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Fogg Art Museum Scrapbooks, January 1961-December 1965

ARCH.2003.35, Rendition: 804959

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

This image shows an open, aged scrapbook or binder page containing several newspaper clippings related to art preservation, dated in September 1961.

Layout and Content:

The page features three main newspaper clippings, each attached with a small white strip (likely tape or glue), and several printed labels from press clipping bureaus.


Clipping 1 (Top Left):

  • Heading: "Let the Pictures Be Pictured"
  • Source: Burrelle’s Press Clipping Bureau, Wilmington, Del., Journal (dated Sep 20 1961).
  • Content: Discusses the importance of making photographic records of artworks, especially in light of recent art thefts. It notes that the Delaware Art Center photographs works in color and black-and-white, but only keeps black-and-white prints for archival purposes. Quotes Bruce St. John, curator at the Art Center, and Prof. Millard Meiss, Former curator at the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard. Meiss advocates for an international effort to photographically document important artworks to ensure their survival “at least the shadow of art treasures.” He also suggests involving the UN’s Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

Clipping 2 (Top Right):

  • Heading: "Let Art Be Copied"
  • Source: The Ohio News Bureau Company, Cleveland 14, Ohio (dated Sep 25 1961).
  • Content: Echoes the same argument as the first clipping: the necessity of photographing art to preserve its record in case of destruction or theft. Quotes Prof. Millard Meiss again, calling for an international meeting on preserving art, possibly including discussions of nuclear warfare. It questions whether artworks that have survived 3,000 or 30,000 years deserve the best chance to continue surviving.

Clipping 3 (Bottom Center):

  • Heading: "LET ART BE COPIED"
  • Source: The Republican, Courter, Flatty 1, Ao-lire v.146 (dated Sep 27 1961).
  • Content: This is nearly identical text to the Sep 25 clipping from The Ohio News Bureau. It appears to be a duplicate or reprinted version from a different newspaper. The same themes and quotations are included.

Additional Labels:

  • Top Left Label: From “Fogg Burrelle’s Press Clipping Bureau,” listing the date, source, and article title. “Fogg” appears to be a code or project name, possibly referring to the Fogg Art Museum.
  • Top Right & Bottom Center Labels: From “THE OHIO NEWS BUREAU COMPANY,” identifying the source of the clippings and noting “First Clipping Bureau In Ohio.” These include handwritten codes like “Fogg,” “Fogg 3,” and “Fogg 3,” suggesting these clippings were grouped under a specific research or monitoring category related to the Fogg Museum or Prof. Meiss.

Visual Notes:

  • The scrapbook page is yellowed and shows signs of aging.
  • Text is typewritten in standard newspaper font.
  • The clippings are carefully preserved and labeled for archival or research purposes.
  • Handwritten notes and codes (“Fogg,” “Fogg 3”) appear on some clippings and labels, indicating editorial or organizational tracking.

Summary:

This scrapbook page documents a concerted media and academic effort in 1961 to advocate for the photographic preservation of art, spearheaded by art historian Prof. Millard Meiss. The clippings emphasize the vulnerability of artworks to theft and destruction and argue for international archival cooperation—perhaps even in anticipation of Cold War threats. The page functions as a curated collection of press coverage on this topic, likely maintained for professional or scholarly reference.

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

This image appears to be a page from a scrapbook or a collection of clippings, likely used for cataloging or referencing articles. The page contains several newspaper clippings that have been cut out and pasted onto the page. Each clipping is from a different source, as indicated by the different logos and the names of the publication at the top of each clipping.

The articles discuss the importance of preserving art through photographic records, with a focus on the potential risks of damage or destruction due to nuclear warfare. They emphasize the need to create photographic records of important art collections around the world. The clippings also mention scholars and curators who have contributed to this discussion, such as Prof. Millard Meiss.

The page shows some wear and tear, with the paper appearing slightly yellowed, suggesting it has been stored for some time. There are also some handwritten notes, possibly indicating dates or other information about the clippings. Overall, the page seems to be a historical record of articles addressing the preservation of art in the context of nuclear warfare, reflecting the concerns of the time.

