{"id":118,"date":"2020-04-30T00:28:50","date_gmt":"2020-04-30T04:28:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/art-history-3570-spring-2020\/?page_id=118"},"modified":"2020-05-05T19:51:27","modified_gmt":"2020-05-05T23:51:27","slug":"kurtz-gallery-real","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/art-history-3570-spring-2020\/gallery-bios\/kurtz-gallery-real\/","title":{"rendered":"Kurtz Gallery"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Active Dates: <\/b>18741<\/a><\/sup>Benson Lossing, History of New York City: Embracing an Outline Sketch of Events from 1609 to 1830, and a Full Account of Its Development from 1830 to 1884, Volume 1 (New York: Perine Engraving and Publishing Company, 1884), 414. <\/span><\/span>-18832<\/a><\/sup>Emil Carlsen Archives, \u201cAmerican Art Association\u201d (webpage), Emil Carlsen Archives, accessed April 14th, 2020, http:\/\/emilcarlsen.org\/portfolio\/american-art-association-1883-1964\/<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Gallerist:<\/b> William Kurtz (1833-1904)3<\/a><\/sup> “William Kurtz, 1833-1904,” Newspaper Clipping, The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The New York Public Library, Accessed April 14, 2020, http:\/\/digitalcollections.nypl.org\/items\/510d47e2-a868-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Location:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

1874-1883:<\/span>\u00a06&7 East 23<\/span>rd<\/span> Street, New York4<\/a><\/sup>Lossing, History of New York City, 414. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Specialty:<\/b> European and American pictures.5<\/a><\/sup>\u201cPictures at the Kurtz Gallery,\u201d New York Times, December 17th, 1876, p 7.<\/span><\/span> Kurtz ran a photography studio on the ground floor of the Kurtz Gallery, specializing in photographic portraits.6<\/a><\/sup>“William Kurtz, 1833-1904,\u201d The New York Public Library.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Gallery History<\/b><\/p>\n

