Rebirth and Early Years

The Founding of the California Art Club: December 1909
The Painters' Club of Los Angeles (See previous page) disbanded in mid-December of 1909 after its members felt it had outgrown its usefulness. After this mention, Los Angeles Times art critic Antony Anderson reveals that a small group of artists who had belonged to the former association had regrouped to form the California Art Club. They felt there was still a need for artists living in the Southern California area to meet and share their ideas, and to exhibit together. Frank Rennsselear Liddell, a businessman and part time painter, was elected as their first president and Charles Percy Austin was named as corresponding secretary. No longer limited to L.A.-centric male painters, the Club opened its membership to women, sculptors and artists living as far away as New York.
(Antony Anderson, Exit the Painters' Club, Los Angeles Times, December 12, 1909, III17)

"The Painters' Club, which was started a few years ago, was last year merged into the California Art Club." (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, L.A. Times, January 29, 1911)

This comment above would seem to indicate that the entire membership of the Painters' Club of Los Angeles was simply transferred to the CAC, and expanded upon, but not quite. Some former PC members don't reappear as members of the new club until the CAC's Second Annual Exhibition or later, and many others never made the transition at all.

For the Historic CAC Membership Roster, please click here. | History ~ Main

Member names are highlighted below documenting when they first appear with the CAC.

The California Art Club is founded (2 Members)
December 12, 1909: Charles Percy Austin (1883-1948), corresponding secretary, and Frank Renssellear Liddell (1864 - 1923), the first president, are the only members named in this article. (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, December 12, 1909)

First monthly meeting (4 New Members)
January 5, 1910: Presumably held on or about this date, unknown location or attendees. [It probably included at least Anderson, Austin, Franz Anton Bischoff (1864-1929), Carl Oscar Borg (1879-1947), Aaron E. Kilpatrick (1872 - 1953), Liddell, and William Wendt (1865 - 1946); based upon later columns by Antony Anderson.]

Second monthly meeting (7 new members)
February 5, 1910: Held on Saturday evening at Franz Bischoff's home, 320 Pasadena Avenue, South Pasadena. A constitution similar to that of the Society of Western Artists was adopted, "so that the club can send its exhibitions over a circuit of cities in California." John Hubbard Rich (1876-1954) and Rob Wagner (1872-1942) became Active Members; Allen Durand (1865 - 1939), Mauritz DeHaaff (1877 - 1948), William A. Matern (1867 - 1923), Frederick Roland Miner (1876 - 1935), and Jack Wells [or Welles] joined as Associate Members. A permanent Exhibition Committee was established, consisting of Austin, Bischoff, Borg, Wagner and Wendt; they were to secure a space for an upcoming exhibition (postponed at the third meeting). (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, February 13, 1910)

(3 new members)
February 27, 1910: Elected Honorary Members of the new club: Hector Alliot (1862-1919), Antony E. Anderson (1863-1939 and Everett Carroll Maxwell. (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, February 27, 1910)

Third monthly meeting
March 5, 1910: Held on Saturday evening at Aaron Kilpatrick's home, No. 1307 East Twenty-Eighth Street. (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, February 13 & March 6, 1910)

The CAC postponed its first exhibition until the end of October, when members would have been back from summer sketching trips. (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, March 13, 1910)

Fourth monthly meeting
April 2, 1910:"The California Art Club will meet at the Art Students' League next Saturday evening."
(Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, March 27, 1910)

Gallery owner J. F. Kanst was the guest speaker at the April 2 meeting, giving a thorough talk on the expectations and problems of artist/gallery relationships. (Lengthy coverage by Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, April l0, 1910)

Fifth monthly meeting (1 new member)
April 30, 1910:
"The California Art Club met at the San Pedro studio of Ralph Fullerton Mocine (1875 - 1953) last night." (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, May 1, 1910)

June 4, 1910: "The California Art Club met at the home of its president, Frank R. Liddell, No. 1323 South Burlington Avenue, last night." (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, June 5, 1910)

July 2, 1910: "The California Art Club will meet at the Art Students' League, Blanchard Hall, on Saturday, July 2, at 8 o'clock." (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, June 26, 1910)

First exhibition of the newly formed CAC [See exhibition details] (5 new members)
July 16 - September 15, 1910: The CAC was a part of the First Annual Art Exhibit of the Chautauqua Association of Southern California, which opened in the galleries of the Long Beach Public Library through September 15 with free admission, open weekdays 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m., Sundays, 2:00 - 9:00 p.m. This multi-group exhibition consisted of 63 pictures, with one wall containing work by CAC members; the CAC had their own jury. (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, July 24, 1910)

