Went out to UKC to
finish desk cleaning and to check mail. Went to Plaza to
finish auto insurance. Went to doctor re: rash.
Expect diagnosis of
Pityriasis Rosea; received treatment and
prescription. Did some reading in the recent
Scientific American.
SATURDAY,
FEBRUARY 4
"Rash" on the
mend, but dregs of cold remain. Worked on draft of
grant request for this summer as well as outline for non-credit
courses for next year—"Invitation to Art." Read in current
Scientific American and in
Novotny's
European Painting
and Sculpture,1780-1880 (Pelican History of Art).
SUNDAY,
FEBRUARY 5
"Rash" continues
to improve under lotion, but cold hangs on. Read in
Savage's Porcelain (Pelican paperback), Novotny and
New Yorker. Finished current
Scientific American.
MONDAY,
FEBRUARY 6
Went out to UKC to
complete draft of grant request and to give it to
Berndt Kolker. Prepared and mailed (via campus) report on
CAA
meeting in Minneapolis. Talked with Suds re: finances.
Read in current Saturday Review and
New Yorker.
TUESDAY,
FEBRUARY 7
Morning, devoted
to computing Federal Income Tax. Afternoon, read in
Novotny, Saturday Review and
New Yorker.
WEDNESDAY,
FEBRUARY 8
Picked up
Volkswagen—day spent with its needs, etc. Also went to
doctor re: Pityriasis Rosea and received another treatment.
Making progress.
THURSDAY,
FEBRUARY 9
Continue
familiarization with the Volkswagen. A bit of reading in
current Time. Still have the tail end of the cold;
the P.R. [Pityriasis Rosea] is in retreat, but what with one thing and another,
life is a bit full. Every once in awhile I panic over all
that needs to be done, and
the small amount of cash available
for it—but Jean and I manage to talk things out and we begin to
see the bright side again.
FRIDAY,
FEBRUARY 10
Out to UKC to
check mail, talk to
Esther Jacobson. To Nelson
Gallery to study
Ringling Museum Publications. Proofed
Audubon article for
Bulletin. Nice to know they are
going to publish it.
Spent some time
reading in the
Herald Tribune's paperback book review
section. Berndt Kolker returned grant request with
excellent comments, must revise according to his suggestions.
Took Volkswagen out on the road for
highway experience.
Read in the current
American Quarterly.
SATURDAY,
FEBRUARY 11
Took Volkswagen
out to
Blue Springs and back. Read current
American Quarterly.
SUNDAY,
FEBRUARY 12
Put some
additional mileage on the car. Had some keys made for the
[car's] front door. Read in Savage's Porcelain and in
Novotny's Painting and Sculpture. Brought
office-model typewriter and stand home from UKC. Read book
reviews in recent
Art Bulletin.
MONDAY,
FEBRUARY 13
Revised draft
application for
Catlin grant and mailed it to Berndt Kolker.
Went to Dr.
Sneid and learned that
the Pityriasis Rosea is probably cured. Should have last
check Saturday afternoon. Read current Saturday Review
and some in current New Yorker. Also finished the
New York Herald Tribune paperback section.
TUESDAY,
FEBRUARY 14
To the bank and to
UKC to work out money matters. Remainder of morning and
early afternoon spent on trip planning. Signed papers out
at UKC in morning, picked up my copy in the afternoon. Out
to Nelson Gallery in the afternoon. Read further in
Sarasota & Ringling Museum materials, particularly
The Asolo
Theater of the Ringling Museum by
Creighton Gilbert.
Reviewed and read specific items in
Studies in Conservation,
Nov. 1960. Evening spent with
Spaeth's American Art
Museums and Galleries and the
American Guide (re:
trip).
WEDNESDAY,
FEBRUARY 15
A day of errands.
Took Paul to the
zoo in the morning. All of us went to the
Nelson Gallery in the afternoon; reviewed the
Logic of Modern
Art exhibit again. Finished current New Yorker
and read in last week's Time.
THURSDAY,
FEBRUARY 16
Finished up
"chores" at UKC in the morning. Shocked to learn that
Martin Soria (of Michigan State) was aboard the
Sabena 707 that crashed
near Brussels. Reviewed the exhibition catalogue
Architectural Drawings from the Collection of the Royal
Institute of British Architects. Saw the show in
Minneapolis end of January. Continued to read in Novotny's
European Painting and Sculpture 1780-1880. Plan to
take it, plus the
Rubens by
Burckhardt, to Florida.
FRIDAY,
FEBRUARY 17
Took the car to
Bunker's for its 300 mile check. Stopped at UKC on the way
back and visited with
Henry. After lunch we did a few
chores including a trip to the bank to get traveler's checks.
Began reading How Not to Write a Play by
Walter Kerr.
SATURDAY,
FEBRUARY 18
[List of eight
"Southeastern Art Museums" from Spaeth's American Art
Museums and Galleries]
Continued to read
in the Kerr book. It has interesting implications for 20th
Century art in general. Sneid MD pronounced Pityriasis
Rosa cured.
$ 6 rolls of FX 120 film $2.94 (G.E.M.)
SUNDAY,
FEBRUARY 19
Packing and other
related
activity preparatory to the trip. Continued to read in
Kerr's book.
MONDAY,
FEBRUARY 20
Depart K.C. on
first day of trip. Car mileage 351. Time 7:20.
Arrive
Cape Girardeau [mileage] 709, 4:50[pm]. 358 miles;
9½ hours @ 39½ mi/hr.
West Mount Motel.
$ Motel $9.69 / Food &
tips $4.43 / Gas $3.53 =
total $17.65
TUESDAY,
FEBRUARY 21
Depart Cape
Girardeau on second day of trip: 711 miles (2 miles in town),
time 7:20, arrive Chattanooga [mileage] 1075, time 5:15 (CST).
364 miles; 10 hours @ 36½ mi/hr.
Alamo Plaza Motel.
$ Motel $11.33 / Food &
tips $4.48 / Gas $3.27 = total $19.08
Rained throughout the day, sometimes very heavily. No
sunshine at all, though once there was some hope that we might
see it. Had no opportunity to photograph any of the
architecture or sculpture that I saw due to the impossible
weather conditions. Of particular interest were items in
Cadiz Ky, Clarksville Tenn, Nashville Tenn, and along the road
between Nashville and Chattanooga.
WEDNESDAY,
FEBRUARY 22
Depart Chattanooga
8am, [mileage] 1076. 297 miles, 9¼
hours. Arrive Albany [GA] 5:15[pm], [mileage] 1373.
Mabry Motel.
$ Motel $9.33 / Food
& tips $6.33 / Gas $2.79 = total $18.45
Made a fairly long stop in Atlanta to see the museum there. An interesting experience, but
a bit distressing. The
Atlanta Art Association consists of
many things. There is the
High Museum, a
Kress Collection
of (primarily) Italian paintings, the
Henry B. Scott Gallery,
the
James J. Haverty Collection, the
Ralph K. Uhry Collection,
and a group of commemorative items called Memory Lane.
The result (there are other features) is a hodgepodge in which there is no rhyme or reason. Prints, drawings, paintings of
all schools hang in no "rational" order or sequence; they are
grouped by collections. Since the Kress group is
"brilliant" in its condition and installation, they outshine the
others. This is unfortunate since there are some nice
individual pieces outside of Kress. The quality of display
varies, and despite the
new building (attached to the old), the
displays are crowded. Two temporary exhibits were
up. The one was a
Stella retrospective (drawings
primarily) and the Hallmark show. This last was of course
an "old friend," and so we skipped it. The exhibition
arrangement, for it, was effective.
