The Salmagundi Club, sometimes referred to as the Salmagundi Art Club, is a fine arts center founded in 1871 in the

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

section of

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

. Since 1917, it has been located at 47

Fifth Avenue Fifth Avenue is a major and prominent thoroughfare in the borough of Manhattan in New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 populatio ...

. , its membership roster totals roughly 1,100 members. The Salmagundi Club has served as a center for

fine art In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwor ...

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, t ...

s and collectors, with

art exhibition An art exhibition is traditionally the space in which art objects (in the most general sense) meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as is rarely true, it is stated to be a "permanent exh ...

s, art classes, artist demonstrations,

art auctions Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of what ...

and many other types of events. It is also a sponsor of the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...

Art Program (COGAP).

History

It was founded in 1871. Originally called the ''New York Sketch Class'', and later the ''New York Sketch Club'', the Salmagundi Club had its beginnings at the eastern edge of

in sculptor

Jonathan Scott Hartley Jonathan Scott Hartley (September 23, 1845 – December 6, 1912) was an American sculptor. Biography Jonathan Scott Hartley was born in Albany, New York on September 23, 1845. He was educated at The Albany Academy, and married Helen Inness in ...

's Broadway studio, where a group of artists, students, and friends at the National Academy of Design, which at the time was located at Fourth Avenue and Twenty-third Street, gathered weekly on Saturday evenings. The club formally changed its name to The Salmagundi Sketch Club in January 1877. The name has variously been attributed to

salmagundi Salmagundi (or salmagundy or sallid magundi) is a cold dish or salad made from different ingredients which may include meat, seafood, eggs, cooked vegetables, raw vegetables, fruits or pickles. In English culture, the term does not refer to a s ...

, a stew which the group has served from its earliest years, or to

Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories " Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and " The Lege ...

's ''Salmagundi Papers.'' Growing rapidly, the organization was housed in a series of rented properties including 121 Fifth Avenue, 49 West 22nd Street, 40 West 22nd Street and finally 14 West Twelfth Street, where it remained for 22 years. In April 1917, following a three-year search, the club purchased Irad and Sarah Hawley's 1853 Italianate-style

brownstone Brownstone is a brown Triassic–Jurassic sandstone that was historically a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States and Canada to refer to a townhouse clad in this or any other aesthetically similar material. Type ...

townhouse at 47

between East Eleventh and East Twelfth Streets from the estate of William G. Park for $100,000.00 and erected a two-story annex in the rear at an additional cost of $20,000.00 to house its primary art gallery and a billiard room. A housewarming event on February 5, 1918 was attended by more than 500 persons. In 1918, the club spearheaded a national effort to produce range-finder paintings used to train military gunners for World War I. The club provided the canvas and painting materials for these special-purpose paintings. In 1969 the building was

designated Designation (from Latin ''designatio'') is the process of determining an incumbent's successor. A candidate that won an election for example, is the ''designated'' holder of the office the candidate has been elected to, up until the candidate's i ...

a city landmark by the

New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting New York City's architecturally, historically, and cu ...

. In 1975 it was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

Membership

The Salmagundi Club was a male-only club for its first century, although artworks by women were accepted and praised. A sister club for women artists, the Pen and Brush Club, was formed around the corner from Salmagundi in 1894. Salmagundi began admitting women members in 1973. Members of the Salmagundi Club have included Thomas P. Barnett, William Richardson Belknap,

Alon Bement Alon Bement (1876–1954) was an American artist, arts administrator, author, and teacher. He served as the Dean of Traphagen School of Fashion from 1946 until 1951. Early life and education Alon Bement was born on August 15, 1876, in Ashfield ...

, Ralph Blakelock, A. J. Bogdanove,

Charles Bosseron Chambers Charles Bosseron Chambers (C. Bosseron Chambers) (1880 - 1964) was a painter, illustrator and teacher. ''The Reading Eagl''e describes Chambers as the "Norman Rockwell of Catholic art" and reports that his paintings have become collectible. He is ...

James Wells Champney James Wells Champney (July 16, 1843 – May 1, 1903) was an American Genre works, genre artist and illustrator noted for his portraits, oriental scenes and American landscapes. Life and career Champney was born in Boston, Massachusetts, Boston, ...

William Merritt Chase William Merritt Chase (November 1, 1849October 25, 1916) was an American painter, known as an exponent of Impressionism and as a teacher. He is also responsible for establishing the Chase School, which later would become Parsons School of Design ...

