contributed greatly to the structure of myintroduction. Both served repeatedly as a source of encouragement.

1This content is available online at <http://cnx.org/content/m19784/1.2/>.


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2 CHAPTER 1. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Graphic designer Lou Netter's work on the overall layout and design of this book, coupled with his livelyartistic touch, has made for a timely and personal approach to the project. I am most thankful for hispatience and commitment. Close friend and graphic designer Rina Drucker Root also deserves recognitionfor her early contributions to the format of the book and many later recommendations.

Mentor Will Barnet and I spent many afternoons over the last ten years discussing early American artistetching during our visits to Gramercy Park. Having crossed the path of more than one of the New YorkEtching Club members during his early career, he added unparalleled life to this book.

I would also like to express my deep appreciation to Fred Moody, Editor-in-Chief of Rice UniversityPress. It was Fred who �rst embraced my vision for a digital and traditional approach to publishing thisbook. His skillful guidance of our working relationship has continuously been a great source of inspirationand excitement. I will remain most grateful for the seeing through of this project with him, and creating inthe process one of the most unique print world references available.

Finally, I would like to thank my wife, Anne-Rose van den Bossche, for her enduring patience during theyears when great portions of this project were laid out on our dining-room table. Without her support, love,and remarkable gift for listening, this project would never have been completed.


Chapter 2

Preface1


2.1 Preface

It all began in 1877, when thirteen artists �gathered together in the studio of a brother artist, `to assist' inthe production of a print.�2 Such was the founding of the New York Etching Club, later to be called theSociety of American Etchers.3 The timing was ripe: New York galleries were showing etchings; collectorswere amassing print collections; and there was an active group of American etchers working in Venice.4

While the etching renaissance that occurred in Europe in the 1860s and in the United States in the 1870sand 1880s is well known, the documented activities of the New York Etching Club have not been broadlyavailable to scholars, collectors and other interested parties until now. The publication of this volume o�ersus an invaluable gaze into the world of late-nineteenth century American printmaking, and indeed Americanart in general.

Quite obviously, the history of the etching club and its exhibitions as placed into a broader art historicalcontext by Stephen Fredericks will become a seminal document in the study of this etching renaissance. Notonly does it note salient events of the group, but it also references other graphic exhibitions in the 1870s and1880s. On a broader scale, one will now be able to glean data regarding chronologies of the artists involved,when they were in New York, where they lived, and what they were doing during this period. We can learnwhich members, at certain times, were not in New York (and at times why they were not present). Theminutes also give us a glimpse into the �nances of the print world and, indeed, the art world in general.Similarly, seemingly mundane activities are accounted (for example, the impending visit of �Dr. SeymourHayden of London� is recorded in the minutes of 16 October 1882). Such notations can lead scholars downheretofore unknown roads.

In short, this volume will become vital to anyone who seeks to broaden the window into late nineteenth-century American art and to help explicate issues of American art and culture at that time. Americanprintmaking studies owes a note of thanks to Stephen Fredericks for making a contribution that will servethe �eld for years to come.

Marilyn S. Kushner, PhD, Curator and Head, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Ar-chitectural Collections, New-York Historical Society

1This content is available online at <http://cnx.org/content/m19782/1.2/>.2Catalogue of the New York Etching Club Exhibition (1882), n.p.3The decision to rename the club was made in 1882. �Minutes of the Society of American Etchers,� 31 March 1882, n.p.4For a good overview of the entire period see James Watrous, A Century of American Printmaking, 1880-1980

(Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1984).


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4 CHAPTER 2. PREFACE


Chapter 3

About This Book1


3.1 About This Book

The primary reason for publishing this book is to make the minutes of the New York Etching Club accessibleto other researchers and scholars. To that end, our edition is as true a "typewritten" copy of the hand-written original as possible. That is, the minutes are presented precisely as they were written down in theminutes' book. I have made virtually no corrections of spelling, grammar or punctuation errors. Withoutexception, every word, notation, abbreviation, hyphenation, and space is recorded as entered in the original.Misspellings of artists' names, in particular, occur constantly throughout the minutes, and two di�erentspellings of an artist's surname in a single entry are common. These are left uncorrected, and everydaynineteenth-century English and abbreviations in use at the time are also preserved. Thus everything aboutthe original appears as authentically as possible without interpretation or editing.

The original minutes were recorded in a tablet-like notebook measuring approximately 5 x 7 inches andcovered with a black-and-white marbled paper familiar to all grade-school children. The pages in the note-book are lined. All of the minutes were recorded with pen and mostly in black ink. They were written largelyin a beautiful, even elegant, nineteenth-century script that at times is also nearly indecipherable. There areno illustrations of any kind. The New York Etching Club secretaries responsible for the minutes began withJames D. Smillie, the club's principal founder. Smillie was followed, in order, by James Craig Nicoll, WilliamH. Shelton, Alexander Schilling, Charles Frederick William Mielatz, Henry Farrer, and Frederick Dielman.There is clear evidence that James D. Smillie �lled in over the years�often anonymously�as secretary.

The �rst six pages of the original minutes book were left intentionally blank. Hand-numbered pagesand text begin on the seventh page, which is numbered �7,� and end on the page numbered 23, after whichthe pages are unnumbered. Because these �rst seventeen pages look more �nished in appearance than thefollowing pages, and are somewhat more grammatically consistent, it is likely that Smillie recorded themelsewhere, then copied them into the minutes book sometime between February and December 1879. Thisconclusion is supported by a reference in the February 10, 1879, minutes to 85 cents being spent on a �Bookfor minutes.�

The minutes tend to err on the side of discretion, the secretaries taking care to protect reputationsand honor friendships. There is little emotion and rarely is there direct mention of controversy among themembers. The minutes also fail to provide a comprehensive record of the members' exhibitions, catalogueand portfolio publications, as well as most public-relations e�orts.



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6 CHAPTER 3. ABOUT THIS BOOK

Exactly how and under what circumstances the minute-taking came to an end is unknown. When theextant records abruptly stop in December 1893, the mood seems optimistic and forward-looking.

The minutes as presented in this book are illustrated with prints culled mainly from the extraordinarycollection of Mr. and Mrs. Dave Williams, held at The Print Research Foundation in Stamford, Connecticut.Use of the foundation's archival research records made it possible in most instances to place the reproductionsin the minutes for the year in which they were shown in New York Etching Club exhibitions. Most of theremaining reproductions were made from originals that appeared as illustrations in exhibition cataloguespublished by the New York Etching Club or other period publications.

Stephen A. FredericksOctober 29, 2008


Chapter 4

Introduction: The Birth of American

Artist Printmaking1


In the 1882 catalogue for the New York Etching Club's �rst independent exhibition at the NationalAcademy of Design, club founder James David Smillie published a colorful, highly romanticized account2 ofthe group's �rst meeting, held �ve years before:

About twenty interested artists had gathered one evening, by invitation, in the studio of a brotherartist, �to assist.� The scene was no doubt �ttingly picturesque. Let us imagine a central light,properly shaded, above a table upon which are the simple appliances of etching. Aloft, a greatsky-light is �lled with dusky gloom; remote corners recede into profound shadow; easels loomup bearing vaguely de�ned work in progress; screens and rugs, bric-a-brac, all the aestheticproperties that we may believe to be the correct furniture of such a place, assume proper andsubordinate relations. Our imaginations having furnished the background, let us go on with thehistory.

Those twenty interested artists formed an impatient circle and hurried through the forms oforganization, anxious for the commencement of the real work of the evening. Copper plateswere displayed; grounds were laid (that is, delicate coatings of resinous wax were spread uponthe plates); etchings were made (that is, designs scratched with �ne points or needles throughsuch grounds upon the copper); trays of mordant bubbled (that is, the acid corroded the metalexposed by the scratched lines, the surface elsewhere being protected from such action by thewax ground), to the discomfort of noses, the eager wearers of which were crowding and craningto see the work in progress.

This process being completed, in cleansing the wax grounds and varnish from the plates the fumesof turpentine succeeded those of acid. Then an elegant brother who had dined out early in theevening, laid aside his broadcloth, rolled up the spotless linen of his sleeves, and became for the

1This content is available online at <http://cnx.org/content/m19783/1.4/>.2The New York Etching Club Exhibition Catalogue, 1882. This account was reprinted a few years later in J.R.W. Hitchcock's

Etching in America (New York: White, Stokes & Allen, 1886), a telling indication of the late-nineteenth-century public's growinginterest in the new art of etching. Each copy of the book was illustrated with an impression from the etching plate createdduring the technical demonstration at the �rst meeting.


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8CHAPTER 4. INTRODUCTION: THE BIRTH OF AMERICAN ARTIST

PRINTMAKING

time an enthusiastic printer. The smear of thick, pasty ink was deftly rubbed into the lines justcorroded, and as deftly cleaned from the polished surface; the damped sheet of thin, silky Japanpaper was spread upon the gently warmed plate; the heavy steel roller of the printing press, withits triple facing of thick, soft blanket, was slowly rolled over it, and in another moment, �ndingscant room, the �rst-born of the New York Etching Club was being tenderly passed from handto hand.�

Smillie's catalog copy notwithstanding, the meeting was both a gathering of artists and a business ini-tiative. Smillie and his constituents were intent on creating and serving a potentially lucrative market inthe emerging American art world, which was characterized at the time by a gold rush of artist organiza-tion. American industries of all kinds were expanding, and New York's youthful native art world, followingsuit, saw talented and ambitious artists claiming newly created niches. Smillie himself had worked towardsforming an etching club for years.

In 1877, the year the New York Etching Club was founded, there was no recognized arts capital in theUnited States. But within a relatively short time, building on the strength of established cultural institutions,enormous population growth, the Industrial Revolution, and a post- Civil War economic expansion, therewas an explosion of artist organization locally that would eventually see New York City take center stage onthe national art scene, with graphic arts at the center of the action.

New York was replete with well-known artists' studio buildings in the late 1870s. Most of the artistsat the �rst meeting of the club lived or worked in one of three�including Smillie's studio building, wherethat �rst meeting was held. The attendees knew each other from other associations, including the NationalAcademy of Design, the Salmagundi Sketch Club, and the American Water Color Society. (In reality, theNew York Etching Club was an o�shoot of the American Water Color Society.)

The Industrial Revolution brought along with it a rapid expansion of the graphic arts. Men and womenall over New York were �lling�and endeavoring to control�all manner of newly created markets. When theNew York Etching Club was formed, there were already models for such societies in New York, and Smilliewas also well aware of organizational activities among etchers in France and Great Britain, and the stagingfor such in Philadelphia and Boston. Exclusive artists' clubs could o�er many bene�ts, from the sharing oftechnical expertise to promoting artists and their genres. Smillie was eager to promote etching and see itdevelop into a viable business endeavor. By 1882, his work was producing dividends: The public embracedthe New York Etching Club's �rst stand-alone exhibition, and members' works sold well.

The original twenty-one members of the New York Etching Club were all established and even importantartists in other genres. Most were experienced painters; others were photographers, architects, designers,or recognized for their commercial trade work in engraving, lithography and mezzotint. There were a fewexperienced etchers among them, but none was a practicing �artist-printmaker� by today's standards. Witha few exceptions�most notably, Robert Swain Gi�ord and Henry Farrer�etching as a medium for artisticexpression was new to most of the club's �rst members.

Smillie's ambitions aside, many of the etching novices appear to have been motivated to learn etchingmore out of aesthetic interest than business interest at �rst. There was, after all, no real market for �artistprints� in the club's early years.3 At the club's founding, no one foresaw the boom in the collecting ofetchings that lay just ahead. Prior to late 1881, the New York Etching Club functioned as much as a socialclub organized around a growing interest among artists in �free hand� or �painter etching� as it was a groupinterested in becoming serious printmakers of saleable works.

In 1883, for example, the noted critic M. G. van Rensselaer re�ected4 upon the New York Etching Club

3The etchers did not create the market for print sales in America. On the contrary, there had existed for decades a well-developed market for decorative engravings, lithographs, wood engravings, mezzotints and reproductive etchings. The new�artist etchings,� or �painter etchings,� however, were a departure from mass- produced prints. Lithographic artists largelyshared a common graphic art style, as was the case with wood and metal plate engraving. Broadly standardized graphic artsstyles rendered these media predictable in appearance and somewhat commonplace in the eyes of the public. The evolution ofthe �painter etcher� provided many of those already working in the printing trades an artistic outlet and untapped market fortheir �free hand etchings.�

4M.G. van Rensselaer in The Century Magazine, Vol. XXV, No. 4, February 1883, page 486.(<http://cnx.org/content/m19783/latest/Rensselaer.pdf>)


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as:

an association formed by a few earnest students of the art to incite activity by brotherly reunionsand to spread its results by annual exhibitions. The young society went through that struggle forexistence which seems ordained for babes of every sort�even for those which, like this artisticinfant, are well fathered and tenderly watched over. The public was indi�erent, and some ofthe club's own members were too much absorbed in other work even to heed that conditionof membership which prescribed that each should produce at least two plates every year. Butthough its survival was due to the pains and sacri�ces of a few men who deserve well of therepublic, the Etching Club is more potent than any other in�uence in aiding the progress of theart among us and in winning the public to its love.

Early on, many of the practitioners of etching were fascinated by the process, including the accidentsthat could occur while the plate was submerged in mordant. Chance atmospheric accents and the platesthat produced them were prized by the American artists. They quickly found means and techniques forcontrolling their �accidents,� and the employment of these new techniques enhanced the general feeling ofcreative freedom associated with etching. Artistically derived special e�ects di�erentiated the etchings fromthe highly standardized prints associated with engraving and lithography�arts dominated by schools oftechnique. The more artists experimented with the etching process, the more they shared their technicaldiscoveries at club meetings, in private studios, and in books and articles they wrote. This widespreadsharing of technological discoveries set the stage for a practice and code of conduct that is at the core ofAmerican artist printmaking today.

During the earlier years of the New York Etching Club, the color and quality of printing papers took ongreat importance to the printmakers. They perfected Chine collé, a paper laminating process, and beganexperimenting with alternate print matrixes, such as silk. Soon the atmospheric e�ects of palm-wiping plates(a signature of many early club member prints) gave way to new methods of carrying tone. Larger and largerplates were being worked by important artists, and by the late 1880s color inks began appearing regularlyin prints. Soft ground, a technique that could impart elements of drawing and some of the qualities oflithography, was widely introduced in artist studios and used to superb e�ect. The end result of all of thistechnical development and aesthetic specialization was the division of artists into roughly de�ned competitiveschools of practice.

The burgeoning popularity of the new free hand etchings during the mid-1880s coincided with a post-Civil War boom that helped create an expansive American market for art. The boom stimulated advancesin graphic arts printing and the development of new reproduction technologies in mechanical engraving,photography, photogravure, and color lithography. These events helped usher in the establishment of new�ne art print publishers, dealers and collectors, along with a consumer market for new magazines and booksfull of art criticism and articles�illustrated with original etchings. The merger and success of these e�ortsformed a new paradigm of sorts as artists' clubs and societies for nearly every aspect of �ne art appeared inNew York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Cincinnati, among other large American cities. And at thehub of much of the excitement for most of the 1880s was the etching needle.

It is important to note that the rise of etching in the late nineteenth century was not a movement untoitself. Labeling the period's activities in etching as an isolated movement discounts the extraordinary activityin related graphic arts�and their importance to the artists. What began in 1877 with the formation of theNew York Etching Club can best be placed as part of a golden age in the arts generally and the already�ourishing graphic arts movement in America at the end of the nineteenth century. A great deal of theappeal of free hand etching to both artists and their public was rooted in an already well-established tastefor drawing�the most fundamental of the graphic arts. Interest in etching was supported by a broadermovement that included work in graphite, charcoals, pastel, crayon, and innumerable forms of commercialillustration work.



PRINTMAKING

Figure 4.1: Stephen Parrish, An Etcher's Studio, 1884. Etching. (Courtesy of Ms. Rona Schneider.)


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Our public libraries and private institutions hold a staggering amount of material and supporting docu-mentation on this graphic arts movement. Such publications asAmerican Art Review, The Art Review,The Art Journal, The Magazine of Art, The Critic, The Quarterly Illustrator, Scribner's, TheCentury Magazine, and The Art Amateur contained innumerable announcements, reviews and criticismof graphic art exhibitions, and reproductions of individual prints. Countless other illustrated publicationswere designed around and focused upon their graphic art content.

In the years just prior to the founding of the New York Etching Club, both the Salmagundi Sketch Cluband the Art Students League of New York (both still active today) were organized around drawing andsketching classes. As early as 1876, the American Water Color Society was setting aside separate space�the�Black & White Room��for the exhibition and sale of drawings, charcoals, and etchings. Shortly afterSmillie launched the New York Etching Club, the Tile Club and Scratcher's Club were established, as werenumerous similar groups in related graphic art media, including woodcut and lithography.

The minutes reproduced in this volume highlight many of the roles played by the New York EtchingClub in this larger movement. They also highlight the club's in�uence: In 1880, for example, in a sequenceof events that began with the November 1880 minutes entry, the etchers were invited to exhibit both atthe February 1881 exhibit of the American Water Color Society, to be held at the American Academy ofDesign, and at the Salmagundi Sketch Club exhibit, to be held in the same venue in December 1880. Optingenthusiastically for the latter, etching club members accounted for thirty-four of the 130 etchings by nearly�fty artists exhibited at the �The Third Annual Exhibit of Black & White Art.� Numerous the other etchingswere contributed by such future club members as Thomas Moran and Stephen Parrish. No etchings wereexhibited at the American Water Color Society's February 1881 exhibition.5

It would have surprised no one then familiar with the prevailing art world that the New York EtchingClub artists jumped at the chance to exhibit in the Salmagundi Club exhibition rather than the AmericanWater Color Society's. The signi�cance of this decision has been widely overlooked, however. Not only werethe early Salmagundi Sketch Club exhibitions quite popular with both artists and the viewing public, but theNew York Etching Club members also wanted to be aligned with other active graphic artists, and have theirnew etchings seen alongside other widely practiced forms of graphic art. When their members were grantedthe autonomy they apparently sought, the New York Etching Club returned to the watercolorists' fold inFebruary 1882,6 with a triumphant showing of works by notable artists of the day, including Frederick S.Church, Samuel Colman, Stephen J. Ferris, Seymour Haden (founder of the Royal Society of Painter Etchers,London), Thomas Moran, Stephen Parrish (Max�eld's father), Joseph Pennell, Charles A. Platt, R. Gi�ordSwain, J. A. McNeil Whistler, and James D. Smillie.

By the mid-1880s, members of the New York Etching Club could be forgiven for being a little headyabout their success and the popularity of their work. New books about etching and printmaking, includingS. R. Koehler's Etching: An Outline of its Technical Processes and its History (1885), and J.R. W. Hitchcock's Etching in America (1886), were appearing with increasingly frequency. Commercialproduction of new print editions and group portfolios abounded, and exhibition opportunities for artistprintmakers were expanding exponentially. But just below the surface, subtle cracks in the club's foundationwere beginning to appear.

In August 1886, two short, rather enthusiastic notices referencing the New York Etching Club appeared

5See The American Water Color Society's 1881 exhibition catalog. See also The Salmagundi Sketch Club's ThirdAnnual Exhibition of Black & White Art, catalogue documenting the December 18, 1880, to January 1, 1881, show atthe National Academy of Design, New York City.

6The American Water Color Society had enormous in�uence on the development, support, and organizational structure ofthe New York Etching Club. James D. Smillie was the watercolor society's president in 1877, the year he founded the etchingclub. Throughout the etching club's active exhibiting years, their elected and appointed o�cers were often interchangeable, byname if not title, with those of the watercolorists' society.At times the organizational ties between the New York Etching Cluband the American Water Color Society made for a virtual identity crisis. For example, the February 11, 1881 minutes recordthe unanimous decision by members for a resolution �applying to The Water Color Society for space in their next exhibition.�The minutes also note that �the President [R. Swain Gi�ord] and Secretary [Henry Farrer] were directed to bring the matterbefore the Water Color Society at its next meeting.� The o�cers of the AWCS for the 1880/1881 season included Henry Farrer(Secretary), and a Board of Control made up of New York Etching Club members J. C. Nicoll, R. Swain Gi�ord, and FrederickS. Church.



PRINTMAKING

in Art Review Magazine. One noted the forthcoming auction of an important collection of paintings,the catalogue for which would be illustrated with reproductive etchings by several club members. The othercited club plans to exhibit the same prints during the annual show that would open to the public at the endof January 1887. Later, reviews of the club's important exhibition in publications, including The Criticon February 5, were less than �attering. Reviewers raised questions about the inclusion of large numbers ofreproductive prints done by artists after other artists' paintings, commercially commissioned and publishedprints, and excessively large plates. The criticism highlighted growing �ssures in the club over divergentcommercial ambitions and aesthetics among its membership.

A year later, in the February 24, 1888, club minutes, the club member Hamilton Hamilton proposed�excluding from future shows reproductive etchings and returning as far as practical to the original statusof a painter-etchers exhibition.� The issue was resolved with the decision that �work will be received at thefuture exhibitions of the New York Etching Club only from individual etchers, except at the request of theClub.� The decision was intended to exclude submissions by most publishers and dealers to future shows. InJune 1888, The Critic reported a re�ned version of the decision stating that �the New York Etching Clubhas announced that at the next exhibition the size of plates will be limited, and no work will be receivedfrom publishers. This step has been rendered necessary by the amount of commercial work now executed byall but the very best etchers.�7

By 1888, then, an in�uential group within the New York Etching Club strongly favored a commitment to�original� prints over �reproductive� prints. This same group appears to have favored aggressive commercialproduction of large to unlimited print editions that served existing relationships with galleries and publishers.Another group held con�icting points of view about the meaning of �originality,� particularly relating toreproductive etchings after their own paintings. This group also favored limiting edition sizes of new platesand imposing strict quality and integrity standards on the commercial ambition of publishers and galleries.On the surface, these di�erences could have threatened to split the club apart, if not entirely destroy it.8

Announcements began appearing in the press that summer about the formation of the new Societyof American Etchers.9 The Magazine of Art noted that �Thomas Moran has been elected President,Frederick Dielman Treasurer, and C. Y. Turner Secretary of the new Society of American Etchers with theview of elevating the art of etching in this country, and limiting editions by guaranteeing to the publicationof each member the stamp of the Society, in the same way that the English prints are protected by thePrintseller's stamp.�10

The new society's �rst exhibition was held that fall at the Ortgies Gallery in New York City. The showincluded etchings by Thomas Moran, Mary Nimmo Moran, Charles Platt, Stephen Parrish, and Krusemanvan Elten, among others. A November 25, 1888, exhibit notice in The New York Times included mentionof reproductive work after an artist's own work by Thomas Wood, and another by William Sartain after apainting by Percy Moran. Thomas Moran exhibited his print �Mountain of the Holy Cross,� known to be afterhis painting of the same title. Clearly, reproductive prints were within the mission of the group. Membersof the Society of American Etchers were to be known as artists endeavoring to protect their etchings fromcommercial abuse and misunderstanding through control of edition size (commercial and private), quality,and a guarantee of publishers' integrity.