(1 new member)
August 6, 1910: "The California Art Club met last night at the studio of Putnam & Valentine, No. 208 North Spring Street. Mr. [Arion] Putnam (1870 - 1949) is a member of the club." (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, August. 7, 1910)

August 13, 1910: was "California Art Club" night at the Long Beach public library, and the rooms were thrown open to the public, the artists, and their friends. Charles P. Austin recounted many of his student days in New York City, London and Paris for the attendants. (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, August 14, 1910)

September 3, 1910: "The California Art Club met last night at the home of Val Costello, No. 518 West Fifty-third Street. " (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times,Sepember 4, 1910)

November 12, 1910: "The California Art Club gave a "Bohemian dinner" last night at one of the French restaurants near the river. There were speeches, toasts... " (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, November 13, 1910)

First Annual Exhibition [See exhibition details] (4 new members)
January 30 - Feburary 25, 1911: "An exhibition looked forward to with eager anticipation by all who are interested in the progress of art in Southern California is the first annual exhibition of the California Art Club, which will open in Hotel Ivins, Figueroa and Tenth streets, on January 31, to continue for three weeks, possibly longer."

"The California Art Club, which was organized about a year ago, has just come into possession of a permanent gallery in Hotel Ivins. This gallery, 40 x 40 feet in dimensions, will also be the club room and meeting place. It is a handsome room, in the basement of the hotel, with wall spaces judiciously tinted, which will hold more than sixty pictures without crowding. It may also be used for other exhibitions than those of the California Art Club. It will be managed by Frank R. Liddell, president of the club, who is also manager of the hotel."

"All pictures for exhibition must be in before January 25, when the art jury, selected by the club, will meet for its decision."

"The probabilities are that pictures by the California Art Club will be shown at the new gallery throughout the year." (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, January 22, 1911)

"The new gallery, which is also the club-room of the California Art Club, is commodious and attractive, and its lighting is exceptionally good. Some fifty or sixty pictures will be shown..." (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, January 29, 1911)

April 1, 1911: "The California Art Club held its regular monthly meeting last night at the home of M. [Mauritz] de Haaff, No. 2601 Santa Monica Boulevard." (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, April 2, 1911)

(2 new members)
June 18, 1911: "[George] Gardner Symons [1861 - 1930] and [Joseph Henry] Sharp [1859 - 1953] have both been made active members of the California Art Club."

"The California Art Club has decided to publish in folder form the article on the methods of fake picture dealers, printed two weeks ago in the Times. The article will be reprinted almost exactly as it stands, with perhaps a few excisions, and will be distributed among clubs, friends and patrons of art." (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, June 18, 1911)

Second Annual Exhibition [See exhibition details] (30 new members)
November 22 - December 6 , 1911: "For the first time in the history of Los Angeles, a local art exhibition will be sent on tour. At the close of the forthcoming exhibition of the California Art Club to be held in Blanchard Hall, 'the last end' of this ..., the exhibit will be packed in toto and shipped to San Francisco, where it will be shown at the San Francisco Institute of Art. In what other cities the pictures will be shown has not as yet been fully determined, but it is probable that they will make other stops before reaching home."
(Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, November 19, 1911, 3, 18, 2-3)

After the L.A. County Museum and the San Francisco Institute of Art, the Second Annual Exhibition traveled to a third venue, the Kingsley Art Club of Sacramento, sometime around January 1913. (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, Jan. 28, 1912, III20)

56 Members: At the time of the Second Annual Exhibition, two years into the CAC's existence, it had twenty-six Active Members (three female), fifteen Associate Members, and fifteen Honorary Members (seven female); Albert Clinton Conner is listed as both Active and Honorary. (Second Annual Exhibition Pamphlet, 1911)

January 6, 1912: "The regular monthly meeting of the California Art Club was held last night at the quarters of the Sketch Club, No. 109 Temple Block." (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, January 7, 1912)

Kingsley Art Club, Sacramento (Second Annual CAC Exhibition)
January 1912: "The traveling [Second Annual] exhibition of the California Art Club, which has been exhibiting in San Francisco, will soon be held in Sacramento under the auspices of the Kingsley Art Club, whose president is Miss Anna Gilbert.

