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Fogg Art Museum Scrapbooks, January 1950-April 1951

ARCH.2003.31, Rendition: 804210

Qwen, qwen.qwen3-vl-235b-a22b

This image displays a vintage newspaper clipping from June 8, 1950, along with its news agency header, mounted on a gray background.

Header:
At the top is a white label from the “New England Newsclip Agency, Inc.” with its address (Box 2078, Boston 6) and phone number (HAncock 6-9297). It is marked “News (e)” and identifies the source publication as the “NEWPORT, R. I. Independent” with a circulation of 8,990. The date “JUN 8 1950” is stamped in purple ink at the bottom of this header.

Newspaper Clipping:
The main clipping is from the Newport Independent and features the headline:

ART EXPERT DROPS DEAD

The article, datelined “WASHINGTON, June 8 (P)”, reports the sudden death of Thomas Whittemore, age 79, an authority on Byzantine art at Harvard University. He collapsed and died in the U.S. State Department while on his way to meet with John Foster Dulles, special adviser to the Secretary of State.

The article provides biographical details:

  • He was a native of Cambridge.
  • He graduated from Tufts University and later studied at Harvard Graduate School and Oxford University, England.
  • He held positions as professor of English and fine arts at Tufts, assistant professor of fine arts at New York University, and lectured at Columbia University on Byzantine and Coptic art.
  • At Harvard, he was named keeper of Byzantine coins and seals and research fellow in Byzantine art at the Fogg Art Museum in 1933; both titles became honorary in 1942.
  • He was unmarried.
  • He received an honorary doctorate of laws from Brown University the previous Monday (June 5, 1950).
  • Associates believed his meeting with Dulles was to discuss important work being done by the Byzantine Institute in Turkey.

Visual Notes:

  • The clipping appears aged, with yellowed paper.
  • The text is in a standard newspaper font, with two columns.
  • There is a small, handwritten pencil mark (possibly a “5”) near the word “Harvard” in the first column.
  • The word “Harvard” in the first column is underlined in red ink, and a small red mark is visible at the top right corner of the clipping.

Overall, this is a historical news clipping documenting the sudden death of a prominent academic and art historian.

Qwen, Qwen/Qwen2.5-VL-7B-Instruct

The image shows a news clipping from the New England Newsclip Agency, Inc., dated June 8, 1950. The clipping reports on the death of Thomas Whittemore, a 79-year-old art expert, who died in Washington, D.C., while on his way to meet with John Foster Dulles, a special adviser to the Secretary of State. Whittemore was an authority on Byzantine art at Harvard University and had been named keeper of Byzantine coins and seals and a research fellow in Byzantine art at the university's Fogg Art Museum in 1933. Both titles were made honorary in 1942.

The clipping notes that Whittemore was a native of Cambridge, Massachusetts, graduated from Tufts University, and studied at Harvard School and Oxford University in England. He had previously been a professor of English and fine arts at Tufts University and an assistant professor of fine arts at New York University. He also lectured at Columbia University on Byzantine and Coptic art. Associates stated that Whittemore had a significant appointment with Dulles to discuss the important work the Byzantine Institute had been doing in Turkey. The clipping also mentions that Whittemore was unmarried and received an honorary doctorate of laws from Brown University.

The original document appears to be a printed news clipping, possibly from a newspaper, with a typed header from the New England Newsclip Agency, Inc., and a handwritten date stamp "JUN 8 1950" on the clippings.

Qwen, Qwen/Qwen2.5-VL-72B-Instruct

This image is of a clipped newspaper article dated June 8, 1950. The article is titled "ART EXPERT DROPS DEAD" and reports the death of Thomas Whittemore, a 79-year-old authority on Byzantine art at Harvard University. The article states that Whittemore dropped dead at the State Department while on his way to see John Foster Dulles, a special adviser to the Secretary of State.

The article provides additional details about Whittemore's career and background. It mentions that he was named keeper of Byzantine coins and seals and a research fellow in Byzantine art at the university's Fogg Art Museum in 1933, with both titles becoming honorary in 1942. Whittemore was a native of Cambridge, graduating from Tufts University, and he studied at Harvard Graduate School and Oxford University in England. He was formerly a professor of English and fine arts at Tufts and an assistant professor of fine arts at New York University. He also lectured at Columbia University on Byzantine and Coptic art.