The formation of the Society of American Etchers should not be misconstrued as a political response to

7The Critic, June 9, 1888.8Politics played an ever-present role in the club's life. The club's organizational structure provided for a closed decision-

making process, particularly regarding the election of new members. See Article II, Section 4, of the club constitution. Electionof members was taken seriously and is one of the few activities well documented in the minutes. Etching ability and artisticskill played an important role in the nomination of new members, although membership in the in�uential American WaterColor Society was an unspoken mitigating factor. For example, in 1888, AWCS member Reginald Cleveland Coxe was electedto non-resident membership on the strength of fewer than a half-dozen etchings, which were reproductions of his own paintings.This could only have served to alienate many early and regular exhibitors like John Henry Hill, Champney Wells, Stephen Ferris(a remarkable artist and etcher), Benjamin Lander, John Millspaugh, and F. De B. Richards, who all ceased exhibiting inde-pendently with the club shortly after Coxe's election. Attendance at meetings appears to have been another hot button. Therewere many �resident members� who appear to have rarely or never attended a meeting and are never cited for nonattendance,while others were summarily dismissed over the years for nonattendance.

9The Critic, August 11, 1888.10The Magazine of Art, August 14, 1888


13

the resolution passed by the New York Etching Club banning all but �original� etchings. It is unlikely thatthere was a great deal of hostility between the groups over their respective positions regarding originality. Itappears, rather, that the founding of the Society of American Etchers was an e�ort to protect the integrityof the New York Etching Club by providing an alternate vehicle for stands that could not be reconciledwith favored, and by then traditional, club practices. The American Society of Etchers provided shelter fora di�erent consensus about what constituted an original print, and a di�erent way of assessing the artisticvalue of prints. These artist printmakers were free to exhibit without drawing the ire of critics down on theNew York Etching Club. But they were not without their detractors in the greater art world.

Despite the di�erences between the New York Etching Club and the Society of American Etchers, mem-bers of both groups shared �erce commitments to craft, quality, and professionalism�standards that helpedform the earliest basis for artists identifying themselves as American artist printmakers. The minutes con-tain records of several discussions club members held about merging with the Society of American Etchers(though not, unfortunately, about issues central to their potential incompatibility). Nonetheless, their sharedvalues, along with their debates over originality, integrity, and print edition size, continue today to informthe modern American artist printmaker.

When the New York Etching Club was founded, while there were numerous technically skilled reproduc-tive and commercial etchers, there was but a small handful of local artists working �artistically� with themedium. By the late 1880s, there were hundreds of accomplished American artist printmakers. These menand women began taking sides on matters of aesthetics, commerce, and the merits of various print-makingmaterials, including metal plates, etching needles, grounds, mordants, inks, and printing papers. By then,many of these artists had their own etching presses and were known as skilled printers. They passionatelydebated the pros and cons of plate-wiping techniques, false-biting, and roulettes, and they ferociously en-gaged each other in conversation over a question that still confronts us today: �What constitutes an originalprint?� There is a reference in the February 19, 1892 minutes to the organization of a �Special RetrospectiveExhibition of the Best American Etchings made since 1876,� for presentation at the 1893 Chicago World'sColumbian Exposition. Although the retrospective never materialized, the minutes entry demonstrates that1876 stood as the year in the minds of artists when their experience as American artist printmakers o�ciallybegan.

The New York Etching Club ushered in the age of American artist printmaking by inspiring the creationof countless etchings by their members and hundreds of other artists, and thus left in their wake a pricelesslegacy of art work�a tiny portion of which is reproduced in this volume. The club's beginnings took placein the midst of the growth of a wider market for works on paper, for decorative books, limited-editionillustrated books, and the �rst American �artist books� incorporating original prints. In the wake of theetching boom, there remained used etching presses (including some that made their way into schools), newtechnologies, and a new generation of largely self-trained printmakers, some of whom would pass the skills oftheir craft on to others. In less than a decade, these �rst adepts grew from amateur practitioners of etchingto artist printmakers concerned with every facet of the making and marketing of �ne prints. This remarkableexplosion was part of a genuine paradigm shift in the arts.

Some writers have suggested that the demise of the New York Etching Club was largely due to the collapseof the commercial market for etchings, brought on by a combination of over-saturation of the retail marketwith mediocre work by minor artists in concert with the actions of greedy publishers and unscrupulousdealers. While these factors did play a role, there were other, greater forces at work. The 1888 release,Important New Etchings by American Artists,11 which contained prints by Otto Bacher, CharlesPlatt, J. D. Smillie, and William St. John Harper, also included an essay by J.R.W. Hitchcock, entitled�Future of Etching,� in which Hitchcock warned that the advent of photogravure posed a threat to etching.Hitchcock attributed the growing interest of artists in the medium to photogravure's superior reproductivequalities, a familiar intaglio process, and a growing popularity with the public.

It is not known why The New York Etching Club minute- taking came to an end. When the minuterecords abruptly stop in December 1893, the mood seems optimistic and forward-looking despite a faltering

11Important New Etchings by American Artists (<http://cnx.org/content/m19783/latest/1888Stokes.pdf>).New York: Frederick A. Stokes & Brother, 1888.



PRINTMAKING

national economy. In the 1893 New York Etching Club exhibition catalogue, James D. Smillie had referredto the �bright future� of etching, and he expressed similar optimism in such journals as the QuarterlyIllustrator12. By 1894, however, some critics were discussing etching as a thing of the past. The Sun13

published an extensive article that year, entitled �The Fate of Etching,� which chronicled the decline ofetching as it lambasted dealers and publishers for etching's drop in popularity.

There were other distractions for artists and the public. By the early 1890s, the Art Nouveau movementwas in full swing on the east coast, the Plein Air movement was in high gear on the west coast, and woodcutartists and potters were helping drive an expanding decorative arts and crafts movement on both coasts.There was also a national trend towards the collecting of Asian arts. The New York Etching Club furtheraided and abetted its demise in the face of these trends by strictly controlling its formal membership, thusexcluding many promising young artists who might have sustained the club well into the twentieth century.The fact that many of the early club members were established as artists in other media also helped hastenthe decline. When the market for etchings ebbed, many of the early artist etchers� Stephen Parrish, forexample�fell back on their painting careers.

Although etching died out as the most visible force in the subsiding graphic arts movement, a few highlysuccessful artists, including Thomas Moran, continued making large prints that sold well. James D. Smilliewent on making beautiful prints and became a teacher of etching, and Joseph Pennell would go on makingprints for years, ultimately contributing to a revival of the medium in the early 1910s. Other, later membersof the club�most notably Charles Mielatz�continued experimenting with the medium, taking the art ofetching o� in new �urban� directions.

The American Water Color Society continued to show etchings after the New York Etching Club endedits formal exhibitions in 1894. Evidence of such is noted in reviews of their exhibitions in The Magazineof Art in 1895 and 1896, and as late as 1898 in The Art Amateur magazine.

A few years after the death of James D. Smillie in 1909, a �edgling group of artist printmakers callingthemselves the New York Society of Etchers organized in 1913. New York Etching Club member JosephPennell exhibited in the group's �rst show, in 1914, as did several relative newcomers, including Kerr Eby,Bertha Jacques, George Plowman, and Ernest Roth. When this group returned in 1916 for a second exhibitionunder the banner of the Brooklyn Etching Club,14 the list of exhibitors included Charles F. W. Mielatz, therising American artist printmakers John Taylor Arms, John Marin, John Sloan, and dozens more. The �rst

12See the �le at <http://cnx.org/content/m19783/latest/smillie.pdf>13See the �le at <http://cnx.org/content/m19783/latest/THE FATE OF ETCHING.doc>14Keeping track of etchers, etchers' organizations, and any given organization's provenance and membership can have a

researcher wobbling between the vexing and the entertaining. When John Taylor Arms, for example, tried his hand at a briefhistory of the Brooklyn Society of Etchers, his �Annual Report of the President, 1932,� which accounted for how the BrooklynSociety of Etchers came to be known as the Society of American Etchers, also took a futile stab at the daunting task ofdocumenting late-nineteenth- century etchers' organizations.While Arms's report states that the Society of American Etcherswas formed in 1880, the New York Times, The Magazine of Art, The Art Amateur, and The Critic Magazine allreported 1888 as the year of the society's founding. It was generally reported that year that Thomas Moran had been electedPresident, Frederick Dielman Treasurer, and C. Y. Turner Secretary of the �new� Society of American Etchers. The November25, 1888, New York Times also reported that the new society was holding a small exhibition in The Ortgies Gallery (on lowerFifth Avenue) and that �Most if not all of the members are of the New York Etching Club.� That exhibition included etchingsby Thomas Moran, Mary Nimmo Moran, Charles Platt, and Stephen Parrish, among others. Mr. Arms' annual report alsostated that �The incorporation of the society as the Society of American Etchers, and its amalgamation with the earlier Societyof American Etchers, was accomplished on December 17, 1931,� and that �by joining� the original Society of American Etchers,the Brooklyn Society of Etchers �becomes, in a sense, the oldest print organization in America.� Actually, there were severalolder American printmakers' groups: the Boston Etching Club, formed in February 1880; the Philadelphia Society of Etchers,formed in May 1880; and the Cincinnati Etching Club, formed in fall 1880. Oldest of all was the New York Etching Club,which held its �rst meeting on November 12, 1877. My research into late nineteenth- century printmakers has occasionally ledme to early twentieth-century print exhibition catalogues, including some from the Brooklyn Society of Etchers. Particularlyinteresting are those revealing connections to such nineteenth- century printmakers as Frederick Dielman, Mary Cassatt, EdithLoring Getchell, Charles Mielatz and Joseph Pennell, among others. Years ago, while perusing micro�lm spools at the NewYork Public Library, I discovered an otherwise unrecorded exhibition catalogue (<http://cnx.org/content/m19783/latest/1914-nyse-catalogue.pdf>) of a printmaker's society named the New York Society of Etchers, documenting their �rst exhibition in1914. Not only was it a namesake, previously unknown to me, for the group that I founded in 1998, but it also was linked,through some of its membership, with the late-nineteenth- century New York Etching Club. One of the quiet thrills of workingon the research leading to this volume has been the discovery of this series of links, through these overlapping memberships,leading back from today's New York Society of Etchers to that seminal organization, the New York Etching Club.


15

revival of American etching was under way, with artist printmaking positioned to play an important role inthe future of American art.



PRINTMAKING


Chapter 5

1877 Minutes of the New York Etching

Club1


5.1 1877 Events

• The American Society of Painters in Water Colors held its Tenth Annual Exhibition during Februaryand early March at the National Academy of Design. Among some one hundred �Works in Black andWhite� listed in the show catalogue were etchings by Dr. Leroy M. Yale, a future president of the NewYork Etching Club, Seymour Haden, James McNeil Whistler, Flameng, and several others. There weremany more additional works of graphic art in lead pencil, sepia, pen and ink, charcoal, and crayonexhibited alongside the etchings. James D. Smillie, the future founder of the New York Etching Club,was president of the American Society of Painters in Water Colors at the time of this exhibition.

• Publication of Peter Moran's 1876 Centennial Exhibition etchings, and their successful review at aNational Academy of Design exhibition later in the year.

• Society of American Artists was founded in New York City.

5.2 Minutes of the �rst regular monthly meeting of the New York

Etching Club. held in the studio of James D. Smillie, 337 Fourth

Ave. Monday eveng. Nov. 12th. 1877.

The President, Leroy M. Yale in the chair � A quorum being present at 8.30 the meeting was called to order.The Secretary pro tem, called the roll. Present, Messrs L.M. Yale., Chas. Miller., Louis C. Ti�any., HenryC. Eno., Saml. Colman, A. F. Bellows, Fred. Dielman, Walter Shirlaw, Henry Farrer, A. H. Baldwin, Chas.S. Reinhart, Laurence Johnson, and later in the eveng, James D. Smillie. In all, 13. The �rst business beingthe draughting of a constitution it was moved & seconded that the matter be referred to the Executive



17

18 CHAPTER 5. 1877 MINUTES OF THE NEW YORK ETCHING CLUB

Committee with instructions to report at the next regular meeting. Carried. no further business beingpresented the meeting resolved itself into an informal exhibition of Etchings by members.

Mr. Henry Farrer presented 15 proofs

Figure 5.1: The property containing James D. Smillie's studio, 337 Fourth Avenue, continues to standtoday at the southeast corner of 25th Street and Park Avenue South. Renovated and restored forcommercial use, the building still features full-height artist studio windows and skylights facing north,easily visible from the sidewalks below.

Mr. Chas. Miller 5 pfs.� Henry C. Eno 2 �


19

� Jos. F. Sabine 8 �� L. M. Yale 6 �� Jas. D. Smillie 2 � __23.This was followed by a general interchange of criticism and information concerning practices & processes.

At 10.30, it being duly moved and seconded the meeting adjourned �James D. Smillie, Secty(Approved. Dec. 10th., 1877)

5.3 Minutes of a meeting of the Executive Committee of the N.

Y. Etching Club held in Jas. D. Smillie's studio, 337 Fourth Ave.

Saturday eveng. Dec. 8� 1877.

At 8.20 Dr. L.M. Yale called the meeting to order. All the members of the committee were present, to wit;L.M. Yale, R.S. Gi�ord, H. C. Eno, A. H. Baldwin & James D. Smillie _ 5. The meeting being called toconsider the matter of a constitution for the

Club that business was immediately taken up. Messrs Yale & Smillie having prepared a form it wasread and discussed, section by section, and �nally approved for presentation to the Second regular monthlymeeting of the Club to be held on the following Monday eveng.

At 10 o'clk. It being regularly moved and seconded, the meeting was adjourned.James D. Smillie Secty(Approved, Dec 10� 1877)



Figure 5.2: The �rst etching created by the New York Etching Club. (From Etching in America;private collection.)

5.4 Second regular monthly meeting of the N. Y. Etching Club, held

in the studio of James D. Smillie, 337 Fourth Ave. Monday

evening Dec 10� 1877The President, L.M. Yale in the chair. At 8.30 a quorum being present, the meeting was called to order.

The Secty pro tem,called the roll _ Present, Messrs Yale, Johnson, Sabin, Farrer, Gi�ord, Abbey, Nicoll, Miller, Reinhart

& Baldwin. Later in the eveng. Smillie came _ 11.


21

Figure 5.3: James David Smillie. (Courtesy of Ms. Rona Schneider.)



The minutes of preceding meetings were read and approved _ A form or draught of Constitution forthe club was then reported from the Executive Committee. It was read, discussed, amended and approvedsection by section. A copy in its complete form is written out upon the pages near the end of this volume .

After this business a general discussion concerning metals and mordants best suited to freehand etching,also, of printing processes, followed. Mr. Gi�ord presented 1 pf. of etching

� Farrer � 2 ` �� Miller � 1 ` �� Johnson � 1 ` �� Sabin � 3 ` �Dr. Yale � 1 � Dry Point9 pfs.At 10 o'clk it being regularly moved & seconded, the meeting was adjourned.James D. SmillieApproved, Jany, 21st, 1878. Secty


23

Figure 5.4: Robert Swain Gi�ord. (Private collection.)


Chapter 6


Club1


6.1 1878 Events

• The American Society of Painters in Water Colors held its Eleventh Annual Exhibition during Februaryand early March at the National Academy of Design. The �North-West Room� featured some 120�Works in Black and White.� Listed in the show catalogue were etchings exhibited by New YorkEtching Club members Henry Farrer, R. Swain Gi�ord, Charles H. Miller, and Dr. Leroy M. Yale.Additional etchings were shown by Seymour Haden, Emily Moran, Peter Moran, R. E. Piquet, JamesMcNeil Whistler, and others. Works of graphic art in graphite pencil, India ink, charcoal, crayon andlithography were shown alongside these etchings.

• The Tile Club2 was founded in New York. New York Etching Club members among the group includedE.A. Abbey, William Merritt Chase, Frederick Dielman, R. Swain Gi�ord, and C.S. Reinhart.

6.2 Third regular monthly meeting held in the studio of Jas. D.

Smillie 337 Fourth Ave. Monday eveng Jany 21st, '78.

The President, Leroy M. Yale in the chair. At 8.30 a quorum being present the meeting was called to order.The Secty pro tem called

the roll. Present, Messrs Yale, Nicoll, Abbey, Bellows, Reinhart, Baldwin, Sabin, Farrer, Johnson, Enoand Wood, & later, Jas. D. Smillie, 12.

The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved. Mr. Henry Farrer presented a note from Mr. T.C. Farrer of London, England, addressed �to members of the New York Etching Club� together with pfs. Offour etchings by Mr. T. C. F_ the note & proofs were accepted with thanks and the Secretary was directedto make a �tting response.

Mr. C. S. Reinhart presented 2 pfs of etchings

1This content is available online at <http://cnx.org/content/m19787/1.3/>.2See the �le at <http://cnx.org/content/m19787/latest/TileClub.pdf>


25


� Fred Deilman � 1 � `� Jos. F. Sabin � 1 � `Dr. L. M. Yale � 3 � �8pf'. Dr. Hy C. Eno presented 1 proof of etching.Dr. Laurence Johnson proposed for membership M. J. Burns & H. P. Share.At 10.30, it being duly moved & recorded, the Pres'_ declared the meeting adjourned.James D. Smillie SectyApproved April 8�, 1878.

6.3 Fourth regular meeting N.Y. Etching Club. Jas. D. Smillie's

studio Monday eveng. Feby 11th ., 1878.

A quorum not being present and there being no business to transact, the evening, until about 10 o'clk. waspassed in general conversation

The Pres.' and the Secty were not present.(It is due to the record of the Secty here to inscribe that during this season he was a member of the

Council of the National Academy of Design, the meetings of which were held upon the same evenings as theEtching Club had selected for its meetings.)


27

Figure 6.1: Thomas Moran, The Bridge, 1878. (Williams Print Collection.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>


6.4 Fifth regular monthly meeting N.Y. Etching Club _ Jas. D.

Smillie's studio _ Monday eveng. March 1� 1878.

Owing to the fault of the Secretary regular & formal notices of this meeting were not sent out. Only R. S.Gi�ord Walter Shirlaw, C. S. Reinhart, E. A Abbey and James D. Smillie 5- were present. It proved to be tothose present a very enjoyable & informal meeting with general conversation on art matters until 11 o'clk,then, by common consent, adjourned.

6.5 Sixth regular monthly meeting, N. Y. Etching Club, in Jas. D.

Smillie's studio, Monday eveng Ap'. 8th., 1878.

Before the meeting of the club was called to order the Executive Committee held a short session, all beingpresent, viz: Messrs Yale,

Eno, Baldwin, Gi�ord and Smillie. They agreed to present to the Club, as candidates for membership,the names of M. J. Burns, H.P. Share and R.E.Piguet.

At 8.15 a quorum was present, the president called the meeting to order. The Secretary called the roll.Present, Messrs Yale, Gi�ord

Eno, Baldwin, Dielman, Abbey, Farrer, Sabin, Colman, Reinhart, Miller and Smillie_12. The minutesof the last meeting at which

there was a quorum (Jan 7, 21st., 1878) were read and approved. The meeting then proceeded to theelection of new members. Mr. R. E. Piguet was unanimously elected. The names of Messrs Burns & Shareafter some discussion, at the suggestion of the Executive Committee, were laid over for future consideration.

By a vote, the Secty was then authorized to make enquiries as to the cost of printing a small number ofcopies of the constitution of the club, and to have not more than 100 copies printed if, upon the informationobtained he thought it advisable. Mr. Colman presented 3 pfs. Of Etchings


29

Figure 6.2: Samuel Colman. (Private collection.)

Mr. Farrer presented 6 pfs of EtchingsDr. Yale � 1 � ___' 10 �At 10 o'clk, there being no further business upon motion duly recorded, the meeting was adjourned.James D. Smillie Secty.Approved May 13th., 1878.



6.6 Seventh regular monthly meeting N.Y. Etching Club, held in Jas.

D. Smillie's studio _ Monday eveng. May 13th, 1878.

6.6.1 First Annual Meeting.

At 8.45 p.m. a quorum being present the Pres.' Dr. L. M. Yale called the meeting to order. The Sectycalled the roll. Present Messrs Yale, Baldwin, Robbins, Abbey, Miller, Reinhart, Johnson, Shirlaw, Farrer,Smillie, _ 10. The minutes were read and approved. The �rst business was the election of o�cers. Thepresent incumbents were unanimously elected _ to wit; For President, L.M. Yale_ Sect. And Treas' _ Jas.D. Smillie. Executive Committee, Messrs Eno, Baldwinand Gi�ord. The subject of delinquents was thenbrought up and after a lengthy & general discussion it was moved & seconded that members who had notyet presented the two etching proofs required by Sect. 5. Art. II of Constitution be allowed until the secondMonday in November following to make good their delinquency � unanimously approved.

Mr. Baldwin presented 4 pfs. of etchings� Eno � 1 ` � ___5.At 10.15 on motion duly moved & seconded, the meeting adjourned.James D. Smillie SectyApproved Dec 9� 1878.

6.7 Eighth regular monthly meeting of the N. Y. Etching Club, held

in Jas. D. Smillie studio Monday eveng. Dec 9� 1878.

At 8.30 a quorum being present, the Pres', Dr. L. M. Yale, called the meeting to order. The Secty calledthe roll _ Present, messrs

Yale, Eno, Baldwin, Bellows, Reinhart Deilman, Wood and Smillie __ 8_ The minutes of the lastmeeting were Then read and approved.General business being in order, the matter concerning members whohave not yet presented any proofs of etchings

according to the requirements of the Constitution, was discussed. There was evident general desire notto press any penalty, at the same time, the necessity of a prompt solution of the di�culty was recognized byall. As upon previous occasions, the discussion

was long and wide. Finally, at the suggestion of the Pres.' It was unanimously agreed the Secty shouldbe directed to write to delinquent members, enclosing a copy of Section 5 of Article II of the constitution.

Mr. Dielman proposed the names of Wm. M. Chase and F. S. Church as candidates for membership,Seconded by L. M. Yale and Chas. S. Reinhart.

Mr. Baldwin presented 5 pfs. of etchingsDr. Hy. Eno � 2 ` ` `J. D. Smillie � 4 � ___11.At 10 o'clk. � the meeting adjourned.Approved, Jany. 13� 1879. James D. Smillie Secty


31

Figure 6.3: Dr. Leroy Milton Yale. (Private collection.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

Chapter 7


Club1


7.1 1879 Events

• The American Water Color Society held its Twelfth Annual Exhibition during February and earlyMarch at the National Academy of Design. �The Black and White Room,� as it was identi�ed inthe exhibition catalogue, featured some seventy-�ve works of art. Etchings were shown by New YorkEtching Club members A. H. Baldwin, Frederick Dielman, Henry Farrer, Charles Henry Miller, R.Swain Gi�ord, James D. Smillie, George. H. Smillie, and future member J. M. Falconer. Additionalworks of graphic art from the Art Students League, F. Hopkinson Smith, Frederick S. Church, RobertBlum, and Winslow Homer were also displayed in the gallery.

• The founding in Boston of American Art Review by its editor, Mr. S. R. Koehler. Signi�cantly,each ensuing issue of the publication was illustrated with original etchings�mostly by members of theNew York Etching Club. This unique publication inspired widespread public attention to the etchingmedium newly popular among American artists.

7.2 Ninth regular monthly meeting � N. Y. Etching Club, held in J.

D. Smillie's studio monday evening _ Jany. 13� 1879.

There was no quorum until after 9 o'clk. At that time a telegram was received from the Pres.' Dr. L. M.Yale stating that he could not be present at the meeting. Mr. Saml. Colman was then requested to takethe chair, and by him the meeting was called to order at 9.30. The Secty. Called the roll � Present MessrsColman, Bellows, Gi�ord, Baldwin, Miller, Farrer, Dielman, Shirlaw and Jas. D. Smillie � Later, Mr. T. W.Wood came in. 10. The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved. The election of members thenbeing in order, messrs Farrer & Baldwin were appointed tellers. They declared as the result, the unanimouselection of Wm. M. Chase & F. S. Church. The Secty then proposed the name of Geo. H. Smillie formembership, seconded by Saml. Colman & A. F. Bellows.



