Archives Scrapbooks

Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V. Rinse, repeat.

Fogg Art Museum Scrapbooks, February 1958-December 1960

ARCH.2003.34, Rendition: 806898

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

This image displays a vintage newspaper clipping from The Boston Daily Globe, dated Saturday, March 29, 1958.

The clipping is laid open within what appears to be a scrapbook or binder, with the left-hand page partially visible and showing the word “lege” (likely the end of “college”), suggesting the article is part of a themed collection.

Article Details:

  • Headline: “Art ‘Auction’ Raises $7025” and “‘Harvard’s Day’ Gives Lift To Drive for $82,500,000”
  • Byline: Edgar J. Driscoll

Summary of the Article:

The article reports on an unusual art auction organized by Harvard University’s Fine Arts Department as part of “Harvard’s Day,” a fundraising campaign with a goal of $82.5 million. The auction, held in Paine Hall, featured mostly fake or copy artworks from the Fogg Art Museum’s collection — many of which were revealed to be forgeries or replicas during the event. The purpose was to raise funds for the university, and while the works were not genuine, they were still valuable as teaching aids.

Highlights from the article include:

  • About 1,000 alumni and friends attended the 2½-hour event.
  • The total raised was $7,025 — all proceeds going to the Harvard campaign.
  • Notable “fakes” included:
    • A copy of a Raphael portrait (attributed to Delaroche).
    • A fake Renoir drawing.
    • A “Renaissance” bronze sculpture later identified as a 19th-century piece.
  • The highest bid ($500) went to a reproduction of the “Bust of a Youth” by Henry Moore, which was originally sold for $150 and later resold for $500 to benefit the campaign.
  • The auction attracted serious bidders despite the “fake” nature of the art; some pieces were even auctioned off in the Harvard Common Dining Room.
  • Tips on art facts were included in a sidebar, with notes on lucky bidders and amusing tidbits about the auction’s origins and outcomes.

Visual Style:

The newspaper is printed in a dense, traditional column format common to mid-20th century broadsheets. The paper is yellowed with age, and the margins show signs of wear and tape residue — suggesting it’s been preserved for decades.


Overall, this clipping documents a clever and entertaining fundraising stunt by Harvard — turning art forgeries into a successful charity auction — and serves as a historical snapshot of institutional fundraising and art education in the 1950s.

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

The image shows a page from a newspaper dated Saturday, March 29, 1958, from "The Boston Daily Globe." The newspaper has a yellowed appearance, indicating its age, and the edges of the page are slightly worn, suggesting it is a physical copy that has been handled and possibly stored for a long time.

The main article on the page is titled "Art 'Auction' Raises $7025 'Harvard's Day' Gives Lift To Drive for $82,500,000." The article discusses an art auction event held as part of "Harvard's Day" in Cambridge. The event, organized by Harvard's Fine Arts Department, aimed to raise funds for a larger drive, with the goal of $82,500,000. The auction featured works from the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard, and it was described as an unusual art auction.

The article includes details about the items auctioned, their buyers, and the event's success in raising $7025 for the Harvard program. It also mentions that the auction included a panel of experts who analyzed the works, and that some of the works were genuine while others were fakes. The article concludes by noting that the paintings and sculptures were not sold for teaching purposes, as they were considered valuable items in the Fogg Collection.

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

This image shows a newspaper clipping from "The Boston Daily Globe" dated Saturday, March 29, 1958. The article is titled "Art 'Auction' Raises $7025 'Harvard's Day' Gives Lift To Drive for $82,500,000" and is written by Edgar J. Driscoll. The article discusses an unusual art auction held by Harvard's Fine Arts Department as part of their contribution to Harvard's Day in Cambridge. The auction raised $7,025, which was to be used towards a larger fundraising goal of $82,500,000.

The article describes the event, which included a discussion of the works "sold" on the block by a panel of experts. Nearly 1,000 alumni and friends attended the 2½ hour program. The auction featured 12 works from the Fogg Collection, with some later revealed as fakes and others still under dispute regarding their origin and authenticity.

The article mentions specific items auctioned, including a copy of a Copley portrait, a copy of an Italian 14th-century "St. Agnes," a 4th-century "Eros," a Renoir oil sketch, a Constantin Guys "Going to the Bullfight" scene, a Piranesi drawing, a 12th-13th century sculptured stone Buddhist head from Cambodia, a study for a sculptured Madonna and Child by Henry Moore, and a study for the Harkness Commons Dining Room mural at Harvard by Joan Miro.

The text also notes that the authenticity of the works was not divulged beforehand, and those who bid did so with the idea of benefiting the Harvard program. The article concludes with a list of lucky bidders and tips on art facts provided by a panel of experts. The clipping is pasted on a yellowed paper, indicating its age.

Amazon, amazon.nova-pro-v1:0

The image shows a page from a newspaper or magazine, specifically from "The Boston Daily Globe" dated Saturday, March 29, 1958. The page is beige and appears aged, with some discoloration and wear. The headline reads "Art 'Auction' Raises $7025 'Harvard's Day' Gives Lift To Drive for $82,500,000." The article discusses an art auction held at Harvard University, which raised $7,025 and contributed to a fundraising campaign aiming to collect $82,500,000. The text is divided into several columns, with the main article on the left and additional content on the right. The article includes details about the auction, the items sold, and the overall fundraising effort.

Amazon, amazon.nova-lite-v1:0

The image shows an open book with a newspaper clipping pasted in it. The clipping is from The Boston Daily Globe, dated Saturday, March 29, 1958. The headline reads "Art 'Auction' Raises $7025 'Harvard's Day' Gives Lift To Drive for $82,500,000" and is written by Edgar J. Driscoll. The clipping provides details about an art auction held at Harvard University to raise funds for the Harvard Day campaign, which aimed to collect $82,500,000. The auction raised $7025 and featured various artworks, including a portrait of Napoleon by Sir Thomas Lawrence, which sold for $100. The clipping also mentions the use of fakes in the auction and provides tips on art facts.