On the 5th of February Royar and Neighbours, No. 744 South Hill Street, will open an attractive new gallery, now being remodeled and furnished. The first exhibition will consist of work by a few of the members of the California Art Club." (Antony Anderson, Art Notes, Los Angeles Times, January 14, 1912, III20)

January 20, 1912: "An interesting feature of last night's monthly meeting of the California Art Club was an exhibition of "Manbertypes," all artistic invention of one of the members of the club. Another was the artistic decorations along the stairs leading to the room of the Sketch Club, at No. 109 Temple Block." (Antony Anderson, Art Notes, Los Angeles Times, January 21, 1912, III23)

January 1912: "Miss Annie Gilbert, president of the Kingsley Art Club of Sacramento, was in Los Angeles last week. She gave a talk on art, in Hollywood. Miss Gilbert is in charge of the [Kingsley Art Club, third venue for the Second Annual] exhibition of the California Art Club [traveling] in Sacramento." (Antony Anderson, Art Notes, Los Angeles Times, January 28, 1912, III20)

February 4 , 1912: "Royar and Neighbours have opened a new art gallery in their place at No. 744 South Hill Street. Tomorrow they will open with an exhibition of twenty-five pictures by Elmer and Marion Kavanaugh Wachtel, William Wendt, Franz Bischoff, Jean Mannheim, Hanson Puthuff and by many other members of the California Art Club. A remarkable interesting showing may be expected.

The California Art Club held their regular monthly meeting at No. 109 Temple Block last night [Feb. 3]." (Antony Anderson, Art Notes, Los Angeles Times, February 4, 1912, III18)

Royar & Neighbours Gallery, Los Angeles [See exhibition details] (8 new members)
February 5, 1912: Anderson's February 11 column lists the artists and their artwork in the Royar Exhibition. This exhibit (and accompanying articles, see Jan. 14 & Feb. 4, above) lists some newcomers among the CAC members.

Also, "The California Art Club sold four pictures from the [2nd Annual] exhibition recently in Sacramento." (Antony Anderson, In the Royar Gallery, Los Angeles Times, February 11, 1912, III23)

March 10, 1912: "The California Art Club will hold an exhibition of sketches at the Blanchard gallery from March 21, to March 30. Works suitably framed must be delivered to the gallery on Tuesday, March 20, only. The following are the jury: William Wendt, Benjamin Chambers Brown, Franz Bischoff, Hanson Puthuff, Aaron Kilpatrick, Jack Smith and Charles Percy Austin." (Antony Anderson, Art Notes, Los Angeles Times, March 10, 1912, III20; March 17, 1912, III22)

Blanchard Exhibition [See exhibition details] (3 new members)
March 24, 1912: Anderson's March 24 column lists the twenty-five artists and their artwork in the Blanchard Exhibition. (Antony Anderson, Art Notes, Los Angeles Times, February 4, 1912, III18)

April 6, 1912: A monthly meeting is held.

Anderson also gives some details about the upcoming Spring Exhibition at the Friday Morning Club, which opened on May 3. (Antony Anderson, Art Notes, Los Angeles Times, April 28, 1912, III23) Further info about the exhibition in this column. (Antony Anderson, The Spring Exhibitions, Los Angeles Times, May 5, 1912, III24)

May 4, 1912: "The regular meeting of the California Art Club took place in the rooms of the Sketch Club, No. 109 Temple Block, last night." (Antony Anderson, Art Notes, Los Angeles Times, May 5, 1912, III24)

Spring Exhibition, 1912 [See exhibition details] (3 new members)
May 12, 1912: Anderson reviews the Spring Exhibition, mentioning artist names and artwork titles. (Antony Anderson, California Art Club, Los Angeles Times, May 12, 1912, III19; California Art Club Again, Los Angeles Times, May 19, 1912, III20)

May 19, 1912: "Following the decision of the Executive Committee made on May 4, the business of the California Art Club will be suspended until September, when the members will be called together to prepare for the third annual exhibition." (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, May 19, 1912, III20)

September 7, 1912: "Next Saturday evening [Sept. 7] there will be a regular meeting of the California Art Club in the quarters of the Sketch Club, room 222, Copp building. Important business concerning the autumn exhibition will be discussed and all members are urged to attend. " (Antony Anderson, Art Notes, Los Angeles Times, September 1, 1912, III13)

"Already the painters have begun to plan their campaign. Last night the California Art Club met in the rooms of the Sketch Club, in the Copp building, to consider the question of its fall exhibition, which will be the biggest and most important of the year." (Antony Anderson, Artistic Activities, Los Angeles Times, September 8, 1912, III18)

September 22, 1912: "Sidney Shaw, who has been painting in Southern California all summer, with a studio in Pasadena, will leave for New York this week. Some of his landscapes will be shown in the coming exhibition of the California Art Club, of which he is a member. " (Antony Anderson, Art Notes, Los Angeles Times, September 22, 1912, III19)