Much goes on at this center. A flower
show was under way, occupying the auditorium, etc. There
is an active museum "shop" and a children's gallery. All
in all, one could use it as a teaching collection, especially if
rearranged into a more logical order, but quality is lacking in
overall concept and content. No doubt the director has
little control since one needs much money for this, but I cannot
help but feel that a strong guiding policy is mandatory if any
museum is to get off the backwoods status. The relative
splendor of the Kress group (plus the publicity for it) shows
what could be done for Atlanta. The much stronger Kress
(lately of K.C.) was in much the same character but (in K.C.) was
overshadowed by the general collection. There is a lesson
here, and it isn't merely great art makes a great museum.
I wonder if one could reorganize and highlight certain items.
The Sargent oil sketch, the
Henri,
Shinn
and Lawson, plus the
Van Dyck, etc. could stand out (though
the Van Dyck bothered me). There were others.
The weather continued to be bad for
photography. Fog, or rain, or both, from Chattanooga to
nearly Albany. Fortunately traffic was light, otherwise
the entire day's trip (excepting Atlanta) could have been a
failure. I did see some interesting examples of
architecture along the road, but hardly worth the special
trouble to stop, set up and photograph under the weather
conditions that prevailed.
THURSDAY,
FEBRUARY 23
Leave Albany 8:00
am, 1373 miles. Arrive
St. Petersburg =
Folks's house 4:50
pm, 1698. Rain almost the entire way. 315 miles, 8
hrs 10 mins.
$ Food & tips $3.96 / Gas $3.20 (includes
full tank 26th but prorated back to 23rd) = total $7.16
$ Total "trip" [KCMO to St. Petersburg]
1347 miles / $62.34
FRIDAY,
FEBRUARY 24
Took the car for a
lubrication, then cleaned it inside and out. Also did some
looking around in St. Petersburg and out along the Gulf Islands.
Read in the current Newsweek.
$ Lubrication $3.53
SATURDAY,
FEBRUARY 25
Began planning the
various trips which we shall take out of St. Petersburg.
Tentatively we plan a visit to Sarasota, the Ringling Museum,
next Monday. Thursday and Friday to West Palm Beach and
Norton Museum. The following week (four days to
Charleston). We'll probably leave St. Pete for K.C. (via New
Orleans) on March 18th. Should arrive in K.C. on the 25th.
Began reading Burckhardt's Recollections
of Rubens. We did additional "sightseeing" in St.
Petersburg. Noticed numerous places (including art
exhibitions by local talent) that merit more extended visits.
SUNDAY,
FEBRUARY 26
Being Sunday, the
day is more leisurely. Continued to read in Burckhardt in
the morning while a trip to Tampa is scheduled for the
afternoon. On the Tampa trip we ended up in
Port Tampa
City and watched a freighter depart. We took some photos.
MONDAY,
FEBRUARY 27
Trip to Ringling
Museum in Sarasota. Depart 1780 miles, return 1899.
Went via
US 19 (Sunshine Skyway) and returned via
US 41 and
Tampa.
$ Toll of $1 via US 19. Lunch for
two $5.14 (includes tip) = Trip to Sarasota 37 miles, from
Sarasota 73 miles, total 110 miles
$ Gas prorated at 3 gals or 93¢
Visited with Creighton Gilbert, who very briefly gave me a pass
for all of the museums and a catalogue and
Asolo Theatre
booklet. We've been invited for the Neapolitan Baroque
opening Friday night. In addition we plan to attend a
performance of The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart which
will be given in the Asolo Theatre. This last will be a
Wed matinee, hence we will have an additional
opportunity to study the collection beforehand. By a most
curious coincidence a former friend of former days, of Jean's,
will be in the cast of the Mozart. More on all this after
the event.
Of the three "museums" in Sarasota
associated with the Ringling name, the art gallery is of course
the most significant. Nevertheless, the other two deserve
some time and mention. The
Museum of the American Circus
is mostly a curiosity as far as I am concerned. There are
some interesting prints of early (pre-American) circus-type
scenes. The home of John and Mable Ringling is called
Ca d'Zan, and it is a ridiculous composite of Moorish, Venetian and
confused Eclectic. It is significant as a type, however,
and the house forms a setting for a number of paintings,
sculpture and the decorative arts, and as such is a vast museum
piece.
The art gallery is far more
interesting than I would have guessed, and it is worthy of
return visits.
First impressions are as follows:
The organization—three
sides of a sunken court is admirably suited to the climate and
the character of the institution. The architecture is
adequate but a bit curious in spots. The cloistered walks
between the gallery rooms and the court contain early sculpture,
pots, etc. The court itself (and the grounds in general)
contain numerous examples of bronze replicas of classic and
Renaissance sculpture. Of the paintings two general
impressions stand out. The first is the chance to see
numerous masters (e.g.
Moroni, Vouet, Reni) whose work I have
not seen at all or in quite a few years. This is exciting.
The second impression is one I've come to expect—the negative
impression re: quality. By this I mean the rather
distressing condition of the surface of many of the paintings
points up how rigorous the Nelson Gallery's policy of exhibition
is. I am happy to note that not all of the painting are in
need of rehabilitation; but some are, in my opinion, unworthy of
display.
All in all, the museum is and will prove to
be a revealing experience.
In the evening, reviewed the catalogue once
again.
TUESDAY,
FEBRUARY 28
Began working on
the index of the
dissertation. Finished Chapter I.
Continued reading in Burckhardt.
WEDNESDAY,
MARCH 1
Depart for
Sarasota (Ringling Museum) 1910 miles. Return to St. Pete
1984 miles. 74 miles round trip.
$ Tolls $2.00 / Lunch & tips $2.26 / Gas
$0.77 (prorated at 2½ gallons) = total $5.03
On this trip I was able to spend a more leisurely review of the
paintings. Spent most of my time with the Flemish and
French things, but also examined those Italian paintings which
were of high quality or by artists whom I knew largely through
the books rather than in the "flesh." The very bigness of
many of the paintings is exciting. One does not see the
"ten-acre" canvas in the U.S. too frequently, and the size is
oftentimes most important. Some of the grandeur possible
with the style of Rubens, or of Tintoretto, can now be
appreciated. The setting (and sadly the lighting) in the
Ringling Museum reflects European concepts, and as a consequence
one finds himself seeing these works in a new way. Once
again, however, I come to the opinion that the most important
task of the Ringling Museum is a conservation program.
Since some of the paintings are obviously overpainted in broad
and extensive areas, and many have very heavy, aged coats of
varnish, who can tell what lies beneath. Those paintings
which have been properly cleaned sparkle in a majestic way.
Perhaps I can sound out Creighton Gilbert Friday night (when we
shall attend an opening) on this conservation program.
In the mid-afternoon, Jean and I attended a
performance of Mozart's Marriage of Figaro in the Asolo
Theatre. The
Turnau Opera Players are in their second
winter season here. The entire thing was modest, charming
and most pleasantly received by us. By a happy coincidence
a friend of Jean's (a former UKC student) was in the company.
We have hopes to attend a dual Purcell-Monteverdi program before
we leave for K.C., but this is still uncertain.
THURSDAY,
MARCH 2
Worked on the index to the
dissertation. Read Oct. 1960 issue of Museum News
(contained an article on the Ringling museums). Worked on
"first of the month" finances. Did some additional
sightseeing in and around St. Pete. Saw a few examples of
interesting contemporary architecture—but not as much as one
would want.
FRIDAY, MARCH
3
Depart for
Ringling Museum 2043 miles. Arrive St. Petersburg 2114
miles.