The Kurtz Gallery opened in 1874 facing Madison Square Gardens on East 23<\/span>rd<\/span> street as a photography studio and picture gallery.\u00a0 William Kurtz emerged as a prominent figure in the American photography scene after a varied early career as a lithographer in Germany, soldier, and sailor. Rescued from a shipwreck and brought to New York, Kurtz worked in several photo galleries and fought in the civil war before opening the Kurtz gallery in 1874. The lively gallery employed 40 assistants and occupied a decorative multistory building worth $130,000 in 1883.7<\/a><\/sup>Lossing, History of New York City, 414. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Visitors enjoyed galleries on upper levels and open gathering spaces for special events such as poetry readings and speakers<\/span>.8<\/a><\/sup>“New York City–the reception to William Cullen Bryant given by the Goethe Club, November 14th–Mr. Bryant responding to the address of welcome,” Still Image, The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library, 1877-12-01, Accessed April 14th, 2020, http:\/\/digitalcollections.nypl.org\/items\/510d47e1-10db-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99<\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0 The gallery featured artists from both Europe and America including Hunt, Gifford, Johnson, Zamacois, Fromentin, Vibert, Simonetti, Coret, Breton, and Degraffe among many others.9<\/a><\/sup>\u201cPictures at the Kurtz Gallery.\u201d<\/span><\/span> Highlights included high caliber shows such as exhibitions organized by famous art dealer Knoedler, featuring \u201cOne Hundred and Fifty Examples of the Best Contemporary Schools\u201d in 1875.10<\/a><\/sup>\u201cCatalogue of a collection of choice modern paintings from the galleries of M. Knoedler & Co\u2026\u201d Getty Research Institute Internet Archive, Accessed April 14th, 2020, https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/catalogueofcolle00some\/page\/n14\/mode\/2up<\/span><\/span> A few years later, a notable show on young, emerging artists gained significant attention.11<\/a><\/sup>\u201cA Plea for Finish in Art.\u201d New York Times. March 17th, 1878.<\/span><\/span> The ambiance of the gallery was considered one of the \u201cfinest in the city\u201d for its decorations, flowers, and elegant\u00a0 New Yorkers.12<\/a><\/sup>Richard Edwards, New York’s Great Industries: Exchange and Commercial Review, (New York: Historical Publishing Company, 1884), 275. <\/span><\/span> The Kurtz gallery was frequently featured in the <\/span>New York Times<\/span><\/i> and other news publications.13<\/a><\/sup> \u201cA Plea for Finish in Art\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Alongside shows, Kurtz ran a photography studio on the ground level of the gallery.\u00a0 As an accomplished experimenter and innovator in the field of photography, Kurtz had made a name for himself in inventing the \u201cRembrandt Effect\u201d in portrait photography as well as the vibrotype and the conigraph devices.14<\/a><\/sup>Lossing, History of New York City, 414. <\/span><\/span> He also pioneered picture retouching to capture more sensitivity in facial expressions.15<\/a><\/sup>David Shields, \u201cWilliam Kurtz,\u201d Broadway Photographs, accessed April 14th, 2020, https:\/\/www.broadway.cas.sc.edu\/content\/william-kurtz<\/span><\/span> In 1883, Kurtz installed electric light which illuminated his studio and attracted a lucrative business in photographing high-society New Yorkers in their finery after attending balls, operas, and parties.16<\/a><\/sup>Edwards, New York’s Great Industries, 275.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0 Kurtz became an expert in reproduction and was awarded recognition in Paris, Vienna, and Philadelphia expositions.\u00a0 William Kurtz was the first American photographer to win these honors,17<\/a><\/sup> Lossing, History of New York City, 414. <\/span><\/span> and over time he grew one of the largest photographic repositories in the world, specializing in busts and portraiture.18<\/a><\/sup>“William Kurtz, 1833-1904,\u201d The New York Public Library.<\/span><\/span> Later, Kurtz championed colored photographic reproduction.19<\/a><\/sup>Shields, \u201cWilliam Kurtz.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In 1880, James Sutton took over the Kurtz Gallery and renamed the space the American Art Gallery.20<\/a><\/sup> Malcom Goldstein, Landscape with Figures: A History of Art Dealing in the United States, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000), np. <\/span><\/span> Soon after, the American Art Association was established in the Kurtz building the 1883.\u00a0 The association became the first American auction house<\/span> and remained on East 23<\/span>rd<\/span> street until the American Art Association moved to Madison Ave and 56<\/span>th<\/span> Street in 1922.21<\/a><\/sup>\u201cSelected Dealer Archives & Locations,\u201d The Getty Research Institute, Accessed April 14th, 2020, https:\/\/www.getty.edu\/research\/tools\/guides_bibliographies\/provenance\/dealer_archives.html<\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Date Written:<\/b> April 15th, 2020<\/span><\/p>\n

Author\u2019s Initials:<\/b> CT<\/span><\/p>\n

Kurtz Gallery Bio PDF<\/a><\/p>\n

Illustrations<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
“New York City–the new art gallery of William Kurtz, East Twenty-third Street, opposite Madison Square.” The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
\u201cCatalogue of a collection of choice modern paintings from the galleries of M. Knoedler & Co.: (successors to Goupil & Co.): comprising one hundred and fifty examples of the best contemporary schools: now on exhibition at the Kurtz Gallery, no. 6 East Twenty-third Street, on Madison Square, where they will be sold at auction on the evening of Wednesday and Thursday April 14th and 15th, 1875.\u201d Getty Research Institute Internet Archive Gallery,
The Getty Research Institute.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
“New York City–the reception to William Cullen Bryant given by the Goethe Club, November 14th–Mr. Bryant responding to the address of welcome.” The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Primary Sources<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cA Plea for Finish in Art.\u201d <\/span>New York Times<\/span><\/i>. March 17<\/span>th<\/span>, 1878. <\/span>https:\/\/timesmachine.nytimes.com\/timesmachine\/1878\/03\/17\/81722778.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Edwards, Richard. <\/span>New York’s Great Industries: Exchange and Commercial Review<\/span><\/i>. New York:\u00a0<\/span>Historical Publishing Company, 1884. <\/span>https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=d6ieSXFM2kIC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=kurtz&f=false<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cPictures at the Kurtz Gallery.\u201d <\/span>New York Times<\/span><\/i>. December 17<\/span>th<\/span>, 1876, p 7. <\/span>https:\/\/timesmachine.nytimes.com\/timesmachine\/1876\/12\/17\/81700930.html?auth=login-email&pageNumber=7<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cCatalogue of a collection of choice modern paintings from the galleries of M. Knoedler & Co.:\u00a0<\/span>(successors to Goupil & Co.): comprising one hundred and fifty examples of the best contemporary schools: now on exhibition at the Kurtz Gallery, no. 6 East Twenty-third Street, on Madison Square, where they will be sold at auction on the evening of Wednesday and Thursday April 14th and 15th, 1875.\u201d Getty Research Institute Internet Archive. Accessed April 14<\/span>th<\/span>, 2020. <\/span>https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/catalogueofcolle00some\/page\/n14\/mode\/2up<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

