The regular monthly meeting was held at this date in the President’s studio.

The meeting was called to order at 8.30 P.M. by the President with nine members present.

The minutes of the last monthly meeting were read and approved.

The Committee on Delinquents made an informal report and upon motion by Mr. Reinhart seconded by Gifford Mr. Shirlaw was continued as permanent Committee on Delinquent Members.

Mr. Gifford gave an informal report upon the proposed article in Scribners Magazine, stating that the publishers were willing to proceed with the work as soon as the Club had sufficient material.

Upon motion by Mr. Shirlaw, seconded by Reinhart the report was approved.

The President reported that the Committee on Exhibitions had found that the Reception and Library of the Academy of Design were unfitted for the purpose of holding an exhibition of etchings, but if it were possible to obtain the use of a portion of the South Room

some arrangement might be made with the Water Color Society to devote the Corridor to etchings. – Mr. Bellows coming in later reported that the Council of the Academy had decided to allow the use of half of the South Room during the Water Color Exhibition for the sum of One Hundred & twenty five dollars.

It was decided that if suitable arrangements could be made with the Water Color Society it would be very desirable to hold an Exhibition and the following particulars agreed upon – viz:

The Club to focus the collection:

- to do its own hanging and cataloguing:

- to employ its own salesman:

- to charge a commission of twenty per cent on all sales: all receipts from the source to be turned over to the Water Color Society, to be devoted first – to paying rent of South Room, - Secondly, to paying expenses of hanging the etchings. Thirdly, to paying salary of

salesman, any ballance to belong to the Water Color Society.

The Water Color Society should assume all risks and expenses (except that of salesman) and take all receipts.

It being found impossible to obtain members to sufficient to constitute an Exhibition Committee it was unanimously Resolved – upon motion by Mr. Reinhart seconded by Mr. Church – that the question of holding a special exhibition of etchings be indefinitely postponed.

Etchings were shown as follows. Two by Mr. Gifford – Four by Sabin & Twelve by Dr. Yale.

The meeting adjourned without further business.

J. C. Nicoll

Secty.

Figure 2: 1880 American Water Color Society exhibition catalogue page listing etchings exhibited by New York Etching Club members. (Private collection.)

The regular monthly meeting was held at this date in the President’s studio.

It was called to order at nine P.M. with nine members present.

The minutes of the meeting held January 12th were read and approved.

A collection of French etchings was shown by Mr. Smillie.

After considerable informal talk upon the desirability of some scheme to increase the interest of the meetings, it was decided the every member be requested to bring a prepared plate to the next meeting and make a sketch thereon to be afterwards taken home and bitten.

No other business being presented the meeting adjourned.

J. C. Nicoll

Secty.

Approved, may 10th.. 1880

(Approval noted in J. D. Smillies handwriting)

The regular monthly meeting was called at this date in the president’s studio, but no quorum being present no business could be transacted.

There were present Messers J. D. Smillie J.C. Nicoll, Louis C. Tiffany & Geo H. Smillie.

Messers Tiffany and Nicole made drawings on copper pursuant to the action taken at the last meeting

J. C. Nicoll, Secty.

A regular meeting was called to meet at this date in J. D. Smillie’s studio. Messrs Baldwin, Eno, Colman & Nicoll came. There being no quorum, the Pres’. Declared no meeting

(Minutes unsigned but in J. D. Smillie’s handwriting)

Figure 3: Otto Bacher, A Wet Evening in Venice, 1880. (Williams Print Collection.)

New-York Etching Club held in the studio of Mr. A. F. Bellows, 337 Fourth Ave. Monday eveng. May 10”., 1880.

At 8:45, a quorum being present the Pres’. Jas. D. Smillie called the meeting to order. The secretary being absent for reasons given, the Pres’. called the roll, also read and wrote the minutes. Present, Messrs Colman, Gifford, Church, Farrrer, Chase, Miller, Dielman

J.D. & G. H. Smillie_ 9 members. The minutes of the last meeting (Feby 8”.. 1880,) were read and approved.

The first regular business of the evening being the election of officers for the ensuing year, tellers were appointed. The Prest., announcing that he was not a candidate for re-election, nominated Mr. R. Swain Gifford. Balloting followed and the tellers announced for R. S. Gifford 6 votes

“ J. D. Smillie 2 “

“ Chas. H. Miller 1 “

Upon motion duly made & seconded Mr. R. Swain Gifford was the declared by the chair, upon acclamation, to be unanimously elected President.

The Pres’. Then read a note from the Secty. Mr. J. C. Nicoll, stating that it would be impossible for him to serve another term even if it should be desired by the club, after which the members present proceeded to ballot for Secretary-Treasurer. The tellers announced for Hy. Farrer 7 votes

“ C. H. Miller 1 “

“ F. S. Church 1 “

Upon motion, the election of Mr. Farrer was then declared to be unanimous.

Ballots were then prepared for the election of Executive Committee the result, the tellers announced to be;

For Chas. H. Miller, 6 votes

“ Fred. Dielman, 5 “

“ F. S. Church 4 “

“ Saml. Colman 4 “

“ Jas. D. Smillie 4 “

“ Geo. H. Smillie 2 “

“ A. F. Bellows. 1 “

“ Henry C. Eno 1 “

The Pres’. Announced the messrs Miller & Dielman were elected but as there was a tie upon messrs Church, Colman & Smillie another vote would have to be taken for the third member of the committee. Messrs Colman & Smillie decided that their names might not again be used and after balloting Mr. Church was declared elected without opposition.

Mr. Chas. H. Miller the announced that at the next meeting he would move to amend the constitution by striking out the portion of Section 6. Article II that reads; “ or failing to contribute two original etchings to said meetings”.

Mr. Dielman announced that at the next meeting he would move to amend the constitution by changing the days of the week therein named for regular meetings, the day to be determined after discussion at the meeting.

Mr. R. S. Gifford then nominated as candidates for membership Wm. Sartain J. Alden Weir. Thos. Moran.

Mr. Hy. Farrer nominated Jno. M. Falconer.Mr. Wm. M. Chase J.H. Twachtman.

Mr. Chas. H. Miller presented 3 proofs of etchings and a number of pen sketches.

At 10 o’clk. the meeting was regularly adjourned.

James D. Smillie

Secty. Pro tem

Figure 4: Joseph Lauber, Panning for Gold, 1880s. (Williams Print Collection.)

Figure 5: Charles Vanderhoof, Westward Ho, 1880s. (Williams Print Collection.)

Figure 6: James D. Smillie, Way to the River, 1880. (Williams Print Collection.)

The regular monthly meeting was called at this date in Mr. Bellows studio, but failed to bring forth a quorum.

There were present Messers A. F. Bellows, J. C. Nicoll, F. S. Church K. van Elten H. Farrer, and later L. M. Yale_ after an informal expression of opinion in favor of exhibiting with the Water Color Society, the members adjourned.1

H. Farrer Secty

Figure 7: Cover of the Fourteenth Annual Exhibition catalogue of the American Water Color Society, held at the National Academy of Design in February 1881. (Private collection.)

A meeting of the executive Committee was called at this date in Mr. Church’s studio, there were present Messers Chas. H. Miller

F. S. Church and H. Farrer, the Secretary stated that the object of calling the meeting was to get some action on the invitation of the Salmagundi Sketch Club,2 to exhibit with that body_ after some discussion it was moved and seconded that the invitation be accepted. ___ then being no further business the meeting adjourned.

H. Farrer Secty