October 12, 1912: "The California Art Club held an important business meeting last night at their rooms in the Copp building. The question of their forthcoming exhibition was up for discussion. " (Antony Anderson, Art Notes, Los Angeles Times, October 13, 1912, III19)

November 2, 1912: "The regular monthly meeting of the California Art Club was held last night at the Sketch Club. The forthcoming exhibition of the club was under consideration. Entry cards for this, the third exhibition, should be sent to the secretary of the club, Charles Percy Austin, No. 222 Copp building, at No. 218 Broadway. They must reach him not later than November 14." (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, November 3, 1912, III18)

November 17, 1912: "The third annual exhibition of the California Art Club will take place in the Blanchard Hall gallery, November 18 to December 30. The private view will be given tomorrow night. On Tuesday, and on every weekday following till the end of the show, the gallery will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This will be the strongest exhibition yet held by this strong young club of painters, among the exhibitors being many famous men from the East." (Antony Anderson, Art Notes, Los Angeles Times, November 17, 1912, III17)

Third Annual Exhibition [See exhibition details] (7 new members)
November 18 - December 30, 1912: Anderson gives a thorough account of artists and artwork in the exhibition. This exhibit had a second venue after Blanchard, traveling to the San Francisco Institute of Art just as the Second Annual had.
(Antony Anderson, Art Club's Exhibition, Los Angeles Times, November 24, 1912, III18)

(For some reason Anderson's columns are missing for the first half of 1913. After his column of Dec. 29, 1912, it only resumes again June 1, 1913.)

June 1913: The regular meetings of the California Art Club were postponed until September. However, the Sketch Club rooms in the Copp building were open for informal social gathering on these Saturday evenings: June 7, July 5, and August 2. All members as well as guests were invited to attend.
(Antony Anderson, Art Notes , Los Angeles Times, June 8, 1913, III4)

Los Angeles County Museum of History, Science and Art is Founded
July 4, 1913 (Ancient Relics in New Setting, Los Angeles Times, July 5, 1913, II8)

September 1913: "At their last meeting in the Copp Building the California Art Club discussed plans for the fall exhibition."
(Antony Anderson, Art Notes , Los Angeles Times, September 14, 1913, III22)

October 1913: The Fourth Annual Exhibition begins to take shape. Blanchard gallery was selected as a venue because it had the "largest available exhibition room." The CAC's jury of selection was comprised of Franz Bischoff, Benjamin Brown, Edgar Kellar, Aaron Kilpatrick, Hanson Puthuff, Jean Mannheim, Jack Smith and Karl Yens.
(Antony Anderson, California Art Club , Los Angeles Times, October 12, 1913, III5)

The CAC appears to have considered presenting the Fourth Annual at the new Los Angeles County Museum, but ended up opting for Blanchard instead because they were told they would have to submit their paintings to a separate Museum jury individually, not as a club. The CAC also wanted the exhibit to be subject to the rules of the Club. [The Museum jury was composed of Rob Wagner, Elmer Wachtel, Jean Mannheim, J. Bond Francisco and Franz Bischoff - it isn't clear why submitting to this jury was an issue, unless it was on principle. All except Francisco were CAC members, and by 1922 he had joined too.]

60 Members: Membership in the club now "consists of about sixty members and includes nearly all the leading exponents of the brush and pencil between Santa Barbara and San Diego." (Great Gallery Not for Them, Los Angeles Times, November 10, 1913, II1)

Fourth Annual Exhibition [See exhibition details] (5 new members)
October 21 - November 1, 1913: See comments and link above; extensive coverage of the Fourth Annual Exhibit as well as the debate between the Club and the County Museum is covered in the local papers of the time.
(Antony Anderson, California Art Club , Los Angeles Times, October 12, 1912, III5; Artist's Gather with Handiwork, Los Angeles Times, October 20, 1913, II2; Antony Anderson, Various Points of View, Los Angeles Times, October 26, 1913, III6; Great Gallery Not for Them, Los Angeles Times, November 10, 1913, II1; T. R. Barrabee, Letters to the Times, The Art Quarrel, Los Angeles Times, November 14, 1913; Antony Anderson, Art Notes, Los Angeles Times, November 16, 1913, III6)

Los Angeles County Museum of History, Science and Art is Dedicated
November 6, 1913: (Happy Dedication of the Public Institutions, Los Angeles Times, Nov. 6, 1913, II3)

November 1913: The Fourth Annual travels to San Francisco. (Antony Anderson, Art Notes , Los Angeles Times, November 16, 1913, III6)