33


Mr. Hy. Farrer presented pfs. of 13 etchings� A. F. Bellows � ` 3 �� J. D. Smillie 1 ____ 17 pfs of etchingsSeveral proofs of etchings by messrs Blum & Brennan were also shown by a member.At 10.15, there being no further business and, being duly moved & seconded the meeting was adjourned.James D. Smillie SectyApproved Feby. 10� 1879.


35

Figure 7.1: Frederick S. Church. (Private collection.)



7.3 Tenth regular monthly meeting N. Y. Etching Club, held in Smil-

lies Studio monday eveng. feby 10' 1879.

At 8.30 the meeting was called to order by the Pres.' Dr. L. M. Yale. The roll was called by the Secty.Present messrs L. M. Yale, Baldwin, Ti�any Farrer, Bellows Church Gi�ord and Smillie_8_ The minuteswere then read and approved. The �rst regular

business was the election of members. Messrs Church & Baldwin were appointed tellers and after theballoting announced that Geo. H. Smillie was unanimously elected.

Dr. Yale presented 6 proofs of etchingsFigure 7. Frederick S. French (Church?)Mr. Chas. Miller presented 3 pfs of etchings� F. S. Church � 2 � ` �� L. C. Ti�any � 3 � __ 14 pfs.A proof of an etching by Mr. Blum after Fortuny, presented by a member, was much commented upon.

There was also a very informal discussion without result about an Etching Club excursion, to take place assoon as the weather should be su�ciently pleasant. The idea being that the plates should be taken & etchedout of doors from nature.

The inconvenience of Monday evening for Club meetings was also discussed but no other evening couldbe agreed upon as any more convenient.

At 10 o'clk. the meeting was regularly adjourned.James D. Smillie SectyApproved. May 12� 1879.

7.4 Eleventh regular monthly meeting N. Y. Etching Club_ held in

Jas. D. Smillie's studio, Monday eveng. March 10� 1879.

But a few of the members were present � not enough to form a quorum. There was no business to transactand after an evening

of conversations upon local art topics at about 10.30 the members adjourned.

7.5 Twelfth regular monthly meeting N.Y. Etching Club in Jas.D.

Smillie's studio � Monday eveng. Ap.' 14� 1879.

Another meeting without a quorum but the evening was apparently both pleasant & pro�table to thosepresent as it was spent in experimental printing upon Mr. Smillie's press.


37

Figure 7.2: George H. Smillie. (Private collection.)



7.6 Thirteenth regular monthly meeting N. Y. Etching Club, held in

Jas. D. Smillie's studio, Monday eveng. May 12th., 1879.

7.6.1 Second Annual Meeting.

At 9 o'clk. a quorum being present, the Pres'. Dr. L. M. Yale called the meeting to order. The Secty. Calledthe roll_ Present, messrs Yale, Reinhart, Colman, Ti�any, Wood, G.H. Smillie, Farrer, Baldwin, Church,Dielman & J. D. Smillie _11 members. The minutes of the last meeting (Feb. 10�.'79) were read andapproved. The �rst regular business of the eveng. Being the election of o�cers for the ensuing year, tellerswere appointed. A friendly discussion here took place between the Pres.' & Secty. The Pres.' Declinedre-nomination or re-election, & nominated for the o�ce of Pres.', Jas. D. Smillie. The Secty declined thathonor with thanks, & in addition begged to be relieved of his duties as Secty, apologizing to the club for hisremissness during the past year. In the mean time the Pres.' Had been preparing and distributing ballots,the tellers collected them & the unanimous election of James D. Smillie to the Presidency was announced bythe chair. At this time Mr. T. W. Wood made his appearance & by acclimation was elected Secty. Treas'.He expressed his appreciation & thanks & promptly resigned. Ballots were prepared & Mr. J. C. Nicole notbeing present to defend himself was unanimously elected. Upon motion of Saml. Colman seconded by Hy.Farrer, the Executive Com. In o�ce, messrs Gi�ord, Eno & Baldwin were unanimously re-elected. By ballot,Messrs Chas. A. Vanderho� and K. Van Elten were elected members. Mr. T. W. Wood then called upon theSecty. Treas'. For a statement of the expenses of the club. The Secty. Treas'. Said that there had been noexpenses. To this it was replied that there certainly had been expenses for gas, postage, stationary_ etc.etc.The Secty. Treas'. Said that he wished such outlay considered as his willing contribution to the cause ofFree Hand Etching. The members present were unwilling to agree to such arrangement & after consultation& computation a bill of expenses was prepared & accepted by the Secty. Treas'. That will be found in theTreas.'rs statement appended. Mr. T. W. Wood moved (& it was seconded) that an assessment of $1.00per member be made. Mr. S. Colman moved, as an amendment, that it be made an annual assessment.Mr. Wood accepted the amendment & the motion as amended was carried without opposition. Mr. C. S.Reinhart showed a working proof from an etching. Pfs. from 3 etchings by Mr. Vanderho� & by KrusemanVan Elten were also shown.

At 10.30 the meeting was regularly adjourned.


39

Figure 7.3: John H. Twachtman, Winter Avondale, 1879. (Williams Print Collection.)

Approved, Dec 8' 1879.James D. SmillieMoney received by Jas. D. Smillie, Treasure.From T. W. Wood . . . . $2.00) money distributed as p'_accepted bill.�L. M. Yale 2.00) To Postage 3.50�Hy Farrer 2.00) � Gas 2.25F. Dielman 2.00) Old members � Beer 2.50Chas Reinhart 2.00) � Book for minutes 85� Stationary 1.00 10.10S. Colman 2.00)J. D. Smillie 2.00) 5.90 Bal.On handChas Vanderho� 1.00} new membersKruseman Van Elten 1.00 James D. Smillie Treas'.�======= 16.00It is probable, based on careful study of the original handwritten copy of the minutes,

that James D. Smillie recorded the �rst twenty-three pages of the club meetings elsewhereand re-wrote them sometime between February and December 1879 in the extant copy. Hispresentation and the consistency of these earliest minutes is nearly �awless. Supporting thisobservation is reference in the February 10, 1879, minutes to 85 cents being spent on a �Bookfor minutes.� At this point, the secretary job now goes over to James Craig Nicole, in whosehandwriting the next minutes were recorded.



7.7 December 8th 1879.

The monthly meeting was held at this date in the President's studioThe meeting was called to order at halfpast eight P.M. by the President with fourteen members present.The minutes of the last annual meeting were read and approved.Mr. Edwin Forbes was proposed for membership by Messers Church, Baldwin andGi�ord.Etchings were exhibited of follows � viz:11 by Mr. Farrer4 � Church3 � Colman5 ` � Nicoll1 � � Sabin5 � � DeilmanUpon motion by Mr. Gi�ord duly seconded & carried Mr. Shirlaw was appointed as committee to urge

upon delinquent members the necessity of attending to their duties.Mr. Church mentioned that Messers Scribnir & Co were desirous of publishing an article upon the

Etching Club. � it's members to furnish illustrations, and the publishers the written portion.It was afterwards resolved, upon motion duly made & seconded, that the President appoint a committee

of two to arrange with Messers Scribner & Co for the publication of such article. � Messrs Church andGi�ord were appointed.2

Upon motion of Mr. Gi�ord, seconded by Mr. Shirlaw, it was resolved that Mr. Bellows and thePresident be appointed a committee to examine into the feasibility of holding an exhibition of Etchings inthe National Academy of Design and report to the Executive Committee who shall have full power to arrangewith the American Water Color Society for holding such exhibition if deemed desirable.

No other business being presented the meeting adjourned at halfpast ten.Approved Jany 12/80J. C. NicollSect.

2No article about the New York Etching Club appeared in any issue of Scribner's Magazine published during 1880 or 1881.The June 1880 issue's �The Art Season� column contains review notes of the American Watercolor Society exhibition but doesnot mention the club by name. Several New York Etching Club members exhibited etchings during at this annual event butonly Henry Farrer's prints are mentioned in the review. Interestingly, the April 1880 issue of Scribner's Monthly containedan article entitled �Growth of Woodcut.� The magazine published articles shortly thereafter on the recently founded Tile Cluband the Salmagundi Sketch Club. In August 1879, Scribner's published a substantial piece entitled �Whistler in Painting andEtching� that included reproductions of several of his etchings.


41

Figure 7.4: John M. Falconer, Cross Street, 1879-80. (Williams Print Collection.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

Chapter 8


Club1


8.1 1880 Events

• The American Water Color Society held its Thirteenth Annual Exhibition during February 1880 atthe National Academy of Design. �The Black and White Room,� as it was identi�ed in the showcatalogue2, featured some 130 art works. The etchings shown by New York Etching Club memberswere highlighted in the catalogue with an asterisk next to each artist's name. Etchings were shownby NYEC members Albert F. Bellows, Samuel Colman, Frederick S. Church, R. Swain Gi�ord, HenryFarrer, James Craig Nicoll, James D. Smillie, Kruseman van Elten, Charles A. Vanderhoof, and Dr.Leroy M. Yale. John Henry Hill, whose name appears once with an asterisk, is thus misidenti�ed as amember. Future New York Etching Club members Otto Bacher, J. M. Falconer, Mary Nimmo Moran,Thomas Moran, and Stephen Parrish showed etchings. Prints by Dr. Seymour Haden, Rembrandt,and Whistler were also displayed in the gallery.

• The Society of Painter-Etchers was founded by Dr. Francis Seymour Haden�Whistler's brother-in-law. Their �rst meeting was on July 31, 1880, with their fourth on December 23, 1880�recognizedas the o�cial date of founding. Haden accepted presidency of the organization on that date. At thatmeeting, he also announced the dates for their Hanover Gallery exhibition as March 14 through May31, 1881.

• The Boston Etching Club was established in February. E. H. Garett, President; and H. R. Burdick,Secretary. Early members: C.H. Turner, F. T. Merrill, C.F. Pierce, W.F. Halsal, F.G. Atwood, H.M.Stephenson, R. M. Bailey , A.B. Shute, W.R. Emerson, J.E. Baker, S. E. Carlson, and J.H. Young.

• The Philadelphia Etching Club was founded on May 14. The founders were Stephen James Ferris(Peter Moran's brother-in-law), Treasurer; Peter Moran, President; Stephen Parrish, Secretary; JosephPennell; and Henry Rankin Poore.

• The Cincinnati Etching Club formed, with Geo Mclaughlin as its �rst president.

1This content is available online at <http://cnx.org/content/m19789/1.4/>.2See the �le at <http://cnx.org/content/m19789/latest/1880-awcs-catalogue.pdf>


43


Figure 8.1: Interior title page of the 1880 American Water Color Society exhibition catalogue. (Privatecollection.)


45

8.2 January 12 1880

The regular monthly meeting was held at this date in the President's studio.The meeting was called to order at 8.30 P.M. by the President with nine members present.The minutes of the last monthly meeting were read and approved.The Committee on Delinquents made an informal report and upon motion by Mr. Reinhart seconded by

Gi�ord Mr. Shirlaw was continued as permanent Committee on Delinquent Members.Mr. Gi�ord gave an informal report upon the proposed article in Scribners Magazine, stating that the

publishers were willing to proceed with the work as soon as the Club had su�cient material.Upon motion by Mr. Shirlaw, seconded by Reinhart the report was approved.The President reported that the Committee on Exhibitions had found that the Reception and Library

of the Academy of Design were un�tted for the purpose of holding an exhibition of etchings, but if it werepossible to obtain the use of a portion of the South Room

some arrangement might be made with the Water Color Society to devote the Corridor to etchings. �Mr. Bellows coming in later reported that the Council of the Academy had decided to allow the use of halfof the South Room during the Water Color Exhibition for the sum of One Hundred & twenty �ve dollars.

It was decided that if suitable arrangements could be made with the Water Color Society it would bevery desirable to hold an Exhibition and the following particulars agreed upon � viz:

The Club to focus the collection:- to do its own hanging and cataloguing:- to employ its own salesman:- to charge a commission of twenty per cent on all sales: all receipts from the source to be turned over to

the Water Color Society, to be devoted �rst � to paying rent of South Room, - Secondly, to paying expensesof hanging the etchings. Thirdly, to paying salary of

salesman, any ballance to belong to the Water Color Society.The Water Color Society should assume all risks and expenses (except that of salesman) and take all

receipts.It being found impossible to obtain members to su�cient to constitute an Exhibition Committee it was

unanimously Resolved � upon motion by Mr. Reinhart seconded by Mr. Church � that the question ofholding a special exhibition of etchings be inde�nitely postponed.

Etchings were shown as follows. Two by Mr. Gi�ord � Four by Sabin & Twelve by Dr. Yale.The meeting adjourned without further business.J. C. NicollSecty.



Figure 8.2: 1880 American Water Color Society exhibition catalogue page listing etchings exhibited byNew York Etching Club members. (Private collection.)


47

8.3 February 8th 1880

The regular monthly meeting was held at this date in the President's studio.It was called to order at nine P.M. with nine members present.The minutes of the meeting held January 12th were read and approved.A collection of French etchings was shown by Mr. Smillie.After considerable informal talk upon the desirability of some scheme to increase the interest of the

meetings, it was decided the every member be requested to bring a prepared plate to the next meeting andmake a sketch thereon to be afterwards taken home and bitten.

No other business being presented the meeting adjourned.J. C. NicollSecty.Approved, may 10th.. 1880(Approval noted in J. D. Smillies handwriting)

8.4 March 8th 1880

The regular monthly meeting was called at this date in the president's studio, but no quorum being presentno business could be transacted.

There were present Messers J. D. Smillie J.C. Nicoll, Louis C. Ti�any & Geo H. Smillie.Messers Ti�any and Nicole made drawings on copper pursuant to the action taken at the last meetingJ. C. Nicoll, Secty.

8.5 April 12th.. 1880

A regular meeting was called to meet at this date in J. D. Smillie's studio. Messrs Baldwin, Eno, Colman &Nicoll came. There being no quorum, the Pres'. Declared no meeting

(Minutes unsigned but in J. D. Smillie's handwriting)

Figure 8.3: Otto Bacher, A Wet Evening in Venice, 1880. (Williams Print Collection.)



8.6 Third Annual Meeting

New-York Etching Club held in the studio of Mr. A. F. Bellows, 337 Fourth Ave. Monday eveng. May 10�.,1880.

At 8:45, a quorum being present the Pres'. Jas. D. Smillie called the meeting to order. The secretarybeing absent for reasons given, the Pres'. called the roll, also read and wrote the minutes. Present, MessrsColman, Gi�ord, Church, Farrrer, Chase, Miller, Dielman

J.D. & G. H. Smillie_ 9 members. The minutes of the last meeting (Feby 8�.. 1880,) were read andapproved.

The �rst regular business of the evening being the election of o�cers for the ensuing year, tellers wereappointed. The Prest., announcing that he was not a candidate for re-election, nominated Mr. R. SwainGi�ord. Balloting followed and the tellers announced for R. S. Gi�ord 6 votes

� J. D. Smillie 2 �� Chas. H. Miller 1 �Upon motion duly made & seconded Mr. R. Swain Gi�ord was the declared by the chair, upon acclama-

tion, to be unanimously elected President.The Pres'. Then read a note from the Secty. Mr. J. C. Nicoll, stating that it would be impossible for him

to serve another term even if it should be desired by the club, after which the members present proceededto ballot for Secretary-Treasurer. The tellers announced for Hy. Farrer 7 votes

� C. H. Miller 1 �� F. S. Church 1 �Upon motion, the election of Mr. Farrer was then declared to be unanimous.Ballots were then prepared for the election of Executive Committee the result, the tellers announced to

be;For Chas. H. Miller, 6 votes� Fred. Dielman, 5 �� F. S. Church 4 �� Saml. Colman 4 �� Jas. D. Smillie 4 �� Geo. H. Smillie 2 �� A. F. Bellows. 1 �� Henry C. Eno 1 �The Pres'. Announced the messrs Miller & Dielman were elected but as there was a tie upon messrs

Church, Colman & Smillie another vote would have to be taken for the third member of the committee.Messrs Colman & Smillie decided that their names might not again be used and after balloting Mr. Churchwas declared elected without opposition.

Mr. Chas. H. Miller the announced that at the next meeting he would move to amend the constitutionby striking out the portion of Section 6. Article II that reads; � or failing to contribute two original etchingsto said meetings�.

Mr. Dielman announced that at the next meeting he would move to amend the constitution by changingthe days of the week therein named for regular meetings, the day to be determined after discussion at themeeting.

Mr. R. S. Gi�ord then nominated as candidates for membership Wm. Sartain J. Alden Weir. Thos.Moran.

Mr. Hy. Farrer nominated Jno. M. Falconer.Mr. Wm. M. Chase J.H. Twachtman.Mr. Chas. H. Miller presented 3 proofs of etchings and a number of pen sketches.At 10 o'clk. the meeting was regularly adjourned.James D. SmillieSecty. Pro tem


49

Figure 8.4: Joseph Lauber, Panning for Gold, 1880s. (Williams Print Collection.)



Figure 8.5: Charles Vanderhoof, Westward Ho, 1880s. (Williams Print Collection.)


51

Figure 8.6: James D. Smillie, Way to the River, 1880. (Williams Print Collection.)



8.7 November 15th 1880

The regular monthly meeting was called at this date in Mr. Bellows studio, but failed to bring forth aquorum.

There were present Messers A. F. Bellows, J. C. Nicoll, F. S. Church K. van Elten H. Farrer, and laterL. M. Yale_ after an informal expression of opinion in favor of exhibiting with the Water Color Society, themembers adjourned.3

H. Farrer Secty

3Based on a review of the 1881 American Water Color Society catalogue published to accompany the show, there were noetchings or other graphic art works exhibited, only watercolors. However, the exhibition catalogue was beautifully illustratedwith nearly one hundred graphic art reproductions of the paintings.


53

Figure 8.7: Cover of the Fourteenth Annual Exhibition catalogue of the American Water Color Society,held at the National Academy of Design in February 1881. (Private collection.)




A meeting of the executive Committee was called at this date in Mr. Church's studio, there were presentMessers Chas. H. Miller

F. S. Church and H. Farrer, the Secretary stated that the object of calling the meeting was to get someaction on the invitation of the Salmagundi Sketch Club,4 to exhibit with that body_ after some discussion itwas moved and seconded that the invitation be accepted. ___ then being no further business the meetingadjourned.

H. Farrer Secty

4The Salmagundi Sketch Club's Third Annual Exhibition of Black & White Art opened at the National Academy of Art onDecember 18, 1880, and ran to January 1, 1881. The exhibition catalogue listed seventy-four engravings (wood), thirty-fourdrawings, and 134 etchings. Etchings by then-New York Etching Club members were included in the exhibition from A. F.Bellows, William Merritt Chase, Frederick Stuart Church, Samuel Colman, Henry Farrer, Charles H. Miller, James Craig Nicoll,James D. Smillie, and Hendrik Dirk Kruseman van Elten. Other artists exhibiting etchings included J. M. Falconer, Ignatz M.Gaugengigl, Elisa Greatorex, John Henry Hill, Anna Lea Merritt, Mary Nimmo Moran, Thomas Moran, Charles Adams Platt,Stephen Parrish, Joseph Pennell, Walter Shirlaw, A. W. Warren, and James McNeil Whistler.


Chapter 9


Club1


9.1 1881 Events

• The Society of Painter-Etchers' �rst exhibition was held in London's Hanover Gallery from March 14through May 31, 1881. Members of the New York Etching Club exhibiting prints included Albert F.Bellows, Frederick S. Church, Samuel Colman, Henry Farrer, R. Swain Gi�ord, Mary Nimmo Moran,Peter Moran, Thomas Moran, James Craig Nicoll, Stephen Parrish, George H. Smillie, James D.Smillie, Charles A. Vanderhoof, and Kruseman van Elten. Future New York Etching Club membersOtto Bacher, J. M. Falconer, T. C. Farrer, Ignatz M. Gaugengigl, James A. S. Monks, Joseph Pennell,and Charles A. Platt also exhibited prints.

• The following Americans were elected to membership in the Society of Painter-Etchers after the 1881exhibition: A.F. Bellows, Frederick S. Church, Frank Duveneck, J.M. Falconer, Henry Farrer, R. SwainGi�ord, Mary Nimmo Moran, Thomas Moran, Stephen Parrish, James D. Smillie, and Otto Bacher.

• The following Americans were elected to membership at a later date: Joseph Pennell (1882), CharlesA. Platt (1882), Kruseman van Elten (1882), Theodore Wendel (1882), and Anna Lea Merritt (1887).

• At an exhibition of etchings held in Boston, Massachusetts, from April 11 to May 9, at the Museumof Fine Arts, curated by S. R. Koehler, several then and future members of the New York EtchingClub showed prints. The list included Otto Bacher, A. F. Bellows, William Merritt Chase, Frederick.S. Church, Samuel Colman, J. M. Falconer, Henry Farrrer, Ignatz M. Gaugengigl, R. Swain Gi�ord,Charles H. Miller, Mary Nimmo Moran, Peter Moran, Thomas Moran, James Craig Nicoll, StephenParrish, Joseph Pennell, Charles A. Platt, Joseph F. Sabin, William Sartain, Alexander Schilling,James D. Smillie, J. H. Twachman, Kruseman van Elten, and Dr. Leroy M. Yale.



55


• Marianne (Griswold) Rensselaers wrote a highly in�uential review and criticism of the Museum of FineArts, Boston, contemporary etchings show that was published by The Century Magazine.

• The Society of Scottish Etchers was founded in Scotland.

• In December, The Union League Club in New York City exhibited �Etchings & Drypoints by ForeignPainter Etchers,� including works by Seymour Haden and James McNeil Whistler.

9.2 Jan. 10th 1881

The regular monthly meeting was called at this date in Mr. R. Swain Gi�ord's studio present - MessersGi�ord, Chase, Deilman, Baldwin_Bellows Miller & Church-The minutes of last meeting were read andapproved_Mr Miller moved & Mr Chase seconded, that the portion of Sec. 6 Article II of the Constitutionwhich reads �or failing to contribute two original etchings to said meeting� be stricken out.

The following Gentlemen proposed at the meeting held May 10th were elected _ Wm Sartain, J. AldenWeir Thos.Moran, J. M. Falconer, and J. H. Twactman.

The name of Mrs Nimmo Moran was proposed for membership by Mr. F.S. Church seconded by MessersMiller

and Deilman.A communication from Mr Farrer resigning the Secretaryship was read, and laid on the table.On Motion of Mr Deilman seconded by Mr Miller it was resolved that the Constitution be amended by

substituting the word Friday for Monday in Sec. I Art. IV.On motion of Mr. Chase the meeting was adjourned.F. DielmanApprovedSecty. Pro tem


The regular monthly meeting was held at this date in Mr Farrers studio.The meeting was called to order by The President at 9.15 with nine members present, one other coming

in later.The minutes of the meeting held Jan 10th were read and approved.Mrs Nimmo Moran, proposed at the last meeting, was unanimously elected.The names of Peter Moran &Stephen Parrish of Phila. were proposed as candidates for membership.The adviseability of holding the next exhibition in conjunction with the exhibition of The Water Color

Society was then discussed at some length and the Secty. read the draft of a resolution applying to the WaterColor Society for space in their next exhibition, which after some discussion was unanimously adopted, andupon motion of Mr Nicoll seconded by Mr Wood, the President and Secretary were directed to bring thematter before The Water Color Society at its next meeting.2

The Secretary read a letter from Mr Laurence Johnson resigning his membership, which was accepted.No other business being presented the meeting adjourned at 10.10. P.M.

