NATIONAL ART GALLERY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 93, 19 April 1912, Page 8

NATIONAL ART GALLERY.

THE " BAILLIE PICTURES.

The rapidity with which Mr. Baillie has 'converted the large Harbour Board building into an up-to-date art gallery df the Continental type is truly wonderful. Tho members of the Academy Council were afforded an opportunHy yesterday of a peep at some of tho pictures as they were taken from their cases, arid the conclusion they came to was that if .the same quality is maintained throughout, as a collection it will be the hnest that baa over been offered for sale in New Zealand. Those who had the privilege of seeing tho great Dunedin Exhibition of some twenty years ago will rem-ember that many of the best works shown there were loan pictures, and could not, therefore, be retained in New Zealand. At the exhibition to' be opened next Friday all the pictures, with*the exception of two— ono by the Fripcesfe Louise and the other by the Princess Christian — will bs open for selection to the academy and to tne public. The president of the academy, aiter his first view of the pictures, states unhesitatingly that the. eucceas of the exhibition is assured. The fund for the purchase of pictures is rieing steadily towards the amount of £5000 necessary to eecur© the City Council's grant of £1000, and the organisers are confident that a great stimulus will be given to the movement once the exhibition is opened and the- public has an opportunity of viewing the pictures. All who wish to &c« a truly fine- institution established, in the Capital City are urged to forward their donations promptly either to the office of this paper or to Mr. J. D. Gray, 75, Grant-road. The donations to date are: —

Amount acknowledged ... 558 8 - ( L. 14. Reid- 11l A. Macintosh ..„ ... 22 ( F. P. Neleon ..< ... .... l 1 < S. Wright ... t 010 I A.E.B 0 5 1 A. P. Webster .♦ 2 2 '< W. Simm 5 5 ( L. Johnson ..." 1 1 ( Wellington, Industrial Aesocia1 tion^ .., 50 0 I W. F. Shortt ..< ... ill F. Grady „.. 3 3 ( M. J. Brookes ... .... 1,1 ( 0. Hill " 11l Rev. Dr. Gibb ... • ... - ... d 1 I J. M. Richardson ... ... 55 I C. Fletcher „.. 11 ( Mrs. Gordon ..« ... ... 5 5 ( A.M.G „.. 10 0 i lUrs. E. J. Riddiford ■ ... 25 0 I G. Didebury ».. ..» ... 11l J. C. Peacock ... ... 11l A. R. Meek ... ... ... 11 < H. F. Yon Haasfc ... ».. 1 1 ( Storer, Meek and Co. ... ... 5 5 1 Proprietors Evening Post ... 50 0 I Bell, Gully, Bell, and Myers 26 5 ( Society of Architects ... .^ 13 13 I V. B. Chapman 1, 1 I Jno. Camp Dell .... 5 5 1 New Zealand Wahehousemen's Association ... ... 50 0 I Total •. 831 7" I