One of my Patreon patrons, J. Miller, asks:
Did HPL ever visit the Brooklyn Museum? What did he like to see there? I may go next week, so I’m seeking tips.
Yes, he did see the Museum, which was also once known as the Brooklyn Institute. He first saw it in 1922, as a ‘visiting NYC’ tourist in the company of “Morton, Kleiner, Belnap” (see Letters from New York). A big attraction of the place was the cost. Entry was free on most days, and the place was also open into the evening on Thursdays. This is how it would have looked from the “crossing the street” view.
This first visit seems to have been a brisk look at the ‘highlights’. Since we know that then ‘did it’ more systematically and thoroughly later in the same year (see Letters to Family). I think we can assume the fine sculpture from antiquity would have been enjoyed, and would have reminded him of the sculpture hall in Providence in which he had lingered as a lad.
But there was also the Invertebrates Hall and Insect Hall in the eastern galleries, on the “second floor” until 1927. There he may well have seen the hanging giant octopus, which is known to have been there and accompanied by a giant squid, pre-Cthulhu.
I had better pictures than this, but sadly they’ve been lost. I’m not sure if this is still there to be seen today. A catalogue search for “octopus” did not reveal it, though perhaps the natural history section (if it still exists there) has another catalogue? This same Hall also had… “The marine animals of the coast of Long Island and New England, from high tide to a depth of 7,200 feet” as a long cased display. It’s possible he missed these sea-creatures on the first visit, but must surely have seen them on the second.
Lovecraft ‘did’ the Museum again solo in May 1930, seeing the new ‘Colonial furniture and interiors’ wing which was then newly offering complete rooms arranged for his antiquarian delight.
In 1933 he “…did the Brooklyn Museum with Sonny” (Lovecraft letter to Morton, 12th January 1933) when they focused on the “Dutch” section. I would suspect that this section may also have been new and have featured old Dutch furniture and interiors, but I suppose it may also have been flanked by rooms with other Dutch items such as paintings.
Equally important to Lovecraft was… “my erstwhile favourite Japanese Garden beside the Brooklyn Museum” which had been designed in 1914/15 by the young self-taught Takeo Shiota. This was likewise free, and Shiota’s initial hill and pond planting was after a decade maturing nicely by the mid 1920s. His planting was also being sensitively added to. Lovecraft found the place “always lovely”, whatever the season. This garden now appears to be part of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and may no longer be free (at a guess). Here we see it under one of the heavy snowstorms of New York City, possibly even the very same “worst in living memory” snowstorm that Lovecraft very narrowly missed when he moved into Red Hook…
There was also evidently once a pleasant sunset walk to be had after the Museum had closed, and if the leaves were off the trees. In early November 1924 he and Loveman walked at sunset from the Brooklyn Museum to Brooklyn Heights, to call on the poet Hart Crane…
The walk was very lovely — downhill from the heights on which the Brooklyn Museum stands, & with many sunset vistas of old houses and far spires. We reached the heights in the deep twilight…” (Letters from New York, p. 82)
At first glance then, the ‘Lovecraft’ version of the museum would be:
Egyptian and Roman antiquities and statuary.
British historical items, non-ecclesiastical.
Long Island and New England natural history, inc. toads, coastal marine animals,
deep sea-horrors, giant octopus.
Any colonial portraits, New England landscape painting especially Providence.
Any colonial / old Dutch rooms, doorways.
The Japanese Garden.