$ Tolls $2.00 / Gas $0.77 (prorated at 2½
gallons) = total $2.77
Attended the opening of the show "Baroque Painters of Naples" at
the Ringling Museum. Found it a stimulating show and
discovered that we were "dignitaries" from afar. Posed
with Creighton Gilbert for both the Sarasota and the St.
Petersburg papers. Wonder if the photos will be printed?
As usual, one finds an exhibition of this
sort interesting because of the multiplicity of examples of
"one" kind. For example I was able to see the two
paintings loaned by the Nelson Gallery in context for the first
time. Even though the paintings were important it was the
group of drawings which were [sic] the most fun to see.
We had a nice visit with C. Gilbert (talked
about the conservation policy among other things) and met the
director,
Kenneth Donahue.
Earlier in the day I read an article
"Angkor, Jewel of the Jungle" by
W. Robert Moore and Maurice Fievet in the April 1960 National Geographic.
Popularized treatment of the Khmer culture, but quite
informative.
SATURDAY,
MARCH 4
Read Creighton
Gilbert's catalogue for the "Baroque Painters of Naples"
exhibition.
SUNDAY, MARCH
5
Replanned
Charleston trip to make it a more economical run.
Continued local seeing of sights which included a cruise on
Tampa Bay.
MONDAY, MARCH
6
Depart for
Charleston (via Savannah) 2180 miles, 7:15 am. Arrive
Savannah 2553, 4:30 pm. 373 miles [in] 9:15.
$ Motel $5.15
Blue Top Motel / Toll $0.50
/ Food & tips $5.34 / Gas $2.87 = total $13.86
Studied special guide-map to Savannah preparatory to return on
Wed[nesday] for study and photography.
TUESDAY,
MARCH 7
Depart Savannah
for Charleston 2553 miles, 7:20 am, Arrive Charleston
10:05 am, 2664 miles. Savannah to Charleston (old road)
111 miles
(end of the day 2700 miles)
An extremely full day in Charleston.
Went right into the city and began a fairly intensive search in
the "old town" once I was oriented with maps and literature
(etc.) secured primarily at the Chamber of Commerce. Made
a number of photographs, but found myself just walking and
looking. Considering the fact that this is my first
extensive exposure to Georgian architecture I managed to
maintain equilibrium and composure. Actually the
architecture included numerous early 19th Century examples.
All told the late morning and the entire afternoon was devoted
to the exploration, absorption and photography of Charleston.
After dinner we went to the
Gibbes Art Gallery. The 15th
Annual Exhibition of South Carolina Artists and the permanent
collection were visited. The local show was surprisingly
nice (though the sculpture seemed of less quality). The
permanent collection is rather sad, but there is a nice group of
Thomas Sullys and a smaller collection of
Jeremiah Theuses.
Heavy on portraits, many of the standard names are in evidence.
The paintings (with a very few exceptions) are badly in need of
restoration. Several pieces of sculpture are there
including a "funny"
Ceracchi of [George] Washington, a nice
Hiram Powers and
Brackett's Washington Allston. There is
also a fairly good group of American portrait miniatures with
some European-American examples.
While most of the sightseeing was on foot,
some of the traveling was by car. The evening was spent
reviewing various publications. Quaint Old Charleston,
Historic Charleston and various tourist-type folders.
$ Motel $6.18 [unnamed] / Food & tips
$6.63 / Gas $1.20 (prorated at 4 gallons) = total $14.01
Miscellaneous in-city driving 52 miles.
WEDNESDAY,
MARCH 8
Leave Charleston
2716 miles, 10 am. Arrive Savannah 2823, 12:20 pm (short
road). 107 miles [in] 2:20. 23 miles miscellaneous
driving in the city of Savannah after arrival.
Before departure for Savannah, we went back
in to downtown Charleston to pick up a few more photos and
to see those examples of architecture which were not on our
itinerary yesterday.
After securing a motel in Savannah, we went
downtown on an architectural tour and for a visit to the
Telfair
Academy. We got a few photographs, but then it began
to rain rather hard and we retreated to the car and made a
fairly systematic tour viewing the city from the car. I
was most impressed with the Gothic Revival churches (and
synagogue) and the bracketed style houses. I noticed in
the local paper that a grant for the study of the downtown area
was made. I hope and trust that appropriate attention will
be given to the post-Civil War architecture in the city.
The Telfair Academy was of a special type
of interest. Very few paintings of consequence, though
there was a fair-looking
Sebastiano Ricci. The choicest
pieces are some recent paintings, a couple of
Childe Hassams, a
Robert Henri and a number of ancestor portraits. The—what
can one call it, the Rotunda, was a breath from the past with
its large 19th Century academic pieces, and the "basement" with
its Hall of Casts was unexpected yet rewarding to my sense of
history. The dominant item was a replica of the
Farnese
Bull. The decorative arts of early America were in
evidence and these were of special interest.
$ Toll $0.50 /
Motel $6.18 [unnamed] / Food & tips $0.63 / Gas $1.40 (prorated
on basis of actual costs) = Total $16.71
THURSDAY,
MARCH 9
Leave Savannah 2849 miles, 7:15
am. Arrive St. Pete 3220 miles, 4:35 pm. 371 miles
[in] 9:20.
$
Food & tips $3.42 / Toll $0.50 / Gas $3.15 = Total $7.07
Total travel on the Charleston trip 1040
miles
FRIDAY,
MARCH 10
Major
project for the day (other than routine chores) was to plan the
details for the trip to New Orleans, from there to Carbondale,
and thence to K.C. If one wishes to preplan all details,
it is astonishing how much time it takes.
SATURDAY,
MARCH 11
Did some
reading in Novotny's European Painting and Sculpture.
SUNDAY,
MARCH 12
Studied
materials on New Orleans preparatory to our trip there.
Spent most of my effort on an analysis of maps (even made one)
as a guide to photography. Continued to read in Novotny.
MONDAY, MARCH
13
Car was due
for its "3000-mile" check. This occupied some time.
Continued to read in Novotny.
TUESDAY,
MARCH 14
Main event
of the day was a visit to the
Florida Gulf Coast Art Center in Belleair just south of Clearwater. There were three
exhibitions on. In the main gallery there was the
Smithsonian's traveling exhibit of lithographs of
Fantin-Latour.
The lithos seemed to show Fantin-Latour as more a romantic than
do his paintings. The lithos are very impressionistic and
illustrate allegorical and musical themes.
In the Library Gallery there were a group
of watercolors by
Robert Chase of Sarasota. My impression
of them was that they were adequate but nothing unusual. A
biographical note indicated that Chase was from Champaign Ill.,
and that he had studied at the U of Ill before the war.
There was also, in the Library Gallery, a small exhibit of the
work of the instructors at the Center. Not enough to judge
by, but it seemed to be conservative-modern.
The permanent collection was in storage!
I was informed that it is put on display only in the summer!
I guess that pretty well tells the story of the overall quality
of the collection. A review of the appropriate section of
Cartwright's Guide to the Museums of the United States
(East Coast - Washington to Miami)
suggests that I really didn't
miss anything, having seen like items elsewhere.
WEDNESDAY,
MARCH 15
Went to the
Ringling Museum in Sarasota again. This time, in addition
to seeing the Neapolitan Baroque show and the permanent
collection, we went to the basement storage area as we had an
opportunity to see its contents. While not terribly
exciting it was illuminating and I had an excellent opportunity
to visit with Creighton Gilbert. Later, in the afternoon,
we attended the dual bill (Purcell and Montiverdi) which the
Turnau company gave in the Asolo Theatre. All in all a
very rewarding experience.
