Finding Aid for the Frick Collection Construction Records, 1933-1937
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Finding Aid for The Frick Collection Construction Records, 1933-1937 Summary Information Historical Note SUMMARY INFORMATION Scope and Content Note Arrangement Repository The Frick Collection/Frick Art Reference Library Archives Administrative Information 10 East 71st Street Controlled Access Headings New York, NY, 10021 [email protected] Collection Inventory © 2010 The Frick Collection. All rights reserved. Series I: Contracts and Creator Orders, 1933-1936 Frick Collection. Series II: Bills, Receipts, Vouchers, 1933-1937 Title Series III: Progress The Frick Collection Construction Records Reports, 1933-1936 ID Appendix: TFC.500 Subcontractors Date 1933-1937 Find Extent 7.5 Linear feet (15 boxes) Abstract Contracts, work orders, invoices, receipts, vouchers, and progress reports document the work of the general contractor and subcontractors during the conversion of the Frick residence to The Frick Collection, a public art gallery, and the construction of the new Frick Art Reference Library building. Preferred Citation The Frick Collection Construction Files. The Frick Collection/Frick Art Reference Library Archives. Return to Top » HISTORICAL NOTE In December of 1935, sixteen years after the death of the industrialist and art collector, Henry Clay Frick (1849- 1919), and only four years after the death of his wife, Adelaide, The Frick Collection opened its doors to the public. The transformation of the former Frick family residence at One East 70th Street in New York into a public art gallery, and construction of a new thirteen-story building to house the Frick Art Reference Library was the result of an extensive three-year construction project. Henry Clay Frick died on December 2, 1919. According to the terms of his final will, dated June 24, 1915 and probated in 1919, the Board of Trustees formed a corporation to be known as "The Frick Collection" for the purpose of "establishing and maintaining a gallery of art" in his former residence, of "encouraging and developing the study of the fine arts, and of advancing the general knowledge of kindred subjects." The residence was to remain the home of his wife, Adelaide Frick, until her death. The will also established an endowment fund of fifteen million dollars to be used for the maintenance, security, and eventual expansion of the house and growth of the art collection under the direction of the Trustees. The Board of Trustees, appointed by Henry Clay Frick in his will, consisted of his wife, Adelaide Frick; his daughter, Helen Clay Frick; his son, Childs Frick; George F. Baker, Jr.; John D. Rockefeller, Jr.; Horace Havemeyer; J. Horace Harding; Walker D. Hines; and Lewis Cass Ledyard. Helen Clay Frick, at her own expense, established the Frick Art Reference Library in memory of her father in 1920. The Frick Art Reference Library was first housed in the bowling alley of the Frick mansion, a space that it quickly outgrew. In 1924, in a joint agreement between the Trustees and Miss Frick, a building designed by Thomas Hastings was erected to house the Library on a lot adjacent to the residence at Six East 71st Street. After Mrs. Frick's death in 1931, the Trustees appointed a Committee on Organization and Policy to make decisions regarding the plan to transform the residence into a public art gallery. Frederick Mortimer Clapp, Head of the Department of Fine Arts of the University of Pittsburgh, was asked to develop an initial plan and report back to the Committee. Pleased with the report, the Committee hired him as an adviser to the project and later appointed him Organizing Director. Professor Clapp undertook an intensive study of the art collection, the house, and the property at One East 70th Street. The original arrangement of the works of art, the furnishings, and the interior design were seen as an important historical aspect of the Collection. The Trustees "foresaw in the Frick Collection an example of American domestic architecture and life in the early 20th century." Consequently, any alterations would have to be both congruous with the architecture, and preserve the original character of a residential home. After many preliminary studies, John Russell Pope was chosen as the architect for the project. Additions to the house included the Oval Room, the East Gallery, a small auditorium to be used for lectures and concerts (the Lecture Room), and the enclosed Garden Court. John Russell Pope collaborated with general contractors Marc Eidlitz & Son in solving the technical and structural problems involved in the process. In March, 1933, construction was begun on a storage vault in the basement to house the furnishings and works of art during the renovation. By the end of June, the artworks and furnishings were moved into the vault, and demolition of the properties at 10 and 12 East 71st Street (the site of the future Library building) had begun. During the renovations, construction work had to proceed carefully: tests were routinely run to check if newly installed systems and materials, such as the air conditioning, electrical wiring, lighting, water- proofing