The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-01-15 00:00:00

an piArict

ANNUAL MEETING AT TH SCLIOOL

OF ART.

oV riZEZP.S BY LORD
L 1 Z,Li'ON.

The annual meeting for the distribution of prizes
to thd successful students, was held at the School
of Art in this town, on Monday night last. Lord
Lyttelton presided, and there was a good number
of persons interested in matters pertaining to art,
present. _

His Lordship, in his prefatory remarks, said he
was very glad to know—in common with those
persons more nearly concerned with the subject.
than himself—that those schools of art and design,
now under the control of the Government Depart-
ment of South Kensington, had been in a state,
he believed, with hardly any exception, of prop.,,res-
sive improvement ever since ths day when they
were first started, which was at the time that
Mr. Gladstone was at the Board of Works, in
1841 or 1842, or thereabouts. There were many
occasions in all parts of the country such as the
present one, at which prizes were given to success-
ful students in these schools. A more obvious
subject for the competition, which issued in the
giving of prizes, of course there could not be.
The art of drawing, designing, or modelling, which-
ever it might be, demanded the most careful
examination, comparison, and attention, and un-
questionably there would not be anything like the
same amount of excellence attained in it if it were
not for the stimulus and rivalry of friendly emula,-
lation caused by the competition for these prizes
amongst the students. It was an art which when
they had reached a certain degree of proficiency,
afforded great pleasure in itself, and which when
they had attained any definite degree of excellence
would give them a great fund of refined enjoy-
ment which they could not have had without it.
That had hitherto been the case, and would still
be so. These occasions were not amongst those
which he most frequently attended, having no
technical or scientific knowledge on the subject
whatever; therefore, he would be unable to dwell
upon it as he:wished to do; but in his own immedi-
ate neighbourhood as that was, he should be very
sorry not, upon special occasions such as that, to
exhibit what he in common with all of them felt,
an interest in the prosperity of these institutions,
and a coldial desire that they would continue to
flourish more and more. But on that particular
day ho had great pleasure in attending, because it
was rather a special occasion, and in some certain
sense a crisis in the affairs of the School of Art
and Design in this town. Not at all as regarded
the work that had been done there, for he was glad
to say that the work that had been done there in
connection with the Government department—and
in reference to which he should have to give those
prizes that evening—had, he believed, been going
in a steadily progressive "manner for along time,
and very shortly he should have great pleasure in
setting before them a few of the figures which
would show them that since last year that there
hid been no decline, but there had been a very fair
amount of steady and sustained progress. If that
had been all, he would have had nothing more to
say that evening. He need not say that steady
progress was not anything more than they had a
right to expect from an institution like that, as, at
the very least, they knew very well that the study
of art:would afford a harmless source of recreation
and amusement for their leisure hours. And espe-
cially in this place where that beautiful material
called glass was manufactured, admitting of so
much that was lovely in form, the study of the
science and beauty of design ought to be more
cultivated here than ahnest anywhere else. He ,
need not remind them, for many of them had
technical knowledge of the fact, that glass by its
elasticity and plasticity was capable of a very large
amount of combination and of beautiful compli-
cation; and if these schools were not fairly res-
ponded to it would be a very great reproach to
them considering the very liberal advantages con-
ferred upon them by the Government. But he
I believed that on the whole they were very fairly
responded to in this district. He, therefore, had
to congratulate those interested in the welfare of
the school on the steady progress of the students,
and the latter on the large number of prizes he
should have to give that evening, and on the fig-
ures which showed a very steady progress in the
number of students and the increase in the school
during the past twelve months, as well as for some
years past. That certainly showed the inherent
vitality of the institution, although he had to con-
fess on the part of the managers of this school
that its affairs of late had been allowed to fall into
some little confusion. Those who took the trouble
to look carefully at the building they were in and
at some of its appendages would find that the
whole of the premises were falling into a state of
very great dilapidation, and were in such a state
that very considerable improvement was needed—
not only to make the place what it ought to be,
but to render it safe. Thcse circumstances had
come to the knowledge of the Governors of the
school some few weeks ago, and a committee was
appointed to examine most thoroughly into the
state of the school, and the result had been that