Mileage to and from: 77 miles.
$
Toll $2.00 / Lunch & tips $1.90 / Gas $0.77 (prorated at 2½
gallons) = Total $4.67
THURSDAY,
MARCH 16
Began
making arrangements for our trip to New Orleans and K.C.
Considerably more involved, what with the stay-over in N.O.
Managed to do a little more on the seeing-study plans for N.O.
Made another map.
FRIDAY,
MARCH
17
Packing
car, etc., for the start of the voyage tomorrow.
SATURDAY,
MARCH 18
Depart St.
Petersburg 3449 miles, 4:45 am EST. Arrive
Crestview, Fla.
3852 miles, 5:05 pm [C]ST. 403 miles, 9 hrs 20 min—avg 43
mph
$
Motel $8.24
Holland Motel / Food & tips $4.94 / Gas $3.38
= Total $16.56
In general, a good trip. The change
in time zone helped, but unusually (?) [sic] light
traffic on a Saturday was the major factor.
SUNDAY, MARCH
19
Depart Crestview,
Fla, 3852 miles, 7:45 am. Arrive New Orleans 4103 miles,
3:00 pm. 251 miles [in] 7 hrs, 15 min
$ Tolls $0.75 / Food & tips $3.99 (on the
road) / Gas $2.35 = Total $7.09
Rain and fog the entire way. Did what
I could about seeing architecture via the car in Mobile and
Biloxi, but photography was out of the question. Hopeful
that tomorrow might open up since New Orleans is the key place
on this leg of the journey.
Nice to see
Al Varnado after more than a
year.
MONDAY, MARCH
20
Day cloudy but not
raining. By car began to block out the several
historically interesting places. Went down Moss Street and
circled in and through much of the
Vieux Carr[é]
in the morning. Afternoon went to the
Garden District.
Since Al Varnado did the driving I had an excellent opportunity
to look at the architecture. We did the Garden District
quite thoroughly on foot as well as auto. The lushness of
the vegetation, high fences, walls etc. made photography, of
some of the more interesting places, an impossible task (with
the time and equipment available). I was able, however, to
see what I needed to see. Intermittent rain showers didn't
contribute to the overall situation.
Under Al's guidance we saw many excellent
examples of 19th Century architecture. This raises an
important issue which has been brought out more than once on
this general trip—namely the
"books" put too much emphasis on the early, early buildings.
There are many excellent items of the second half of the 19th
Century which are worthy of study.
In all we saw a great deal of N.O.
including all of the schools (higher ed) and the redevelopment
section northwest of the Vieux Carré. This last includes
numerous local and state government buildings. Quite
"modern" and apparently an improvement.
Before dinner we had an opportunity to meet
the
"dean" of liberal arts and the man in art. Had a
pleasant conversation on "academic matters."
TUESDAY,
MARCH 21
The morning was
spent in the French Quarter. Made a number of photographs,
but a good deal of the Vieux Carré
is just plain run down. In many ways the expedition (on
foot) was profitable, but architecturally, not of prime
interest.
In the afternoon we went to the
Delgado.
Considering its resources, the whole thing was handled
effectively and with taste. The permanent collection is
rather sparse, though there was a very nice
Asher B. Durand
landscape. The bulk of the permanent collection consists
of gifts and reflect the taste of nonprofessionals. There
is a large, though not exciting, group from the Kress collection
(obtained the catalogue). There was a nice and very, very interesting
exhibition called "Masks and Masquerades." This was
interesting and a catalogue for that too was available.
Though the Delgado (as a collection of art)
is inferior to Atlanta, it is a more impressive display simply
because of the quality of the display, the sense of style, etc.
In many ways this review of several
southeastern museums has taught me an unexpected lesson—the
importance of the staff in giving character and personality to a
museum.
Evening—dinner at
Antoine's as guests of Al Varnado. A fine eating experience, but a bit trying—what
with Paul.
$ 43 miles of
"sightseeing" via auto / estimate $0.45 for gas
WEDNESDAY,
MARCH 22
Depart New
Orleans 4148 miles, 7:50 a.m. Arrive Memphis 4555 miles,
5:50 p.m.
$
Motel $8.24,
Casey's Motel / Food & tips $5.99 / Gas $4.40
(adjusted in N.O. local driving) = Total $18.63
Continued study of architecture while on
the road suggests—still again—that
many truly interesting examples of architecture are not
"guide-book" stuff because they are neither the oldest, or
associated with a "name." The lesson is: that a genuine
study-trip would be difficult and time-consuming since one will
not find the path charted in detail.
THURSDAY,
MARCH 23
Depart
Memphis 4555 miles, 7:45 a.m. Arrive
Carbondale
4792 miles, 2:30 p.m.
$
Food & tips $3.15 / Gas $2.21 = Total $5.36
Noted that there was a small art gallery in
Memphis (Brooks Memorial) and that it had a Kress collection.
Apparently it has little in the way of a permanent collection
outside of its Kress group. Since the gallery was not open
until 10 a.m., and since the delay wasn't warranted for "so
little," we passed it up on this trip. Weather in Illinois was infrequent rain and
much cloudiness.
FRIDAY, MARCH
24
Depart Carbondale
4792 miles, 8:20 a.m. Arrive K.C. (home) 5147 miles, 5:00
p.m. 355 miles / 8 hrs 40 min
$ Food & tips $2.75 / Gas $3.23 = Total
$5.98
SATURDAY,
MARCH 25
Began the task of
catching up. Noticed in my computations that we spent $285
total in cash during the period Feb. 20 to March 24 while
engaged in activities from K.C. Needless to say, this was
possible only through the hospitality of friends and my folks who
roomed and boarded us on a number of occasions.
Read in several of the magazines—e.g.
Scientific American.
SUNDAY,
MARCH 26
"Academic Work"
consisted of catching up on the magazine-journal reading, e.g.
Saturday Review.
MONDAY,
MARCH 27
Went out to UKC to
"catch up" and to get briefed by Berndt Kolker on the
grant-request status. Finished
AAUP Bulletin, plus
Saturday Review. Some in
Art Journal.
TUESDAY,
MARCH 28
Continued home
chores—shopping, etc.
Continued reading in the several magazines and journals.
WEDNESDAY,
MARCH 29
Out to UKC to
check on things. Over to the Nelson Gallery. Picked
up extra copies of the Bulletin. Looked at the
"Contemporaries of
Bingham" show in the Sales gallery and
visited with staff. Afternoon devoted to Federal and State
Income Tax returns.
THURSDAY,
MARCH 30
Worked outdoors in
the morning. Continued to catch up on journal-magazine
reading. Finished Walter Kerr's How Not to Write a
Play.
FRIDAY,
MARCH 31
Worked on draft of
Guide to Library. Revised plan for non-credit
course Invitation to Art and prepared a memo for
Barbara
Ashton on it. Was surprised by a long-distance call from
Frank Roos who informed me that I was the "leading" candidate
for the chairmanship of the art department at the
University of
Omaha. Since this is undoubtedly for the academic year
[19]61-62, I assume that the exchange (if any) between Omaha and K.C. will be
brief. On the other hand one can never tell
what might evolve, and I plan to be as open-minded as I can on
the entire matter. If there seems to be some substance to
all this, I [had] best find out what is involved in "seeking" a
release—either in Sept or Feb—from
UKC.
SATURDAY,
APRIL 1
Some thought given
to future trips of shorter duration. Began serious work on
the review for
The Arts in America.
SUNDAY, APRIL
2
Easter and Paul's
birthday.
