Art: Waldorf Art

Six years ago last week the new $40,000,000 Waldorf-Astoria, a pile of smooth towers rising 47 stories from Manhattan’s Park Avenue, opened its urbane revolving doors just in time to let in the cold whiffs of Depression. Three years later the hotel owed $3,385,000 in back rent to the New York Realty & Terminal Co. and tall, plump President Lucius Boomer had to handle a strike of restaurant workers (TIME, Feb. 5, 1934). Last week two celebrations at the Waldorf gave evidence that after three more years its staff and management were at least happy together. In the Empire Room for three days there was an exhibition of 300 pieces of art work and craftsmanship by Waldorf employes, and on the third night the grand ballroom swirled until 2 a. m. with 1,600 bellboys, maids, clerks, stenographers, waiters and pressagents. making merry to the strains of two slick orchestras under President Boomer’s genial eye.

Not President Boomer’s idea, the art exhibition was suggested by a 29-year-old German girl named Maja B. (for Johanna)* Geek, a secretary in the Waldorf’s foreign department. Herself the owner of an inn in Baden-Baden, placid Miss Geek has been greeting German, French and Italian visitors for the Waldorf since 1932. She arranged her first Waldorf workers’ show last year, but that was small pumpkins compared to this. Silver plaques and cash prizes ($10-$2.50) were awarded in four classes: culinary art, art work, needlework and miscellaneous crafts. Judges included President Jonas Lie of the National Academy of Design, McClelland Barclay, George Biddle. Arthur William Brown. Dean Cornwall. Hal Phyfe. Most striking fact about the watercolors. photographs, oils, drawings and caricatures of Waldorf workers was that virtually none of them bore any relation to the life of the hotel. Some of the prize winners:

Oil Painting: Housepainter John Potenzano, 36, who has “had good opportunity of devoting his time to it when . . . unemployed.”

Watercolor: Publicity Writer Patricia Coffin, 25, whose first drawing, age eight, was of a rhinoceros.

Photography: Wine Cellar Assistant Otto Rixen. 41, whom New York landscapes remind of the Rhine Valley where he was born.

Crocheting: Fiftyish Editor Mary B. Gates of the Waldorf-Astoria Staff News.

Metal Work: Miss Geek.

*She assumed the b. initial when a spirtualist told her it was her lucky letter.