H. Farrer SectyApproved May 13th 1881

2The o�cers of the American Water Color Society for their �scal year 1880/1881 were Thos. W. Wood, President; HenryFarrer, Secretary; and George H. Smillie, Treasurer. The society's Board of Control included J. C. Nicoll, R. Swain Gi�ord,F. S. Church, and J. G. Brown. Collectively, these executives were hardly distinguishable from those of the New York EtchingClub.


57

Figure 9.1: Mary Nimmo Moran. (Private collection.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>


9.4 March 11th 1881

The regular monthly meeting was called at this date, in Mr Dielmans studio 146 W. 40th, present Mr. J.D. Smillie, H. Farrer, C. H. Miller & L. M. Yale and later in the evening Mr Dielman. Dr. Yale presentedproofs of four etchings.

No Quorum.H. Farrer Secty

Figure 9.2: Mary Nimmo Moran, City Farm, 1881. (Williams Print Collection.)

9.5 April 8th 1881

The regular monthly meeting was called at this date in Mr Farrers studio 51 W. 10th St. Present Mr J.C.Nicoll, F. S. Church, R. S. Gi�ord Wm Sartain, Thos. Moran W. M. Chase & H. Farrer, there being noquorum,_ after some informal discussion of club matters the members dispersed.

H. Farrer Secty

9.6 Annual Meeting May 13th 1881

The fourth Annual meeting was held at this date in Mr Farrer's studio 51 W. 10th St.The meeting was called to order by the President at 8.40.P.M. with Messrs Thos. Moran, F. S. Church,

J. C. Nicoll, T. W. Wood Jos. Sabin, Van Elten, Farrer, R. S. Gi�ord and Falconer present Fred. Dielmanand W. Sartain coming in later.


59

The minutes of the meeting held Feb. 11th were read and approved.The meeting then proceeded to elect o�cers for the ensuing year, Thos. Moran and J. Sabin being

appointed tellers by the Presidentthey declared the result of the vote for President to be as followsfor Henry Farrer 7 votes� R. Swain Gi�ord 2 �



Figure 9.3: Thomas Moran. (Private collection.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

61

Mr Farrer was declared elected the meeting then proceeded to ballot for Secretary �Treasurer, the resultbeing as follows: vizJ. C. Nicoll 5 votesF. Deilman 3 �Thos. Moran 1 �Upon motion made and seconded Mr Nicoll was declared unanimously elected, there being but one

dissenting vote, that of Mr Nicoll.The vote for Executive Committeewas as follows: viz. T.W. Wood3 votes, Thos Moran 9, F. S. Church8, Dielman 6, Falconer 2, Miller 1 and Colman 1Thos. Moran, F. S. Church, F. Dielman, were declared elected.Messrs Peter Moran and Stephen Parrish of Phila. proposed at the Feb. meeting were so unanimously

elected Non-Resident membersMr Farrer then announced that at the next meeting he would move to amend Section I Article IV and

Section 5 of Article II



Figure 9.4: Page from the 1882 New York Etching Club exhibition catalogue. (Private collection.)


63

An interesting discussion of the proposition made by Mr Farrer to have a catalogue of the next exhibitionof the Club illustrated

with etchings, then ensued, and as a result the Executive Committee were so instructed to take suchmeasures as to them might

seem necessary to carry the proposition to a successful issueThe Secretary then informed the meeting that there were three delinquent members, they having neglected

to attend the meetings for over one year, after a full discussion of the advisability of dropping their namesfrom the roll, the matter was laid on the table for the present.

The Secty.Treas, then read a report giving the condition of the Treasury as follows.Money received by Henry Farrer Treas from J. D. Smillie, bal. On hand May 10 1880.$5.90From Jos. Sabin, dues for two years, $2.00From Wm Sartain__dues $1.00$8.90Money disbursedPostal cards $1.50Postal Stamps $2.00Prelimenary Notice & Envelopes $5.50$9.00This showing a de�cit of ten cents, a collection was made of one cent from each member present, there

being eleven members present, the result left a balance of one cent.

Figure 9.5: Henry Farrer, Untitled, 1881. (Williams Print Collection.)



There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 10 P.M.Henry Farrer SectyApproved Nov 11/81


65

Figure 9.6: Henry Farrer. (Courtesy of Ms. Rona Schneider.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>



The Regular Meeting was held at this date in Mr. Farrer's studio, with Messers Farrer, Church, van Elten,Weir Moran, Falconer, and Nicoll, present.

There being no general quorum present, but a quorum of the Executive Committee being obtained, itwas decided to proceed to regular business any action taken to be submitted to the next regular meeting.

The minutes of the Annual Meeting were read and approved.The amendments to the constitution proposed at the last meeting were unanimously approved. They

will be found attached to the copy of that instrument in this book.The selection of etchings for the illustrated catalogue, and all other business in connection with the same

were referred to the Executive Committee with powers.3

The proposal of the London Society of Painter Etchers to hold a suplimentary exhibition in November& December, 1882 under management of this Club was declined for the present it being deemed unwise toundertake any new scheme beyond the coming exhibition with the Water Color Society.

J. C. NicollSecty.Approved Dec 16/81

Figure 9.7: Mary Nimmo Moran's etching in the 1882 exhibition catalogue of the New York EtchingClub. (Private collection.)

3The New York Etching Club's 1882 catalogue was illustrated with eight etchings by Frederick S. Church, Frederick Dielman,John Mackie Falconer, Henry Farrer, Mary Nimmo Moran, Peter Moran, Stephen Parrish, and Kruseman van Elten.


67

9.8 December 16th 1881

The regular monthly meeting was held at this date in the Secretary studioCalled to order by the president at 9.P.M. with Messers Farrer, Church, Bellows, Baldwin, Falconer,

Sabin & Nicoll present.The following nominations for Resident Membership were made � viz:Chas. A. Platt by James D. Smillie, Geo H. Smillie & A. H. BaldwinS. G. McCutcheon by Farrer, Church, & Falconer.The meeting adjourned without action at ten P.M.J. C. Nicoll Secty.Approved Jany 24/82NOTE: The Salmagundi Sketch Club's 1881 Black & White Exhibition was held at the National Academy

of Design and was open from December 1 through December 21. Although no current members of the NewYork Etching Club exhibited etchings, there were many other artists who did, including A. Barry, J. Landau,Ch. Jacque, Charles A. Platt, Appian, Charles A. Vanderhoof, R. C. Minor, Benjamin Lander, M. J. Burns,Dr. Seymour Haden, and Daubigny. Interestingly, future New York Etching Club members J. M. Falconerand Joseph Lauber exhibited monotypes.



Figure 9.8: Frederick S. Church, The Mermaid, 1881. (Williams Print Collection.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

Chapter 10


Club1


10.1 1882 Events

• The New York Etching Club held its annual exhibition in January at the National Academy of Design.The club published a catalogue to accompany and document the event. It was illustrated with eightoriginal etchings and included an illustrative account, written by James D. Smillie, of the group's �rstmeeting in November 1877.

• The Society of Painter-Etchers, London's First Annual Exhibition, was held. It included 207 prints byeighty-�ve artists.

• The Etchers Society was founded in Great Britain by Herkomer.

• The Scratchers Club of Brooklyn was founded on January 25.

• Poets and Etchers was published by J. R. Osgood and Company of Boston, Massachusetts. Thisvery early prototype of an �artist's book� includes only original etchings and poetry.

• Dr. Seymour Haden visited the United States in the winter of 1882/1883 and toured Philadelphia, NewYork, Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, Bu�alo, and Baltimore. During this visit, he deliveredmany lectures on etching to sell-out crowds numbering in the hundreds.

• The Philadelphia Society of Etchers held its First Annual Exhibition2 from December 27, 1882, thruFebruary 3, 1883, at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. The Society's membership includedNew York Etching Club Non-resident Members Peter Moran and Joseph Pennell of Philadelphia; andResident Members Frederick S. Church, Henry Farrer, Robert Swain Gi�ord, James D. Smillie, GeorgeSmillie, Thomas Moran, and Charles Platt.

1This content is available online at <http://cnx.org/content/m19791/1.4/>.2See the �le at <http://cnx.org/content/m19791/latest/4025_001.pdf>


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10.2 January 24th 1882

The Regular Meeting of the Club was held at this date in the Secretary's studio.It was called to order at 9 P. M. with Messers. Farrer, Wood, Church, Falconer, Gi�ord, Deilman and

Nicoll present.Messers Chas. A. Platt and S. G. McCutheon were unanimously elected Resident Members.Matters relating to the approaching exhibition were informally discussed but no further action being

taken the meeting adjourned atten o'clock.J. C. NicollSecty.Approved Mch 31-82

Figure 10.1: Photographic image of the National Academy of Design, 1882. (Collection of The New-York Historical Society, n.n. 80865d.)

10.3 Friday, March 31st 1882

A meeting of the Club was held at this date with thirteen members present � viz: Messers Baldwin, Chase,Church, Dielman, Falconer, Farrer, Mc Cutcheon, Thos. Moran, Nicoll, Platt, J. D. Smillie, van Elten, &Wood.

The minutes of the last meetings held Nov 11 & Dec.16th 1881 and Jany 24th 1882 were read and uponformal motion duly seconded & unanimously carried.

The action taken at these meetings was rati�ed.The following amendments to the Constitution were proposed � viz:Art. II. Sec. 6 Any Resident � Member neglecting to attend the regular meetings of the Club for one

year, or failing to contribute to each annual Exhibition shall thereby forfeit his membership unless, uponfurnishing su�cient reason he shall be excused by special vote of the Club.


71

also the following.To substitute the words �Society of American Etchers� for the words �New York Etching Club� wherever

these appear in the present Constitution.The report of Mr. Geo H. Galt upon sales of Etchings made at the last exhibition was read.The following names were presented as Non Resident Members. � viz:Joseph Pennel of Philadelphia, by Messers Platt, J. D. Smillie & FalconerMr. Otto Bacher of Munich by Messers Chase, Dielman & FalconerMr. Frank Duveneck, by Messers Chase, Church, & Falconer.J. C. NicollSecty.Approved April 14/82



Figure 10.2: Thomas Waterman Wood, Fresh Eggs, 1882. (Williams Print Collection.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

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10.4 April 14th 1882

The Annual meeting was held at this date in the Secretary's studio.Called to order at 8.30 P.M. by the president with the following members present � viz: Messers Baldwin,

Chase, Church, Colman, Falconer, Farrer, Gi�ord McCutcheon, Thos. Moran, Nicoll, Platt, Sabin, Geo. H.Smillie, J. D. Smillie, van Elten, Wood. � 16.

The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved.The Treasures Report was read and approved.The following o�cers were elected for the ensuing year. � viz:Henry Farrer�PresidentJ. C. Nicoll�Secretary & Treasurer.F. S. Church, Thomas Moran, Frederick Dielman�Executive CommitteeThe Following gentlemen were elected Non-Resident members. Viz:Joseph Pennel of PhiladelphiaOtto Bacher MunichFrank Duvencek L.



Figure 10.3: Charles S. Platt. (Private collection.)


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Messers Robt. C. Minor & Geo W. Maynard were proposed for Resident Membership by A. H. Baldwin.The amendment to the constitution to be known as Art II. Sec. 6. was adopted unanimously.The amendment proposing to change the name was lost.Upon motion it was resolved to select by ballot the names of ten members who should be requested to

prepare plates for the illustrated catalogue of the next Exhibition - the Executive Committee to �ll anyvacancies that afterwards occurred.3

The names were then chosen.R. Swain Gi�ord 14 votes Saml Colman 12J. D. Smillie 14 F. S. Church 9C. A. Platt 13 A. F. Bellows 8Thos. Moran 13 Joseph Pennel 10Wm Chase 11 Otto Bacher 7C. A. Vanderho� 7.No other business being presented the meeting adjourned.J. C. NicollSecty.

10.5 October 16th 1882

A special meeting was held at this date in Mr. Farrer's studio.The meeting was called to order by the President at 8 30 P.M. with ten members present viz: - Messers

Baldwin, Chase, Church, Dielman, Farrer, Th. Moran, Nicoll, Geo. H. Smillie, van Elten and Yale.A letter was read from R. W. Gilder announcing the intended visit of Dr. Seymour Hayden of London,

and asking if the Club could do anything towards facilitating his proposed scheme of delivering a course ofthree lectures in this city upon Etching.

After considerable discussion the members present being in favor of the Club's doing something in thematter, upon motion duly seconded and carried, the President appointed Messers Yale, and Geo H. Smillie acommittee to confer with the Union League Club to see if their theatre could be obtained for delivery of thelectures, and to obtain such other information as might seem desirable. � The meeting adjourned withoutfurther action.

J. C. Nicoll, Secty.

3The New York Etching Club's 1883 catalogue was illustrated with nine etchings by William Merritt Chase, FrederickStuart Church, R. Swain Gi�ord, Thomas Moran, James Craig Nicoll, Joseph Pennell, Charles Adams Platt, Walter Shirlaw,and Thomas Waterman Wood. Thomas Waterman Wood, Walter Shirlaw, and James Craig Nicoll etchings were substitutedfor Otto Bacher, Albert F. Bellows, Samuel Colman, James D Smillie, and Charles A. Vanderho�.



Figure 10.4: James Craig Nicoll. (Courtesy of Ms. Rona Schneider.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

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10.6 October 25th 1882

A special meeting was held at this date in Mr. Farrers studio.The meeting was called to order by the President at 830 P.M. with nine members present � viz: Messers

Baldwin, Th. Moran, Shirlaw, Church, Sabin, Geo. Smillie, van Elten, Deilman, Farrer & Yale.Dr. Yale reported as the results of the conference with the Committee of the Union League Club that

the Union League Theatre could not be used for Dr. Seymour Haydens lectures, but the Art Committeewere very desirous that the N. Y. Etching Club should get up an exhibition of etchings by its members forNovember 9th � the Union League Club to give a reception shortly afterward to Mr. Haden.4

After considerable discussion it was moved, seconded and carried that the Etching Club accept theinvitation to exhibit.

Upon motion of Dr. Yale, duly seconded and carried the Committee to obtain information in regardto Dr. Haden's lectures and other matters was increased to �ve members, as follows, Messers Yale, J. D.Smillie, Geo. H. Smillie, Nicoll, and Thos. Moran.

The meeting the adjourned to Thursday, November 20 at 8 P.M.J. C. NicollSecty.

4A thorough search of the archives at the Union League Club turned up no record of either the referenced reception for Dr.Seymour Haden or an impromptu exhibition by the New York Etching Club, though both the reception and exhibition maywell have occurred.



Figure 10.5: Page from the 1882 New York Etching Club exhibition catalogue. (Private collection.)


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Figure 10.6: Walter Shirlaw, Reprimand, 1882. (Williams Print Collection.)

10.7 November 2nd � 1882

The adjourned special meeting met at this date in Mr Nicoll's studio.The meeting was called to order by the President at 830 P.M. with nine members present � viz: Messers

Baldwin, Chase, Church, Dielman, Farrer, Thos Moran, J, C, Nicoll, Sartain, J. D. Smillies, van Elten.The minutes of the meeting held October 16th were read and approved.After free discussion upon the report of the Committee upon Dr. Haden's lectures presented by Mr.

Moran, it was moved seconded and carried. - That the members of this Club are unanimous in their desireto do all in their power to promote the success of Dr. Haden's lectures, but do not consider it advisable toundertake the management of said lectures.



Figure 10.7: Peter Moran, Harvest San Juan, 1882-83. (Williams Print Collection.)

It was also resolved � that a committee be appointed to o�er to Dr. Seymour Haden and Mr. HubertHerkomer the courtesies of the Etching Club and to invite the to attend an informal meeting of the Club.

The President appointed to constitute this committee Messers, Yale, J. D. Smillie, Chase, Thos. Moran,and Nicoll.

The meeting then adjourned without further action.J. C. NicollSecty.


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Figure 10.8: John M. Falconer, Morning Down South, 1882. (Williams Print Collection.)


The regular monthly meeting was held at this date in the Secretary's studio, with Messers Church, Farrer,Th. Moran, Nicoll, and Sabin present.

There being no quorum it was decided that the Executive Committee should transact the necessarybusiness.

Messers Thos. Moran & A. H. Baldwin were appointed as Hanging Committee for the ensuing year.Mr. Geo. H. Galt was appointed as salesman for the next annual Exhibition.The Committee then adjourned without further business.J. C. NicollSecty.Approved Feb 16/83



Figure 10.9: 1882 Salmagundi Sketch Club exhibition catalogue cover page.Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

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Full 1882 Salmagundi Sketch Club exhibition catalogue.5

5See the �le at <http://cnx.org/content/m19791/latest/1882-salmagundi-catalogue.pdf>


Chapter 11


Club1


11.1 1883 Events

• The New York Etching Club held its annual exhibition in January at the National Academy of Designand published an accompanying catalogue illustrated with original etchings and including a preface byDr. Seymour Haden.

• The Philadelphia Etching Club's �rst exhibition opened December 27, 1882, and remained open throughFebruary 3, 1883. The show featured over one thousand etchings, approximately one-third of whichwere by American artists. Seymour Haden delivered two lectures and the club published two versionsof their catalogue for the show. The deluxe version of the catalogue included eight original etchings.

• In the March 1883 exhibition of the London-based Society of Painter-Etchers, only Charles AdamsPlatt and Joseph Sabin of the New York Etching Club showed etchings.

• The Boston Etching Club held its �rst o�cial exhibition, which included some forty plates.



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Figure 11.1: Photocopy of original handwritten New York Etching Club minutes entry dated February16, 1883. (Archives of the National Academy of Design.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

87


The regular meeting of the club was held at this date in the Secretary's Studio having been postponed oneweek by the Executive Cttee

The meeting was called to order by the President at half past eight with Messers Chase, Church, Dielman,Eno, Farrer, Gi�ord, Nicoll, Sabin, & Wood present.

Action upon delinquent members was taken in accordance with Art II Sec 6. of the Constitution withthe following result. � viz Messers Dielman, Eno, Sartain, Geo. H. Smillie, Jas. D. Smillie and Weir wereexcused.

Messers Abbey, Ti�any and Vanderhoof dropped from membership.2

Mr. Saml Colman transferred to Non-resident membership.No further business being presented the meeting adjourned.After adjournment an informal reception by the members was given to Mr. Hubert Herkomer of London.J. C. NicollSectyApproved April 13th 51 West 10th St.

2The names of Edwin A. Abbey, Louis Comfort Ti�any, and Charles A.Vanderhoof were dropped from the Resident Mem-bership lists after the 1883 catalogue was published. Charles A. Vanderhoof exhibited independently in the Club's 1891 and1892 exhibitions.



Figure 11.2: 1883 American Water Color Society exhibition catalogue interior cover page. (Privatecollection.)


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Figure 11.3: Photocopy of original handwritten New York Etching Club minutes entry dated April13th 1883. (Archives of the National Academy of Design.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>


11.3 April 13th 1883

The Annual Meeting was held at this date with seven members present viz � Messers Baldwin, Church,Dielman, Farrer, Thos. Moran, Nicoll, & J. D. Smillie.

The minutes of the meeting held on Feby. 16th were read and approved.The Treasurer's report was read and approved.The Salesmans report was read and approved.The following o�cers were re-elected for the ensuing year viz �Henry Farrer � PresidentJ. C. Nicoll, Secretary & Treasurer.Thos. Moran, F. S. Church, & F Dielman, Executive Cttee

Figure 11.4: Commercial advertisement from the 1883 American Water Color Society exhibition cat-alogue. Kimmel & Voigt printed many of the etchings incorporated in the New York Etching Clubcatalogues. (Private collection.)

The letter from Mr. J. Alden Weir notifying the Club that he would be absent for a year ormore, was read and his name accordingly transferred to the list of Non-Resident Members.3

The letter from Mr. W. J. Arkell was read inviting the members to send etchings to the exhibition ofthe Mt Mc Gregor Art Gallery.4

3J. Alden Weir's name was dropped from the Members list but was never transferred to the Non-Resident Members list thatappeared annually in the exhibition catalogues published by the club. His name reappeared on the Resident Members list forone year in 1893. Weir independently exhibited prints in Club annuals in 1886, 1891, and 1892.

4W. J. Arkell was once a vice president of the Saratoga, Mount McGregor and Lake George Railroad Company. In 1882,that company conceived, built, and opened a resort known as the Hotel Balmoral, at Mt. McGregor, in the vicinity of Saratoga


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The Secretary was directed to thank Mr. Arkell and assure him of the co-operation of members of theClub.

Springs, New York. The hotel grounds included the free-standing Mt. McGregor Art Gallery in the proximity of Artist Lake.A record of an exhibition involving the New York Etching Club at Mt. McGregor Art Gallery has not been located.



Figure 11.5: 868 Broadway, New York, NY, where H. Wunderlich's gallery was located in 1883, as itstands today. (Private collection.)


93

The Secretary was directed to apply to the American Water Color Society for permission to exhibit inits Seventeenth Annual

Exhibition upon the same conditions as during the last two years.The Executive Committee were directed to make arrangements for publishing an illustrated catalogue of

the exhibition of 1884similar to those previously issued by this Club.The meeting adjourned without further action.J. C. NicollSecty.Approved Dec 14/83

Figure 11.6: Hamilton Hamilton, Between Two Fires, 1883. (Williams Print Collection.)



Figure 11.7: Photocopy of original handwritten New York Etching Club minutes entry dated April 13,1883, continued. (Archives of the National Academy of Design.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

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Figure 11.8: Kruseman van Elten, The Deserted Mill, 1883. From Original Etchings by Amer-

ican Artists, published by Cassell and Company, Ltd. (Williams Print Collection.)



11.4 May 11th 1883

Figure 11.9: Photocopy of original handwritten New York Etching Club minutes entry dated May 11,1883. (Archives of the National Academy of Design.)


97

A meeting of the Executive Committee was held at this date in the Secretary's studio. It was called to orderat 4.30 P. M. by the President with Messers Farrer, Nicoll, Dielman and Church present.

The following persons were selected to make plates for the next catalogue viz � Messers Dielman, Farrer,Nimmo Moran, Peter Moran, Sabin, J. D. Smillie Colman, and Mc Cutcheon.5

In case any of these should fail to make plates, Messers Parrish, van Elten and Yale were chosen assubstitutes, to be selected in the order here named.6

It was decided that the Club should contribute to the Exposition Internationale des Arts Graphique' atVienna 1883, and the Secretary was directed to notify members and make all necessary arrangements.

J. C. NicollSecty.

Figure 11.10: George H. Smillie, An Old Orchard, 1883. (Williams Print Collection.)

5Stephen Parrish and Kruseman van Elten replaced Frederick Dielman and Joseph F. Sabin with etchings for the 1884exhibition catalogue.

6The New York Etching Club's 1884 catalogue (<http://cnx.org/content/m19792/latest/1884-catalogue.pdf>) was illus-trated with eight etchings by Samuel Coleman, Henry Farrer, Mary Nimmo Moran, Peter Moran, Stephen G. McCutcheon,Stephen Parrish, James D. Smillie, and Kruseman van Elten.



Figure 11.11: Stephen G. McCutcheon's etching in the 1884 New York Etching Club exhibition cata-logue. (Private collection.)


