One hundred years ago this week, plans to house Charles A. Ficke’s art collection in the renovated Armory building (at 5th and Brady Streets) were presented to the Davenport City Council’s Committee of the Whole. This was the first step towards establishing the prized cultural institution now known as the Figge Art Museum.
This event is recorded in Proceedings of the Davenport City Council (for February 18, 1925, pages 14980-14981), available in both print and microfilm here at the RSSC Center. It was also reported in the Davenport Democrat and Leader (page 12) and The Daily Times (page 20) for that same date:
Davenport newspapers, plus other Scott County and regional papers, are available to view at the Center on microfilm; issues of a select few are also available in the original print!
But why did the Mayor and Council need to be involved in starting an art museum? Charles A. Ficke wished to donate his art treasures to the City so they would be accessible to all the people of Davenport.
Unfortunately, the City was at first unable to accept the gift “…because there was no provision under the law for the expenditure of a single dollar for the equipment or maintenance of a suitable public art gallery.” [1]
Inspired by Ficke’s wishes for Davenport, Scott County Representative John T. Hansen introduced a bill in the state legislature that would give Iowa cities with a population of 50,000 or more “the right to erect and maintain a municipal art gallery.” [2] Having been supported by other large cities in the state with similar ambitions, the bill quickly passed and was signed into law by Governor John Hammill.
As soon as this news was received in Davenport, the aldermen at the March 3, 1925 Committee of the Whole meeting unanimously and officially accepted Ficke’s letter tendering his collection of 330 paintings on the condition that the city “…provide a suitable building to house said collection; that it establish a public art gallery, and that it agree to provide the means for the maintenance of such art gallery.” [3] The ordinance establishing the Davenport Municipal Art Gallery was passed later in the month [4], and work on the Armory building began in earnest.
The Gallery’s exterior is shown in the following photographs from the RSSC Center’s image collection:
For more information on the history of the Davenport Municipal Art Gallery, please see the resources in our Research Guide on the Gallery and Charles A. Ficke.
We are delighted to join the Figge Art Museum in celebration of its 100th Anniversary!
(posted by Katie)
Sources: [1] The Daily Times (Davenport, Iowa), January 28, 1925, page 6; [2] Davenport Democrat, February 1, 1925, page 7; [3] The Daily Times (Davenport, Iowa), March 4, 1925, page 13; [4] Davenport (Iowa). City Council. Proceedings, March 18, 1925, pages 15000-15001.