The article notes that associates said he probably had made the appointment with Dulles to discuss the important work the Byzantine Institute had been doing in Turkey. Whittemore was unmarried and had received an honorary doctorate of laws from Brown University on the previous Monday.

The clipping is from the "New England Newsclip Agency, Inc." and is labeled as being from an independent newspaper in Newport, R.I., with a circulation of 8,990. The date "JUN 8 1950" is stamped on the clipping.

Amazon, amazon.nova-pro-v1:0

The image shows a piece of paper that is folded in half. On the top of the paper, there is a small piece of paper that has a few words written on it. The words "New England Newsclip Agency, Inc." are written on the top left of the paper, followed by the address and phone number. Below that, there is a small piece of paper with the words "News (e) NEWPORT, R. I. Independent Circ. 8,990 JUN 8 1950" written on it.

The main part of the paper has a news article written on it. The headline of the article reads "ART EXPERT DROPS DEAD." The article is about Thomas Whittemore, who was an author and authority on Byzantine art at Harvard University. He was 79 years old and was on his way to see John Foster Dulles, special adviser to the Secretary of State, when he died in the State Department.

The article also mentions that Whittemore was a native of Cambridge and had studied at Harvard School and Oxford University, England. He was also a professor of English and fine arts at Tufts and assistant professor of fine arts at New York University. He was unmarried and received an honorary doctorate of laws from Brown University.

The article is written in a black font on a white background, and the paper appears to be old and worn, with some creases and tears.

Amazon, amazon.nova-lite-v1:0

The image shows a page from a newspaper clipping with a headline that reads "ART EXPERT DROPS DEAD." The clipping is from the "Newport, R. I. Independent" and is dated June 8, 1950. The article discusses the death of Thomas Whittemore, a 79-year-old authority on Byzantine art at Harvard University. Whittemore had dropped dead in the State Department while on his way to see John Foster Dulles, the special adviser to the Secretary of State. The article mentions Whittemore's academic background, including his studies at Harvard Graduate School and Oxford University, and his positions as a professor at Tufts and New York University, as well as a lecturer at Columbia University. It also notes that he was unmarried and had recently received an honorary doctorate of laws from Brown University.

Amazon, us.amazon.nova-2-lite-v1:0

The image shows a scanned news clipping from the New England Newsclip Agency, Inc., dated June 8, 1950. The clipping is titled "ART EXPERT DROPS DEAD" and is sourced from the Newport, R.I. Independent, with a circulation of 8,990.

Content Summary:

  • Headline: "ART EXPERT DROPS DEAD"
  • Location and Date: Washington, June 8, 1950
  • Subject: Thomas Whittemore, a 79-year-old authority on Byzantine art, passed away suddenly in the State Department. He was on his way to meet John Foster Dulles, the Special Adviser to the Secretary of State.

Details About Thomas Whittemore:

  1. Education and Career:

    • Studied at Harvard School, Oxford, and Graduate University, England.
    • Formerly a professor of English and fine arts at Tufts and an assistant professor of fine arts at New York University.
    • Also lectured at Columbia University on Byzantine and Coptic art.
  2. Honors and Appointments:

    • Named keeper of Byzantine coins and seals and research fellow in Byzantine art at Harvard University's Fogg Art Museum in 1933.
    • Both titles were made honorary in 1942.
    • Received an honorary doctorate of laws from Brown University on the Monday before his death.
  3. Personal Life:

    • A native of Cambridge, he graduated from Tufts.
    • He was unmarried.
    • Associates believed he had made an appointment with Dulles to discuss important work the Byzantine Institute had been doing in Turkey.

Visual Elements:

  • The clipping is presented in a clean, typed format typical of mid-20th-century newsprint.
  • The header includes the New England Newsclip Agency, Inc. logo, address (Box 2078, Boston 6), and contact information (HAncock 6-9297).
  • The date and location of the newspaper (Newport, R.I.) are clearly stated at the top.
  • The article is concise, focusing on Whittemore's professional achievements, his sudden death, and the context of his meeting with Dulles.

