It was there that he saw his first work of Cubist art, although he did not at first recall the name of the artist.
It was an example of L'art décoratif, a home within which Cubist art could be displayed in the comfort and style of modern, bourgeois life.
For him, Cubist art required "instant sensory awareness of the whole" rather than perspective alone.
Other pre-Cubist and Cubist art from an estate is being offered at Sotheby's on May 13.
At stake was more than just the future of public funding for exhibitions that included Cubist art.
Fannie Hillsmith actively painted Cubist art for nearly sixty years.
Then there is his artwork for children, which some have likened to Cubist art, with its bold lines and exuberant color.
This was the final session of the sale of the McCarty-Cooper collection, which also included Cubist art and furnishings.
The Cubist art, which was sold last week, brought $21.5.
Having taken up painting, he found stimuli in the Cubist art of Pablo Picasso.