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

This image is a page from a scrapbook or a collection of newspaper clippings, likely related to an art preservation initiative. The page contains several cut-out articles pasted onto a beige background. The clippings are from different newspapers and are dated in the early 1960s.

  1. Top Left Clipping:

    • Source: Wilmington, DEL, Journal.
    • Date: September 20, 1961.
    • Article Title: "Let the Pictures Be Pictured."
    • Content: Discusses the importance of making photographic records of works of art, especially in light of the potential destruction of mankind. It mentions the Delaware Art Center's practice of photographing every accession in color and black and white, and the concern over stolen paintings. Professor Millard Meiss, a former curator at the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard, is quoted advocating for an international meeting on the subject of preserving art, even in the face of nuclear warfare.
  2. Top Right Clipping:

    • Source: The Evening Independent, Massillon J.
    • Date: September 25, 1961.
    • Article Title: "Let Art Be Copied."
    • Content: Similar to the top left clipping, it discusses the importance of making photographic records of artworks and the need for an international meeting to discuss the preservation of art.
  3. Bottom Left Clipping:

    • Source: The Republican Courier, Findlay.
    • Date: September 27, 1961.
    • Article Title: "Let Art Be Copied."
    • Content: This article is similar in content to the other two, emphasizing the need for photographic records of artworks and the potential for art to be lost due to various reasons, including theft and destruction.

Each clipping is labeled with the name of the Press Clipping Bureau, "Burrelle's," and the address "165 Church Street - New York." The articles are neatly arranged and pasted on the page, suggesting a deliberate effort to compile and preserve this information. The overall theme of the clippings is the importance of documenting and preserving art for future generations, especially in the context of potential global disasters.

Amazon, amazon.nova-pro-v1:0

The image shows a page from a book or a magazine. The page is filled with text and images, suggesting it is a clipping from a newspaper or a magazine. The page is covered with different-sized pieces of paper, some of which are torn, and some are folded. The papers have different colors and designs, and some have text written on them. The text on the papers is in different fonts and sizes, and some are blurry.

Amazon, amazon.nova-lite-v1:0

An open book with an article titled "Let the Pictures Be Pictured" is on the table. The article is about the importance of preserving art and the need for an international meeting to discuss the preservation of art. The article also mentions the Delaware Art Center, which is making photographic records of works of art. The article is accompanied by a sticker with the text "The Ohio News Bureau Company" and "First Clipping Bureau in Ohio."

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

The image depicts two pages from a press clipping bureau archive, specifically from the Bufflees Press Clipping Bureau located at 165 Church Street, New York. The pages are dated September 20, 1961, and feature articles from The Ohio News Bureau Clipping Company, based in Cleveland, Ohio.

Left Page:

  • Title: "Let the Pictures' Be Pictured"
  • Content: The article discusses the idea of preserving art through photography as a means to safeguard cultural heritage. It highlights the vulnerability of physical artworks to destruction, theft, or decay and emphasizes the importance of documenting art through color and black-and-white photography. The article quotes Bruce St. John, a curator at the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard, who advocates for an international effort to photograph important artworks. The piece also mentions the potential for such efforts to protect art treasures from nuclear warfare or other catastrophic events.

Right Page:

  • Title: "Let Art Be Copied"
  • Content: This article elaborates on the same theme, advocating for the systematic documentation of art through photography. It reiterates the necessity of preserving art records, especially given the risks of theft, damage, or destruction. The article quotes Professor Millard Meiss, a former curator at the Fogg Art Museum, who emphasizes the importance of international cooperation to photograph and preserve art. It also discusses the idea of holding an international meeting to address the preservation of art treasures, particularly in the context of nuclear warfare.

Additional Details:

  • Stamps and Labels: Both pages are marked with stamps and labels from the Bufflees Press Clipping Bureau, indicating their cataloging and organization. The stamps include identifiers such as "Fogg", "Fosg 2-5-61", and "Fosg 27-9-61", along with reference numbers like PW-Irc 2,480 and PW-Irc 2,146.
  • Layout: The pages are formatted in a typical newspaper clipping style, with headlines, bylines, and body text. The articles are concise and focused on the theme of art preservation through photography.

