MAG 1913-1938

The Memorial Art Gallery's first 25 years established the Gallery as the city's fine arts museum.

This is the 2nd in a series of timelines looking at Rochester art and the Memorial Art Gallery in celebration of the Gallery's centennial in October 2013.

1913-10-08 00:00:00

Memorial Art Gallery opens

The Memorial Art Gallery was dedicated October 8, 1913.

1913-10-08 00:00:00

A Memorial Lamp

A group of Friends and Associates of Mr. J. G. Averell donated a memorial lamp to the Gallery.

1913-10-08 01:00:00

The Gallery's first director

George Herdle was not a shoo-in candidate for the Gallery's directorship.

1913-10-09 00:00:00

Memory

Emily Sibley Watson commissioned sculptor William Ordway Partridge to "create a life-size sculpture in fine Carrara marble, as well as a portrait relief of young Averell for its base."

1913-10-09 00:00:00

Sibley & Watson families' first gifts of art

1913 saw the donation of a number of artworks by members of the Sibley & Watson families, the beginning of a long history of such gifts.

1914-01-01 00:00:00

Bragdon's New York Central Railroad Station

Claude Bragdon's terminal for the New York Central Railroad opened in 1914.

1914-01-31 00:00:00

Gallery admits school groups free

In January 1914 it was decided to admit school groups to the Gallery free of charge, when arrangements were made ahead of time.

1914-05-11 00:00:00

Unearthing the Buried Cities of Palestine

The first lecture held at the Gallery by the Archeological Society of Rochester featured Dr. Frederick J. Bliss, discussing excavations in Palestine.

1914-06-12 00:00:00

Paintings owned by Residents of Rochester

In June 1914, the Gallery held the first of several loan exhibitions of paintings owned by residents of Rochester.

1914-09-12 00:00:00

Modern German Posters

Claude Bragdon designed this poster for an exhibition of Modern German Posters at the Gallery in September 1914.

1914-10-19 00:00:00

MAG supports local arts groups

The Gallery offered both the Rochester Art Club and the Rochester Art League free use of its facilities for meetings as early as 1914 and 1915.

1914-10-31 00:00:00

The New Color Photography

On October 31, 1914 Kodak's first Kodachrome two-color process was unveiled in an exhibition at the Memorial Art Gallery.

1915-01-01 00:00:00

Charlotte Whitney Allen's Garden

Charlotte Whitney Allen's garden has played an important role in the Gallery's history.

1915-02-16 00:00:00

The Modern Movement in American Art

In February-March 1915, the Gallery showed an exhibition of the Modern Movement in American Art.

1915-03-03 00:00:00

Artist Braves March Weather to Paint Lower River

At least two paintings were created as a result of W. Elmer Schofield's visit to Rochester in March 1915. Both are now in the Gallery's collection.

1915-04-09 00:00:00

Whistler portraiture exhibition

In April 1915, the Gallery held an important exhibition of Whistler portraiture organized by Gallery supporter Elmer Adler.

1915-09-01 00:00:00

The First Song & Light Festival

In September of 1915, Claude Bragdon helped organize the Song and Light Festival, a community-building public singing event held in Highland Park.

1915-09-17 00:00:00

Early exhibitions by Rochester artists

Rochester artists Kathleen McEnery Cunningham and Emma Lampert Cooper (with her husband Colin Campbell Cooper) exhibited in early shows.

1916-01-01 00:00:00

Deepening the River Bed

Between 1913 and 1919, the Genesee River bed was lowered by approximately 10 feet between Broad Street and High Falls as a flood control measure.

1916-06-30 00:00:00

Chamber of Commerce Building opens

Designed by Claude Bragdon, the building was constructed in 1916 as a gift to the community from George Eastman.

1916-07-06 00:00:00

George Herdle helps form Association of Art Museum Directors

The Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) was formed on July 6, 1916.

1916-09-29 00:00:00

A Permanent Loan from a Friend

In the early years the Gallery had no endowment for the purchase of art, so generous patrons often purchased or loaned art work to the Gallery.

1916-10-14 00:00:00

Miss Lasell marries

James Sibley Watson, Jr. and Hildegarde Lasell were married October 14, 1916 in Whitinsville, MA.

1917-10-01 00:00:00

War's Burden

"At this time of war's burden and distress the ministry of our Gallery to the spiritual life of our community is more important than ever before."

1918-06-01 00:00:00

Gertrude Herdle begins to work at MAG

Around the time of her graduation from the University of Rochester, Gertrude Herdle began to assist her father at the Memorial Art Gallery.