MONDAY, APRIL
3
Went out to UKC to
pick up contract, discovered they will be out Wednesday.
Received an inquiry re: my
AAUP notice, from
University of
Houston. Encouraging that one can be wanted. Spoke
with Ed
Westermann on the subject of my obligations to UKC for
1961-62 on sabbatical matter. Talked with Barbara Ashton
on subject of non-credit courses for 1961-62. Worked out
Fall program of offerings with Henry Scott. All of this,
plus a number of errands made this a busy day.
TUESDAY,
APRIL 4
Worked out a
tentative plan, for my appearance at the
Summer Language
Institute as a guest lecturer on art, with
Bill Crain.
Spent some time at the Nelson Gallery and discussed some "Catlin"
problems with
Frank Crabtree. Managed to do some reading
in the current American Quarterly.
WEDNESDAY,
APRIL 5
Contracts for
1961-1962 were released. I note that I received $500 of
the $600 I requested. In some ways this is an astonishing
advance (actually the minimum which I deemed acceptable) and I
owe this all to Ed Westermann's skill and drive. As the
AAUP figures it, my salary will be $6852. It is clear that
the issue for 1962-63 shall be a promotion and salary
appropriate to that rank. I trust that others in
the College have been treated fairly. Of course, if all
salaries in the rank of Assistant Professor have gone up in
corresponding measure, I am still below average. Time will
tell in this.
Continued to read in the American
Quarterly and to work on the Arts in America review.
THURSDAY,
APRIL 6
Major academic
activity on the Arts in America review. This is
going to prove to be a somewhat more involved task than I first
suspected. The difficulty lies in the range of subjects
which must be covered in the review itself; relating these into
a coherent and meaningful review is the problem.
FRIDAY, APRIL
7
Finished the March
Scientific American. Worked on the Guide to
Library Resources. First went to Nelson Gallery (which
I studied the Bingham show again) and then came home to
translate my study of the library (and interview of the
librarian) into "deathless prose."
SATURDAY,
APRIL 8
Errand and chore
day. One chore, long overdue, was to improve the physical
arrangement of my "office" at home. Desk is now much more
useable, more storage space is available and typewriter is
handy. Next step is to add an electrical outlet on the
wall behind the desk.
Studied maps for alternate routes, etc. for
another study trip. My, preplanning takes time. Read the current New Yorker.
SUNDAY, APRIL
9
Attended
Unitarian
forum and heard
Homer Wadsworth speak on the cultural future of K.C. He tied it to the status of higher education and then
painted a picture which I feel was heard by the
wrong people.
Continued work on the Guide.
Making progress.
MONDAY, APRIL
10
Prepared letters
of recommendation for two students. Went out to UKC.
On Saturday last I received word that the
Ford Foundation does not consider individual grants in the
humanities. Today I consulted Berndt Kolker on the matter
and after some consideration came to the conclusion that we
should try some local foundations. He is to contact me
after he has done some "sounding out" on possibilities.
Picked up some reference materials on book
classification and returned—hammer
and tongs—to the Guide. This might turn into
something yet.
TUESDAY,
APRIL 11
Prepared answers
to two inquiries relative to my availability for appointment at
other institutions. My, this takes time.
Processed a roll of film taken on trip. Worked on the review of Arts in America.
Spent considerable time
on planning the trip to Massachusetts. May have to borrow
an additional $100 to provide a cushion since a two-week trip
east in mid-May would exhaust current funds. Happily my
credit is good and May seems the best time for this.
Read in current Scientific American.
WEDNESDAY,
APRIL 12
Typed the letters
drafted yesterday. I really could use a secretary to save
time.
Finished Scientific American. Continued work on
Arts in America review. Processed another roll of film.
One should note that a
man has been in and
returned from outer space. Granted that the Russian
achievement is a milestone, I feel that all of the spectacular
propaganda (augmented by Americans who do not wish to appear as
"poor losers") is quite beside the point. The first
Sputnik was the mark in history. While everything else is
exciting and noteworthy, it is in many aspects more of the same.
Space technology is technology, and the feat has been
theoretically possible for years. Had men of imagination
wielded influence in the American government and military, the
event could have been an American milestone. In the long
run it is all to the good that the Russians had the compulsion
to outdo the U.S. The experience of "being behind" might
convince American planners that fat-cat complacency, and an
overreliance upon the professional legal-military mentality
(rooted in the past for its inspiration), is not the posture we
should bear.
But I doubt that the Russian "cosmonaut"
(astronaut in U.S., so cosmonaut) will do more than intensify
backbiting among our governmental agencies.
THURSDAY,
APRIL 13
Continued on the
Guide. Developed another roll of film. Read
in the most recent issue of The Art Bulletin.
Attended the
Aline B.
Saarinen lecture at the Gallery. Spoke very much to the
point. One key element—re:
subject—was the listing of three dangers affecting "high
culture" from the philosophy of the mass culturists:
1. Lack of understanding of the true
importance of professionalism
2. Great art is not necessarily
easily comprehended
3. Great art is not necessarily
widely appreciated by large numbers
All to the point.
FRIDAY, APRIL
14
Went to the
Gallery in the morning. Studied the document files on
Poussin's drawing and painting Triumph of Bacchus,
Girardon's Louis XIV,
Largillière's Augustus the
Strong, David's
Diane de la Vaupalière, and
de La
Tour's St. Sebastian.
Placed the main
components for a new outlet behind the desk. Should finish
it tomorrow and so add to my home office resources.
Continued work on the Guide. Read in Gerald Taylor's
Silver (Penguin).
SATURDAY,
APRIL 15
Continued work on
the Arts of the U.S. review. Observed the
Truman
Library Mural (by T.H. Benton) dedication via TV.
Worked at some length preparing notes for
the Illinois trip next week. Ste. Genevieve to be included.
Cahokia will be deferred until a future St. Louis trip.
SUNDAY,
APRIL 16
Began work on a
long put off project—a "Note"
entitled
Architecture, Antiquarianism, and the Tourist for a
journal such as the American Quarterly.
MONDAY,
APRIL 17
Out at UKC most of
the day. A.M. with
Ken
LaBudde reviewing the first preliminary plans for a
new library building. Afternoon with various people,
including Berndt Kolker re: grant. Ended up calling Homer
Wadsworth in order to set up an appointment to discuss the
problem. Arranged to send him the data and see him upon
return from Illinois trip.
Attended dinner for Dr.
Bertram Colgrave of Durham University and afterwards
listened to his lecture on the excavation and treasure at
Sutton Hoo.
TUESDAY,
APRIL 18
Spent A.M.
preparing the documents for Homer Wadsworth. Afternoon
with Paul at zoo. Evening worked on Arts in U.S.
WEDNESDAY,
APRIL 19
Afternoon at
Nelson Gallery. Some time in the Library. Studied
the Bingham show again, toured through other galleries—spoke
with various individuals.
THURSDAY,
APRIL 20
Bank for money for
Illinois trip. Heard from U of Houston. Seem
interested in keeping up contact re: a possible appointment in
1962? Many loose ends to be tied up preparatory to our
journey. We all plan to go to Urbana. Continued on
Arts in U.S. review. Received
CMVASA journal
which contained my
review.
FRIDAY,
APRIL 21
Depart for
Carbondale 5412 miles, 7:45. Arrive Carbondale 5766 miles,
4:40. 354 miles [in] 8:55.
Uneventful trip but weather
on-again-off-again rain.
SATURDAY,
APRIL 22
With the Richters—saw
the SIU campus. A lot of visiting, but no scholarly
activity.