, C.K. Chatterton, Frederick Stuart Church, Jay Hall Connaway,

John Henry Dolph John Henry Dolph (April 18, 1835 – September 28, 1903) was an American painter. Eventually based in New York City, he became notable for his depictions of pets such as dogs and kittens. Life John Henry Dolph was born on April 18, 1835, in Fort ...

, Charles Dana Gibson, Gordon H. Grant, Walter Granville-Smith, Edmund Greacen, Charles P. Gruppé, Emile Gruppe, William Hart, Childe Hassam,

Ernest Martin Hennings Ernest Martin Hennings (1886–1956) was an American artist and member of the Taos Society of Artists. Biography E. Martin Hennings was born in Penns Grove, New Jersey on February 5, 1886 to German immigrant parents. Two years after he was born, ...

, Harry Hoffman,

Alexander Pope Humphrey Alexander Pope Humphrey (1848 – 1928), was an American lawyer and judge. He attended Centre College in Danville, Kentucky and the University of Virginia law school. Career Humphrey was a chancellor of the Louisville, Kentucky chancery cour ...

, George Inness Jr., Lajos "Louis" Jambor, John LaFarge, Ernest Lawson, Austin W. Lord, Frank Mason, Leopold Matzal,

Samizu Matsuki Samizu Matsuki (March 16, 1936 – August 4, 2018) was a Japanese artist and educator. She won the Gold Medal at the 1970 First New York International Art Show, the Grand Prix at the 1971 Locust Valley Art Show on Long Island, New York, and the Aw ...

, John Francis Murphy,

Spencer Baird Nichols Spencer Baird Nichols (1875–1950) was an American portrait painter, illustrator and muralist.Artists and Architects, National Academy Museum 1083 Fifth Avenue New York, New York 10128 accessed June 4, 2015 Nichols was born to Henry Hobart and ...

Richard C. Pionk Richard Cletus Pionk (April 26, 1936 - June 5, 2007) was an American artist who worked in the media of pastels and oil painting and who lived, worked and taught in New York City, New York.

, Howard Pyle,

Will J. Quinlan Will J. Quinlan (William James Quinlan, 3rd, 1877–1963), artist, was born in Brooklyn on June 27, 1877. He lost his hearing as a child. He had an early interest in art and attended the National Academy of Design, Pratt Institute and Adelphi Ac ...

Norman Rockwell Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of Culture of the United States, the country's culture. Roc ...

, Harry Roseland,

Augustus Saint-Gaudens Augustus Saint-Gaudens (; March 1, 1848 – August 3, 1907) was an American sculptor of the Beaux-Arts generation who embodied the ideals of the American Renaissance. From a French-Irish family, Saint-Gaudens was raised in New York City, he tra ...

, Rudolph Schabelitz,

Leopold Seyffert Leopold Seyffert ca. 1910 Leopold Gould Seyffert (January 6, 1887 – June 13, 1956) was an American artist. Born in California, Missouri and raised as a child in Colorado and then Pittsburgh, his career brought him eventually to New York City, ...

, Channel Pickering Townsley, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Edward Charles Volkert,

J. Alden Weir Julian Alden Weir (August 30, 1852 – December 8, 1919) was an American impressionist painter and member of the Cos Cob Art Colony near Greenwich, Connecticut. Weir was also one of the founding members of "The Ten", a loosely allied group of ...

, Jack Wemp,

Stanford White Stanford White (November 9, 1853 – June 25, 1906) was an American architect. He was also a partner in the architectural firm McKim, Mead & White, one of the most significant Beaux-Arts firms. He designed many houses for the rich, in additio ...

William Wilson (physicist) William Wilson (March 29, 1887 – May 8, 1948) was an English-born physicist who spent much of his career in the United States. Born in Preston, he studied at the University of Manchester and at Cambridge University, studying radioactivity un ...

Stuart Williamson Stuart Williamson (born 1948, England) is a sculptor, teacher of sculpture and poet from North East England. He is a Fellow of the Royal British Society of Sculptors, a Member of the Society of Portrait Sculptors (UK), a Member of the National Scu ...

, Joseph Mortimer Lichtenauer and

N.C. Wyeth Newell Convers Wyeth (October 22, 1882 – October 19, 1945), known as N. C. Wyeth, was an American painter and illustrator. He was the pupil of Howard Pyle and became one of America's most well-known illustrators. Wyeth created more than 3,00 ...