Overall Context:

The image showcases a historical document from the early 1960s, reflecting concerns about the preservation of cultural heritage in the face of potential global threats, such as nuclear war. The articles emphasize the importance of documenting art through photography to ensure its survival for future generations. The press clipping bureau's stamps and labels indicate systematic archiving of these articles for reference and research purposes.

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

This image contains a scrapbook page with three newspaper clippings about artwork preservation and photography documentation. The clippings are affixed to a tan background, each labeled with the name of the publication, bureau, and date stamps.

The main clipping titled "Let the Pictures' Be Pictured" discusses the importance of photographing and preserving artwork in various formats, ensuring historical works are given protection against potential damage or loss. It references leaders and initiatives doing this work, including Prof. Millard Meiss at the Fogg Art Museum in Harvard.

Other clippings titled "Let Art Be Copied" and a third one also discuss similar topics. These texts emphasize the preservation of invaluable works of art for future generations, citing the importance of photo documentation and protecting historical and cultural treasures for thousands, even tens of thousands, of years.

The clippings all seem dated either September 20 or 25, 1961, stamped from clipping services and regional newspapers.

OpenAI, gpt-4

You are looking at a scanned image of a page from a scrapbook or a collection of newspaper clippings. There are three newspaper articles attached to the scrapbook page, which are from different sources as indicated by the heading or stamp on each clipping. The articles seem to be related to art preservation and the reproduction of artwork.

The first article on the upper left is from "Byrne's Press Clipping Bureau" in Wilmington, Delaware, and is dated September 20, 1961. This article, titled "Let the Pictures' Be Pictured," discusses the durability and reproduction of art, emphasizing the value of making copies to preserve the visual impact of the originals for future generations. It mentions the natural fading and damage that occurs over time to artworks.

The second piece, situated in the top right corner, is from "The Ohio News Bureau Company" in Massillon, Ohio, and is also dated September 1961. The title "Let Art Be Copied" suggests that the article is about allowing art to be copied either to make the artwork more accessible or to store imagery for posterity. The article implies that artworks should be copied to withstand the test of time, maybe even thousands of years.

Both articles have some handwritten annotations and a red stamp marking the respective dates they were clipped or received.

The scrapbook paper itself is aged and the edges of the paper are slightly irregular, indicating that the clippings were likely cut out by hand and then pasted onto the page. Overall, the image tells us about historic perspectives on the preservation of art and the potential considerations for its long-term survival.

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

The image shows a scrapbook page with several newspaper clippings attached. The clippings mostly consist of articles or excerpts about art preservation and the importance of photographic records of artworks. The articles emphasize concerns about the possible destruction of mankind and the need to safeguard art through photography to ensure its survival for many years, potentially thousands.

Details include:

  • A clipping from "Burelle's Press Clipping Bureau" dated SEP 20, 1961.
  • A clipping from "THE OHIO NEWS BUREAU COMPANY" with the date SEP 25, 1961.
  • Another clipping from "THE OHIO NEWS BUREAU COMPANY" dated SEP 27, 1961.

The articles mention Prof. Millard Meiss, a former curator at the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard, stressing the importance of photographic documentation to preserve art. There is also mention of international cooperation and a project related to preserving art amid concerns such as nuclear warfare.

Some articles have been underlined or marked with red pen for emphasis on particular sentences. The overall theme is focused on art preservation through photographic means and the significance of maintaining records of art pieces for the future.

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

A scrapbook page with aged beige paper. Several small newspaper clippings are pasted in a cluster near the center-left and top-right. The clippings discuss themes of copying art and photographing paintings, with headlines like “Let Art Be Copied” and “Let the Pictures Be Photographed.” Some clippings are from The Ohio News Bureau Company, The Republican Courier, and the Wilmington Journal, with date stamps such as SEP 20 1961 and SEP 27 1961. There are a few handwritten notes in pencil (e.g., “Fog”) near the clips. The overall look is vintage, like a page from a mid-20th-century scrapbook.