History

     In 1877 Mrs. J. Young Scammon, a prominent and public-spirited woman, assembled a group of influential friends to found the Chicago Society of Decorative Art.   This philanthropic endeavor was inspired by a workshop held at the Royal School of Art Needlework in London, an altruistic effort to help impoverished gentlewomen master the skills of an honorable trade and develop a reliable means of self-support.   

     The CSDA, which offered classes in painting, drawing, and needlework, attracted many talented pupils.   A correlated and broader goal of this new enterprise was to raise the general level of aesthetic taste.  Membership in the Society became a badge of social distinction, and the handicraft of the needlewomen was so admired that in 1882 the organization was invited to occupy rooms in the home of the new Art Institute.   

     Eventually the very success of this project inspired commercial competition, and the work of operating what was now a flourishing business became more than the Society members could manage themselves.  In 1888 the CSDA's entire inventory was sold to its superintendent, the members declaring themselves ready to move on to "higher things."  Their association with the Art Institute prompted the suggestion that the Society repurpose itself as a collecting institution, pledging the funds received from the sale of their goods toward the purchase of decorative arts to be presented to the museum.  In 1891, upon receipt of the final payment for their CSDA property, the members voted to adopt this new mission.  Almost immediately, William M. R. French, the museum's director, sent over some rare Spanish church embroideries for their approval, and the Society made its first purchase.

      The membership, at this time numbering about one hundred fifty women, took great pride in their new role.  Some were seasoned travelers, already on the hunt for artistic carvings, laces, pottery, and carpets.  The 1893 World's Columbian Exposition afforded yet another brilliant collecting opportunity.  Once the Art Institute was installed in its new Beaux-Arts building on the lakefront, the Society was given galleries on the second floor of the south wing, where it soon adorned pedestals and filled glass cases with a variety of goods.  To underscore the shift of interest from amateur handicrafts to works of fine art, the Society changed its name in 1894 to "the Antiquarians," stating at the time that the collection it was building would be "solely one of antiquities."

      Much of the art on display was of necessity gifted by members, the Society's five-dollar annual dues not building much of a purchasing fund.  Though these objects varied greatly in type and quality, there were genuine treasures among them and in any case their vivid charms appealed to a large public.  The Antiquarian rooms served virtually as the museum's decorative arts department.  When Mrs. Martin A. Ryerson assumed the presidency in 1908, she took steps to codify the Society's legal standing, so that it could accept larger contributions and bequests. At the same time she encouraged the members to focus on "fewer and better" objects.  With the Ryersons' advice and assistance, the Society acquired some rare examples of Gothic statuary.  Among other notable purchases were two shipments of exquisite old Chinese textiles – court robes, temple hangings, belts, and coats.  These were secured by Society member Lucy Monroe Calhoun, wife of the U. S. envoy in Peking.  On her return to Chicago, Calhoun served as juror for an Antiquarian loan exhibition of fine Chinese "curios" that also included ceramics, jades, and metalwork (even including a suit of armor).    

     The First World War interrupted much Antiquarian activity, though its elegant teas and receptions continued to strengthen bonds among the members and build the Society's reputation in the city's cultural community.  In 1914 the Art Institute appointed Bessie Bennett the museum's first Curator of Decorative Arts and two years later announced the official formation of the Department under the same name. Though Bennett's academic training in the field was limited, she had a talent for installation and exhibited the Antiquarian collections to great advantage. 

     During the 1920s and 1930s the Society attracted many new members and made numerous gifts to the museum.  There was a strong focus on English and Continental furniture and ceramics.  Among the important acquisitions of that period was a spectacular tapestry (Large Leaf Verdure with Animals and Birds, Netherlands, c. 1525/50), formerly in the collection of Edith Rockefeller McCormick.  Another major purchase was the Silver Standard Cross (Brunswick, c. 1325), an elaborate ecclesiastical relic from the famous Guelph Treasure. 

     In the early 1940s Antiquarian collecting shifted to the field of early Americana, with an initial emphasis on silver.  Inspired by ongoing cash gifts from a magnanimous member and working closely with the museum's curatorial staff, the Society assembled a notable group of pre-Revolutionary silver tankards, plates, goblets, and other tableware.  To these they added superb examples of Colonial-era furniture, all of which was eventually shown as an ensemble in the Antiquarian Gallery of 18th C. American Decorative Art, a new space which opened in late 1949.

      Eventually the Society resumed its original policy of collecting decorative objects of many cultures and time periods.  Since the 1960s its purchases have ranged widely and included classical to modern works, with occasional forays into the fields of sculpture, jewelry, and even architectural fragments.  Meanwhile, the organization has offered a formidable roster of educational programming - lectures, gallery walks, study groups, seminars, workshops, and travel events from local field trips to tours of historic U.S. sites to journeys as far as Prague and St. Petersburg.  The Antiquarians have always sought opportunities for invigorating intellectual adventure.  At the same time, they enjoy good company, to be found in abundance at the Society's traditional Spring Luncheon and May Tea.

      Today The Antiquarian Society is an independent organization of women and men committed to the celebration and support of the applied arts of Europe and the Americas.  The Society's largesse is legendary, and in 1999 it was recognized as a Distinguished Benefactor of the Art Institute of Chicago.  Three recent contributions illustrate our commitment to quality and cultivated taste.  The Society was the lead donor to the acquisition of the luminous Hartwell Memorial Window, designed in 1917 by Agnes F. Northrop for Tiffany Studios and recently installed at the top of the museum's Grand Staircase.  The Society also provided funds this year for the purchase of a spectacular pair of 18th c. sang de boeuf covered vases, mounted in gilt bronze by the acclaimed bronzier Jean Claude Duplessis.  These vases were once part of the Rothschild holdings and are the first of their kind to enter the Art Institute's collection.  Finally, individual Antiquarian members were among the chief contributors to the restoration of an exuberant Grinling Gibbons carved floral overmantel and cornice, c. 1685.  Originally made for Great House in Cassiobury Park, Hertfordshire, the carvings were a gift of the Society to the museum in 1926 and are now on display in their own dedicated gallery. 

      As we move through our 145th anniversary year, Antiquarians can be proud of this beneficent record.  It has been made possible by the exceptional generosity of our members, enlightened leadership, and the wise and careful stewarding of our resources.  We honor those who have built this incredible organization, and we look forward to exciting possibilities ahead.

Celia Hilliard

November 11, 2022