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The Regular Meeting was held at this date in the Secretary's studio, at 8 P.M.It was called to order by the President with ten members present viz � Messers Baldwin, Church, Farrer,

thos. Moran, Nicoll, Sabin,J. D. Smillie, Van Elten, Shirlaw, Wood.The minutes of the last regular meeting were read and approved.The Secretary gave an informal report of his action in regard to the exhibition of the Society of Graphic

Arts at Vienna.7

Mesers Shirlaw and Sabin were elected as Hanging Committee for the ensuing year.Mr. Geo H. Galt was appointed to act as salesman at the next annual exhibition.The following nominations were madeMessers Walter Saterlee, by J. C. Nicoll, & A. Landau (14 John St) by Van Elten, for resident members,

and Mr. I. M.Gaugengigl of Boston, by Nicoll as Non-Resident Member.The resignation of Mr. J. Alden Weir was read and accepted.It was decided to place the printing of etchings in the next catalogue in the hands of Messers Kimmel &

Voigt.Mr. J. D. Smillie gave an account of the negotiations he had had in behalf of members of the Club who

had exhibited with the London Society of Painter EtchersAfter some discussion upon the exhibitions of that Society it was Resolved � that it is advisable for

members of this Club to send etchings to the next exhibition of the Society of Painter-Etchers, London.Mr. Smillie was chosen as a Committee to assist in carrying out this resolution.The meeting adjourned without further action at ten P.M.J. C. NicollSecty.Approved Feby 15

7In Mary Schmidt's Index to Nineteenth Century American Art Periodicals, 1999, there is a reference to a NewYork Herald article containing a list of New York Etching Club artists intending to exhibit at the planned Exposition in Vienna.Research into the referenced Exposition, though, even with Vienna-based assistance, uncovered no press or catalogue record ofthe event.



Figure 11.12: J. A. S. Monks, Twilight, 1883. (Williams Print Collection.)


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Figure 11.13: Photocopy of original handwritten New York Etching Club minutes entry dated December14, 1883. (Archives of the National Academy of Design.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>


Figure 11.14: Frederick Dielman, The Mora Players, 1883. (Williams Print Collection.)


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Figure 11.15: James C. Nicoll, Smugglers Landing Place, 1883. (Williams Print Collection.)



Figure 11.16: Photocopy of original handwritten New York Etching Club minutes entry dated December14, 1883, continued. (Archives of the National Academy of Design.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

105

Figure 11.17: Commercial advertisement from the 1883 American Water Color Society exhibitioncatalogue. (Private collection.)


Chapter 12


Club1


12.1 1884 Events

• The New York Etching Club held its annual exhibition from February 4 through March 1 at the NationalAcademy of Design, and published a catalogue, illustrated with original etchings, to accompany andrecord the show.

• In 1884, the Society of Painter-Etchers exhibited in a separate section of the 14th Autumn Exhibitionof Modern Pictures at the Walker Gallery, Liverpool. The following members of the New York EtchingClub had work included in this show: Frederick S. Church, Samuel Colman, Frederick Dielman, JohnM. Falconer, Henry Farrer, I. M. Gaugengigl, Robert S. Gi�ord, James A. S. Monks, Mary NimmoMoran, Peter Moran, Thomas Moran, J. C. Nicoll, Stephen Parrish, Joseph Pennell, Charles A. Platt,George. H. Smillie, James D. Smillie, Charles A. Vanderhoof, and Kruseman van Elten.

• The Association of Canadian Etchers was founded in Toronto on July 23, 1884.

• A Catalogue of Etchings by Stephen Parrish, 1879-1883, was privately published and released bythe artist. Descriptions of the plates and ten etchings made speci�cally for the volume were includedin this unique prototype of the modern catalogue raisonné.2 Nine of the etchings in the catalogue areminiature reproductions of larger originals; one was made speci�cally for the catalogue.

1This content is available online at <http://cnx.org/content/m19793/1.2/>.2In the New York Public Library's copy of the Stephen Parrish catalogue is a note to then-print collection curator Wei-

denkampf, dated August 31,1915: �Dear Mr. Weidenkampf: I have yours of yesterday about the extra catalogue. Oh do notreturn it! You think more highly of it than it deserves. I had but 50 copies of it made, gave some to collectors and friendsand had 10 or a dozen left. I sent one a few days ago to a man interested in Etching, and wrote him he could look it over andthen consign it to a top shelf amidst the dust from which I had just taken it in my studio. To me, my own Etching has had itsday as `every dog has' his. You have given me no trouble in the matter whatever and I shall be glad to hear from you always,believe me. Sincerely yours Stephen Parrish.�


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12.2 January 11th 1884-

A Special meeting was held at this date in the Secretary's studio. It was called to order by the President athalf past eight P. M. with messers � Farrer, Dielman, Moran, Nicole, Sabin, and Wood, present.

The proposition of Messers Cassell & Co. to publish an additional volume of �Original Etchings by Amer-ican Artists� upon the same general conditions as last year was considered. After considerable discussion,certain changes in the wording and conditions of the proposed circular were suggested and the followingresolution passed.

Resolved. That the proposition of Messers Cassell & Co. to publish a second volume of �Original Etchingsby American Artists is hereby accepted, and the Executive Committee are authorized to make all necessaryarrangements.3

Adjourned at ten P. M.J. C. Nicoll,Secty.


The regular meeting was held at this date in the Secretary's studio.It was called to order by the president at nine P. M. with eight members present viz: - Messers, Church,

Farrer, Gi�ord, Thos. Moran, Nicoll Sabin, J. D. Smillie, Wood.The minutes of the meetings held December 14th 1883 and January 11 1884 were read and approved.Mr. Waltet Satterlee was elected Resident Member 7 yes 1 noMr. I. M. Gaugengigl of Boston was elected Non-resident Member � unanimously.Mr. J. A. Monks was nominated for Resident Member by Mr. Thos Moran.The Secretary read a letter from the Society of Graphic Arts, Vienna, asking for plates for work repre-

senting the progress of graphic arts during the past �fty years, together with his answer thereto; and statedwhat action he had taken in the matter.

Upon formal vote his action was approved, and he was directed to conduct any further correspondencenecessary. He was instructed to state in his next letter that the members present objected to send originalplates owing to risk of loss or damage, - also to the sending of clean wiped proofs to be reproduced by any�process� work. � They would be willing to send approved proofs from which the Society of Graphic Artscould select, or would more strongly urge that the Club itself should make the selection. In either case theelection to be made here.

The meeting adjourned without further action.J. C. NicollSecty.Approved April 18/84

3The referenced volume of etchings was indeed published by Cassell & Co. and released in 1885. An earlier volume involvingNew York Etching Club members, published in 1883, was also released by Cassell & Co.


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Figure 12.1: Samuel Colman's etching in the 1884 New York Etching Club exhibition catalogue.(Private collection.)

12.4 April 18th 1884

The annual meeting was held at this date in the Secretary's studio.It was called to order by the President with Messers Baldwin, Church, Dielman, Farrer, Thos. Moran,

Nicoll, and Van Elten.The minutes of the meeting held February 15th were read and approved.The Secretary made an informal report upon the sales of the last exhibition ($1748.75) cost of catalogue

($547.50) and balance in the treasury. ($80.87)The ballot for o�cers for the ensuing year resulted in the re-election of those serving at the time viz: -President, Henry Farrer,Secty. & Tres. J. C. Nicoll.Executive Cttee F. S. Church, F. Dielman, T. Moran.Mr. J. A. S. Monks was elected Resident Member.Mr. Jno. H. Millspaugh was nominated for Resident Member by the Secretary.The meeting adjourned without further action.J. C. NicollSecty. Approved Dec 12



Figure 12.2: Robert S. Gi�ord, Neopolitan, 1884. (Williams Print Collection.)

12.5 May 19th 1884

A meeting of the Executive Committee was held at this date in the Secretary's studio to examine and selectetchings for the second volume of �Original Etchings by American Artists� to be published by Messers Cassell& Company.

The Executive Committee also directed that the following gentlemen should be invited to make smallplates for the catalogue of the next annual exhibition viz � Messers Thomas Moran

R. Swain Gi�ord F. S. ChurchJ. C. Nicoll Fredk DielmanL. M. Yale Walter SatterleeJ. A.S. MonksMesser Platt, Gaugengigl, Pennell and Wood, as alternatives in case any of those �rst chosen should be

unable to contribute4

J. C. NicollSecty.

4The New York Etching Club's 1885 catalogue was illustrated with eight etchings by Frederick S. Church, Henry Farrer,James A.S. Monks, Mary Nimmo Moran, Peter Moran, Thomas Moran, James Craig Nicoll, and Walter Saterlee. Henry Farrer,Mary Nimmo Moran, and Peter Moran etchings were substituted in the 1885 exhibition catalogue for any by Dielman, Yale, orthe proposed alternatives: Platt, Gaugengigl, or Pennell.


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Figure 12.3: Stephen Parrish, London Bridge, 1884. (Williams Print Collection.)

12.6 December 12 1884

The regular meeting was held at this date in the Secretary's studio with Messers Baldwin, Church, Dielman,Farrer, Thos. Moran, Nicoll, Shirlaw, and Wood, present.

The minutes of the meeting held April 18th were read and approved.Messers Thomas Moran, and J. A. S. Monks were elected to serve as Hanging Committee for the ensuing

year.The nomination of Mr. Benj. Landu for Resident member was laid upon the table.5

Mr. Hamilton Hamilton was nominated for Active Member by Mr. Thomas Moran. Mr. AlexanderSchilling of Chicago was nominated as Non-resident Member by the Secretary.

The matter of plates for the next catalogue and some other items was discussed informally but no regularaction taken, and the

meeting adjourned at ten P. M.J. C. NicollSecty.

5Benjamin Lander independently exhibited prints in each show between 1882 and 1887, but never became a member.



Figure 12.4: Ignatz M. Gaugengigl, Untitled, 1884. (Williams Print Collection.)


Chapter 13


Club1


13.1 1885 Events

• The New York Etching Club held its annual exhibition from February 2 through February 28 at theNational Academy of Design and published a catalogue, illustrated with original etchings, to accompanyand record the show.

• Sylvester R. Koehler published two important new references: Etching; and Etching: An Outlineof its Technical Processes and its History.



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Figure 13.1: Joseph Pennell, detail from A Temple Bar, 1885. (Williams Print Collection.)


The Regular Meeting was held at this date in the Secretary's studio with Messers. Baldwin, Church, Farrer,Gi�ord, Thos. Moran, Nicoll, Satterlee, J. D. Smillie, and Wood, present.

The minutes of the meeting held December 12th 1884 were read and approved.Mr. Hamilton Hamilton was elected Resident Member.Mr. Alexander Schilling was elected Non-Resident member.The name of Mr. John H. Millspaugh was acted upon but failed in securing the votes necessary to

election.Mr. W. He. Shelton was proposed for Resident Member by Mr. Thos. MoranThe proposal of Mr. L. F. Conkey to take a collection of etchings by members to sell in other cities was

informally discussed and the Secretary authorized to write a letter recognizing Mr. Conkey as agent for saleof works by members of the Club under arrangements made with them.

The proposed exhibition of the Association of Canadian Etchers was discussed and it was consideredadvisable for members of the Club to send their works but no formal action was taken.2

2The First Annual Exhibition of the Association of Canadian Etchers was held at the Galleries of the Ontario Society of


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The proposed exhibition of the Society of Painter-Etchers, London was also discussed and it was informallydecided that it would be unwise for our members to contribute.3

The meeting adjourned at half past nine oclock without further action.J. C. NicollSecty.

Artists in Toronto, Canada, from March 21 through April 4, 1885. Members of the New York Etching Club exhibiting etchingswere Frederick S. Church, J. M. Falconer, Henry Farrer, Peter Moran, James A. S. Monks, James Craig Nicoll, Stephen Parrish,Joseph Pennell, Charles A. Platt, Wiliam Sartain, James D. Smillie, Kruseman van Elten, and Thomas W. Wood.

3New York Etching Club members J. M. Falconer and Joseph Pennell exhibited in the May 1885 exhibition of the Societyof Painter-Etchers. Falconer showed two of his etchings and Pennell nineteen.



Figure 13.2: Joseph Pennell, A Temple Bar, 1885. (Williams Print Collection.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

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13.3 April 10th 1885

The Annual Meeting was held at this date in the Secretrary's Studio.The meeting was called to order by the President with Messers Baldwin, Eno, Farrer, Hamilton, Nicoll,

Sabin, Wood, and later Mr. Shirlaw present.The minutes of the meeting held February 13th were read and approved.The Secretary gave an informal statement of �nances, cost of catalogues, &c.It was decided that the present o�cers should hold over until the next election should be held.It was considered advisable to publish an illustrated catalogue of the next exhibition, the Secretary having

made application for space in the next exhibition of the Water Color Society, and the following artists werechosen to be invited to contribute plates, not to exceed

6 x 8 inches in size � viz: Messers Gi�ord, Hamilton, Platt, J. D. Smillie, Wood, Yale, Gaugengigl, Parrish& Schilling.

Messers Baldwin, Sabin, Colman, Robbins, and Pennell were named as substitutes in case any of those�rst selected could not contribute.4

Mr. Thomas Hovenden was nominated for Non-resident member by Mr. Nicoll.Upon motion by Mr. Baldwin seconded by Mr. Wood it was Resolved � That for the next annual

exhibition it is considered advisable that some competent salesman be employed to have charge of theetchings exclusively.

The meeting adjourned without further action at ten P. M.J. C. NicollSecty.

4The New York Etching Club's 1886 catalogue was illustrated with eight etchings by Hamilton Hamilton, Stephen Parrish,Charles A. Platt, Joseph F. Sabin, Alexander Schilling, James D. Smillie, Thomas Waterman Wood, and Dr. Leroy M. Yale.A Joseph F. Sabin etching was substituted in the catalogue for one by either R. Swain Gi�ord or Ignatz M. Gaugengigl, asoriginally planned.



Figure 13.3: Thomas Hovenden, The Wedding Ring, 1885. (Williams Print Collection.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

119

Figure 13.4: H.P. Share, Homeward Bound, 1885. (Williams Print Collection.)


The regular meeting was held at this date in the Secretary's studio.The meeting was called to order by the President at 820 P.M. with the following members present: viz-

Messers Church, Dielman,Farrer, Hamilton, Nicoll, Sabin, Smillie, Van Elten, Wood, and Yale & Schilling.The minutes of the Annual Meeting were read and approved, and upon formal motion duly seconded and

passed; all action taken at that meeting was approved.The Secretary stated the balance in the treasury to be $99.32 and the probable cost of the next catalogue

as $500.-Upon separate motions duly seconded and passed the following members were excused from having failed

to comply with the requirements of the constitution in regard to exhibiting and attending meetings, viz �Messers C. H. Miller, H. W. Robbins, & Frederick Dielman.

The resignation of William Sartain was accepted.The resignation of Geo. H. Smillie was accepted.



Figure 13.5: W. H. Shelton, The Bugle Signal, 1885. (Williams Print Collection.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

121

Mr. W. H. Shelton was unanimously elected a Resident Member.Mr. Thomas Hovenden was unanimously elected a Non-resident member.The following gentlemen were proposed as Resident Members by Mr. F. S. ChurchC. Y. Turner 35 W. 19th St.W. St. J. Harper University BuildingFrederick Freer University BuildingAfter some informal discussion the meeting adjourned without further actionJ. C. NicollSecty.Approved Feby 12/86



Figure 13.6: T. C. Farrer, Landscape with Fisherman, 1885. (Williams Print Collection.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

Chapter 14


Club1


14.1 1886 Events

• The New York Etching Club held its annual exhibition from February 1 through February 27 atthe National Academy of Design, and published a catalogue, illustrated with original etchings, toaccompany and record the exhibition.

• In February, Marianne (Griswold) Rensselaer published her rewritten 1881 article about etching inAmerica in The Century Magazine.

• J. R. W. Hitchcock's Etching in America (New York: White Stokes & Allen) was published. Eachcopy included an original etching pulled from the �rst plate etched by the New York Etching Club.(See Figure 2.)

• The Art Review (New York: G. F. Kelly) began publishing as a monthly magazine featuring articleson etchers, artists, and art organizations. The magazine regularly used original etchings, engravings,and photogravures as illustrations, often printed in new colored inks that imparted an element ofrealism over the standard blacks.

• American Etchings�A Collection of Twenty Original Etchings By Moran, Parrish, Ferris,Smillie and Others was published in Boston by Estes & Luriat. Included in the collection wereprints by Mary Nimmo Moran, Mrs. Eliza Greatorex, John James Mitchell, George Loring Brown,John M. Falconer, Otto Bacher, Kruseman van Elten, William Merritt Chase, S. A. Scho�, R. SwainGi�ord, Stephen J. Ferris, Samuel Colman, Charles H. Miller, Anna Lea Merritt, James D. Smillie,Henry Farrer, Edmund Henry Garrett, Alfred Brennan, J. Henry Hill, and Albert F. Bellows.



123


Figure 14.1: Edith Loring Getchell, Carmel Mission Before Restoration, 1885-86. (Williams PrintCollection.)


125


The Regular Meeting was held at this date in the Secretary's StudioThe meeting was called to order by the President at 830 P. M. with Messers Church, Dielman, Farrer,

Thos. Moran, Nicoll, Sabin, Schilling and Wood, present.The minutes of the meeting held December 11th 1885 were read and approved.The Secretary made a statement of the funds in the treasury $294.87 with bills payable $499.50The following gentlemen were unanimously elected Resident Members, -viz Messers. C. Y. Turner, W.

St John Harper, and Fredrick W. Freer.Messers Smillie and Baldwin were appointed as Auditing Committee to examine the Secretary's accounts

before the Annual meeting.No other business being presented the meeting adjourned.J. C. NicollSecty.Approved Apr 9/86

14.3 April 9th 1886

The Annual Meeting was held at this date in the Secretary's Studio.The meeting was called to order by the President at 830 P. M. with Messers Church Farrer Gi�ord, M.

Nimmo Moran, Thomas Moran, Miller, Nicoll, Schilling, Shelton & Wood present and later Messers Freer,Satterlee & Turner.

The minutes of the meeting held Feby 12th were read and approved.The Secretary reported was read and approvedThe Auditing Committee report was read and approvedUpon ballot the following o�cers were elected for the ensuing year � viz: -For President - Henry FarrerSecty. & Treas. J. C. NicollExecutive Committee - F. S. Church, Frederick Dielman, Thomas MoranIt being decided to issue the usual illustrated catalogue for the next exhibition the following members

were chosen to contribute plates � Messers. Colman, Freer, Gi�ord, Hovenden, Miller, Robbins, Shelton andTurner.

The following were chosen as substitutes to the selected in place of any of the �rst named who mightbe unable to contribute in time, - viz: Messers Thomas Moran, M. Nimmo Moran, Harper Satterlee andChurch.2

The meeting adjourned without further action at 930 P. M.J. C. NicollSecty.Approved

2The New York Etching Club's 1887 catalogue was illustrated with etchings by Samuel Colman, Frederick W. Freer, R.Swain Gi�ord, W. St. John Harper, James A.S. Monks, Thomas Moran, William H. Shelton, and Charles Yardley Turner.Etchings by substitutes W. St. John Harper, James A.S. Monks, and Thomas Moran were published instead of plates fromThomas Hovenden, Charles H. Miller, and H. W. Robbins in the 1887 exhibition catalogue, as originally planned. The followingminutes from the December 10, 1886, meeting include a reference to the rejection of Miller's plate.



Figure 14.2: James S. King, Young Anglers, 1886. (Williams Print Collection.)


The Regular Meeting was held at this date in the Secrtary's Studio.The meeting was called to order by the President at half past eight P. M. with the following members

present, - viz: Messers BaldwinChurch, Farrer, T. Moran, Nicoll, Sabin, Turner & Wood. Mr. Shelton came later.The minutes of the Annual Meeting were read and approved.The Secretary stated the balance in the treasury to be $184.10The following gentlemen were proposed as Resident Members �H. P. Share 6 E. 18th by W. H. SheltonJ. S. King by C. Y. TurnerIt being moved and carried that the Hanging Committee be elected by acclamation Messers Freer and

Shelton were unanimously Chosen.Upon motion duly seconded and carried Mr. C. Y. Turner was appointed to act with the President and

Secretary as a Committee to take charge of the next exhibition.Upon motion duly seconded and carried the Exhibition Committee were authorized to appoint Mr. E

Averill to have charge of sales at the next exhibition.Upon motion duly seconded and carried the secretary was directed to present to Mr. Geo. H. Galt a

bound volume of the catalogues


127

of the �ve annual exhibitions of the Club as a token of the feeling which the Club member entertaintoward him.

Upon motion duly seconded and carried the secretary was directed to request each member to contributeto the portfolio of the Club representative selections of his etchings.

A motion to accept the plate made by Mr. Miller for the next catalogue was made and lost.The Secretary was directed to especially notify such members as had failed to pay their annual dues of

their delinquency.After informal discussion of exhibition and other matters the meeting adjourned without further action.J. C. NicollSecty.Approved Feby 11/87

Figure 14.3: Mary Nimmo Moran, Where Through the Willows Creaking Loud, Is Heard the

Busy Mill, 1886. (Williams Print Collection.)



Figure 14.4: Detail of artist's remarqué from Mary Nimmo Moran's Where Through the Willows

Creaking Loud, Is Heard the Busy Mill, 1886. (Williams Print Collection.)


Chapter 15


Club1


15.1 1887 Events

• The New York Etching Club held its annual exhibition from January 31 through February 26 atthe National Academy of Design, and published a catalogue, illustrated with original etchings, toaccompany and record the show.

• A catalogue for the February exhibition and sale of the Stewart collection of art at the American ArtGalleries was published in an edition de luxe numbering �ve hundred copies. In addition to ninephotogravure reproductions, the catalogue included �fteen etchings, all reproductions of paintings. Thecatalogue reproduction editors included New York Etching Club Members Thomas Moran, FrederickS. Church, William M. Chase, R. Swain Gi�ord, Frederick Dielman, Hamilton Hamilton, William St.John Harper, and C.Y. Turner.

• J. R. W. Hitchcock published Representative Etchings by Artists of Today in America.

• The Boston Museum of Fine Art's Print Department organized the Exhibition of the Work of theWomen Etchers of America, which ran from November through December, 1887.

• White Stokes & Allen published Notable Etchings by American Artists.



129


Figure 15.1: C. Morgan McIlhenney, Five O'Clock Tea, 1887. (Williams Print Collection.)

15.2 January 10th 1887

A special meeting was held at this date in the Secretary's studio to take action upon a letter from theAmerican Water Color Society given below.

The meeting was called to order by the President at half past four P. M. with the following memberspresent � Messers. Baldwin, Dielman, Farrer, Freer, Thos. Moran, Nicoll, Sabin, Smillie, van Elten, andWood.

The following letter was read.

To Mr. J. C. Nicoll

Secty New York Etching Club.

Dear Sir.

�At the meeting of the Board of Control this P.M. the following resolution was passed, viz: -�That it is the sense of this meeting the if there is no objection upon the part of the New YorkEtching Club, it would be to the advantage of both the Etching Club and theWater Color Societyto have the etchings hung in the Corridor�


131

You are requested to lay this proposition before the Club as early as possible, and

kindly inform me of their decision.

Respectfully

(signed) Henry Farrer, Secty.