they had found a very greatimprovement and res-
toration immediately desirable, and the question
with them was whether more than a mere restora-
tion for the safety of the building was contem-
plated. There had been neglect and remissness
for some time past in attending to the condition of
the premises and also to the work of the school.
Its management had not been so well attended to
as it might have been, and he made this statement
without reservation. As far as the substantial
work of the school went, it had been carried on
without interruption; but the management had
not been what it ought to have been. The coun-
cil desired to do a great deal more than to restore
the premises to a state of safety. It was attemp-
ted a short time ago, but for some reason or other
the attempt was given up. There were three
objects which he, on the part of the committee,
thought were desirable in respect to the establish-
ment of the school. There was a great deal to
be done in the way of ordinary repair, but there
was a further great improvement of a structural
kind required if the school was to be maintained
in the full amount of vigour which they thought
it ought to have. An improvement in the way of
erecting galleries, he thought it was universally
agreed, would be a very great improvement, and
that they hoped to see accomplished. In the last
place, for many years past—he believed ever since
the school was established—it had been saddled
with a heavy mortgage debt, and the third object
they desired was to pay off that debt, leaving the
school almost entirely self-supporting. The Council
had considered the matter that afternoon, and on
the report of the architect, and the investigation
of a sub-committee they hoped no long time would
pass before the friends of the school would have a
sum which, with the help they expected from the
Government, would place that establishment on a
perfectly healthy and satisfactory footing—(ap-
plause). The ordinary repairs would cost a little
over .2400, further alterations about .2300, and the
debt about .2600. They expected about .2400 from
the Government, and that would leave £l,OOO to
be contributed in that populous neighbourhood
for that important object. He felt no doubt they
should be able in no long time to raise that am-
ount. Mr. King, who had been connected from
the earliest days with the school as seoretary, had
been obliged to resign, and Mr. Collis had been
, appointed in his place. One consequence of the
' transfer was that he was not prepared to present,
as he ought to have done, a regular report from
the committee to that meeting and the subscribers,
but it would be forthcoming in due time, and ar-
rangements had been made for its regular presen-
tation in future. With regard to the statistical
account of the progress of the school, they would
also take care that it was regularly presented in
future. From a short abstract ho found that the
number of students had been 133, or an increase
of eight since last year, and the fees were I'9o 3s,
or an increase of £3 5s 3d. The students who
sent works to South Kensington had been over the
average number, and a groat number of students
lad been mentioned as satisfactory by the exami-
ners than usual. It was satisfactory to note that
a great number of the students were connected
with the glass trade.
Lord Lyttelton then presented the prizes and
certificates to the successful students, as follow :
SCIENCE AND ART DEPARTMENT PRlZES.—Certi-
ficates for model drawing: F. Allsop, John Collins,
G. H. Crudginton, B. Fenn, Cornelius Groen, G.
Hopwood, Miss Annie Watson, and Miss Julia
Watson. Certificates for freehand drawing: S. E.
Benton, H. F. A. Allen, A. Catterall, Job Droy, W.
Fenn, W. Griffiths, W. H. Guest, W. W. Pagett,
J. P. Reading, W. E. Reading, R. Toohy, B. Wall,
J. Wall, E. White, Miss C. Scott and Miss A.
James. Certificates for ge9metry : H. J. Bishop
And T. C. Bennett. Prizes were given to the fol-
lowing for freehand drawing: Messrs. P. J..Allsop,
E. H. Cox. C. Green, J. Hodgetts, T. Morris, F.
Seheibner, the Misses. E. Richardson and Susan
7l'aylnr. P. J. Allsop also took a prize for
model drawing, 'l. H. Chetwynd a prize for geome-
try,, W. Gething a prize for perspective, T. Morris
for freehand and geometry, W. Northwood for
geometry and perspective.
The f, Hewing prizes were given by the Science
and Art Department for works in the advanced
section of art instruction :--For original desi n in
f.r,lass decoration, James Hill; for painting in oil,
William J. Thomas and Miss Agnes Sproat ; for
shading ornament, Alfred Hingley, W. Gething
and Miss C. Scott; for outline of ornament, A:
Hennessey, Job Droy, and John Collins.