. Honorary members have included Paul Cadmus, Schuyler Chapin, Winston Churchill,

Buckminster Fuller Richard Buckminster Fuller (; July 12, 1895 – July 1, 1983) was an American architect, systems theorist, writer, designer, inventor, philosopher, and futurist. He styled his name as R. Buckminster Fuller in his writings, publishing m ...

, Al Hirschfeld, and

Thomas Hoving Thomas Pearsall Field Hoving (January 15, 1931 – December 10, 2009) was an American museum executive and consultant and the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Early life He was born in New York City to Walter Hoving, the head of ...

. Salmagundi curatorial committee is responsible for maintaining Salmagundi’s permanent representational art collection of approximately 1,800 works from the 1840s to today, including: paintings, sculpture, objects and works on paper by its past and present artist members. The collection consists of exhibition purchase prizes, competition purchase prizes, artist donations, and estate bequests. The works are rotated on a continual basis throughout the townhouse and are featured in live shows and online exhibitions throughout the year.

Club presidents

* Joseph Hartley, 1871–1889 *

George W. Maynard George Willoughby Maynard (March 5, 1843 – April 5, 1923) was an American painter, illustrator and muralist. Biography George W. Maynard was born in Washington, D.C. He studied at the National Academy of Design in New York City, and the Roya ...

, 1888–1889 * Charles Yardley Turner, 1883–1889 * Thomas Moran, 1893–1896 * W. Lewis Fraser, 1896–1897 *

Alexander Theobald Van Laer Alexander Theobald Van Laer (1857–1920) was an American painter, born at Auburn, New York. He studied at the Art Students League of New York and in the Netherlands under George Poggenbeek. He often exhibited with Adelaide Deming and Emily Va ...

, 1897–1898 * Robert C. Minor, 1898–1899 *

, 1899–1900 * George H. McCord, 1900–1901 * George Inness Jr., 1901–1903 * J. Scott Hartley, 1903–1905 *

, 1905–1908 * Henry B. Snell, 1908–1910 * Frank Knox Morton Rehn, 1910–1911 *

Carleton Wiggins Carleton Wiggins NA (1848–1932) was an American landscape and cattle painter. He was born in Turner, Orange County, New York,

, 1911–1913 * Charles Vezin, 1913–1914 * F. Ballard Williams, 1914–1919 * Emil Carlsen, 1919–1920 * J. Massey Rhind, 1920–1922 * Hobart Nichols, 1922–1924 *

W. Granville-Smith W. may refer to: * SoHo (Australian TV channel) (previously W.), an Australian pay television channel * ''W.'' (film), a 2008 American biographical drama film based on the life of George W. Bush * "W.", the fifth track from Codeine's 1992 EP ''Bar ...

, 1924–1926 * Franklin De Haven, 1926–1929 * Bruce Crane, 1929–1933 * Louis Betts, 1933–1935 * George Elmer Brown, 1935–1937 * Frederick W. Hutchinson, 1937–1939 * Gordon Grant, 1939–1941 * George Lober, 1941–1944 * Frederick K. Detwiller, 1944–1946 * Henry O' Connor, 1946–1947 * Silvio B. Valerio, 1947–1949 * Percy Albee, 1949–1953 * Russell Rypsam, 1953–1955 * Henry Laussucq, 1955–1957 * Junius Allen, 1957–1959 * A. Henry Nordhausen, 1959–1963 * Francis Vandeveer Kughler, 1963–1966 * Martin Hannon, 1966–1970 * John N. Lewis, 1970–1976 * Martin Hannon, 1976–1977 * Raymond R. Goldberg, 1977–1979 * Richard Clive, 1979–1981 * Carl L. Thomson, 1981–1983 * Ruth B. Reininghaus, 1983–1987 * Edward A. Brennan, 1987–1990 * Kenneth W. Fitch, 1990–1991 * Robert Volpe, 1991–1994 *

, 1994–2007 * Claudia Seymour, 2007–2013 * Robert Pillsbury, 2013–2019 * Elizabeth Spencer, 2019-2021

References

External links

*
Salmagundi Museum of American Art

Documenting the Gilded Age: New York City Exhibitions at the Turn of the 20th Century
A New York Art Resources Consortium project. Exhibition catalogs from the Salmagundi Club.
The Salmagundi Club Photograph Collection at the New York Historical Society

{{Authority control 1871 establishments in New York (state) American artist groups and collectives Arts organizations established in 1871 Clubhouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Manhattan Cultural infrastructure completed in 1852 Greenwich Village Italianate architecture in New York City New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan Non-profit organizations based in New York (state)