The following are selected samples of William MacLeod's journal entries. William MacLeod served as the first director and curator of the Corcoran from 1876 to 1884 and during 1886. These quotes are a partial example of the work that has been collected, and continues to be collected, as a part of the Curator's Journals Project.

January 28, 1876

William MacLeod, the Corcoran's first director/curator noted in his journal:

"The attendance [at the gallery the previous evening] was numerous [1765 people], and some disorder manifested itself, particularly about the canes and umbrellas. There not being checks enough for them some thievish persons helped themselves to the best of them. It will be necessary to have this remedied by the presence of policemen, and a larger number of checks."

January 27, 1876

William MacLeod, the Corcoran's first curator/director, wrote in his daily journal:

"Mr. Ulke sent up his half-length portrait of Mr. Corcoran & had it hung in the east side gallery. He considers it the best likeness of Mr C. ever painted, but I do not agree with him. There is a warm tone of color, and the features are well mapped out, but the expression is disagreeable. There is a great want of venerableness in the color of the face which is rather leathery, and altogether it lacks the dignity of Mr C's appearance."

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MacLeod often recorded in his journal his candid opinions about works of art on loan to the Corcoran. The painting he described above is now in the collection of George Washington University, which was the beneficiary of a number of gifts from Mr. Corcoran.

February 4, 1876

William MacLeod, the Corcoran's first director/curator noted in his journal:

"A deep snow & good sleighing, though the air is milder. Paid A. Thomas one dollar for cleaning off the snow from the pavement in front & by the side of the building."

May 20, 1876

William MacLeod, the Corcoran's first curator, wrote in his daily journal about his trip to the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia:

"After a fair survey, I considered that the American Gallery excelled all others in landscape & portraits, the English water-colors & animal pictures were ahead, the French show nothing remarkable but much horrible trash, & the Austrian has the best historical work....

The English pictures have the subject & artists on the frame - a good idea, which I will adopt here."

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MacLeod's suggestion to label the Corcoran's paintings in this way wasn't well received by the Board. At that time, each work of art was labeled only with a number. Visitors who wished to know anything about a particular work had to purchase a catalogue (for 25 cents) and look up the number. The board wasn't thrilled with the idea of losing money in catalogue sales but eventually agreed to the plan.

July 4, 1876

William MacLeod wrote in his journal:

"The Centennial Fourth & of course a holiday, kept in a quiet way in this city, no military parade. Morning noon & evening national salute of artillery - no fireworks at Government expense as there should have been. A fine thunder-shower & vivid lightening."

June 19, 1877

William MacLeod noted in his journal:

"Mr. Corcoran gave some interesting information about the Jackson portrait by Sully, which I never had before. He bought it from John F. Coyle for $350, paying further sums for its repairs. Jacob Thompson, Ex. Secy of the Interior under Mr Buchanan, has recently been here about a threatened suit to be brought against him by the U.S. for $2,000,00 bonds stolen by a subordinate officer of his, while Secretary. He claims again, as he has before, this Jackson portrait from Mr. C. on the plea that it belonged to him, & was only deposited with Coyle. Mr. C. says his reply was as before that if he (Thompson) would repay the price of it & its repairs, he might take it. Which Thompson won't or can't do. Mr. C. also reminded him that he (Thompson) owed to him (Mr. C.) $30,000 on an old obligation, & that under the circumstances it was useless to apply for the recovery of the picture. It seems Coyle declared Thompson's wife gave him the picture. Mr Corcoran also adds that Thompson thinks he ought to get thousands for it, whereas he offered it once in Paris to C. for $500."

July 9, 1878

William MacLeod wrote in his journal:

"Letter from Mr Bradford, artist, Cal. requesting me to ask Dr Hall and Mr Riggs if his [painting] "Polaris in Ice," could be brought to this Gallery. Any thing in ice would acceptable to-day, with the thermometer at 93, again!"

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MacLeod detested the heat and his journal entries are full of complaints about the oppressive quality of Washington summers. The painting, which depicted the arctic exploration ship Polaris, was on loan to the Corcoran until November, 1879 (when MacLeod presumably had little need for the ice).

February 13, 1879

William MacLeod, the Corcoran's first director/curator, noted in his daily journal:

"That nuisance Dr Mary Walker, lately pensioned by Congress, came in fully dressed in a man's clothes - hat, standing collar, black cravat, overcoat, trousers, boots & cane & short hair. She asked if an artist at the north who had painted her portrait could exhibit it here, and on being informed of the rules, she thought them very stringent, & bowed herself out. She does not look so ridiculous as formerly in her dress half masculine, half feminine; but her air of conceit & assurance is greater than ever, and her breath is horrible. If a man can be arrested for wearing woman's clothes, why should not this creature be also for assuming a man's dress?"