COMMITT1:1; PRIZES.—To ladies: Miss Agnes '
Sproat, for oil and water colour painting; Misses
Annie and Julia Watson, for water-colour painting;
Miss E Richardson and Miss S. Taylor, outline of
ornament from copies.—To gentlemen: Messrs.
Jas. Hill, for glass decoration; W. J. Thomas,
painting in oil; F. Allsop, ornament in tempera
(from Zhan's work) ; W. Gething, human figure
and landscape ; J. P. Reading, outline of ornament
(Trajan s.r II); W. E. Reading, outline of orna-
ment; P. Ailsop, animals from fiat examples; A.
Catterall, figure and ornament from copies; R.
Tooby, outline of ornament; J. D. Marshall,
shaded drawing of Roman car in chalk; A. Dal-
rymple, shaded drawing of scroll; Thomas Sida-
way, outline of ornament.
The Rev. H. Sherrard said he had great pleasure
in being present that evening and seeing the dis-
tribution of those prizes. He did not at all feel
out of place in being present on such an occasion
as that. He thought there were many reasons
why he should feel an interest in those proceedings.
He was a man, and did not think anything should
be stranov to him that belonged to an institution
that had for its object the improvement of his fel-
low-creatures, and from which much good was
coming. There were other reasons why such an
institution as that would be of very great benefit.
The course of study pursued there employed those
faculties of the mind in such a way as to prove of
the greatest utility in after life. They sometimes
heard that business or work was not well done, or
untidily done. But in this case it was almost
impossible to be successful if the work was slight-
ingly done, and, therefore, those who studied there
would acquire habits of carefulness which would
be of the greatest service to them in the future.
And, wore than that, it had a good moral influ-
ence. The habit of taking pains with their work
would probably cause them to continue to be pains-
taking in their future work in life. And then,
again, they were befitg constantly leminded of the
intemperate habits of our countrymen. He was
sorry that should be so. He did not know that we
were worse in this respect than other nations. We
were certainly worse than the French, but he did
not know that we were worse than the Germans
in this respect. At the same time, he thought
that intemperate habits would be found to be asso-
ciated with low tastes, and, therefore, anything
that could be done to improve the habits and tastes
of the people would be a step towards raising
their position. Any person taking an interest in
works of art, might find employment for their
leisure time at home in the winter evenings. It
was certainly better that young persons should be
at home, engaged in some useful work, than to be
in some public-house, or somewhere else where it
would be better for them not to be. Again, he
might say that the study of art would elevate the
mind, and have a great influence over the lives of
those who engaged in it. The greatest works of
art that had come down to us from the;ancients
were those of the Greeks. They made art a very
great study and some of the finest specimens of
sculpture known had come down from that immor-
tal people, and still served modern sculptors as
their models. They knew what a very great love
for art and everything that was beautiful those
ancient Greeks possessed. He did not say that
love of the beautiful in art was necessarily connec
ted with what was beautiful in religion. But he
believed that it made them think more of what was
ideally perfect; not only of what aas beautiful in
form, but in conduct and behaviour, and he should
hope, therefore, that those qualities would be de-
veloped in the students of art at that place. An&
iu their study of the beautiful they would naturally
in their search after the ideal to that great and
glorious Creator with whom was perfection of
holiness, and he, therefore, hoped that the study
of the beautiful in art would invariably in their
case be accompanied with a love of what was
beautiful in conduct—(applause). He believed
that the pictures on those walls were of a very high
character, and showed great merit on the part of
the students as well as the master. They could
not tell to what the teaching of an institution like
that might ultimately tend. He would state that
he had heard that the present head-master (Mr.
Bowen) a great many years ago had a very little
boy as a pupil of his. If they went to Kiddermin-
ster they would see a beautiful statue, which was
the statue of that great churchman Richard Bax-
t.-r, and that statue was designed by one who was
once a little boy student under the present head-
master of that school.. Now, to revert to the prin-
cipal business of the evening, the question was
would they have that building repaired. He
thought that was an institution which was calcu-
lated to be of the very greatest possible service
to the town and neighbourhood. The noble chair-
man had told them that the committee of that in-
stitution had found that the building had fallen
into a terrible state of dilapidation, which was un-
doubtedly the case; and it was the desire of the
committee to put the building into a state of repair
which would be creditable to the town and the
neighbourhood. And, secondly, there was a mort-
gage debt on the building, and it was not well that
any institution should be fettered with a debt, and
therefore he thought it was desirable that the
funds of that institution should be relieved from
the incubus. In order to put that institution in a
state of repair, a sum of £1,400 would be wanted.
They would observe that .2400 would come from
Government provided that the other was raised;
but they should not get the £4OO from the Govern-
ment unless they freed that institution from debt.
In a town like this which was increasing in wealth,
and in a neighbourhood like this where the art
of designing was so very useful, if they could not
raise that money it would be a disgrace to the in-
habitants. He trusted that a great effort would
be made on the part of the friends of that institu-
tion to accomplish this object. No doubt it would
entail people putting their hands into their
pockets, a thing which none of them liked to do,
but for their comfort he would let them know that
in all probability it would be the only call upon
them. In those cases there was generally a feel.
ing that it would be a permanent burden, but this,
as far as he could ascertain, would not be the
case, because if the building was free from debt it.
would be almost self-supporting. Therefore, they
should not have to call on them again. All they
wanted was for them now to give a pull, a long
pull, and a strong pull, to free that building from
debt, and leave it to benefit the town and neighbour-
hood. They had hopes that they should be able to
get a good start—a good beginning—so that the
whole. burden should net fall upon the town and
neighbourhood. He hoped that would be so, and
if they got that good start, that every one would
work diligently until that debt was paid off. He
did not think there ought to be any difficulty at all
_ _ _ _ _ _

