Jervis McEntee Diaries

Thursday August 19, 1875

Jervis McEntee Diary Entry, Thursday, August 19, 1875, from the Jervis McEntee papers, 1850-1905, in the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

The weather continues close damp and depressing. My mother and I went to Kingston and were caught in a shower. I wrote a letter to Whittredge today on Academy affairs in answer to one I received from him enclosing one from Eastman Johnson. It seems there has been a revolt of some of the students because the Council for lack of funds, voted not to open the schools this year until December, and have organized a society with Wilmart at his head, for what purpose I dont know, that there have been some communications in the newspapers which I have not seen and that Whittredge has written a letter to the Post which I have not seen. I gave Whittredge my view, independently of any influence these occurrences might have had on me, briefly as follows. Not to open the schools until December, because I believe in establishing a higher standard of admission for pupils to the end that we may have fewer and only those as far as possible who intend to become artists. Not to engage a teacher or to hold out any inducements that we will probably engage a teacher, unless Eastman Johnson will do what he promised me last spring he would do, go once a week to the Academy to look over the drawings of the pupils, and that I shall oppose any further indebtedness on account of schools if we have to go without a teacher. Miss Dr. Noxon came by the Powell to visit Sara. I received a note from Edwina Booth about her fathers accident saying substantially what was in the paper.

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