This month in Harvard History

February 21, 2002 2 min read

Feb. 4, 1952 – Time runs out for the street clock in front of the Harvard Trust Co. (now Fleet) after a moving van knocks it down, smashing it beyond repair. The bank promptly announces that in two to three months, it will replace the 40-year-old landmark with another in the same spot.
Feb. 24-March 8, 1953 – The Fogg Museum serves as one of five U.S. venues (and the only one in New England) for an exhibition of 176 French master drawings spanning five centuries. Most works are from the Louvre and other museums in Paris and the provinces, but supplemental works come from sources such as Rotterdam’s Museum Boymans, Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum, Stockholm’s National Museum, and the Smithsonian Institution.To enhance public access, the Fogg adds extra viewing hours. Drawings Curator Agnes Mongan installs the show and also gives one of two special companion lectures (Winslow Ames, AM ’32, gives the other).
During its 13-day run, the show sets public-attendance records for a Harvard art show, drawing more than 20,000 viewers. In response to this enormous interest, the Fogg mounts (through May 2) a special follow-up showing of 185 French drawings and watercolors from its own internationally celebrated collection. Like the previous show, the follow-up covers five centuries.

– From the Harvard Historical Calendar, a database compiled by Marvin Hightower

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