Mr. Smillie spoke of the circumstances that led to this proposition and argued in its favor. � Afterconsiderable discussion which was participated in by most of the members the following resolution waspassed unanimously. �

�While we recognize the generous treatment in the past of the American Water Color Society in givingthe Etching Club space for its Exhibition we can see no advantage to the club at the present time for hangingetchings in any di�erent place that the one allotted for the purpose by the Water Color Society at its generalmeeting held in March last.�

After directing the Secretary to communicate this resolution to the Water Color Society the meetingadjourned.2

J. C. NicollSecty.ApprovedFeb 11/87

2As noted earlier in this volume, the New York Etching Club and American Water Color Society often shared closely relatedexecutive boards and comparable membership lists. O�cers of the New York Etching Club for the 1886/87 year were HenryFarrer, President; and James Craig Nicoll, Secretary and Treasurer. Executive Committee members were Thomas Moran,Frederick S. Church, and Frederick Dielman. O�cers of the American Water Color Society for the 1886/87 year were ThomasW. Wood, President; Henry Farrer, Secretary; J. Symington, Treasurer; Frederick S. Church, William H. Lippincott, James D.Smillie and D. W. Tryon.



Figure 15.2: H.P. Share, Bright Outlook, 1887. (Williams Print Collection.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

133

15.3 February 11th 1887.

The regular meeting of the Club was held at this date in the Secretary's studio with the following memberspresent � viz Messers.

Church, Farrer, Freer, T. Moran, Nicoll, Satterlee, Schilling, Shelton, and Turner.The meeting was called to order by the President at 8.30 P.M.The minutes of the last regular meeting and the Special meeting of Jany 10th were read and approved.The Secretary reported the balance in the treasury as $219.- against which was due to Messers Kimmel

& Voigt $357.6 besides other bills for printing, tc. Not yet received.The following gentlemen upon ballot were unanimously elected Resident Members � viz �H. P. Share of N' 6 East 18th St.J. S. King 728 E. 142d St.The Secretary proposed as Non-resident Member Mrs. Edith Loring Getchell (Neé Pierce)Mr. Church proposed as Resident member Mr. W. L. Lathrop of Fordham, N.Y.Upon motion duly seconded & carried the Secretary was directed to apply to the American Water Color

Society for the same space in its twenty-�rst annual exhibition for use of the Etching Club and upon thesame terms as have been granted in previous years.

The Secretary stated that having been unable to retain the services of Mr. E. Averill as Salesman, Mr.C. H. Greer had been secured

for the position.The Secretary reported that there had been no response to the request for etchings for the Club's portfolio,

and only one answer to notices sent three times to members delinquent in dues.The resignation of Mr. Charles H. Miller sent December 15th 1886 was formally accepted.The meeting was then adjourned without further action.J. C. Nicoll,Secty.Approved Feby 15/87



Figure 15.3: Frederick Freer, Honey Suckle, 1887. (Williams Print Collection.)


135

15.4 April 15th 1887

The Annual Meeting was held at this date in the Secretary's Studio, with the following members present,viz � Messers. Church, Dielman, Farrer, King, Monks, Thos. Moran, Nicoll, Share, Shelton, van Elten, andWood.

The minutes of the meeting held Feby 11th were read and approved.The Secretary's annual report was read and approved subject to examination by the Auditing Committee.The following o�cers were elected for the ensuing year.President - Henry FarrerSecty. & Treas. W. H. SheltonExecutive Committee Fredericks Dielman, Thomas Moran, F. S. ChurchThe chair appointed as Auditing Committee Messers. Smillie and Baldwin.Mrs. Edith Loring Getchell was unanimously elected Non-Resident Member.The following gentlemen were proposed as Resident Members, viz: -Reginald Cleveland Coxe, 58 W 57th St by Mr. ShareC. M. Mc Ilhenney 822 Broadway by Mr. Moran.Contributions to the port-folio of the Club were received from Messers Thomas and Nimmo Moran,

Nicoll, Shelton, van Elten, Wood, and Gaugingigl.The names of those delinquent in payment of dues were read and in the case of Mr. Shirlaw who had

never paid any dues or contributed to the exhibitions the Secretary was directed to send a marked copy ofthe constitution calling attention to its requirements.

The following gentlemen were elected to be invited to contribute plates for the next annual catalogue, viz:- Messers. Church, Dielman, Farrer, King, Nimmo Moran, Nicoll, Share, and van Elten, and as substitutesMrs. Getchell and Mr. Hamilton.3

Mr. Moran stated that Dr. Purdy and others proposed holding a retrospective exhibition of etchingsnext winter under the auspices of the Club, and, the o�cers were appointed to confer with him upon thematter.

The meeting adjourned without further business at 10 P.M.J. C. NicollSecty.

3The New York Etching Club's 1888 catalogue (<http://cnx.org/content/m19796/latest/1888-catalogue.pdf>) was illus-trated with eight etchings by Frederick S. Church, Henry Farrer, Edith Loring Getchell, James S. King, Mary Nimmo Moran,James C. Nicoll, H. Pruett Share, and Kruseman van Elten. An Edith Loring Getchell etching was substituted for one byFrederick Dielman in the 1888 exhibition catalogue, as originally planned.



Figure 15.4: W.H. Lippincott, Infantry in Arms, 1887. (Williams Print Collection.)

15.5 Dec. 9th, 1887

The regular meeting of the club was held on the evening of Friday Dec. 9th, at the studio of the Secretary. Ofmembers, there were present Messr's. Church, Farrer, Free, Thos. Moran, Nicoll, Sabin, Shelton, Schilling,Share, Van Elten, Twachtman & Smillie.

The minutes of last meeting were read and approved.The following candidates were then unanimously elected to Membership.4

W. L. Lathrop 822 BroadwayJos. Lauber The Brunswick.Madi Sq.Reginald Cleveland Cox, 58. West .57th, St.C. Morgan McIlhenny, 822 BroadwayProposed for membership by Mr ChurchRobt. F. Bloodgood, 58. East 13th St.J. H. Twachtman & H. Pruet Share by due process of ballot were constituted a hanging Committee.After brief discussion, on motion of Mr Share, it was voted to continue placing plate printing of the Club

in the hands of Messr's

4Reginald Cleveland Coxe, of Baltimore, Maryland, was elected to Non-Residence membership of the New York EtchingClub soon after completing only his �rst few etchings. The Art Review reported in November 1886 that �demand for etchingsprompts artists to take up the etching needle. One of the latest to do so, and with a measure of success that invites attention,is Mr. R. Cleveland Coxe.� His etchings were reproductive after his own paintings. Coxe's quick rise to membership in theclub could only have served to alienate many early and loyal non-member exhibitors like J. Wells Champney, John Henry Hill,Stephen Ferris, Benjamin Lander, John Millspaugh, and F. De B. Richards, all of whom ceased exhibiting independently withthe club shortly after.


137

Kimmel and Voigt, 242 Canal St.On Motion, The President, The Secretary and Mr. Nicoll were chosen a Committee to secure a salesman

for the pending exhibition.The Secy', was instructed to remind members of their obligation to the Club portfolio�also to commu-

nicate with the gentlemen appointed to make the etchings for the Catalogue.The accounts of the retiring Secretary and Treasurer, were duly audited by Mr. Smillie and the balance

to the credit of the Club found to be $168.55W. H. SheltonSec.

Figure 15.5: Reginald Cleveland Coxe, Drifting, 1887. (Williams Print Collection.)



Figure 15.6: William L. Lathrop. (Private collection.)


Chapter 16


Club1


16.1 1888 Events

• The New York Etching Club held its annual exhibition from January 30 through February 25 at theNational Academy of Design and published a catalogue illustrated with original etchings to accompanyand record the show.

• Frederick Keppel published Catalogue of the Etched Works of Peter Moran, illustrated with�ve original etchings by the artist.

• J. Dewing published John Muir's two-volume Picturesque California and the Region West ofthe Rocky Mountains from Alaska to Mexico, containing some six hundred original etchings,photogravures and wood engravings.

• The Union League Club in New York City issued the Exhibition Catalogue of the Work of WomenEtchers of America2. The catalogue listed over �ve hundred etchings in the show, representing thework of only thirty-six women. Two of these artists, Mary Nimmo Moran and Edith Loring Getchell,were members of the New York Etching Club and between them exhibited some 113 etchings in theshow. Future club member Ellen Oakford exhibited over twenty of her prints.

• The Society of American Etchers was formed in June 1888. On November 25, The New York Timesreported on a small exhibition held in The Ortgies Gallery, on lower Fifth Avenue in New York City.Fifteen prints were exhibited, all by members of the society, whose stated purpose was to guaranteethe size of editions and the merits of the etcher. The Times noted that � . . .there are about 20 artistmembers in the new society�; and �Most if not all of the members are of the New York Etching Club.�Exhibitors included Charles A. Platt, Stephen Parrish, Kruseman van Elten, Thomas Moran, FrederickFreer, Charles Yardley Turner, William Sartain, Thomas Waterman Wood, Henry Farrer, James CraigNicoll, and Mary Nimmo Moran.

1This content is available online at <http://cnx.org/content/m19064/1.5/>.2See the �le at <http://cnx.org/content/m19064/latest/4057_001.pdf>


139


• The Second Black & White Exhibition�Etchings Presented by The Art Association ofMontreal included work by New York Etching Club members Frederick S. Church, Reginald C. Coxe,Kruseman van Elten, Henry Farrer, Mary Nimmo Moran, Peter Moran, Thomas Moran, StephenParrish, and Charles Adams Platt. According to the catalogue for the show, the �rst Art Associationof Montreal exhibition took place in 1881.

• Frederick A. Stokes & Brother published Important New Etchings by American Artists, whichincluded prints by Otto Bacher, Charles Platt, James D. Smillie. William St. John Harper, and relativeunknowns C.D. Weldon and J.A. Mitchell. Of particular interest is an extensive essay�"Future ofEtching," by Ripley Hitchcock�included with the bound portfolio.

16.2 Feby. 24th, 1888

The regular February meeting of the Etching Club was held at the Secy's Studio on the above date.Of members there were present, Messrs Church, Cox, Farrer, Hamilton, King, Lathrop, Lauber, McIhen-

ney, Thos. Moran, Nicoll, Platt, Schilling, Share, Shelton, Turner, Twachtman & Wood.The minutes of last meeting were read and approved. Messrs Kimmel & Voigt's Bill for printing the

plates ($363.�) and Jno. C. Rankins for Printing the Catalogue ($184.80) were audited and ordered paid.Robert F. Bloodgood was elected a member.The following names were proposed for membership.Otto H. Bacher. by Mr. PlattR. C. Minor � � SheltonWm H. Lippincott � � �H. M. Rosenberg � � �Thos. R. Manley � � �Carlton T. Chapman by Mr. KingH. K. Hineman � � �The Chair appointed Messrs Platt and Nicoll as auditing Committee for the ensuing year.Mr. Turner proposed the production of a portfolio by the club. After Considerable discussion as the

form of Publication it was decided by a vote to leave the details of the scheme to a Committee of three withinstructions to act promptly and if deemed necessary to call a special meeting of the Club for de�nite action.For this work the Chair appointed Mr. Turner, Mr. Platt and Mr. Share.

On motion of Mr. Hamilton the question of excluding from future Exhibitions the mass of large Repro-ductive Etchings, and returning as far as practicable to the original status of a painter-etchers exhibitions,was raised. After Considerable discussion of the exact method of accomplishing the desired reform theresolution as �nally amended read:

�Resolved the work will be received at the future exhibitions of the New York Etching Club only fromindividual etchers, except at the request of the Club�

This motion was unanimously voted and the meeting adjourned.W. H. Shelton, Secy.55 West.33d, St.


141

Figure 16.1: William St. John Harper, Reverie, 1888. (Williams Print Collection.)

16.3 April 13, 1888

The Yearly meeting of the N.Y. Etching Club was held in the Secretary's Studio at #55 West 33d St. at8.0'clock P.M.

The members present were R.F. Bloodgood, F.S. Church, R.C. Coxe, Henry Farrer, Jas. S. King, C.M.McIlhenney, Thos. Moran, J.C. Nicoll, H.P. Share, WH Shelton, C. Y. Turner, & T. Wood.

The minutes of last meeting were read and approved.The Report of the President was then read and Mr. Farrer tendered his resignation. The Report was

unanimously accepted and placed on �le.The Yearly Report of the Secy. & Treasure was made and approved and also the report of the Auditing

Committee.The Club then proceeded to the General Election of o�cers for the ensuing year, with Mr. McIlhenney

& Mr. Coxe as tellers.Mr. Farrer was Reelected as President of the Club. Mr. Shelton was reelected as Secy. & Treasure.For Executive Committee.Thos Moran JC NicollF. S. ChurchIn each Case the Election was made unanimous by the Club.The Following Members were then ElectedOtto.H. Bacher �The Brunswick� Madi Sq.



R.C. Minor University �W.H.Lippincott 106 West 55th. St.On motion of Mr. Moran the names of other candidates were laid over to be acted on at the next

meeting, with instructions to Members proposing to produce before the Club specimens of the works of theircandidates.

Mr. Turner as Chairman reported the E�orts & failures of the Special Committee on publication. AfterExtended discussion, indicating the sense of the Club to be the independent undertaking of the work ifde�nite arrangements could not be secured with a reputable publishing House, the matter was referred backto the Committee with instructions to call a special meeting of the Club at an early date.

The following members were appointed by the president to illustrate the Catalogue 1889.3 With originalEtchings in preference to copies of Exhibits.4

Reginald Cleveland CoxeOtto. H. BacherW. H. LippincottW. L. LathropC. Morgan McIlhenneyStephen ParrishC. A. PlattR. C. MinorFor SubstituteJoseph LauberAlex. SchillingPeter MoranClub AdjournedW. H. Shelton, Secy.

3The New York Etchings Club's 1889 catalogue (<http://cnx.org/content/m19064/latest/4734_001.pdf>) was illustratedwith etchings by Reginald Cleveland Coxe, Wm. H. Lippincott, C. Morgan McIlhenney, R.C. Minor, Peter Moran, StephenParrish, Charles A. Platt, and Alexander Schilling. Etchings by Peter Moran and Alexander Schilling were substituted forplates by Otto Bacher and W. L. Lathrop.

4This sentence was added at a later date.


143

Figure 16.2: Joseph Lauber. (Courtesy of Ms. Rona Schneider.)



Figure 16.3: Alexander Schilling, Untitled, 1888. (Williams Print Collection.)


145

16.4 May 1st, 1888.

A special meeting of the club was called at above date to hear the second report of the Committee onPublication, C. Y. Turner chairman.

Members present, Jas. S. King, Joseph Lauber, W. H. Lippencott, Thos. Moran, C.A. Platt, AlexSchilling, W. H. Shelton C. Y. Turner, T. W. Wood & R. C. Minor.

In the Absence of the President Mr. Moran was called to the Chair.The Committee Stated that an arrangement could be e�ected with the house of Harper & Bros. To publish

a portfolio of 12 plates by Members of the Club, with original Cover, Initial letters & other embelishments.After a long discussion the sense of the meeting was embodied in the following resolution on the motion

of Mr. Wood.Resolved that a committee of six be appointed by the President, who, in conjunction with representation

of the Publishers shall have full charge of proposed Publication, the said Committee to report publishersterms to the Etching Club for approval.

The meeting adjourned.In compliance with the above resolution the President appointed the Committee as follows.C. Y. TurnerC. A. PlattJ. C. NicollF. S. ChurchThos. MoranW. H. SheltonW. H. Shelton Secy

Figure 16.4: William L. Lathrop, On the Winaque, 1888. (Williams Print Collection.)



16.5 Friday December 14th, 1888

The regular December Meeting of the Club was held at the Secretary's Studio 106 East 55th. St. at 8 o'clockP.M.

Figure 16.5: Henry Farrer's etching Near the Sea in the 1888 New York Etching Club exhibitioncatalogue. (Private collection.)

Minutes of last regular meeting and special meeting were read and approved.The following members were presentR.F. Bloodgood, F.S. Church, Henry Farrer, James S. King, Joseph Lauber, R.C. Minor, Thos. Moran,

J.C. Nicoll, J. F. Sabin, Alexander Schilling, H.Pruet Share, W.H.Shelton, C.Y. Turner, T.Wood.The Club proceeded to the Election of a Hanging Committee: Mr. Chas. A. Platt & Reginald Cleveland

Cox, were elected. The Executive Committee was directed to act with the Hanging Committee as a Jury ofCommission.

Mr. Carlton T. Chapman was elected a member of the Club.


147

Figure 16.6: Carlton T. Chapman. (Private collection.)



The following candidates were placed in nomination: -Thos. C. Farrer of London England By Thos Moran Seconded by Mr. WoodRobert A. Eichelberger By H. Pruet Share Seconded by W. H. SheltonThe thanks of the Club were voted to Max & Albert Rosenthal for presentation of Etchings.It was voted to accept the proposition of Johnston, Norman & Co of London, for a small exhibition of

etchings by the Club if thearrangements therefore proved acceptable to the Executive Committee.5

The following motion was adopted after general discussion; Whereas, it is a recognized custom for thepublisher to allow 10. proofs to the Etcher, members of the club are requested to bear this in mind in makingcontracts.

Mr. Turner reported for the Committee on Publication, an o�er from the House of Harper & Brothersof a commission of 20% on

regular Edition & 30% on Edition de Luxy.The report of the Committee was accepted and it was empowered to make any other arrangements

necessary with the Publishers for the illustration of a book of Prints by this Club.W. H. Shelton Sec

5The Magazine of Art, 1889, Vol. 2, published by Cassell & Company, reported: �At the galleries of Messrs. Johnstoneand Norman. . .a collection of American etchings has been exhibited. Mr. T. MORAN, the President of the `Society of AmericanEtchers,' is represented by his somewhat laboured `Mountain of the Holy Cross, Colorado.' Far more satisfactory are the worksof Messrs. C. A. PLATT and STEPHEN PARRISH. The latter's `Gale at Fécamp' is the best thing in the exhibition. Wemissed many well-known names, and the twenty-two examples shown here cannot be said to worthily represent the etchingof America.� The notice does not mention the New York Etching Club. That the exhibition notice cites Thomas Moran'sexcellent etching in a somewhat negative light is by no coincidence. Cassell, a major publisher of etchings, would not have helda particularly favorable view of the American Society of Etchers' mission, for it included a guarantee for limiting edition size,personal certi�cation of individual prints by the artists, and a commitment to enforcing publisher integrity for society prints.


149

Figure 16.7: J. C. Nicoll's etching The Last of November in the 1888 New York Etching Clubexhibition catalogue. (Private collection.)


Chapter 17


Club1


17.1 1889 Events

• The New York Etching Club held its annual exhibition from February 4 through March 2 at theNational Academy of Design, and published a catalogue illustrated with original etchings to accompanyand record the show.

• Christian Klackner, New York, published A Catalogue of the Complete Etched Works ofThomas Moran and Mary Nimmo Moran.



151


Figure 17.1: Thomas Moran, Long Island Landscape, 1889. (Williams Print Collection.)

17.2 Friday Feby. 8th. 1889

The regular February meeting of The Club was held at the Secretary's Studio. There were present: -Mr. Bacher � Mr Church � Mr DielmanMr Farrer � Mr Gi�ord � Mr Hamilton �Mr. Thos Moran � Mr. Nicoll � Mr. Platt,Mr. Shelton & Mr Van Elten.The minutes of last meeting were read and approved.Mr. T. C. Farrer was unanimously elected to Membership � the name of Mr. Eichelberger was past over

for further consideration.Prosper L. Sinnate was proposed by W. H. Shelton and seconded by J.C. NicollThe Chair appointed for Auditing Committee.H. W. Robins � J. S. King.The following resolution was adopted �Resolved that each member of this society is entitled to have one etching hung in its exhibitions, but his

other works to be subject to the discretion of the Jury of Hanging Committee.W.H. Shelton Secy.


153

17.3 Mem �

It is time for the yearly Meeting in April 1889 two attempts were made to get together a quorum but in eachcase without success.

The Secretary was unable to present the report of the Exhibition or get the accounts audited.

17.4 Mem �

On the second Friday in December 1889, there was again no quorum, but a majority of the ExecutiveCommittee being present that committee organized with Mr. Moran in Chair, such action to be submittedfor rati�cation by The Club. Mr. Moran was made a Committee of one to see the Art Committee of theUnion league Club and, if possible arrange for an Exhibition of the Etching Club

W. H. Shelton Secy.

Figure 17.2: R.C. Minor's etching The Close of Day in the 1889 exhibition catalogue of the NewYork Etching Club. (Private collection.)


Chapter 18


Club1


18.1 1890 Events

• The Critic (Vol. 16, March 1, 1890) reported that the American Society of Painters on Stone had beenformed for the purpose of publishing work (lithographs) rather than exhibiting. Founding members ofthe group included Otto Bacher, Thomas Moran, Frederick Dielman, Reginald Cleveland Coxe, WilliamMerritt Chase and Edward Moran. Carroll Beckwith was identi�ed as president, and Montague Marksas Treasurer and Secretary.

18.2 February 14th, 1890.

At the regular meeting called for above date there was no quorum. There were present T. W. Wood � ThosMoran , R. Swain Gi�ord, Dr. L M Yale & W. H. Shelton. In order to make his Committee Report, ameeting was arranged with Mr Moran in the Chair subject to approval � Mr Moran reported that the roomsof the Union League Club could not be had by the Etching Club2

Mr. Moran proposed in writing the name of Miss Ellen Oakford of New Haven Conn. for Membership.The informal Meeting then adjournedMr Chapman and Mr Lauber came in after the Adjournment.W. H. Shelton Secy.

1This content is available online at <http://cnx.org/content/m19798/1.3/>.2There was no o�cial 1890 catalogue produced by the New York Etching Club, nor has documentation of an annual club

exhibition been found. There was probably no o�cial annual exhibition mounted by the club that year. The March 1890 issueof The Art Amateur (Vol. 22, No. 4), in a review of the annual American Water Color Society exhibition, reported, �Thewatercolorists, having gotten rid of the painters in black-and-white two or three years ago, have now dismissed in their turn theetchers' club, and have thus their exhibition to themselves.�


155


Figure 18.1: J.A. Weir, Pro�le of a Woman, 1890. (Williams Print Collection.)


157

18.3 Friday.April, 11th, 1890.

The yearly meeting of the N. Y. Etching Club was held at the Secretary's Studio 106 East 55th St.There were present the following members. Otto. H. Bacher, A.H. Baldwin F.S. Church, Frdk' Dielman,

Henry Farrer Joseph Lauber, Thos Moran J.C. Nicoll Alex Schilling. W.H. Shelton. J.D. Smillie T.W. Wood& C.Y. Chapman.

The minutes of the last four meetings were read & approved which included the endorsement of theinformal action taken at the last two meetings when no quorum was present.

The Club now proceeded to the yearly elections Messrs Lauber & Chapman having been appointed tellers.Mr. Farrer was reelected PresidentMr Schilling was elected Secretary and Treasurer in place of Mr. Shelton.The Executive Committee was reelected consisting of F.S. Church, Thos Moranand J. C. Nicoll.The Chair appointed as auditing Committee Jas. D. Smillie & Frd'k. DielmanMiss Ellen Oakford of New Haven Conn was elected as a non-Resident Member3

The name of Prosper. L. Sinnat was passed over as none of his work was before the Club.C.hs' W. Meilatz was proposed by Mr. Schilling & seconded by Mr Lauber.Thos.R. Manley was proposed by Mr. Schilling & seconded by Mr. Lauber.The name of Wm M. Chase was dropped from the Roll of Membership for general non compliance with

the requirements of the Constitution.The following members were transferred to the list of Non Residents.Jas. S. King - Wm. St. John HarperW.L. Lathrop - J A. S. MonksIt was decided that the Catalogue of the next exhibition should be embellished with �ve etchings instead

of eight; that the edition should be reduced to 500 copies and contain a prefatory article to be prepared byMr James D. Smillie.