Overall Impression:

The clipping provides a brief but informative account of the death of a prominent art expert, highlighting his academic credentials, professional roles, and the circumstances surrounding his passing. The tone is formal and factual, consistent with news reporting of the era.

OpenAI, gpt-4

The image depicts a newspaper clipping from a company labeled "New England Newsclip Agency, Inc." The clipping is dated June 8, 1950, addressed to an entity titled "NEWPORT, R. I. Independent" with a circulation of 8,990. It has been categorized under the news section (e).

The headline of the article is "ART EXPERT DROPS DEAD," and it details the sudden death of Thomas Whittemore, an authority on Byzantine art at Harvard University, who died at the age of 79 while at the State Department on his way to see John Foster Dulles, the special adviser to the Secretary of State.

The article continues to give more information about Whittemore, mentioning that he was named the keeper of Byzantine coins and seals and a research fellow in Byzantine art at the university's Fogg Art Museum in 1933. He received honorary titles in both 1942 and 1949. The clipping also notes his academic background, including his studies at Harvard Graduate School and Oxford University in England, his prior professorships at Tufts and New York University, and his lectures at Columbia University. He was noted for his work in Byzantine and Coptic art. It is mentioned that he was unmarried and that he had received an honorary doctorate of laws from Brown University.

The article provides a brief yet detailed account of Whittemore's death, his academic credentials, and his contributions to the field of art history. The actual source of the news article is not visible in the image.

OpenAI, gpt-4o-2024-11-20

This image is a clipping from the "Newport, R. I. Independent" newspaper, dated June 8, 1950. It describes the sudden death of Thomas Whittemore, a 79-year-old authority on Byzantine art associated with Harvard University. He collapsed at the State Department en route to meet John Foster Dulles, an adviser to the Secretary of State. The article details Whittemore’s career and achievements, including his role as keeper of Byzantine coins and seals at Harvard's Fogg Art Museum, his academic contributions at various universities, and his honorary doctorate from Brown University. He was unmarried and widely recognized for his scholarly work, particularly in Byzantine and Coptic art.

OpenAI, gpt-4.1-mini-2025-04-14

This image shows a newspaper clipping from the New England Newsclip Agency, Inc., dated June 8, 1950. The article's headline reads: "ART EXPERT DROPS DEAD."

The article reports that Thomas Whittemore, aged 79, an authority on Byzantine art at Harvard University, died suddenly in the State Department on his way to see John Foster Dulles, the special adviser to the Secretary of State. Whittemore was named keeper of Byzantine coins and seals and research fellow in Byzantine art at Harvard's Fogg Art Museum in 1933, with both titles made honorary in 1942. He was a native of Cambridge and a graduate of Tufts, Harvard Graduate School, Oxford University, and studied in England.

Whittemore had been a professor of English and fine arts at Tufts, an assistant professor of fine arts at New York University, and lectured at Columbia University on Byzantine and Coptic art. Associates believed he was going to meet Dulles to discuss work being done by the Byzantine Institute in Turkey. The article notes that he was unmarried and had recently received an honorary doctorate of laws from Brown University.

OpenAI, gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07

  • A small vintage newspaper clipping set on a gray background.
  • The top piece is a header from the New England Newsclip Agency, Inc. with an address (Box 2078, Boston 6) and a date stamp “JUN 8 1950.” It mentions Newport, R.I. independent circulation (8,990).
  • The lower piece is a news clipping with the bold headline “ART EXPERT DROPS DEAD” (AP dateline Washington, June 8).
  • The article reports the death of Thomas Whittemore, 79, a renowned Byzantinist at Harvard University, who collapsed in the State Department while on his way to see John Foster Dulles.
  • It provides biographical details: keeper of Byzantine coins and seals, research fellow at the Fogg Art Museum, educated at Tufts and Harvard, former professor at Tufts and NYU, lectured at Columbia, honorary titles in 1942, and an honorary doctorate from Brown University. Also notes he was unmarried and had ties to the Byzantine Institute in Turkey.