SUNDAY,
APRIL 23
Depart Carbondale
5766 miles, 9:05. Arrive Urbana 5972 miles, 2:05.
206 miles [in] 5:00.
Much fun in gossip, etc.
Judy [is now] a big
girl ready for college.
Geo
Vrooman came over, as did others, much visiting.
MONDAY,
APRIL 24
Went out to campus
and saw
Marvin
Martin and his new sculpture facility. After years of
short rations the resources now available are fantastic.
Saw Ed Rae, and
to my astonishment we ended up talking about an opening on their
faculty and the possibility that I might work into it.
Everything kept quite open ended. Saw
Allen
Weller and we had our usual short visit.
In the afternoon we went over to the
Rooses and there
continued the speculation on my suitability, etc. for the
position. Frank explained how the Omaha thing fell
through. Rehired a former faculty member. Needless
to say Frank was quite enthusiastic over my coming to Illinois
and in reflection decided that Omaha would have been a dead end.
In the last I agree.
Paul's physical well-being seemed on the
danger side. Jean was having a little trouble, so we
called the Richters and explained that we were going back to
Kansas City.
Krannert was
closed and formal dedication scheduled for the weekend of the
20th of May. Permanent collections to be on display then.
Our Massachusetts trip can take this into account and we
arranged with the Holshousers to descend on them again for the
occasion.
One note—great
quantities of lousy weather throughout our stay in Illinois.
TUESDAY,
APRIL 25
Depart Urbana 5989
miles, 7:50. Arrive K.C. 6375 miles, 5:50. 406 miles
[in] 10 hours.
Made trip on
US 24 in Missouri.
Pretty good road except for one stretch—little
heavy truck traffic. East of
Lexington are numerous old
houses. Worth a return visit.
WEDNESDAY,
APRIL 26
General chores.
Read in Saturday Review and New Yorker.
Caught up on back issues of the
paper.
THURSDAY,
APRIL 27
More chores.
Worked on the Arts in U.S. review. Drafted a letter
to Ed Rae about Illinois job.
Hold on to it for a while.
Had trouble contacting Homer Wadsworth.
Will have to try again tomorrow.
FRIDAY,
APRIL 28
General desk work.
Continued to read in New Yorker. Appointment with
Wadsworth for Monday afternoon.
SATURDAY,
APRIL 29
Chores around the
house. Did do some reading in the American Quarterly
and the Journal of the CMVASA.
SUNDAY,
APRIL 30
Finished the
preliminary stage on the Art of the U.S. review.
APRIL 31
[sic]
Worked on the
Guide.
MONDAY,
MAY 1
Chores around the
house. Out to UKC to check on some matters. Worked
on the Guide.
Saw Homer Wadsworth in the afternoon.
He said he'd let me know in about two weeks time whether he had
any pertinent suggestions re: support-services for fine arts
study-research.
TUESDAY,
MAY 2
Household chores
plus taking Paul to zoo. Read in current Saturday
Review. Prepared letter of recommendation for
Kris
Huffman for
K.U. Medicenter—Speech
Center. Out to opera at UKC in evening.
WEDNESDAY,
MAY 3
Gave make-up final
exam for a delinquent student. Did some library study.
Visited with "the boys" and returned home.
Prepared a
letter for Ed Rae and then turned to the Guide.
THURSDAY,
MAY 4
Spent considerable
time on [the Guide]. Made a decision to
separate the project into two parts. One will be a Guide
to library resources, the other a description of library art
facilities in K.C. Gave appropriate portions of each to
Ken LeBudde for his commentary.
Attended the opening of
Mid America Annual
in the evening.
Also applied for a grant ($46) to cover
auto costs on Eastern Trip. Sent request to Grad
Committee.
FRIDAY,
MAY 5
Watched U.S.'s
first "man in space" shot on TV, This was a ballistic
flight. Incredible experience to sit in your living room
and see remarkably
intimate views of the preparation and then
the launching itself. Descent and recovery films to be on
TV this afternoon or evening. One thing can be said for
the U.S. effort: it was "open to the public." I wonder if
the U.S. can make intelligent propaganda out of the obvious
difference between the Soviet and U.S. attitudes toward secrecy.
I doubt it.
Learned that
Connie will be unable to take
us in, in Dayton, on the trip. So we shall go by way of
Toledo and return via Dayton. Spent part of the morning
replanning the routes.
Well, the evening paper arrived and therein
was, of course, the "item" about the space shoot. But also
there was the announcement that
Drake and Nelson had
resigned
from UKC effective Aug. 31st! Stated reason was lack of
financial support for "his" program. Interesting to note
that Scofield, nor any deans, [was
(not)] included [in the resignations]. Drake had
hoped (according to his statement) that this would be kept quiet
until after the Board met on Monday. Since this was a
letter to the Board, the Board (or some member) let it "leak" to
the paper. I must go out to campus Monday to sample the
gossip.
SATURDAY,
MAY 6
Day spent in house
painting.
Paper in the morning noted letter by deans
asking for moral and financial support to "retain" Drake and
Nelson. I assume that this is more of an attempt to
capitalize on the situation than a sincere attempt to get the
resignations turned down. An editorial in the Star
put the thing very succinctly when it pointed out that Drake had
been unable to be an effective promotional agent.
SUNDAY,
MAY 7
Finished the two
console tables on either side of fireplace. Then turned to
work on the Arts of U.S. review and some serious reading.
MONDAY,
MAY 8
Went out to UKC to
learn what I could about the Drake-Nelson resignation. In
general my own opinions were confirmed. Evening news
indicated that resignations had been accepted. What the
future holds is very hard to say.
Prior to going out to campus I labored on
the review. Happy to see progress.
TUESDAY,
MAY 9
Morning devoted to
house chores. Went out to UKC to attend a faculty meeting.
After all, one can never tell what one's colleagues might do.
No unusual actions.
WEDNESDAY,
MAY 10
A.M. devoted to
the review. P.M. to the Nelson Gallery. Saw
Clem
Robertson, discussed numerous matters with him.
Look[ed] at the Mid-America again. Read a bit on the
Cranach Last Judgement.
THURSDAY,
MAY 11
Arranged for
additional funds for our eastern trip. Felt a mite poorly
today so took it easy. Read a bit. Worked on route
for the eastern trip. Typed on review.
FRIDAY,
MAY 12
Worked on review.
Received money from [Missouri] Credit Union.
SATURDAY,
MAY 13
Worked on review.
Attended Fiorello. Attended "doctor's group."
SUNDAY,
MAY 14
Worked on review.
MONDAY,
MAY 15
Worked on review,
worked on trip. Attended
Assembly
meeting wherein several of the trustees reaffirmed their
conviction and optimism. We shall see. At least some
of the ideas which I had several years ago—i.e.
sell faculty—have greater currency. Scofield said
afterwards that I had been granted $50 by the Grad Committee.
Hooray—helps trip expenses measurably. Read in several
magazines.
TUESDAY,
MAY 16
Morning devoted to
getting car ready and clean for the trip. Throat bothering
me again. Read in magazines. Worked on the review.
Just about ready for final typing. Drafted annual personal
report. Developed roll of film. Read in Hadas
History of Rome. Finished route plans.
[List of six
"Art Museums to See—Mass. and
Conn.," most likely from Spaeth's American Art
Museums and Galleries]
WEDNESDAY,
MAY 17
Bank and other
chores. Finished and mailed review of
Arts of the
United States. Prepared personal report for current
academic year. Developed roll of film.
