1936-1937, 1936 - 1937

Philip Newell Youtz (1895-1972)

Philip N. Youtz was born in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1895, the son of Herbert Alden and Mary Palmer Newell Youtz. He received a B.A. degree from Amherst College in 1918, where he had served as curator of the Mather Art Museum since 1916, and an M.A. degree from Oberlin College in 1919. He married Frances May Leffler in 1919.

His first position was as a reporter for the Springfield, Massachusetts, Republican. During the early 1920s, he taught and practiced architecture in China, at the Ling Nan and Kwan Tang universities. From 1926-1929 he taught architecture and philosophy at Columbia University and Columbia Teachers’ College and at the same time was in charge of adult education programs in the fine arts at the People’s Institute. In 1930, he was appointed curator of the 69th Street Branch of the Pennsylvania Museum of Art, an experimental program funded by the Carnegie Corporation. When the Branch was closed, in October 1932, he became Curator of Exhibitions of the Pennsylvania Museum.

Youtz accepted William Henry Fox’s repeated invitations to move to Brooklyn shortly thereafter. He was appointed Assistant Director on May 1, 1933, and Acting Director on January 1, 1934, when Fox left on sabbatical. On April 12, 1934, Fox resigned and Youtz was appointed full Director. His tenure at The Brooklyn Museum lasted only until April 20, 1938, when he resigned to become Director of the Pacific Area and Pacific House at the Golden Gate International Exposition (1938-1939). Following the Exposition, Youtz travelled in South America (1939-1941). During World War II, he served a variety of government agencies involved with war production; after the war, he maintained a private architectural practice in New York. From 1957 through his retirement in 1965, Youtz served as Dean of the College of Architecture and Design of the University of Michigan.

Youtz was a prolific writer and editor in several fields: architecture, museum administration, education, and aesthetics. Among his works are the series An Outline of Aesthetics (N.Y.: Norton, 1928); Sounding Stones of Architecture (N.Y.: Norton, 1929); several articles on various aspects of museums, art, and industry in Museum News and The Brooklyn Museum Quarterly. He is perhaps best known as the inventor who developed the “Lift Slab” method of construction, in which concrete slabs are poured on the ground and then raised by means of jacks. He won the Frank P. Brown medal of the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia for this work in 1968.

During his time at The Brooklyn Museum, Youtz initiated sweeping changes in administration, policy, and physical plant, putting into effect his philosophy that the “concept of art as a luxury for the privileged few has been replaced by a new democratic idea that art should be part of the daily life of the good citizen” (Annual Report, 1937). The massive front steps of the Museum were removed and ground level entrances built which opened into a modern lobby that was intended to act as an introduction to the collections. The galleries were completely reorganized and reinstalled, following a chronological and cultural sequence (American Indian Art; Oriental Art; Ancient Art; Medieval and Renaissance Art; Contemporary Art). Youtz redefined the Museum’s niche once more, announcing a new focus on cultural history, especially the social and industrial implications of art (Annual report, 1933).

Youtz’s interest in museum administration is evident in the clarification of the administrative structure. The staff was reorganized and increased in size; notably, most new staff members were young and relatively inexperienced because the Museum was unable to afford more than meager salaries in the post-depression years. The curatorial staff was increased and new subdivisions created, among them Textiles and Industrial Art, both in 1937. Prints and Drawings began to move toward status as an independent curatorial department separate from the Library, appearing as a curatorial division in the 1937 Annual Report. An Editorial and Public Relations Department was established, taking over duties that had previously been assigned on an ad hoc basis. With the opening of the new lobby, a Sales Desk opened to sell catalogs, photo-graphs, and postcards.

A strong emphasis on museum-wide standards and services emerged during Youtz’s administration. The Office of the Registrar was established in June 1933 and a uniform cataloging and storage system set into effect. With the hiring of Sheldon Keck as Restorer in 1934, the ground work for the Conservation Laboratory was laid; by 1937, permanent space was designed and constructed. New shops were built in the basement; the Wilbour Library was constructed and the Art Reference Library renovated; and the Putnam Print Study room constructed.

Educational programs were still of great importance. New quarters were designed and constructed for the Education Division during the first months of Youtz’s administration and education played an important part in Museum activities throughout his term. The position of Supervisor of Education progressed from the joint curator/supervisor position held by Herbert Spinden and John I.H. Baur to a position solely responsible for education. Expanding educational programs to include professional development, a Rockefeller Foundation grant provided internships for young museum professionals at the Museum. Outreach through radio broadcasts of lectures and concerts increased.

With Youtz’s appointment, various depression relief projects (Works Progress Administration, Temporary Emergency Relief Administration, Architect’s Emergency Committee, Civil Works Administration, the Federal Art, Writers, Music, and Theater Projects, and the Index of American Design) increased in importance. In addition to assisting with day-to-day Museum work, special projects were established, including a large model-making shop, a bindery, and an architecture department. In addition, much of the internal and external construction, including the major portion of the reconstruction of the front entrance, was performed by relief workers. Several ambitious architectural plans, including a new Children’s Museum building, a new auditorium (the Community Art Center), and an Industrial Center, were developed, but never realized.

Several exhibitions reflected the new focus on industrial art and artistic techniques, among them “Contemporary Materials and Techniques in the Fine Arts,” “American Glass industries,” and “Rayon and Synthetic Yarns in Textiles,” all in 1936, and “Art and Techniques of Ceramics” (1937). Other notable exhibitions were the Brooklyn Centennial exhibition (1934), “Leaders of American Impressionism” (1937), and “Contemporary Industrial and Hand-wrought Silver” (1937). A series of architecture exhibitions (rendering, watercolors, plans) reflect Youtz’s professional interests. In addition, many small exhibitions of prints and photographs appeared during this period. Finally, a series of exhibitions centering around the dance reflect the activities of the Museum’s Dance Center (1935-1938).

During this period of massive renovation, reinstallation, and reorganization, adding to the collections took second place, as noted by Youtz in the 1936 Annual Report. Bequests and gifts continued to accrue, but the purchasing program was not strong. Once the relief funding and staffing began to decrease, funding for work on the physical plant also decreased and Youtz began to call for increased City funding.

Youtz’s professional activities during his tenure at the Museum reflect his interests in education and museum administration. He served as President of the American Federation of Arts (1936-1938), and on the boards of the New York Adult Education Council, the People’s Institute, Pratt Institute, the School Art League, and the Conference on Educational Broadcasting. He also continued to be active as an architect, both in his work within the Museum and as art center design advisor for the Wilmington Society of the Fine Arts.