The Frick Collection Construction Records

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 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 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.