Photo by DG-rad

Cross-posted at Ghosts of D.C.

Tragedy! I was tipped off by DCist that the Corcoran Gallery might be leaving the District for
Alexandria? Wow, that would be bad. Say it ain’t so. And who is
in the market to buy a big 115-year-old art gallery? What’s the
market price anyway … $50 million? Hey, the White House is
apparently estimated at $110 million.

Well, the good news is that this was inspiration for another
“Three
Things…” post. Let’s see if GoDC can dig up some
bizarre and odd tales about the Corcoran Gallery.

1. The New Corcoran Gallery Opens on 17th Street

The New Corcoran Gallery
(Washington Times)

Out with the old and in with the new. Early 1897 was a time for
change in Washington, D.C. A new president was two weeks away from
being inaugurated. William
McKinley had defeated William Jennings Bryan in the fall of 1896
and inaugurations were held in March (watch
film of his second inauguration in 1901).

The new Corcoran Gallery was set to open just before the
celebrations for the incoming president. The Washington times had a
column in their newspaper on February 23rd, detailing the grand
opening ball held the night before.

Nearly five thousand people visited the new and
beautiful Corcoran Art Gallery last evening by the courtesy of the
trustees, who had issued cards to the friends of the institution for a
private view of the treasures in this exquisite temple of art.

It was understood that Mrs. Cleveland would be present, as she had
accepted her invitation, and this possibly secured the continued
attendance of the crowd until after 11 o’clock, when the doors
were to be closed. Between 9 and 10, however, the notables arrived in
great numbers, among them being Sir Julian Pauncefote, his three
daughters, Lord Aberdeen and the Countess of Aberdeen, and their
daughter, Mr. and Madame Patenotre, the Chinese Minister and Madame
Yang Yu, the Japanese Minister, and members of the legation, Minister
De Lome, Madame De Lome, Senator Hoar and party of ladies, Senator
Pasco and party, Vice President Stevenson and party, M. Andrade and
party, Senator Blackburn and party, President H. L. Whitman, of Columbian
University, and party, Rev. Howard Wilbur Ennis and party, Rev.
Mackay-Smith, D. D., and Mrs. Smith, Senator Lodge, Mr. McMillin and
Mrs. McMillin, and quite a number of other Representatives and
Senators. All of the embassies were represented.

Possibly the proudest man in the building was Dr. Barbarin, the
curator, and there was much to be proud of. The arrangements were as
perfect as if they had been chiseled or painted by artists, and there
was much appreciative comment on the disposition of the works of art
in all the halls. Good critics said that the view is vastly superior
to that in the Museum of Chicago, and in the exquisite symmetry of the
hall and its contents even the much vaunted interior of the
Congressional Library will have to look to its honors.

The public will not see this often, but after the formal opening
tomorrow night the gallery will be as usual open all week and on the
usual terms.

The committee under whose management the affair of last night was
given was composed of Mr. S. H. Kauffman, Mr. Walter S. Cox, Mr. Fred B. McGuire, Mr. Charles C.
Glover, Mr. Edward Clark, Mr. Calderon Carlisle, Mr. Matthew W. Galt,
Mr. Wilham Corcoran Eustis and Mr. Thomas Hyde.

2. Calvin Coolidge Leaves White House to Visit the Corcoran;
Nobody Notices

Poor silent Cal. He never gets any recognition or acknowledgement
(read this
post and you’ll know what I’m talking about).

A brief Washington Post article from January 5th, 1925 mentions the
impromptu visit by the president and his wife.

Unheralded and almost unnoticed, President and Mrs.
Coolidge, accompanied by three secret service
men, slipped out of the White House
yesterday afternoon and visited the Corcoran Gallery of Art to view
the Willard Metcalf and daniel Chester French exhibits
on display there.

Only the usual Sunday afternoon visitors were in the gallery when
the President and Mrs. Coolidge arrived. They were greeted by C. C.
Glover, president of the gallery’s board of trustees, and C.
Powell Minnigerode, director of the gallery. Few noticed the presence
of the presidential group as it went quietly from picture to picture
or from marble to marble, and after three-quarters of an hour slipped
out the students’ side entrance and returned to the White
House.

…

The
President and Mrs. Coolidge attracted little attention as they
left the White House. They preferred to walk the short distance and
left the White House car behind. There were few people on the streets
and only here and there persons recognized the President as the group
walked quietly along Seventeenth street.

…

The party returned almost unnoticed to the White House.

How many times does the article have to say the group went
unnoticed? Poor Cal. Check out the photo of Calvin and Grace Coolidge
leaving the gallery, secret service in tow.

Calvin and Mrs. Coolidge leaving the
Corcoran. Nobody is noticing. – 1925 (Library of
Congress)

3. Bronze Statue Stolen in 1885 Mysteriously Reappears in the
Gallery 15 Years Later

This is a bizarre story. I found this in the Washington Post, dated
December 17th, 1900.

Two or three days ago a wooden box, carefully sealed
and with express charges prepaid, was received at the Corcoran Gallery
of Art, which, on being opened, revealed a statue of a bear. It was
thought for a time that it was a contribution, but when one of the old
employes happened to see it he recognized the bronze as one which had
mysteriously disappeared from the Old Gallery of Art at Seventeenth
street and Pennsylvania
avenue, about fifteen years ago.

Frederick B. McGuire said the statue was taken in 1885, when William McCloud
was curator, and although and investigation was made, no clew [sic] to
its whereabouts could be obtained. It is a small statue weighing eight
or ten pounds, and could have been carried off under a heavy overcoat
or cloak. It is valued at $200, but as it was one of the gifts of the
late W. W. Corcoran, it was highly
prized.

The box was expressed from Boston, Mass., but otherwise there is no
clew to the person who has held possession of the statue all these
years, and probably no action will be taken to ascertain his or her
identity.

The figure has been placed on a small table in the main hall of the
gallery, where it attracted much attention yesterday.

Bizarre right? They never did find out who stole the bear.

Corcoran
Gallery of Art between 1910-1925 (Library of Congress)

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