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

The image shows a scanned page from a newspaper, specifically from The Boston Daily Globe, dated Saturday, March 29, 1958. The page features a news article titled "Art 'Auction' Raises $7025", with a subheading: "Harvard's Day" Gives Lit To Drive for $82,500,000. The article is authored by Edgar J. Descoll and discusses an art auction held at Harvard University as part of "Harvard's Day" to raise funds for the university.

Key Details from the Article:

  1. Event Overview:

    • The auction was organized by the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University.
    • It was part of Harvard's Day, a fundraising effort.
    • The auction raised $7,025, with a goal to support a $82.5 million fundraising drive.
  2. Auction Highlights:

    • The auction featured nearly 100 alumni and friends who attended.
    • The total amount raised by the auction was $7,025, which was described as "the biggest single contribution of the art was the new portion of the Fogg Art Museum."
    • The auction included works from the Paul Hall Collection, including pieces by Edgar Degas, John Singer Sargent, and others.
  3. Notable Sales:

    • The highest-priced item was a painting by Frank Duveneck, titled The Runner, which sold for $1100.
    • Other notable sales included works by John Singer Sargent, John McLaughlin, and Frank Duveneck.
    • The article mentions that the auction benefited the Harvard Art Museums and the Harvard-Yenching Institute.
  4. Additional Context:

    • The article includes a sidebar titled "Copy of Capley", discussing a 19th-century Italian portrait of a Capley woman, which was part of the auction.
    • There is also a section titled "Tips on Art Facts", providing additional insights into the art world.
  5. Visual Layout:

    • The article is formatted in a classic newspaper style, with columns of text and a clear headline.
    • The page includes a header with the newspaper's name, date, and issue information.
    • The text is printed in black ink on a light brown, aged paper background, giving the page a vintage appearance.

Overall Impression:

The image depicts a historical newspaper clipping documenting an art auction event at Harvard University in 1958. The article highlights the financial success of the auction and its contribution to Harvard's fundraising efforts, while also providing details about notable artworks and their sale prices. The layout and design reflect the typical style of mid-20th-century newspapers.

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

This image shows a page from a scrapbook or similar collection containing an old newspaper article from The Boston Daily Globe. The article, dated Saturday, March 29, 1958, is titled:

Art 'Auction' Raises $7025
'Harvard's Day' Gives Lift To Drive for $82,500,000

The article discusses details about an art auction event, highlighting its role in raising $7,025 as part of a broader fundraising campaign for Harvard. The text goes into specifics about the auction, such as items featured, participants, and anecdotes. The tone reflects a historical and formal style common in newspapers of that era. The page appears yellowed with age, typical of older preserved paper.

OpenAI, gpt-4

This is a photograph of an old newspaper clipping, specifically from "The Boston Daily Globe," dated Saturday, March 29, 1958. The article featured prominently in the photo is titled "‘Harvard’s Day’ Gives Lift To Drive for $82,500,000." Below this headline is an article with small text that details an event or effort related to Harvard University, which seems to have been a part of a significant fundraising effort. There is also a smaller headline above which reads "Art ‘Auction’ Raises $7025", indicating a related event that contributed to the drive.

The newspaper is aged with some yellowing and the edges of the paper are slightly rough, which is consistent with the handling and decay often seen in old documents. The newspaper is laid upon a brown surface, possibly another piece of paper or a desk, with the top left corner revealing a word "College," likely part of a larger heading or title. The text of the article is too small to read in detail without zooming in or having a higher-resolution image.

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

The image shows a newspaper clipping titled "Art 'Auction' Raises $7025 'Harvard's Day' Gives Lift To Drive for $82,500,000" from The Boston Daily Globe dated Saturday, March 29, 1958. The article is written by Edgar J. Driscoll and describes an art auction event held at Harvard's Fine Arts Department as part of Harvard's Day in Cambridge.

Key points in the article:

  • The auction featured 12 works from the Fogg Collection, some of which were later revealed to be fakes or copies.
  • The total amount raised from the auction was $7,025, which supported a drive aiming for $82.5 million.
  • The auction attracted nearly 1000 alumni and friends who attended the program.
  • Among the artworks, the highest price fetched was for a Renoir painting called "At the Milliner's," which sold for $1,850.
  • Other winners included bidders for works by artists such as Philip H. Walkers of Sargent and Henry Moore.
  • The auction served partly as a teaching tool to educate about art authenticity.
  • The article includes comments from John T. Coolidge, director of the Fogg, who warned about the risks of auctions.
  • There is a section mentioning tips on art facts and listing other notable bidders and art experts involved in the event.

Overall, the article highlights the success of the auction in raising funds, educating the public on art authenticity, and supporting Harvard College.

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

  • The image shows a small newspaper clipping pasted onto a light brown scrapbook page.
  • It’s a Boston Daily Globe clipping from Saturday, March 29, 1958.
  • The headline reads something like “‘Harvard’s Day’ Gives Lift To Drive for $82,500,000,” with a smaller subheading above stating “Art ‘Auction’ Raises $7,025” (numbers are visible but small).
  • The article is printed in several narrow columns and includes a byline by Edgar J. Driscoll.
  • The clipping discusses Harvard’s fundraising drive and an art auction event, with details about donors and the impact on the drive.
  • The page around the clipping is aging tan/orange; the clip is framed by a thin piece of lighter paper at the top, and the right edge of the scrapbook page shows wear. A partial edge of another page is visible to the left.