It looks a little thrown together now, its glamour a little dated, like exhibition design by Norma Desmond—Dahling, you must see my bronzes. Ferns droop here and there. Sculptures balance on radiator covers and faux classical pedestals of the sort you might find today in a garden, propping up a birdbath. All that’s missing is a tiger rug.
But in April 1919, when this photo was taken at the MIA, the intention was clear and honorable: make the gallery like a home, make the art appear accessible. And it was, albeit in a state that art insurers would simply walk away from today.
The exhibition itself had something to do with the window dressing. It was the first major display of American bronze sculptures—ever. Forty-four pieces that the trustees believed would “prove of general interest,” according to the five-cent catalog sold for the exhibition. “The examples shown are in sizes appropriate for the enrichment and decoration of homes,” the catalog notes. Indeed, the best use of American sculptures at the time was presumed to be home decor. You, too, could put them on your radiator.
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