Rhode Island School of Design

Rhode Island School of Design

Another is a Series of Images of the School made famous in the Call of Cthulhu.

Click on the label below to see more blog posts on the topic ! {Chrispy is continuing the process of label indexing the over 500 posts in this blog.}

Rhode Island School of Design

A continuing series (search blog, in above search screen, for "School of Design") on Lovecraft's use of real locales. This one is the third in the discussion on the Rhode Island School of Design. In the Call of Cthulhu, Lovecraft features this prestigious institute. It had an ongoing series of exhibits that frequently were free to the public, and contained antiquarian treasures in it's recesses.

Art in Providence: Lovecraft's Opportunities Circa 1909.

From an ancient pamphlet, here are some places within Lovecraft's sphere. One imagines him peering through glass caes at antiquarian artifacts and ogling portraits of 17th century luminaries. I've omitted the times and other obscuranta, but they were all open midday and daily. If they were free or had a fee, I included it. It is unlikely that Lovecraft often had an extra quarter to go into paid areas. At least not often, so they would have been a treat. Or else he would have went on "free" days.

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Art in Providence: The Rhode Island School of Design with the Handicraft Club and Athanaeum over the way, the Art Club and Fleur-de-Lis Studios close by; and just up the hill the Annmary Brown Memorial and Brown University with their fine collections of pinitings and famous libraries, give to Providence an art and education centre {sic} unsurpassed in this country.
Annmary Brown Memorial, Drown Street, ancient and modern masters; early printing and illuminated manuscripts. Free.

Athanaeum: corner Benefit and College Streets.

City Hall: portraits. Open to Public.

Fleur-de-Lis: Studio, 7 Thomas Street

Handicraft Hall: corner College and Benefit Streets. Progressive club of arts and crafts. Occassional exhibitions.

Manning Hall: Brown University. Reproductions of statuary and paintings of the Accropolis by Walter Brown.

Pendleton House: Entrance through the R. I. School of Design, 11 Watterson Street. Rare and valuable collection of antique mahogany furniture, rugs, mirrors, prcelains, china, an silver. 25 cents.

Providence Club: 11 Thomas Street. From autunm to spring the gallery is almost always open to the public with interesting exhibition of pictures.

Providence Public Library: Washington Street, corner Greene. Continuous exhibitions of photographs, school work, second floor Lectrue Room.

Rhode Island Historical Society, 66 Waterman Street. Library and historic relics. Portraits on first floor, relics in gallery of second floor and west wing of third. Open to public.

Rhode Island School of Design: 11 Waterman Street. {see full blog entry below}

Sayles Hall: Brown University. Most extensive collection of portraits in the state. If not open apply at Superintendent's office, Unversity Hall.

Rhode Island School Of Design

"His card bore the name ofHenry Anthony Wilcox, and my uncle had recognized him as the youngest son of an excellent family slightly known to him, who had latterly been studying sculpture at the Rhode Island School of Design...". The Call of Cthulhu.

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A 1909 brochure [Lovecraft would have been 19] had this advertisement:

Rhode Island School Of Design, 11 Waterman Street. Oil and water color paintings, engravings, casts of masterpieces of sculpture, Japanese pottery, metal work, lacquer and textiles. Open to public July 1 to September 15, 1 - 5 p.m. week days; 2-5 p.m. Sundays. September 15 to July 1, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. week days; 2 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, admission 25 cents. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, Free.

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Here is an interior shot of the Library just before 1920.
















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Here is the building shown in its corner location ascending a slight hill.

Rhode Island School of Design

In the call of Cthulhu we read:

His card bore the name of Henry Anthony Wilcox, and my uncle had recognized him as the youngest son of an excellent family slightly known to him, who had latterly been studying sculpture at the Rhode Island School of Design and living alone at the Fleur-de-Lys Building near that institution.