On motion a Committee was appointed to assist the Secretary in the preparation of the Catalogue. MrSmillie and Mr. Chapman were named for this duty.

The selection of the etchers to execute the �ve plates was left to the Committee.4

It was decided to issue a circular to the friends & patrons of the Club and to the Artists de�ning thesort of work the club wishes to encourage in the future. A considerable discussion arose as to tecnicalities ofwording which was �nally decided to leave to the above5 Committee. The Club now adjourned.

W.H. Shelton Secy

3Ellen Oakford was never identi�ed as a Non-Resident Member in any of the future catalogues, nor is she noted again in theminutes.

4The New York Etching Club's 1891 catalogue (<http://cnx.org/content/m19798/latest/1891-catalogue.pdf>) was illus-trated with etchings by Samuel Colman, Frederick S. Church, Charles A. Platt, William L. Lathrop, and Carlton T. Chapman.

5The word �Executive� was scratched out in ink in the original copy of the minutes and the word �above� written in toreplace it. See reference in minutes for Friday, December 12, 1890.



Figure 18.2: C.Y. Turner, Woman Picking Blossoms, 1890. (Williams Print Collection.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

159

18.4 Friday December 12th� 1890.

The regular meeting of the Club was held in the Studio of Mr Carlton,T. Chapman on the above date. Thefollowing members were

present; Otto.H. Bacher, A.H.Baldwin, Robt.F.Bloodgood, F.S.Church, Henry Farrer, Hamilton Hamil-ton, Thos. Moran, J.C. Nicoll, Alexandr Schilling, Kruseman, Van Elten, T. W. Wood, Carlton T. Chapman.

The minutes of the last meeting were read, and, after the word �above� had been substituted for the word�executive� � which designated committee having charge of the circular issued by this club last spring � theywere adopted._

Upon motion by Mr Wood and duly seconded , Messrs Bloodgood and Bacher were appointed hangingcommittee for the coming election._

Mr Chas. F. W. Mielatz - *55, West 33d. St was unanimously elected a member of the Club._The Character of the coming exhibition was then discussed at some length, it was decided, that:�No Etchings from dealers will be received� the Hanging Committee were instructed to act accordingly

in their selections of works_The following Resolution was also introduced and adopted:Resolved:- That it is the sense of this meeting that in the selection and hanging of works in the next

exhibition, the committee should give the preference to original etchings, and not to those made after othermen's designs._______6

It was moved and carried that the Secretary be authorized to engage a salesman for the coming exhibition.The following names were placed on the Non-Resident members list:C Morgan Mc Ilhenny Shrub Oak. N. Y.Frederick.W.Freer ChicagoReginald, Cleveland, Cox. East Gloucester Mass.The following resolution was introducedand adopted:Resolved: ____That the New York Etching Club recommends the appointment of Mr. S. R. Koehler

as Art director for the ColumbianExposition to be held at Chicago.A copy was ordered written out on the paper of the club and sent to Mr Nicoll to be forwarded in right

channel.After this the meeting adjourned.approved Alexander SchillingSecretary

6On February 1, 1891, The New York Times published a positive review of the New York Etching Club exhibition.�Certainly it is a vast improvement on recent exhibitions of the club,� the reviewer stated, �though it no longer o�ers theattractions to uneducated eyes which consisted of big landscapes and genre pictures that invaded the province of oils andby their cheapness sought to persuade people of limited means to buy them as substitutes for more legitimate means of artexpression. Lovers of true etching, of engravings on metal called dry points, the soft e�ects of mezzotints and the broad handlingof aquatints will recognize at once that a determined e�ort has been made to start the club on the right road, away from etchingsby the million toward etchings in which the art of the etcher and painter shows itself for good or evil. Should the club beencouraged to adhere to this policy, no doubt a �ner exhibition than the present can be given, but meantime what there ishanged about the corridor of the Academy of Design is of very high grade of workmanship.�



Figure 18.3: Charles F. W. Mielatz, A Rainy Night, Madison Square, 1890. (Williams PrintCollection.)


161

Figure 18.4: Frederick W. Freer. (Private collection.)


Chapter 19


Club1


19.1 1891 Events

• The New York Etching Club held its annual exhibition in February at the National Academy of Design.The club published an exhibition catalogue in a new format including �ve original etchings that wereaccompanied by photogravures of the artists who made them. In addition, an essay by James D.Smillie, entitled "Some Observations," discussed among several topics the collapse of the commercialmarket for etchings. A pen and ink drawing by Charles A. Platt was used as a frontispiece, and anoccasional touch of bright red printing ink was used in the catalogue. The event marked the return toannual exhibitions accompanied by a catalogue.



163


Figure 19.1: 1891 New York Etching Club exhibition catalogue title page detail. (Private collection.)

19.2 Feb. 13th 1891

There were present at a meeting held in the Studio of Mr Carlton.T.Chapman at above date:Mssrs Hent Farrer, Thos.W.Wood, James.D.Smillie, Carlton.T.Chapman, J.C.Nicoll, Otto H.Bacher, and

Alexander Schilling:___ No quorum being present, it was decided to Transact such business as was mosturgent, such action to be subject to rati�cation at a subsequent meeting of the Club.

The sentiment of the members present was unanimously in favor of holding another exhibition in 1892.It was thought that the interest taken in the present exhibition of the Club, amply warranted the taking

of such a step. It was further agreed that only by bringing before the eyes of the public work of a high order,(and of a purely artistic nature at that,) could the aforesaid public be brought to a just appreciation, of thebetter and more subtle qualities in the art of etching __ after a general

discussion of this subject in which all present joined; it was then moved by Mr Nicoll and seconded byMr Wood that the President be

authorized to apply for space in the American Water Color exhibition to be held in 1892, upon the sameterms as heretofore.

The President then appointed Messrs Nicoll and Smillie a committee to audit the Treasures accounts.


165

The following Bills were favorably passed upon: Messrs Kimmel & Voigt for printing of Etchings for /91Catalogue $118.75. The Moss Engraving Co for Photo. Eng - 8.75 W. Kurtz for Halftone portrait's 62.00 A.J. Borst for frames and mats18.90. The bill of Devinne & Co for printing and binding the catalogue havinggone astray and no duplicate being at hand Mr Smillie volunteerd giving

the items. The total being about $191.00, this too was favorably passed.The Treasurer then gave an approximate total of the cash available and it was not su�cient at this time

to pay all bills, he was authorized to use his discretion in making payments __After which the meeting Adjourned ____Alexander Schilling Secretary.approved



Figure 19.2: Charles Adams Platt's A Corner in an Etcher's Studio, frontispiece pen and inkdrawing, after a painting done in 1888, reproduced in the 1891 exhibition catalogue of the New YorkEtching Club. (Private collection.)


167

19.3 April 10th 1891

The Annual meeting of the New York Etching Club, was held on the evening of this date at the studio ofMr. C.F.W. Mielatz in the �Alpine� cor 33d St & B'way:

The following Members were present: Mr Thos. W. Wood, J. C. Nicoll, Robt. F. Bloodgood, James D.Smillie, Thos Moran, A. H. Baldwin, C.F.W. Mielatz and Alexander Schilling.

The President, Mr Farrer not being present, Mr J. C. Nicoll was voted in the chair as presiding o�cer:The minutes of the previous meeting were read & approved ______Then followed the report of the Treasurer which was also accepted, subject to the approval of the auditing

committee. __



Figure 19.3: Charles F.W. Mielatz. (Courtesy of Ms. Rona Schneider.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

169

The Club now proceeded to the Election of o�cers for the ensuing year. Mr. Henry Farrer was reelectedpresident. Mr. C.F.W. Mielatz was elected Secretary & Treasure. __ Executive Board Messrs J.C. Nicoll,Thos Moran And F. S. Church. ___

It was resolved that a Catalogue be issued in 1892 on the same plan as the one published this year. Thissubject was freely discussed,

and all present were in favor ofanother article in the same, from the press of Mr Smillie, someone suggesteda �practical treatise on etching, themaking of a plate etc� __ __Mr James D Smillie, Carlton. T. Chapman,& the Secretary to act as a committee for selection of names of members whoare to make plates for the book,and to have general charge of getting upthe same. __

The subject reverted to the application For space with Am. Water Color Exhibit which was to have beenmade by the President Mr Farrer. __ It was explained that Mr Farrer was prevented from attending theAm.W. Color society by illness, so nothing was accomplished in this direction, but as the board of control(ofam. W. C. Soc) had power to act in this matter it would be brought before that body. __

A communication to the Secretary from Mr. C.S. Hartman of Grand Rapids Mich. was read, MrHartman desired to know if he could arrange with the Club for an exhibition of etchings. __ The Secretarywas instructed to write Mr Hartman and if terms satisfactory to the Executive board, could be made, theclub would furnish a collection of proofs to be exhibited under it's auspices. __

The Executive Committee to pass upon the same. __ The question of furnishing proofs unframed didnot meet with favor. ______�2

The question of delinquents came under discussion and it was thought best to take a decided stand inthe matter. __ The

Following resolution was then introduced and adopted:Resolved: That the Secretary be instructed to notify all members whose annual dues are in arrears for

one year or more, to pay thesame within thirty (30) days otherwise their names shall be dropped from the list of membership.There being no further business the Club adjourned. ________Alexander SchillingSecretary

2In 1891, Mr. Carroll S. Hartman was living in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he was known and respected as a prominentcitizen. Among his many local accomplishments was the building of Hartman Hall, the center of the city's cultural life at thattime. The Grand Rapids Public Library conducted a micro�lm review of all the local newspapers published over an eighteen-month period following April 1891 to identify announcements of an NYEC exhibition in that city, and found none. Since it islikely that such an exhibition would have been reviewed in the press as a relatively signi�cant cultural event, it probably neveroccurred.



Figure 19.4: Carlton T. Chapman's Sundown, Gloucester Harbor etching in the 1891 exhibitioncatalogue of the New York Etching Club. (Private collection.)


171

Figure 19.5: William L. Lathrop's Sou Sou East etching in the 1891 exhibition catalogue of the NewYork Etching Club. (Private collection.)

19.4 December 11th 1891 ___

The regular meeting of the New York Etching Club was held on the evening of this date at the Studio of MrJames D Smillie; 337 Fourth Ave. ___

There were present the following members: Messrs, Henry Farrer, A H Baldwin, F. S. Church, Kruseman,Van Elten, Robt F Bloodgood, T. W. Wood, James D. Smillie, and Alexander Schilling. _________

It was found upon examination that of the total number of actual members (in good standing) one thirdwas present, thus constituting a

quorum.__ The President: Mr Henry Farrer presided. ____ Mr Mielatz the present Secretary notbeing present, Mr Schilling acted in his stead. ___

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. ___The resignation of Fred'k Dielman was read, and upon motion was unanimously voted on the table __

The resignation of Mrs M Nimmo; and Mr Thos. Moran was dealt with in the same way. ___3

Upon motion the names of all members in arrears � of one year or more � was read.Mr R. C. Minor'sname was dropped from roll of members. It was resolved that the several delinquents be interviewed by such

3Though both Mary Nimmo and Thomas Moran remained listed as New York Etching Club members in the 1892, 1893, and1894 catalogues, neither one exhibited again after 1891. Frederick Dielman exhibited with the club for the last time in 1892.



of the members as could most conveniently see them di�erent members present volunteered and were thusappointed __ A report of results to be made at next meeting.4

Mr Smillie then in an informal way spoke of the work done towards getting up the Catalogue for 1892.___He had hoped (he said) to have had something di�erent to lay before club , with regard to a process ofPhoto-graveur for the portraits in the book, __ but, having the been ill all day it was impossible for himto keep appointment made with the Pho-graveur Company. __ He had learned enough however, to showthat the plan was a good one __ The pros. & cons. were freely discussed, and, upon motion the matterwas placed in his (Mr Smillie's) charge with power to act as he thought best. __5

The prices of the Catalogues for following year was raised; that for 1889 to be $ 125 that of 1888 to be$150. . . the others to remain as the are now quoted, for the present at least, but that the cost of postage,envelopes, board tc etc be in all cases added when the same is sent by mail.

The ballot for Hanging Committee for coming exhibition resulted in the Selection of Messrs J. C. Nicoll& A. H. Baldwin. ___

Mr C. Y. Turner & Mr Wm. H. Lippincott were chosen a committee on decoration. _There being no further business the meeting adjourned __Alexander SchillingActing SecretaryFor Mr C. F. W MielatzApproved

4R. C. Minor, William Sartain, and Charles S. Reinhart were no longer listed in the membership roster of New York EtchingClub after the 1891 exhibition catalogue.

5The New York Etching Club's 1892 catalogue (<http://cnx.org/content/m19799/latest/1954_001.pdf>) was illustratedwith etchings by Mary Nimmo Moran, Dr. Leroy Milton Yale, Thomas Moran, Alexander Schilling, and R. Swain Gi�ord. Thecatalogue included photogravures of each of the artists.


173

Figure 19.6: Frederick S. Church's Idyl etching in the 1891 exhibition catalogue of the New YorkEtching Club. (Private collection.)



Figure 19.7: Charles S. Reinhart. (Private collection.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

175

Figure 19.8: Charles Adams Platt's Low Tide Hon�eur etching in the 1891 exhibition catalogue ofthe New York Etching Club. (Private collection.)


Chapter 20


Club1


20.1 1892 Events

• The New York Etching Club held its annual exhibition in February at the National Academy of Design.The club published an exhibition catalogue in a new format that included �ve original etchings andphotogravures of the artists who made them, and an essay, �About Etching,� by James D. Smillie.



177


Figure 20.1: 1892 New York Etching Club exhibition catalogue cover. (Private collection.)


179

20.2 Feb 19.1892.

The Regular meeting of The New York Etching Club was held at the studio of Mr James D Smillie 337Fourth Avenue.

There were present Messrs Henry Farrer, T. W. Wood, James D Smillie, J. C. Nicoll, Thomas Moran, R.F. Bloodgood, R Swain Gi�ord, A H Baldwin, Alexander Schilling, Carlton T Chapman, Joseph Lauber &Chas FW Mielatz.

The members were unanimously in favor of continuing the publication of the present series of Catalogues,And holding an exhibition in 1893 in connection with The American Water Color Society if space can besecured. The Secretary was directed to make application for space.

Messrs James D Smillie, R F Bloodgood and Chas. F. W. Mielatz were appointed Catalogue Committeefor 1893.

Mr Carlton T Chapman proposed that The New York Etching Club make an e�ort to hold a retrospectiveExhibition at the Worlds Columbian Exposition at Chicago 1893

In connection with this proposition Mr J. C. Nicoll so moved, that the Secretary be directed to apply tothe Chief of the department of Fine Art of the Worlds Columbian Exposition stating the New York EtchingClub, as a society wish to make a Special Retrospective Exhibition of the Best American Etchings madesince 1876.2 And to ascertain if the Club may have a special allotment of space for the purpose.

Mr J.Alden Weir of 11 East 12th St. was proposed for membership, by Mr Carlton T Chapman, secondedby [sentence un�nished]

The bills of Messrs Kimmel & Voigt for printing The Etchings in the Catalogue of 1892, Theodore L DeVinne for printing letter press and binding Catalogue of 1892 and for binding One Hundred copies of 1891,The New York Photogravure Co for printing

Portraits in Catalogue of 1892 were formerly passed.Mr J. C. Nicoll introduced the subject of consolidating the Society of American Etchers with the New

York Etching Club, after some discussion Messrs R F. Bloodgood Alexander Schilling and C. F W Mielatzwere appointed a Conference Committee, to meet the

members of the Society of American Etchers and secure information on the subject.There being no further business it was moved to adjournChas FW Mielatz Secy.ApprovedApril 8,92

2The 1876 date was obviously meaningful to the artists, perhaps signifying the year to which they could trace their roots asartist-etchers and printmakers in the United States.



Figure 20.2: Page from the 1892 New York Etching Club exhibition catalogue.


181

Figure 20.3: Mary Nimmo Moran's The Passaic Meadows etching in the 1892 exhibition catalogueof the New York Etching Club. (Private collection.)

20.3 March 25, 1892

A Special meeting to further consider the subject of American Etchings at The Worlds Columbian Exposition,And to furnish information to The Department of Fine Art of the Worlds Columbian Exposition As to plansand methods, for collecting works for the Exhibition, was held at the Studio of C. F. W. Mielatz � 135 East15th St.

There were present Messrs Henry Farrer, James D Smillie, R. F. Bloodgood, A H. Baldwin, C. Y. Turner,Carlton T Chapman; Joseph Lauber, and Chas FW Mielatz.

It was found that one third of the members in good standing were present constituting a quorum thePres. Mr Farrer Presiding. A letter

from Mr Halsy C. Ines Chief of The Department of Fine Art of The Worlds Columbian Exposition ofMarch 8th1892 in which he expresses himself willing to cooperate with the members of the New York Etchingclub to bring The Exhibition of American Etchings

at the Worlds Columbian Exposition to a high artistic Standard, and asking information as to numberof works, and amount of space required was read.

Mr Carlton T. Chapman having had a talk with Mr Ines The Chief of the Department of Fine Art ofthe Worlds Columbian Exposition, Stated that Mr Ines had said, that in his opinion it would be impossible



for the Club to have a special allotment of space, But that he was in favor of having the New York EtchingClub select the works for The Exhibition of American Etchings at the WorldsColumbian

Exposition.On motion the following resolution was adopted. � Resolved that the New York etching Club will act as a

jury for The Selection of works for the Exhibition of American Etchings at the Worlds Columbian Exposition� Provided the Exposition will bear expenses.

It was further moved that the Secretary Communicate with The Chief of The Department of Fine Art ofthe Worlds Columbian Exposition quoting the resolution passed by the New York Etching Club, Expressingtheir willingness to appoint a Committee to select the works for an Exhibition of American Etchings at TheWorlds Columbian Exposition to be held at Chicago 1893. This

Committee to act as a hanging Committee at The Exhibition.At the same time asking him if The Department of Fine Art of the Worlds Columbian Exhibition, will

bear all necessary expenses. Also to make inquiry in regard to the Building, .The Space, if other works ofart will hang in the same gallery or not, its lighting and all information necessary for the function of theCommittee.

There being no further business it was moved to adjournChas FW MielatzSecy.ApprovedApril 83

Figure 20.4: R. Swain Gi�ord's Tangier etching in the 1892 exhibition catalogue of the New YorkEtching Club. (Private collection.)

3The words �Approved� and �April 8� appear to have been written in by James D. Smillie, as they match other samples ofhis handwriting in the minutes.


183

20.4 April 8 1892.

The Annual meeting of the New York Etching Club was held at the Studio of Chas FW Mielatz � 135 East15th St. There were present

Messrs Henry Farrer, Thos W Wood C. Y. Turner, A H Baldwin, W. H. Shelton, R. F. BloodgoodAlexander Schilling, Carlton T Chapman, Joseph Lourbes, & Chas.FW Mielatz.

The minutes of the previous regular meeting and a special meeting were read and approved.The Annual report of the Secretary and Treasure were then read and approved.The subject of Consolidating the Society of American Etchers with the New York Etching Club was then

Called up. It was found thatthe Conference Committee appointed by the Club Messrs R. F. Bloodgood Alexander Schilling and Chas

FW Mielatz were not ready to make a report. Though each expressed personally negative views in regardto the proposed Consolidation Mr C. Y. Turner

explained most thoroughly the aim and object of The Society of American Etchers. But after Considerablediscussion it was decided that every member should be noti�ed that this matter would be �nally decided atthe Autumn meeting of this Club. In connection with this it was

Resolved, That a notice be sent to each member of The New York Etching Club apprising them of thefact that the subject of Amalgammating The Society of American Etchers with The New York Etching Clubwill Come up for discussion at the Autumn meeting of this Club.

The Annual Election of o�cers then took place Mr Henry Farrer was reelected President Mr Chas FWMielatz was reelected

Secretary and Treasurer and Messrs J. C. Nicoll, F. S. Church and Alexander Schilling Executive Com-mittee.

Mr J Alden Weir of No 11 East 12th St. was elected a memberThe resignation of Mr James D Smillie as a member of the Catalogue Committee was read but not

accepted it was decided to allow him a vacation retaining his name on the Committee and Mr AlexanderSchilling was appointed to serve for him until his return.

A letter from the librarian of the Salmagundi Club asking the New York Etching Club to present to theSalmagundi Club for its library a set of the New York Etching Club Catalogues was read It was moved thatthe Catalogues be presented.

There being no further business it was moved to adjourn4

4These minutes were unsigned, but the handwriting matches other entries signed by Chas Mielatz.



Figure 20.5: Dr. Leroy M. Yale's Salt-Works Near Padanaram Bridge etching in the 1892 exhi-bition catalogue of the New York Etching Club. (Private collection.)


185

Figure 20.6: Alexander Schilling. (Private collection.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>


20.5 April 20, 1892

A special meeting was held at the Studio of Chas FW Mielatz 135 East 15th St.There were present, Messrs Henry Farrer Thos W. Wood, Thos Moran, R. Swain Gi�ord, A. H. Baldwin,

R. F. Bloodgood, Joseph Lauber, Alexander Schilling and Chas FW. MielatzThis meeting was Called to Consider and answer a letter received from the Chief of The department of

Fine Arts of The Worlds Columbian Exposition dated April 7 1892.See minutes of meeting Feb 19,/89.See letter of Chief of Department of Fine Arts of the Worlds Columbian Exposition Mar 8/92See minutes of meeting Mar 25/1892See letter of Chief of Department tc. April 7/92I answer to the letter of the Chief of Department of Fine Arts of The Worlds Columbian Exposition dated

April 7 1892It wasResolved that the New York Etching Club will take no other action in regard to an Exhibition of American

Etchings at The World'sColumbian Exposition to be held at Chicago 1893, until further advised by the Chief of the Department

of Fine Arts of The Worlds Columbian Exposition.The Secretary was directed to apprise The Chief of The Department of Fine Arts of The World Columbian

Exposition of the above resolution.There being no further business it was moved to adjourn.5



187

Figure 20.7: Alexander Schilling's Toll-gate and Bridge etching in the 1892 exhibition catalogue ofthe New York Etching Club. (Private collection.)

20.6 December 9, 1892

The regular meeting Of The New York Etching Club was held at the Studio of Chas FW Mielatz �135 East15th St.

There were present Messrs Henry Farrer Thos W Wood, Samuel Colman, R. F. Bloodgood, Carlton TChapman, Otto H Bacher, Alexander Schilling, Kruseman Van Elten and Chas F. W. Mielatz.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved.A letter from Mr James D SmillieDated, London Nov 6, 92 suggesting that the New York Etching Club form a Collection of American

Etchingsfor presentation to the British Museum was read. And in connection withthis letter it was.�Resolved. That we adopt the suggestion of Mr Smillie, and form a Collection of worksby members of

The Club. ThisCollection to be presented to the British Museum for the purposeof properly representingAmerican etchers in The Print Collection of the Museum. And,

The Secretary was directed to Communicate to Mr Smillie the resolution of The Club and to obtain anyfurther information that may be necessary to further the object in view.



