Guide to the Dr. Henry Barton and Mary Frick Jacobs Papers, 1885-1966, bulk 1900-1940
MS.3

 Series 1. Correspondence   (2.5 linear feet, 6 boxes).

Scope and Contents note

Series 1, Correspondence, consists mainly of correspondence related to the Jacobs' purchase of works of art from various dealers. Many letters have replies attached or written on the back, generally from Dr. Jacobs or a secretary writing for Mrs. Jacobs. Some letters contain interesting details such as Mrs. Jacobs' thoughts as to where to place paintings in her collection and how she chose particular works. The series also includes correspondence related to the authentication of works of art.

Highlights in the series include the Jacobs' correspondence with the art dealers Theron Blakeslee, Eugène Fischhof, René Gimpel, and Wildenstein & Co. This correspondence shows the Jacobs' relationship with each dealer and how their collection was put together piece by piece. Blakeslee sold Mrs. Jacobs numerous paintings and his letters detail every aspect of their purchase from acquisition at auction to price negotiations and shipping. The Jacobs also used Blakeslee to sell works from their collection that Mrs. Jacobs no longer enjoyed or that she wanted to replace with a more important work. Blakeslee committed suicide in 1914 allegedly in fear that his debts would exceed his net worth during analysis by an auditor. As he left no will, many already purchased paintings remaining in his galleries including several belonging to the Jacobs were tied up with his estate. Correspondence related to the estate is included in this series.

At the same time that the Jacobs were purchasing from Blakeslee, they were also working with French horse racer and art dealer Eugène Fischhof. A letter from Mrs. Jacobs to Fischhof dating from November 24th, 1913, shows that she was beginning to question the authenticity of some of the works in her collection, and eventually the Jacobs became embroiled in a dispute with Fischhof after several experts expressed concern that some paintings he had sold them were fakes or by lesser artists. The Jacobs did continue to buy from Fischhof and even commissioned several pastels through him in 1916. During World War I, Fischhof also wrote to the Jacobs about news of his son who was killed in action in August 1916.

Following Blakeslee's death and the problems with Fischhof, the Jacobs began buying works from René Gimpel, first as part of E. Gimpel & Wildenstein and then through each firm separately after 1920. Many of Gimpel's letters are quite lengthy and provide detailed art historical background for the paintings he was trying to sell. The Jacobs are also mentioned in Gimpel's, Diary of an Art Dealer, though much of what Gimpel says about Mrs. Jacobs' relationship with Blakeslee and Fischhof is exaggerated and dates are incorrect. Note that the Jacobs are listed in the index of the book under "Barton-Jacobs, Mr. and Mrs. Henry."

Through all four dealers, the Jacobs also had restoration, framing, and labeling of works in their collection done and the details of such transactions can be found in the correspondence. Further correspondence with individual art restorers such as H.A. Hammond Smith and F.V. Syracuse can also be found in this series.

By the 1920's the Jacobs slowed the pace of their art buying as both of them were frequently ill and they concentrated their efforts on filling gaps in the collection. Due to the financial situation in the U.S. during the Depression and Mrs. Jacobs' decision to give her collection to the Baltimore Museum of Art, most correspondence from this period up until Mrs. Jacobs' death consists of polite refusals to buy any new works or loan existing works for exhibitions.

Also contained in this series is correspondence and other material related to Dr. and Mrs. Jacobs roles on the Board of Trustees and various committees at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Most is directed to Dr. Jacobs and dates from 1933-1939. Notable material includes correspondence with Robert Garrett requesting funding for the Antioch excavations, correspondence with BMA staff about the transfer of the Jacobs Collection to the museum and the building of the wing to house it, as well as letters from John Russell Pope about the construction (Pope signed himself "Jack" and called Dr. Jacobs "Uncle Jake"). Also included is correspondence about Pope's office's construction of Mrs. Jacob's memorial stone.

A small amount of correspondence to and from Robert Garrett was donated by his nephew Robert Garrett (1875-1961) in 1950 and has been included in the Correspondence Series. The bulk of Mrs. Jacobs' correspondence before her marriage to Dr. Jacobs and relating to aspects of her life outside the world of art collecting can be found in the Garrett Papers, 1816-1950 at the Maryland Historical Society.