THURSDAY,
MAY 18
Miscellaneous
activities today. Did some planning on a revision of
format for advanced art history courses. Read Cox
Pottery and Porcelain on Greek Ceramics.
FRIDAY,
MAY 19
Began tying things
together preparatory to the trip (bank, school, etc.) Out
at UKC I saw the second draft of the new library
plans. Happy to note that some
of my recommendations (after survey of first draft) have been
incorporated. Developed another roll of film, and this
brings me up to date. Printing will be a summer project.
Read in the newly received Art Journal.
SATURDAY,
MAY 20
Devoted to final
chores before trip. Read Art Journal, and in
Defries
The Arts in France.
MONEY: Start trip
with $38 each + $260 travelers checks / or $298
SUNDAY,
MAY 21
Depart K.C. 6743
miles, 7:30 a.m. Arrive Urbana 7147 miles, 5:35 p.m.
[Total] 404 miles [in] 10:05.
$ Food
& tips $3.08 / Gas $3.35 = total $6.43
By and large an uneventful journey, and happily dry. Good
to see the Holshousers again.
MONDAY,
MAY 22
Major art activity
of the day was two trips to the Krannert Art Museum at the
University of Illinois. Obtained a catalogue of the
dedication exhibition which was made up from the permanent
collections. As a museum it is not overly large, but the
behind-scenes facilities are in contrast much bigger than anyone
would expect. Since the collections are fairly small, and
in general of modest quality, the size of the galleries isn't
too bad. The importance of traveling exhibits makes the
behind-scenes facilities of importance. All in all the
whole thing is nicely elegant. The dedication catalogue
has numerous reviews. Allen Weller took me through.
15 miles local driving.
TUESDAY,
MAY 23
Depart Urbana, Ill
8:45, 7162 miles. Arrive Toledo 6:50, 7520 miles.
[Total] 358 miles [in] 10:05.
$ Food
& tips $4.42 / Gas $3.70 / Motel $10.30
Rambler = total $18.42
Made the mistake of coming in on city U.S. 24 instead of Bypass
U.S. 24; the net result was no motels and a ride into the heart
of downtown Toledo and out, trying to locate a facility.
Killed nearly an hour in this operation. I've learned a
lesson, however, in reading these things. The turnpike
plus the bypass to Detroit force the motels to cluster where the
non-terminal visitor will pass, and the ones glued to the
turnpike. Must keep this in mind for future runs.
Stopped in Indianapolis to visit the
Herron
Art Institute. The collections aren't too bad. The
weakest element was the physical plant which I feel cannot be
materially improved beyond the level they've carried it.
Combine the Krannert Museum with the Herron collections and the
result would be quite impressive. In view of the fact that
Krannert is an
Indianapolis man, the point is rather sharp.
Obtained a small view booklet of the
Herron, plus a list of paintings. Also [a] catalogue of
the Indiana Artists Exhibit on display at the time of our visit.
The Indiana Artists looked much better than the Mid-America.
I wonder if there is a lesson here.
For a number of reasons, this was a
hard
ride today. Considering the number of urban traffic
patterns I negotiated, this is understandable. Tomorrow
morning we take in the Toledo museum.
WEDNESDAY,
MAY 24
Depart Toledo 7532
[miles], 10:20. Arrive Buffalo 7884 [miles], 6:20.
[Total] 352 [miles in] 8 hours. / 12 miles local driving before
departure.
Altered plans and went the turnpike route
all the way to Buffalo.
Alfred is for the time being out
of the picture.
$ Food
& tips $6.14 / Gas $2.92 / Tolls $2.95 / Motel $9.00
[unnamed] = total $21.01
Before leaving Toledo, went to the
Toledo Art Museum.
General impression of the museum is that it is strong in
painting but weak in decorative arts. This last must be
qualified in the area of glass, which is quite large, High
points were the master paintings, the evolution of
script-printing and some of the medieval items—e.g.
ivories. The Toledo-area artists were on display.
Also the Thai art show—a special bonus.
The layout of the museum is a little
peculiar in that it is something of a maze without recourse to
hallways. Since their educational program (for
schoolchildren) is quite large, this could be a problem.
The role of Libbey in all this is most large—perhaps too much
so. Friends for other areas would be desirable, and a
sculpture-interested benefactor would help.
Obtained several publications including a
guidebook on the Thai show (the full catalogue was a bit too
expensive for me) and the catalogue for the coming "The Splendid
Century" show. The last was $3 but worth it for me.
All in all a profitable visit, particularly for the paintings.
The display for the paintings is excellent. Ancient art,
Oriental art, etc., a bit too much—the cabinet.
Our arrival in Buffalo turned into a hunt
for a motel. After soliciting aid at a gas station we were
given directions to a motel which caters primarily to truckers.
So all worked out O.K.
THURSDAY,
MAY 25
Depart Buffalo
7888 [miles], 7:30. Arrive Albany 8190 [miles], 4:45.
[Total] 302 miles [in] 9:15. / Side trip and visit in Rochester.
$ Food
& tips $6.45 / Gas $2.50 / Tolls $4.25 / Lubrication $3.70 /
Motel $12.00 [unnamed] = total $28.90
Made a point of leaving the
thoroughway to go into Rochester.
Used this opportunity to get a 7500-mile lube job for the VW and
to go to see the
George Eastman House (which is a museum).
The Eastman House was a real treasure. I was delighted
with the chance to see much of what I knew only in
reproductions. The apparatus, photographs and the general
display of them was most excellent. The house is
interesting, but the displays were the most valuable for me.
There are some paintings, some quite nice, but these were, I
feel, incidental.
This
excursion
to the Eastman House was important to me because of the
thesis—I
just had to get a firsthand look at the stuff. While an
earlier visit wouldn't have changed my arguments, a later one
did help to consolidate them.
The weather has continued most favorably
and we hope for the best.
FRIDAY,
MAY 26
Depart Albany 8191
miles, 8:00 a.m. Arrive North Reading [MA] 8405 miles,
4:05 a.m. [sic] [Total 214 miles in 8:05.]
$ Food
& tips $6.15 / Gas $1.25 (to
Worchester) [sic] /
Motel $10.00 [unnamed] = total $17.40
Decided to see something of the countryside, and so we took the
non-turnpike route from Albany to Worchester. The
opportunities to see the Berkshires, Northampton, Amherst,
Hadley, etc. was well worth it. Unfortunately the weather
was a bit on the drizzle-side and this made things a little
inconvenient.
Stopped at Worchester to see the
museum
there. General impression was that the collection was very
fine, but the building was inadequate to display them [sic].
The building was big enough, but there was a sameness to the
rooms. The result was a little on the monotonous side.
Toledo was a case of what variety of room-size can do (despite
the maze). I noted that there was a school, and no doubt
they use the collections, but I wonder what other use is made of
the collections. There were very few people in the museum
(in contrast to Toledo). I was happy to see the quantity
of decorative art, and the Romanesque chapter house.
All in all a very nice museum. Too bad that it couldn't
grace Denver or some such place. For that matter, K.C.
could use the collection too. Picked up the handbook.
We went via Mass 9 to Mass 128 and then up
and around to Mass 28. Took Mass 78 toward Andover and
finally located a motel in
North Reading. This shall be
headquarters. Spent a good bit of the evening studying the
map, guidebooks, etc. in preparation for the next several days.
This is our 5th wedding
anniversary.
It could have been a better day, but we shall have a deferred
celebration upon our return to K.C. Also, rain began about
5 p.m.
SATURDAY,
MAY 27
Heavy rain in the
morning which continued until the late afternoon. Since
this was the case we went to the Museum of Fine Arts and spent
the morning and early afternoon there. Afterwards we did a
little motor sightseeing in Cambridge, Winchester, Reading, etc.