A letter from Mr Walter Stearn Hale asking permission to reproduce in some Western Magazine some ofthe etching's published in

The Catalogue of The New York Etching ClubOn motion this letter was laid on the table, and the Secretary was directed to obtain further informationThe Secretary was directed to apply to Messrs Devinne & Co for the portrait plates of the Catalogue for

1891.Messrs Kruseman Van Elten � and C. A. Platt were elected hanging committee for the Exhibition of

1893.There being no further business it was moved to adjourn.6



Chapter 21


Club1


21.1 1893 Events

• The New York Etching Club held its annual exhibition in February at the National Academy of Design.The club published an exhibition catalogue in the new format, including �ve original etchings by HenryFarrer, John H. Twachtman, James Craig Nicoll, Joseph Lauber, and Charles F.W Mielatz. Therewere also photogravures of the artists who made the etchings, and an essay, �Etching TechnicallyConsidered,� by James D. Smillie.

• At TheWorld's Columbian Exposition in 1893, where 350 etchings were exhibited, there was no separatesection set aside for the New York Etching Club. Nevertheless, prints were exhibited by severalactive members, including Robert F. Bloodgood, Carlton T. Chapman, Samuel Colman, FrederickDielman, R. Swain Gi�ord, Joseph Lauber, Charles F. W. Mielatz, Mary Nimmo Moran, Robertson K.Mygatt, James Craig Nicoll, Charles A. Platt, Alexander Schilling, Kruseman van Elten, and J. AldenWeir. Past members James S. King, J.A.S. Monks, Stephen Parrish, William Sartain, and Charles A.Vanderhoof also contributed.

• Henry Russell Wray wrote A Review of Etching in The United States (Philadelphia: R.C. Pen�eld).

• The Boston Museum of Fine Art's Print Department organized the Exhibition of American Etchingsand Engravings, which remained open from June through October.



189


Figure 21.1: Photographic image of John H. Twachtman in the 1893 exhibition catalogue of the NewYork Etching Club. (Courtesy of Ms. Rona Schneider.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

191

21.2 Feb 17 1893.

The regular meeting of the New York Etching Club was held at the Studio of Chas F. W. Mielatz, 135 East15th St.

Messrs H. Farrer, T. W. Wood, Alex Schilling, Joseph Lauber, C. T. Chapman and Chas F. W. Mielatz� were present.

This did not make a quorum but such business as it was thought necessary, was attended to subject tofurther action of the Club.

Several letter from Mr James D. Smillie in regard to a Collection of American to be presented to theBritish Museum were read and

The Secretary was directed to issue a circular in regard to the matter2

Mr Robert Koehler of the Vandyke Studios 8th Ave & 58th St N.Y.City �was proposed for membershipby Joseph Lauber, seconded

Chas FW Mielatz and, Mr Robertson K. Mygatt was proposed for membership by Chas FW Mielatzseconded by Mr Alexander Schilling

Mr Mygatts address is 1425 B.W. New York City �There being no further business it was moved to adjourn.Heavy Snow Storm.Approved3

21.3 April 14, 1893

The Annual meeting of the New York Etching Club was called for this date �Messrs Henry Farrer, Thos W. Wood, Alexander Schilling, Joseph Lauber, R Swain Gi�ord and Chas

FW Mielatz were present�There being no quorum it was decided to adjourn the meeting until April 21st at same time and place.4

21.4 April 21 1893.

The Annual meeting took place at 135 East 15th St.There were present Messrs Henry Farrer Thos W Wood, R. F. Bloodgood A H Baldwin Joseph Lauber

Carlton T ChapmanAlexander Schilling and Chas F. W. MielatzNo quorum being present the annual report of Secy. & Treas was read and approved subject to further

action by the Club.A letter of resignation sent by Mr. Wm H Lippincott was read; it was laid on the Table for further

considerationThe election of o�cers was postponed until the fall meetingMr Robertson K Mygatt of 1425 Bway and Mr Robert Koehler of The Vandyke Studio Eighth Av. And

58th St were unanimouslyelected by the Club.The Secretary was directed to send bills to members in arrears with their duesIt was moved and seconded that the President appoint a Committee to see the di�erent members, and

urge them to work for the next exhibition.Messrs Alexander Schilling Carlton T Chapman and R F Bloodgood were appointed

2There is no record of a gift from the New York Etching Club in the British Museum's print room register for the periodfrom December 1892 through December 1894, according to Martin Hopkinson, former archivist for the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers in London. James D. Smillie did make two personal donations in 1983.

3The word �Approved� appears to have been added by James D. Smillie, as it matches other samples of his handwriting inthe minutes.

4These minutes are unsigned, but the handwriting matches other entries signed by Chas Mielatz.



There being no further business it was moved to adjourn.5

Approved

Figure 21.2: Peter Moran's The Country Smithy frontispiece etching in A Review of Etching in

the United States, 1893, by Henry Russell Wray. (Private collection.)

21.5 Dec 8.1893

The Regular meeting of the New York Etching Club took place at 135 East 15th St. on this date �.There were present Messrs Henry Farrer, Thos W. Wood, J. C. Nicoll, James D Smillie, R. F. Bloodgood,

A.H.Baldwin, AlexanderSchilling, Carlton T Chapman, Joseph Lauber, and Chas FW Mielatz.At the request of Mr Smillie the annual report for the year Ending April 21st 1893 was read and approved.XXX On the motion of Mr Lauber which was duly seconded, it was decided to dispense with the present

form of Catalogue, at any sake for the current exhibition.From Reports brought in by di�erent members it appeared that the holding of a credible exhibition 1894

would prove a di�cult matter, and with a view to getting de�nite information on the subject it was movedand seconded that The President appoint a Committee to make inquiry as to the desirability of holding an

5These minutes are unsigned, but the handwriting matches other entries signed by Chas Mielatz.


193

exhibition. � The Committee to report at an adjourned meeting to be held at 135 East 15th St. on ThursdayDec 14th at 4 P.M.

Messrs Carlton T Chapman and Chas FW Mielatz � were appointed.6

The Secretary was instructed to send letters to those in arrears with their annual dues impressing uponthem the necessity of sending in their di�erent accounts at once

The resignations of Messrs Wm H Lippincott and Otto Bacher were read and accepted.It was moved to adjourn to meet at same place on Thursday Dec. 14th at 4 P.M.ApprovedXXXThe Report of The Treasure found the Club in arrears in making payments for/on The Catalogue for

1893. Therefrom -Approved Dec 14/93Chas FW Mielatz Secy.

6A club exhibition did take place in 1894 and a short un-illustrated catalogue, now in the collection of The New York PublicLibrary, was produced to document it. Robert F. Bloodgood, Carlton T. Chapman, Frederick S. Church, J.M. Falconer, HenryFarrer, Charles F.W. Mielatz, Robertson K. Mygatt, Alexander Schilling, James D. Smillie, Kruseman van Elten, T.W. Wood,and Leroy M. Yale all exhibited work as Resident Members in the show. Edith Loring Getchell and Joseph Pennell were theonly Non-Resident exhibiting members. The show was otherwise relatively small, but included many well-known Europeans.A positive review of the exhibition appeared in the Quarterly Illustrator (1894), as did James D. Smillie's article, �Etchingand Painter Etching,� optimistically predicting a bright future for etching in America.



Figure 21.3: Photographic image of Thomas Waterman Wood from The Quarterly Illustrator for

1894. (Private collection.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

195

THE MINUTES RECORDED IN THIS BOOK.


Chapter 22

The Constitution of the New York

Etching Club1




197

198CHAPTER 22. THE CONSTITUTION OF THE NEW YORK ETCHING

CLUB

22.1 NYEC CONSTITUTION

22.1.1 As recorded, initially, by James D. Smillie in the minutes book of the New

York Etching Club.

Figure 22.1: Photocopy of original handwritten New York Etching Club minutes entry. (Archives ofthe National Academy of Design.)


199

22.1.2 Constitution of the New York Etching Club.

As approved at a meeting of the executive committee � Sat. evening Dec 8th 1877 and �nally, by the club,at the Regular Monthly Meeting, Dec. 10th 1877. See minutes � page 10, this volume.

22.1.3 Constitution

22.1.3.1 Article I

name and objectThe name of this Association shall be: �The New York Etching Club�. Its location, the city of New York.

Its object to advance the art of �Free Hand Etching�

22.1.3.2 Article II

membershipSection 1. The members of this Association shall be divided into two classes, viz: Resident & Non

Resident members.Resident membersSection 2. Resident members shall be chosen only from among Residents of the city of New York or those

residing within such distance as will not prevent regular attendance at the meetings or the performance ofthe ordinary duties of such membership. In them shall be vested all the powers of the Association to bedelegated as herinafter mentioned.

non-resident membersSection 3. non-resident members shall be chosen from etchers not resident in the City of New York. They

shall have all the privileges of Resident members except the right to vote and hold o�ce and shall be exemptfrom dues.

Section 4. All nominations for membership must be made in writing by a Resident member and thereuponreferred to the Executive Committee who shall make careful examination as to the quali�cations and considerall communications in relation thereto: such proceedings to be secret and con�dential. Each name shall bevoted upon separately by ballot and two negative votes shall constitute rejection of the candidate. The namesof the candidates approved by the Executive Committee shall be presented at the next regular meeting ofthe Association and voted upon separately by ballot. Negative votes to the number of one third of thosecast shall exclude a candidate from membership and no person so excluded shall be eligible for one yearthereafter.

initiation fees and duesInsert as amendedSection 5. There shall be Amended Mch 31/82 neither initiation fees or dues but in leiu thereof such ex-

penditures as shall have been unanimously agreed to by the Executive Committee shall be met by assessmentupon the members.

Insert as AmendedSection 6.Amended Mch 31-82Any Resident member neglecting to attend the Regular meetings or failing to contribute two original

etchings to said meetingsfor one year shall thereby forfeit his membership unless upon furnishing su�cient reason he shall be

excused by special vote of the Executive Committee.Resignations.Section 7. All resignations shall be made in writing to the Secretary, to be acted upon by the Executive

Committee. All interests in the property of the Association of members resigning or otherwise ceasing to bemembers shall be vested in the Association.



CLUB

Figure 22.2: Photocopy of original handwritten New York Etching Club minutes entry. (Archives ofthe National Academy of Design.)Available for free at Connexions <http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1>

201

22.1.3.3 Article III

Section 1. The o�cers of the Association shall be a President, and a Secretary, (who shall also act asTreasurer.) These, together with three other members shall constitute the Executive Committee, all to beelected at the Annual meeting.

PresidentSection 2. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and the Executive Committee.

He shall, with the Secretary, sign all written contracts and obligations of the Association and he shall performsuch duties as shall be assigned to him by the Executive Committee. He shall be, ex o�cio a member of allcommittees.

SecretarySection 3. It shall be the Duty of the Secretary to keep a true record of the proceedings of the Association

and of the ExecutiveCommittee and to perform all the ordinary duties of his o�ce.TreasurerSection 4. And in his capacity of Treasurer it shall be his duty to receive all the money due the Association

and to pay all billscontracted for upon their approval by the Executive Committee, keeping a correct account of the same

in books provided for thatpurpose which shall, at all reasonable times be open to the inspection of the Executive Committee. He

shall make a full report at the Annual Meeting if the receipts and disbursements of the past year.Executive CommitteeSection 5. The Executive Committee shall have general charge of the a�airs, funds and property of the

Association. It shall be their duty to carry out the objects and purposes thereof and to this end they mayexercise all the powers if the Association subject to the Constitution and By � Laws and to such action asthe Association may take at its Business meetings. Three members shall constitute a

quorum. The minutes of their proceedings shall be kept in the same book with the general minutes ofthe Association.

Election of o�cersSection 6. All o�cers shall be elected by ballot from among the Resident members at the Annual Meeting,

a majority of all votes cast being necessary to elect. They shall hold o�ce for one year from the �rst ofNovember following the date of their election.

Removal of o�cersSection 7. Any o�cer may be removed for cause by a three fourths vote of the members present at a

Business meeting of the Association, ten days notice, at least, of such proposed action having been sent tohim.

Forfeiture of o�ceSection 8. Any o�cer failing to attend three consecutive meetings of the Executive Committee unless

excused by the other members of said committee shall be deemed to have forfeited his o�ce.Vacancies in o�ceSection 9. Any vacancy in o�ce shall be �lled for the remainder of the term by the Executive Committee.

22.1.3.4 Article IV

Insert as amendedAmended Mch 31/82Section 1. There shall be Regular Monthly meetings on the Second Monday evening of each month from

November to May, inclusive, the meeting in May to be known as the Annual meeting.QuorumSection 2. one third of the members shall constitute a quorum.



CLUB


203

22.1.3.5 Article V

Amendments to ConstitutionSection 1. This Constitution may be amended only by a two thirds vote at a Regular meeting of the

Association, notice of theproposed amendment having been given at the Regular meeting immediately previous.After approval, the following named gentlemen a�xed their signatures to a copy of the Constitution in

the order given.Leroy Milton Yale,James D.Smillie,Henry C. Eno,R. Swain Gi�ord,A. H. Baldwin,E. Wood Perry Jr.T. W. Wood,H. W. Robbins Jr.Chas. H. Miller,Chas. S. Reinhart,Edwin A. Abbey,Laurence Johnson,Frederick Dielman,Louis C. Ti�any,Walter Shirlaw,Henry Farrer,A. F. Bellows,Saml. Colman,Jos. F. Sabin,J. C. Nicoll,F. S. Church.True CopyJames D. Smillie.Secty.Dec 1'0�, 1877

22.1.3.6 Amendments Rati�ed mach 31st 1882

Art.II. Sec. 5. � An initiation fee of ten dollars shall be paid by each newly elected Resident Member, withinthirty days after notice in writing of his election; and in case of default thereof he shall be deemed to havedeclined membership.

The annual dues shall be three dollars a year payable by each Resident Member at the Annual Meeting.Art.IV. Sec. 1. Three Regular Meetings for the transaction of business shall be held in each year � viz:

on the second Friday in February, April and December; - the April Meeting to be known as the AnnualMeeting.

22.1.3.7 Amendment passed March 31st 1882.

Art.II. Sec.6. Any Resident Member neglecting to attend the regular meetings of the Club for one year, orfailing to contribute, to each Annual Exhibition, shall thereby forfeit his membership, unless, upon furnishingsu�cient reason, he shall be excused by a special vote of the Club.

Roll called at meetings heldDec 8 1879 Jan 12 1880 Feby 8 18801 L. M. Yale late



CLUB

2 J. D. Smillie P P P3 H. C. Eno4 R. Swain Gi�ord P P5 A. H.Baldwin P P6 T. W. Wood Late P7 H. W. Robbins8 C. H. Miller* 9 C. S. Reinhart L P* 10 E. A. Abbey11 L. Johnson12 F. Dielman P L13 L. C. Ti�any* 14 W. Shirlaw P P15 H. Farrer P P P16 A. F. Bellows P L P17 S. Colman P18 J. F. Sabin P P19 J. C. Nicoll P P P20 W. M. Chase P P21 F. S. Church P P P22 G. H. Smillie P P P23 C. A. Vanderhoof24 K. van Elten P PCheck this page in the copy/////////


205


206 INDEX

Index of Keywords and Terms

Keywords are listed by the section with that keyword (page numbers are in parentheses). Keywordsdo not necessarily appear in the text of the page. They are merely associated with that section. Ex.apples, � 1.1 (1) Terms are referenced by the page they appear on. Ex. apples, 1

A Academy, � 1(1), � 8(43), � 10(69)Adams, � 19(163)Alexander, � 16(139), � 20(177)American, � 8(43), � 11(85), � 13(113),� 14(123), � 15(129), � 16(139), � 17(151),� 18(155), � 19(163), � 20(177), � 21(189)

B Bellows, � 8(43)

C C.Y., � 18(155)Carlton, � 16(139), � 19(163)Chapman, � 16(139), � 19(163)Charles, � 10(69), � 18(155), � 19(163)Church, � 7(33), � 9(55), � 12(107), � 19(163)Cleveland, � 15(129)Club, � 1(1), � 2(3), � 3(5), � 4(7), � 5(17),� 6(25), � 7(33), � 8(43), � 9(55), � 10(69),� 11(85), � 12(107), � 13(113), � 14(123),� 15(129), � 16(139), � 17(151), � 18(155),� 19(163), � 20(177), � 21(189), � 22(197)Coleman, � 12(107)Colman, � 6(25)Color, � 8(43), � 11(85), � 13(113), � 14(123),� 15(129), � 16(139), � 17(151), � 18(155),� 19(163), � 20(177), � 21(189)Coxe, � 15(129)Craig, � 10(69), � 12(107)

D Dave, � 1(1)Design, � 1(1), � 8(43), � 10(69)

E Edith, � 14(123)Elten, � 11(85)Emily, � 6(25)Etching, � 1(1), � 2(3), � 3(5), � 4(7), � 5(17),� 6(25), � 7(33), � 8(43), � 9(55), � 10(69),� 11(85), � 12(107), � 13(113), � 14(123),� 15(129), � 16(139), � 17(151), � 18(155),� 19(163), � 20(177), � 21(189), � 22(197)

F F.W., � 18(155), � 19(163)Falconer, � 10(69)Farrer, � 9(55), � 12(107), � 13(113), � 16(139)

Foundation, � 1(1)Frederick, � 7(33), � 9(55), � 12(107),� 15(129), � 18(155), � 19(163)Fredericks, � 2(3), � 5(17), � 6(25), � 7(33),� 8(43), � 9(55), � 10(69), � 11(85), � 12(107),� 13(113), � 14(123), � 15(129), � 16(139),� 17(151), � 18(155), � 19(163), � 20(177),� 21(189), � 22(197)Freer, � 15(129), � 18(155)

G Gaugengigl, � 12(107)George, � 7(33)Getchell, � 14(123)Gi�ord, � 8(43), � 12(107), � 20(177)

H H.P., � 13(113), � 15(129)Haden, � 6(25)Harper, � 16(139)Henry, � 9(55), � 12(107), � 16(139)Historical, � 2(3)Hovenden, � 13(113)

I Ignatz, � 12(107)

J J.A.S., � 11(85)J.C., � 16(139)James, � 1(1), � 3(5), � 5(17), � 6(25), � 7(33),� 8(43), � 9(55), � 10(69), � 11(85), � 12(107),� 13(113), � 14(123), � 15(129), � 16(139),� 17(151), � 18(155), � 19(163), � 20(177),� 21(189), � 22(197)John, � 10(69), � 16(139), � 21(189)Joseph, � 13(113), � 16(139)

K King, � 14(123)Kruseman, � 11(85)Kushner, � 2(3)

L Langston, � 16(139)Lathrop, � 15(129), � 16(139), � 19(163)Lauber, � 16(139)Leroy, � 6(25), � 20(177)Lippincott, � 15(129)


INDEX 207

Loring, � 14(123)

M Marilyn, � 2(3)Mary, � 9(55), � 12(107), � 14(123), � 20(177)McIlhenney, � 15(129)Mielatz, � 18(155), � 19(163)Minor, � 17(151)Minutes, � 1(1), � 3(5), � 4(7)Monks, � 11(85), � 12(107)Moran, � 6(25), � 9(55), � 10(69), � 12(107),� 14(123), � 17(151), � 20(177), � 21(189)Morgan, � 15(129)

N National, � 8(43), � 10(69)New, � 1(1), � 2(3), � 3(5), � 4(7), � 5(17),� 6(25), � 7(33), � 8(43), � 9(55), � 10(69),� 11(85), � 12(107), � 13(113), � 14(123),� 15(129), � 16(139), � 17(151), � 18(155),� 19(163), � 20(177), � 21(189), � 22(197)Nicoll, � 8(43), � 10(69), � 12(107), � 16(139)Nimmo, � 9(55), � 12(107), � 14(123),� 20(177)

P Parrish, � 12(107)Pennell, � 13(113)Peter, � 6(25), � 10(69), � 12(107), � 21(189)Platt, � 10(69), � 19(163)Print, � 1(1)

R R., � 20(177)R.C., � 17(151)Reginald, � 15(129)Reinhart, � 19(163)Research, � 1(1)Robert, � 12(107)

S Salmagundi, � 10(69), � 13(113), � 14(123),� 15(129), � 16(139), � 17(151), � 18(155),� 19(163), � 20(177), � 21(189)Samuel, � 6(25), � 12(107)Satterlee, � 12(107)Schilling, � 16(139), � 20(177)Seymour, � 6(25)Share, � 15(129)Shelton, � 13(113)Shirlaw, � 8(43), � 10(69)

Shore, � 13(113)Sketch, � 10(69), � 14(123), � 15(129),� 16(139), � 17(151), � 18(155), � 19(163),� 20(177), � 21(189)Smillie, � 1(1), � 3(5), � 5(17), � 6(25), � 7(33),� 8(43), � 9(55), � 10(69), � 11(85), � 12(107),� 13(113), � 14(123), � 15(129), � 16(139),� 17(151), � 18(155), � 19(163), � 20(177),� 21(189), � 22(197)Society, � 2(3), � 8(43), � 11(85), � 13(113),� 14(123), � 15(129), � 16(139), � 17(151),� 18(155), � 19(163), � 20(177), � 21(189)St., � 16(139)Stephen, � 2(3), � 5(17), � 6(25), � 7(33),� 8(43), � 9(55), � 10(69), � 11(85), � 12(107),� 13(113), � 14(123), � 15(129), � 16(139),� 17(151), � 18(155), � 19(163), � 20(177),� 21(189), � 22(197)Swain, � 20(177)

T T.C., � 13(113)Thomas, � 9(55), � 10(69), � 12(107),� 13(113), � 17(151), � 21(189)Turner, � 18(155)Twachtman, � 21(189)

V van, � 11(85)

W W.A., � 18(155)W.H., � 13(113), � 15(129)Walter, � 10(69), � 12(107)Water, � 8(43), � 11(85), � 13(113), � 14(123),� 15(129), � 16(139), � 17(151), � 18(155),� 19(163), � 20(177), � 21(189)Waterman, � 10(69), � 21(189)Weir, � 18(155)William, � 15(129), � 16(139), � 19(163)Williams, � 1(1)Wood, � 10(69), � 21(189)

Y Yale, � 6(25), � 20(177)York, � 1(1), � 2(3), � 3(5), � 4(7), � 5(17),� 6(25), � 7(33), � 8(43), � 9(55), � 10(69),� 11(85), � 12(107), � 13(113), � 14(123),� 15(129), � 16(139), � 17(151), � 18(155),� 19(163), � 20(177), � 21(189), � 22(197)


208 ATTRIBUTIONS

Attributions

Collection: The New York Etching Club MinutesEdited by: Stephen FredericksURL: http://cnx.org/content/col10663/1.1/License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Module: "Acknowledgments"By: Stephen FredericksURL: http://cnx.org/content/m19784/1.2/Pages: 1-2Copyright: Stephen FredericksLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Module: "Preface"By: marilyn kushnerURL: http://cnx.org/content/m19782/1.2/Page: 3Copyright: marilyn kushnerLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Module: "About This Book"By: Stephen FredericksURL: http://cnx.org/content/m19785/1.2/Pages: 5-6Copyright: Stephen FredericksLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Module: "Introduction: The Birth of American Artist Printmaking"By: Stephen FredericksURL: http://cnx.org/content/m19783/1.4/Pages: 7-15Copyright: Stephen FredericksLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Module: "1877 Minutes of the New York Etching Club"By: Stephen FredericksURL: http://cnx.org/content/m19786/1.2/Pages: 17-24Copyright: Stephen FredericksLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/



ATTRIBUTIONS 209










210 ATTRIBUTIONS








Module: "The Constitution of the New York Etching Club"By: Stephen FredericksURL: http://cnx.org/content/m19780/1.2/Pages: 197-206Copyright: Stephen FredericksLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/


The New York Etching Club MinutesThe annotated and illustrated minutes of the New York Etching Club, edited by Stephen A. Fredericks.

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