 Series 2. Art Collection   (.3 linear feet, .7 box).

Scope and Contents note

Series 2, Art Collection, contains material relating to the Jacobs' collection of art, much of which was donated to the Baltimore Museum of Art. The series does include references to works that are not part of the BMA collection as well.

The Financial Documents and Notes subseries contains material such as invoices, shipping documents, and insurance papers that show how and when payments were made and material was transferred from dealers to the Jacobs' various homes. The subseries was originally arranged into two separate subseries, but the contents of each were so similar that they were combined into one at the time of processing. The series also contains Jacobs' notations on prices of paintings and which works to exchange for others. These notes are often cryptic and difficult to decipher. Other notes detail visits to the Jacobs Gallery by various experts and their attributions. It is possible that the person who was helping Dr. Jacobs put together the 1938 collection catalog took some of the notes as they detail research into the provenance of some works and list particular letters where the relevant information can be found.

Several lists of paintings in the collection are included. Of particular interest is a leather-bound notebook that lists paintings purchased through 1902 with details about their provenance and lists also miniatures, snuff boxes, Sevres porcelain, jades, china, bronzes, tapestries and furniture among other objects in the collection.

The Catalogs subseries contains portions of a catalog of the 1912 sale of items from the Doucet collection with prices and several exhibition catalogs from dealers. The subseries also includes a leather portfolio titled, "The Catalogue of the Mrs. Henry Barton Jacobs Collection of Chinese Art" from the Ralph M. Chait Galleries in New York.

The Clippings subseries contains newspaper clippings, mostly from the New York Herald describing various auctions. Items of significance to the Jacobs' have occasionally been underlined or circled.

The Photographs subseries contains photographs of works in Jacobs Collection as well as works offered for sale to the Jacobs but not purchased, and works simply related to those in the collection in some manner. Photographs that were enclosed with correspondence have been retained in the Correspondence series.

The Baltimore Museum of Art subseries contains materials created by staff members at the BMA that relate to the Jacobs Collection, particularly its reinstallation in 1958 and reports from various experts about the authenticity of works in the collection.

 Series 3. Personal Papers   (.1 linear feet, .3 box).

Scope and Contents note

Series 3, Personal Papers, contains material created by the Jacobs, but not related to their art collection. The series consists of payroll accounts, an invoice from John Russell Pope for work on the Jacobs' house, one listing of Mrs. Jacobs' securities and a list of housekeepers from 1915 through 1927. The payroll accounts include records of employees both in Baltimore and in Newport, RI as well as a few notes from J. Alex Johnson to Mrs. Jacobs about amounts to be paid to various employees.

 Series 4. Estate   (.3 linear feet, .7 box).

Scope and Contents note

Series 4, Estate, contains material related to the transfer of the Jacobs art collection to the BMA as well as the disbursement of the Jacobs' other belongings after their deaths. Some related correspondence is included with both the appraisals and disbursement material.

The Appraisals and Inventories subseries contains mainly formal appraisals of items in the Mount Vernon Place home after Dr. Jacobs' death in 1939. The Real Estate appraisal includes reports on the properties at Mt. Vernon Place, Uplands, 923 N. Charles St., 5501 Hillen Rd., and Cowpens, and was done just after Mrs. Jacobs' death in 1936. Most of the appraisals and inventories simply describe, sometimes rather inaccurately, items, provide their size, condition, location, and give a range of values. In some cases, the person providing the appraisal is named at the top of the list.

The Disbursement subseries contains lists of items from the Jacobs' estate and to whom they were given or sold. The Paintings folder includes a report by Edward S. King on the condition and authenticity of the paintings from the collection that were sold at Duveen Brothers in 1940. The large majority of items in the collection went to Mrs. Jacobs' relatives, although some, including numerous bottles from the wine cellar, were given to Mrs. Redmond Stewart, wife of a prominent Baltimore attorney and horseracing enthusiast. The lists also include items to go to Hammond-Harwood House, the Garrett Hospital, the Peabody Library and the Welch Medical Library at Johns Hopkins.

The General subseries contains materials on other matters related to the estate of Mary Frick Jacobs such as the estate tax and the sale of investments. Also included are several newspaper clippings about the value of Mrs. Jacobs' estate.

Oversize   (.4 linear feet, .6 box)