“New York City–the new art gallery of William Kurtz, East Twenty-third Street, opposite\u00a0<\/span>Madison Square.” The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. Accessed April 14th, 2020. <\/span>http:\/\/digitalcollections.nypl.org\/items\/510d47e1-2cf8-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

“New York City–the reception to William Cullen Bryant given by the Goethe Club, November\u00a0<\/span>14th–Mr. Bryant responding to the address of welcome” Still Image. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. Accessed April 14th, 2020. <\/span>http:\/\/digitalcollections.nypl.org\/items\/510d47e1-10db-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

“William Kurtz, 1833-1904.” Newspaper clipping. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of\u00a0<\/span>Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The New York Public Library. Accessed April 14, 2020. <\/span>http:\/\/digitalcollections.nypl.org\/items\/510d47e2-a868-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Secondary Sources<\/b><\/p>\n

Emil Carlsen Archives. \u201cAmerican Art Association.\u201d Emil Carlsen Archives. Accessed April\u00a0<\/span>14<\/span>th<\/span>, 2020. <\/span>http:\/\/emilcarlsen.org\/portfolio\/american-art-association-1883-1964\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Goldstein, Malcom. <\/span>Landscape with Figures: A History of Art Dealing in the United States.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span>Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=Z9MJCAAAQBAJ&pg=PT99&lpg=PT99&dq=rufus+moore+kurtz+gallery&source=bl&ots=IL0VqbbGkR&sig=ACfU3U308uNkEQOyvlj7wWIqt98IJK-2dQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwivrNOGjufoAhUIgK0KHTXAALsQ6AEwAHoECAsQKQ#v=onepage&q=rufus%20moore%20kurtz%20gallery&f=false<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Lossing, Benson, <\/span>History of New York City: Embracing an Outline Sketch of Events from 1609\u00a0<\/span><\/i>to 1830, and a Full Account of Its Development from 1830 to 1884, Volume 1<\/span><\/i>. New York: Perine Engraving and Publishing Company, 1884. <\/span>https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=MZZe-BT4BbwC&pg=PA414&lpg=PA414&dq=kurtz+gallery+nyc+catalog&source=bl&ots=5gpJcDXgte&sig=ACfU3U3eDoz-xLD7PgxTUWtXdjI9ectENw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiGzvTvhOToAhVDX60KHegjChYQ6AEwB3oECAwQLw#v=onepage&q=kurtz%20gallery%20nyc%20catalog&f=false<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Shields, David S. \u201cWilliam Kurtz.\u201d Broadway Photographs. accessed April 14<\/span>th<\/span>, 2020.\u00a0<\/span>https:\/\/www.broadway.cas.sc.edu\/content\/william-kurtz<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cSelected Dealer Archives & Locations.\u201d The Getty Research Institute. Accessed\u00a0<\/span>April 14<\/span>th<\/span>, 2020. <\/span>https:\/\/www.getty.edu\/research\/tools\/guides_bibliographies\/provenance\/dealer_archives.html<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Active Dates: 1874-1883 Gallerist: William Kurtz (1833-1904) Location:\u00a0 1874-1883:\u00a06&7 East 23rd Street, New York Specialty: European and American pictures. Kurtz ran a photography studio on the ground floor of the Kurtz Gallery, specializing in photographic portraits. Gallery History The Kurtz Gallery opened in 1874 facing Madison Square Gardens on East 23rd street as a photography […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1063,"featured_media":115,"parent":40,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-118","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/art-history-3570-spring-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/118","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/art-history-3570-spring-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/art-history-3570-spring-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/art-history-3570-spring-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1063"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/art-history-3570-spring-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/art-history-3570-spring-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/118\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/art-history-3570-spring-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/40"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/art-history-3570-spring-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/art-history-3570-spring-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}