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Dr. Mary Walker (1832-1919) won the Medal of Honor, the only woman to do so, for her services as a nurse and surgeon during the Civil War. In her later years, Dr. Walker was an active protestor and organizer for women's suffrage and other reforms.

August 1, 1879

From William MacLeod's journal:

"Box containing Mr Davis' portrait of Gen. Harrison, arrived, a poor smoothly-painted, tame work - no likeness of H. when Prest. but looks like a grave small headed preacher."

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This work may have been by painter Charles Howard Davis (1856-1933) whose Summer Pastoral is in the Corcoran's collection.

February 19, 1880

William MacLeod wrote in his journal:

"While our fireman engaged in setting up a section of our picket-fence on 17th St., attached to Admiral's fence, that doughty sea-dog appeared & told him not to nail our fence to his, but sink a post for it! & grumbled about two boards of his fence being carried off! This is an illustration of the spiteful meanness of this foe to art, & public improvement! I heard to-day that he had added a codicil to his will ordering that the lot Mr Corcoran wishes, "shall never be sold to this Gallery!" and yet at his age, (over 70) he can count upon but few more years, & then seven feet by three of ground, will be all he needs."

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While still a young institution (housed in what is now the Renwick Gallery), the Corcoran Gallery felt the pressures of space constraints. Plans were made to add an addition to the gallery's building, an addition that would house an "Academy of Art." Admiral Lee owned a key piece of property on 17th Street and steadfastly refused to sell it to the Corcoran. Without Admiral Lee's lot, the Trustees had to abandon the idea of expansion and instead set its sights on a new building at a new location.

April 1, 1880

William MacLeod wrtoe in his journal:

"At 10 a.m. Mr Rice came & photographed five of the Apache Indians with the agent & interpreter Messrs [...] & Read. Four negatives were taken of them in the Main Gallery, two representing them in white man's clothes, & the other negatives represented 3 in Indian dress."

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Delegations of Native Americans frequently visited the Corcoran while in Washington on official business with the federal government. Although MacLeod's journals contain references to the presence of a photographer during some of those visits, none of those photographs have survived in our permanent collection.

February 19, 1881

William MacLeod's journal entry for February 19, 1881:

"A Miss Stuart of Baltimore whom I stopped sketching in ink the "Lady & Dog" a few days ago, as violative of the Rules, was reported as again doing it to-day by Mr Martin. I met "her" at the door & expressed my regret to hear of this report. She denied it & said she was "only comparing her sketch with the original"! I told her that her sketch was violative of an important rule, & she ought to give it up & let the Trustees see it. She declined & went out with it. The keeper of the upper gallery came down after she left & declared she was hard at work again upon it when he stopped her. She blushed violently as she went out, as well she might after fibbing so. We have more trouble with women about this Gallery than we have boys & men together."

July 18, 1881

In his daily journal, curator William MacLeod related that an infant had been left on the steps of the gallery the previous evening and had been taken to the Infant's Hospital. The child's mother had apparently narrowly missed being arrested by a policeman who witnessed.

March 18, 1882

William MacLeod wrote in his journal:

"Rec'd from Mr F. E. Church, artist, Hudson N.Y. an excellent carte de visite photo of himself, in a brief friendly note, in which he expresses the hope of visiting the city this Spring. The photo represents a refined intellectual face & head. The eyes are beautiful & gentle, and over the whole countenance there is a trace of languid health, which I am told is much impaired. It is now over 30 years since I saw him, but I recognize the features easily. Born in 1826 - & he will be 56 this coming May."

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MacLeod was himself a painter and had a great respect for Church's abilities. Purchased in 1876, Church's Niagara is one of the most popular and best known works in the collection.

The carte de visite is now part of the Corcoran Archives.

March 22, 1886

The long-suffering first curator (director) of the Corcoran, William MacLeod wrote in his daily journal:

"Mr. Durrell having informed of the habits of the deputy-keepers of the Gallery, receiving their cronies in the cellar, & smoking & drinking, I called Mr Clark's attention to it, and as he seemed to think I had authority to stop it, I insisted that I should address a letter to the Building Committee that they examine into the matter & by special authority forbid it."

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