1919-01-01 00:00:00

Gallery begins Picture Story Hours for children

In the Fall of 1919, Gertrude Herdle began a program of Picture Story Hours for children.

1919-12-16 00:00:00

Furor over George Bellows exhibition

In December 1919 the Gallery opened a solo exhibition by George Bellows. The exhibit became a test for Gallery director George Herdle.

1920-01-01 00:00:00

New publisher of the Dial Magazine

In 1920, Dr. James Sibley Watson, Jr., son of Gallery founder Emily Sibley Watson, became co-publisher of the avant-garde Dial Magazine.

1920-04-10 00:00:00

Celebrating Immigrant Culture

The Gallery has a long history of outreach to Rochester's ethnic communities, beginning with the 1920 Homelands Exhibition.

1921-05-16 00:00:00

Gertrude Herdle on the road

Gertrude Herdle attended the AAMD meetings at the Corcoran as her father's deputy on May 16th & 17th 1921.

1922-01-01 00:00:00

Disappearing Rochester: the Erie Canal Weigh Lock

This Erie Canal weigh lock was built in 1852 and replaced by the subway in 1922.

1922-02-11 00:00:00

Hattie Strong gift of Northwest Indian Basketry

In 1922, Hattie M. Strong, widow of Henry Alvah Strong, donated a collection of Northwest Coast Indian baskets to the Memorial Art Gallery.

1922-06-22 00:00:00

Gertrude Herdle becomes Deputy for George Herdle

In the final months of her father's life, the Board of Managers authorized Gertrude Herdle to become his deputy.

1922-06-30 00:00:00

A Summer Exhibition

MAG's summer exhibition in 1922 included 5 paintings loaned by Hildegarde Lasell Watson's cousin, Mrs. George Marston Whitin.

1922-09-04 00:00:00

Eastman Theatre opens

The Eastman Theatre opened on September 2, 1922.

1922-09-29 00:00:00

Death of George Leonard Herdle

George Herdle, the Gallery's first director, died of Hodgkin's disease on September 29, 1922.

1922-10-11 09:49:33

From Emily Sibley Watson's ledgers

In 1922, Emily Sibley Watson donated $100 to help purchase a painting by George Herdle after his untimely death.

1922-10-25 00:00:00

George Herdle Memorial Exhibition

A retrospective exhibition of sixty oil paintings by George Leonard Herdle was held October 25 - November 26, 1922.

1922-12-23 00:00:00

Elizabeth Denio dies

University of Rochester Professor Elizabeth H. Denio died unexpectedly December 23, 1922.

1923-05-22 00:00:00

Gertrude Herdle Member Assoc. of Museum Directors

In May 1923, Gertrude Herdle attended the Annual Meeting of the Association of Art Museum Directors.

1923-06-14 00:00:00

Gertrude Herdle Becomes Gallery's 2nd director

Gertrude Herdle had been appointed Acting Director by the Gallery's Board at its October 12, 1922 meeting.

1924-11-12 00:00:00

Carl Peters wins 1st Lillian Fairchild award

The first Lillian Fairchild Award was given to Carl W. Peters for his winter landscapes in oil.

1924-12-11 00:00:00

Watsons donate money for new addition to Gallery

Minutes of the Board of Directors for December 11, 1924 thank Mr. and Mrs. Watson "for their [initial] subscription of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) for the enlargement of the Gallery."

1925-01-01 00:00:00

Expedition to Carthage

The University of Michigan and the University of Rochester supported an archaeological expedition in Carthage in 1925.

1925-04-19 00:00:00

Mestrovic purchase drive

In April 1925 a record-breaking exhibition of Mestrovic's sculpture at the Memorial Art Gallery led to a subscription drive to add works by the artist to the Gallery's collection.

1925-06-15 00:00:00

Gertrude Herdle receives honorary degree from UR

An honorary master of arts degree was bestowed on Gertrude Herdle at the 1925 University of Rochester graduation ceremony.

1925-06-18 00:00:00

Dr. Watson's first gift to MAG

This watercolor was the first of what would be almost 200 works of art donated to the Gallery by Dr. James Sibley Watson, Jr., son of Gallery founder Emily Sibley Watson.

1925-06-25 00:00:00

Ground broken for new addition to the Gallery

On June 25, 1925, ground was broken on the new addition.

1925-09-01 00:00:00

School children bussed to Gallery

During the construction of the 1926 addition, school children were bussed to the Gallery.

1925-09-26 00:00:00

Fountain Figure commissioned

In September 1925 Mr. & Mrs. Atkinson Allen commissioned the sculptor Gaston Lachaise to create a statue that would be a focal point for their garden, designed by landscape architect Fletcher Steele.

MAG 1913-1938

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