in the matter. The CUuncil of the School wished

to return a hearty vote of thanks to Major Walker,
Mr. Thomas, and Mr. Maginnis, for the very great
pains they had taken, and the energy with which
they had entered into everything connected with
that institution, in order to see what could be done.
He thought they deserved the very hearty thanks
of that meeting—(great applause). He then pro-
posed a resolution to the effect "That this meeting
having been informed th.,..t the committee of this
institution have resolved to liquidate all the debt
of this institt.tion and put the building in a
creditable state of proper repair, do cordially ap-
prove of such an effort being made, and hope it
will be seconded by the people of the town aid
neighbourhood."

Mr. Watson seconded this.
The resolution was then put o the meeting and
carried unanimously.
Mr. Thomas said he had very great pleasure in
proposing the next resolution. They all knew the
interest the noble chairman took in that institu-
ion. He only wished there were more like him
in his lordship's rank and position—(cheers). He
now moved "That the best thanks of this meet-
ing be given to Lord Lyttelton, for his kindness in
presiding at that meeting, and for the warm. inte-
rest he takes in the premises of this institution,
together with all the instutes that have for their
object the welfare of the town and neighbour-
hood."

Mr. F. Allsop then seconded the resolution in a
bri, f speech.
Hi Lordship having returned thatts, the meet-
ing then terminated.

We should mention that a number of the speci-
mens of the students' skill were exhibited in the
room, and were greatly admired. To begin with
the ladies. 31iss Agnes Sproat deservedly occupied
the premier position, with her painting in water
colours of grapes, and another in oil of a cat and
pigeons. We were glad to find that these cleverly
executed works were rewarded with prizes by the
committee. The Misses Annie and Julia Watson,
also received similar marks of favour for some
nice specimens of shading by the same ladies. The
landscapes painted by Miss Hughes and Miss
Hammond are tastefully and carefully rendered.
The drawings by the Misses Richardson, S. Taylor,
and C. Scott, are also very good. As usual the five
designs for glass ornamentation by Mr. Hill, who
has gained prizes in this branch of art for several
years past, were among the chief attractions. Mr.
Hill, who is a glass etcher by trade, certainly
shows the possession of considerable artistic
genius. Besides his specimens for glass ornamen-
tation, he has a finely drawn nude feinalefigure, in
black and red chalk, after Dilulready, which was
much admired. The specimen of Pompeian orna-
ment in tomperar, from Timms, by Mr. Frank
Allsop, is a very cleverly executed work, and re-
flects great credit upon him. This young gentle-
man is a very promising artist, and bids fair to
excel both as a draughtsman and painter. Mr.
W. J. Thomas exhibited some very clever studies
both in oil and water colours, with which we were
very much pleased. The one was a picture of a
dead duck, and the other of a Mack aud tan terrier