December 1913: "The new Art Committee of the [L.A. Co. Museum's] Gallery of Fine Arts now stands as follows: Mrs. S. Henrietta Dorn Housh [Honorary CAC Member, 1911], William [M.] Bowen [president of the board], F. J. Rosenheim, Frank L. Loftus, Rob Wagner, Marion Kavanaugh Wachtel, Edgar Kellar, Julia Bracken Wendt, and Everett C. Maxwell. This committee, which meets once a month, will act for the board of governors of the museum...The committee believes in encouraging native artists..."
(Antony Anderson, American Painters , Los Angeles Times, December 28, 1913, III5; This City as a Center of Art, Los Angeles Times, November 7, 1913, II3)

Cornerstone laid at the new Southwest Museum
December 6, 1913: (Great Museum, Historic Day, Los Angeles Times, Dec. 7, 1913, I7)

December 6, 1913: "The meeting place of the California Art Club has been moved to No. 424 Copp building. The regular meeting and annual election of officers took place on the evening of December 6." (Antony Anderson, Art Notes , Los Angeles Times, Dec. 7, 1913, III7)

"The meeting place of the California Art Club has been moved from the Copp building to the Cannon Art School on South Hill Street, almost directly above the Pacific Electric station." (Antony Anderson, Art Notes, Los Angeles Times, December 14, 1913, III4)

"The meeting place of the California Art Club has been moved from the third floor of the Copp building to the fourth. The new quarters are in the Manbert School of Applied Art. At the last meeting of the club the incumbent officers were re-elected for the year 1914. Mrs. Randolph [Helen] Hutchinson [Honorary CAC Member, 1911] was made honorary vice-president." (Antony Anderson, Art Notes, Los Angeles Times, December 21, 1913, III7)

December 27, 1913: "The California Art Club held a good fellowship meeting and house-warming on the evening of December 27, in their new quarters in the Copp building." (Antony Anderson, Art Notes , Los Angeles Times, Jan. 4, 1914, III4)

Exhibition of sketches at Club Gallery [See exhibition details]
January 3, 1914: The club held its regular monthly meeting and decided to hold a non-juried exhibition of members' sketches (either at the Club's gallery, No. 424 Copp building, or the "little gallery of the Sketch Club, Copp building, No. 218 South Broadway")the goal being to raise money for future exhibitions. The exhibition ran from February 16-28. The current officers of the club are listed also: William Wendt, president; Jean Mannheim, first vice-president; Jack W. Smith, second vice-president; Charles Percy Austin, secretary and Chairman of the Exhibition Committee; Barton Manbert, recording secretary; and Aaron E. Kilpatrick, treasurer. Antony Anderson, Art Notes , Los Angeles Times, Jan. 4, 1914, III4; Antony Anderson, Art Club Exhibition , Los Angeles Times, Jan. 18, 1914, III6; Antony Anderson, Art Club's Sketches, Los Angeles Times, February 15, 1914, III4; Antony Anderson, Sketches, Los Angeles Times, February 22, 1914, III4)

Spring Exhibition 1914 [See exhibition details] (5 new members)
April 2 - 30, 1914: The second Spring Exhibition is held at the Friday Morning Club, the auditorium of the venue being donated free of charge. [The first Spring Exhibition was in 1912; there is no evidence of a Spring Exhibition occuring in 1913.] (Antony Anderson, Art Notes, Los Angeles Times, March 15, 1914, III6; Antony Anderson, Art Notes, Los Angeles Times, March 29, 1914, III4; Antony Anderson, Spring Exhibition, Los Angeles Times, April 5, 1914; Antony Anderson, Art Club's Exhibition, Los Angeles Times, April 12, 1914; Florence N. Levy, Editor, American Art Annual, Volume XII, 1915)

May 2, 1914: The club held is regular monthly meeting on May 2, and "the constitution came up for final revision before being printed." Also, "the committee on the exhibition at San Diego, 1915, made its report." (Antony Anderson, California Art Club, Los Angeles Times, May 3, 1914, III5)

"The Women's Club of Phoenix is taking an active interest in art. In January, 1916, it will conduct a general exhibition to which the California Art Club of Los Angeles will be invited to contribute."(Antony Anderson, Art Notes, Los Angeles Times, May 10, 1914, III4)

May 16, 1914: Julia Bracken Wendt's "colossal group in bronze" was unveiled and dedicated in the entrance gallery at the Museum of History, Science and Art in Exposition Park. (Antony Anderson, Art and Artists, Los Angeles Times, May 17, 1914, III6)

January 1916: Exhibition at the Women's Club of Phoenix(?). (Antony Anderson, Art Notes , Los Angeles Times, May 10, 1914, III4)

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