DUBUQUE ART GALLERY

DUBUQUE ART GALLERY. The Dubuque Art Gallery opened in June, 1874, with R. E. Graves serving as president. Over one hundred "good" paintings were exhibited at the commencement. (1)

By 1905 the gallery was a department of the public library, an "unusual feature in the state." Miss Smith, the local librarian, made a presentation on the subject to the meeting of state librarians in Fort Dodge in November. Miss Smith noted that guests were often taken to the gallery for a visit and that the circulation of books about subjects in the collection often increased after seeing the exhibits. (2)

The gallery was located on the third floor of the library and was established through the generosity of Oliver Perry SHIRAS who furnished the room with carpet, chairs and lighting. Shiras also provided an Austrian urn, several pictures, and an extensive collection of bird pictures. Another donor had given a plaster cast of the "Winged Mercury." The former Art Association of Dubuque gave fifteen oil paintings which formed the heart of the collection.

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Source:

1. Oldt, Franklin T. History of Dubuque County, Iowa. http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/franklin-t-oldt/history-of-dubuque-county-iowa-being-a-general-survey-of-dubuque-county-histor-tdl/page-19-history-of-dubuque-county-iowa-being-a-general-survey-of-dubuque-county-histor-tdl.shtml

2. "Miss Smith Tells of Art Gallery," Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, November 5, 1905, p 5