Upon return to the motel began study of maps, etc. preparatory
for the morrow. Plan a tour of downtown Boston in the a.m.
and the Gardner Museum in the p.m. Also might try walking
around Cambridge-Harvard.
$ Food
& tips $7.42 / Motel $10.00 [again unnamed] = total $17.42
My general impression of the metropolitan area is that Boston,
etc. is a great argument for city planning. The major
freeways are fine, but the rest is not easy to follow. The
old and the new are thrown together;
junk nestles a' treasure.
The exact opposite of Charleston [SC] in the way things are
handled. Salem and Marblehead, etc. should be interesting
for comparison.
The MFA is, of course, overwhelming.
I made no pretense of studying the collections; rather I tried
to familiarize myself with the layout, organization, display
techniques, etc. of the place. Of course where an old
friend was on display (e.g.
Van der Weyden's St. Luke) I
made a point of more careful looking. There is some logic
in making the whole a collection of museums, each self-contained
but connected to the others. Unfortunately the total is a
bit massive. Each section has a sameness which could be
helped by a less monolithic display. There is probably
more on display than is needed for general education and the
general public. Also there seems to be a great deal of
"case upon case" in certain areas. Despite the excellence
of the Oriental and the Egyptian, it was the decorative arts
(including sculpture and period rooms) which I felt to be an
outstanding display.
Also, the museum shop was most striking.
Acquired the handbook. Restrained myself re: the other
publications. Could easily spend $50 for various items.
This I couldn't afford. Since one or two couldn't close
the gaps, why frustrate myself trying to make a representative
selection[?]
SUNDAY,
MAY 28
Today was a day of
miscellaneous. First went into downtown (old town) Boston.
We managed to see the Old State House, Old North Church, Old
South Meeting House and much of what would be
reminiscent of the
old. We managed to see the
Paul Revere house (outside)
after a wild attempt on both foot and in auto. We were in
Little Italy right at the time church let out. A memorable
experience.
Thence to
Copley Square via
Louisburg
Square and that locale. We got a "tour" of
Trinity Church.
I must confess, it is considerably more impressive than the
photos suggested. The interior was also far beyond my
expectations. From there to the
Gardner Museum.
Despite some of the riches it is more a curiosity than anything
else. Fantastic is the word for it. Most things are
impossible to see properly, and the gawking sightseers make
traffic a problem. Nevertheless, an amazing experience—despite
my foreknowledge of it.
From there we went to Ipswich. Saw
the Whipple House and the
Heard House. Very satisfying.
Thence to Topsfield and the
Parson Capen House. Along the
way we saw much 18th and 19th Century architecture. I
trust I stored it up properly for future use. From
Topsfield back to the motel. Total distance—about 100
miles.
$ Food
& tips $8.38 / Gas $1.31 / Admission fees to houses $2.00 /
Motel $10.00 [still unnamed] = total $22.19
MONDAY,
MAY 29
Went on a special
tour. First to Salem where we hit the standard historic
sites. Took a tour in the
Derby House, saw the others from
the outside. After touring Salem we went to Marblehead.
Toured the
Jeremiah Lee house. This was of course a real
treat. Then went via the auto along the standard historic
sites route. Marblehead was much more impressive than
Salem. Too much of old Salem is slum-like, while old
Marblehead seems well kept up in comparison.
From Marblehead we went to Cambridge and
went to the Fogg and a walking tour of the [Harvard] campus.
The Fogg is quite impressive as a university museum (as I knew
it would be). Toured it and visited with
Mary Ward and
Louise Lucas. Enjoyed the visit muchly. Finals were
on at Harvard, and there was a bit of tenseness in the Fogg.
But looking at the Fogg, recalling Krannert, I'm most fortunate
to have the rapport I do with the Nelson Gallery.
$ Food
& tips $6.07 / Admission fees $1.50 / Motel $10.00 [once
more unnamed] = total $17.57
Summary: Massachusetts, as I view it, is badly in need of a more
advanced system of marking streets, etc. The Boston area
is most difficult to "read." Not all of the old can be
saved, but some sort of pattern (outside of local societies)
seems desirable. I felt that too much of the 17th Century
reconstruction was too pretty. Result is that I had a
feeling of viewing a reconstruction rather than a restoration.
The 18th Century things were O.K. No doubt there is little
alternative to some of the older items, but this raises a
complex philosophical question of what should and what is to be
done with historically significant examples. The moral, if
there is one, is that 300-year hindsight is less useful than a
recognition of important works and then a program of continuous
care. The 17th and 18th Century have received some of
their due, but what of the 19th Century (and 20th)[?]
This a result of 426 miles to date in
Massachusetts.
TUESDAY,
MAY 30
Depart North
Reading 8655 miles, 7:05. Arrive
Grantville, Pa. 9068
miles, 6:15. [Total] 413 miles [in] 11:10.
$ Food
& tips $5.81 / Gas $4.30 (includes filling tank before
takeoff) / Tolls $1.75 / Motel $7.28 [unnamed] = total $19.14
Today was both interesting and a grind. The freeway
sections were fine, the mountains lovely but time and
energy-consuming. We pushed on this far to take as much
advantage as we could of the daylight. Later, the time
saved will be much appreciated.
We had to bypass the
Wadsworth Atheneum
because of the timing. We hit Hartford at 10 a.m., but
with May 30th a holiday, the museum didn't open until 12.
The delay would be too expensive for us, hence it must wait for
another time.
WEDNESDAY,
MAY 31
Depart Grantville,
Pa. 9068 miles, 6:50. Arrive
Wilmington, Ohio 9534 miles,
7:15. [Total] 466 miles [in] 12:25.
$ Food
& tips $8.44 / Gas $3.43 / Tolls $1.65 / Motel $12.36
[unnamed] = total $25.88
A hard and long drive with a scenic but time-consuming detour in
the
Tuscarora Mountains. Because of the time lost (about
an hour), and time lost on another detour, we've decided to
alter plans. We'll skip Cincinnati this trip and go via
Hamilton, Ohio where we will service the VW. This will
consume about 45 minutes to an hour of non-travel time.
Because of this (and it must be done) we'll probably arrive
late, late afternoon in Carbondale. Well, we can't do
everything. In the future 5 days travel is best for a K.C.-New
England or N.Y. trip.
THURSDAY,
JUNE 1
Depart Wilmington
9534 [miles], 6:55. Arrive Carbondale 9926 [miles], 6:10.
[Total] 392 miles [in 11:15]
$ Food
& tips $2.68 / Gas [left blank] / Lubrication [left blank] /
[No total entered]
Stayed with the Richters in Carbondale. Saw some
interesting architecture.
FRIDAY, JUNE
2
Depart Carbondale
9926 miles, 8:40. Arrive K.C. 10299 miles, 5:40.
[Total] 373 miles [in 9 hours]
$ Food
& tips $1.99 / Gas [left blank] / Toll $0.60 / [No total
entered]
Trip Summary: Total mileage 6743 [to] 10299 or 3556 miles.
Total cash spent $249 away from K.C. Auto costs [left
blank]
SATURDAY,
JUNE 3
Collected back
mail. Check for research support among the items ($50).
Letter from Allen Weller who liked the review and hopes he can
keep it at its length. Did some reading in back journals,
but day spent in small chores and rest.
Worked on finances for this month.
Despite debts, we are solvent and have a cash reserve.
Because of, or in spite of, my stewing over finances we manage
to steer clear of fiscal troubles.