and plumbing, were functioning, and original architectural details of the mansion had to be protected or placed in temporary storage rooms. In November, 1933, excavation was begun on the site of the future Garden Court. Foundation and shoring problems were revealed, delaying construction of the The Frick Collection addition until the walls and foundations were strengthened. By November of 1934 the new Library building was ready to house the books and furniture from the old Library. The old Library building was demolished in December, 1934, and construction of the East Gallery and Lecture Room began. The new Frick Art Reference Library building opened to the public on January 14, 1935. After the construction of the Collection was completed, interior work began on wall coverings, painting, woodwork, gilding, and ceiling decoration. The Trustees took possession of the Collection building from the general contractors on September 30, 1935. Moving the art objects from the basement vault into the Collection was begun on October 1 and completed on December 5, 1935. The Frick Collection opened to the public on December 16, 1935. Return to Top » SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE The Construction Files of The Frick Collection consist primarily of records documenting the work of the general contractor and subcontractors during the conversion of the Frick residence into a public art gallery and the construction of the new Frick Art Reference Library building. The office of the general contractor, Marc Eidlitz & Son, directly oversaw the work progress and was the liaison between the subcontractors and the offices of architect John Russell Pope and Organizing Director Frederick Mortimer Clapp. The files consist of 7.5 linear feet of records spanning from 1933 to 1937. Some of the work performed during this period included additions to the former Frick residence, including the Oval Room, the East Gallery, a small auditorium (known as the Lecture Room), and the Garden Court; conversion of rooms on the second floor of the former Frick residence to offices; demolition of the former Frick Art Reference Library building and the adjacent townhouses (site of the new library building); construction of the new 13-story Frick Art Reference Library building; installation of air conditioning systems, electrical wiring and plumbing in both buildings; and removal of all works of art, furniture and any other item that might be harmed during the construction period to the newly constructed basement vault. The specifics of this work are well documented in these records, which include work orders, daily progress reports, bills, receipts and vouchers. The only form of correspondence found within the records is a group of cover letters regarding enclosures of work orders or contracts. The bulk of the records were generated from the Office of Marc Eidlitz & Son and then forwarded to the Offices of John Russell Pope and Frederick Mortimer Clapp. Documentation of the construction work that is found here includes work expenses, type of work performed, subcontractors’ names, and work progress during the construction. The best overall documentation of the progress and type of work performed can be found in Series II: Progress Reports, which details the work of Marc Eidlitz & Son, as well as each subcontractor, on a daily basis. Specific details of the subcontractors' work can also be found in: Series I: Contracts and Orders, which includes documentation of work materials and equipment, job requests and location numbers as mapped out on the Architect's drawings (see The Frick Collection Central Files, 1934 – Plans – Schedules of Room Numbers). Additional work details can be found in Series III: Bills, Receipts & Vouchers, including the subcontractors' bills, which detail the cost of equipment, materials and labor, and the requisition forms that provide a breakdown of the overall sum of the contracts with additional credits included. Type of work performed by the subcontractors is included in the container list for Series I: Contracts and Orders. Subcontractors and suppliers found in Series III: Bills, Receipts & Vouchers are listed in Appendix I. The latter is a more extensive listing, since it includes building and material suppliers as well as specialty workers hired by the General Contractor. Correspondence and memorandums relating to the construction project can also be found in The Frick Collection Central Files. The Central Files, 1932-1936 contain correspondence, memorandums and notes of John Russell Pope, Frederick Mortimer Clapp, Marc Eidlitz & Son, the Committee on Organization and Policy, and subcontractors. In addition, reports and meeting minutes filed under the Committee on Organization and Policy and John Russell Pope can be found in these files. Photographs that document the building progress are found in The Frick Collection – Photographs record group. Return to Top » ARRANGEMENT The Construction Files are organized in three series: Series I: Contracts and Orders, 1933-1936 Series II: Progress Reports, January 1933-January 1936 Series III: Bills, Receipt and Vouchers, 1933-1937 An appendix list of subcontractors follows.