National Republican., 1875-07-24
DRAWING IN THE ruBLIo SCHOOLS.


Practical Idsss and Thoughts ofwisdom.
Prom Mr.. H. II. Tllley, valued correspondent
and one Of the best friends In Washington TO
wha ever pertains to art end lite ature. the fel
lowing letter ts' received. We commend its peru
sal to all parents and interested persons In edu-
cation. HT#fF 81. st.
10 tAs Editor or tie Eatfoaal RspsoIfcos:
SIR: I READ with muen pleasure jour editorial
Of the 14th inst, on the subject Of "0ur Public
therein. Having, from my earliest years had :
passion for the art pictorial, In All its forms
which led me 70 select snErsying ss ny pso,sss
yesrnings Of childhood for some kind mentor TO
INTRODUCES me into even the vestibuls Of the teu-
ne sIs eaeuu@ 1as Il ts. ss public 'I sSoo: IL
small New England town, thirty odd years ago,
excellent as they were IN many other respects:
Although enabled In later years Ito supply the
lack to some extent, see how much my pathway
would have been smoothed by such systematic
sToed into our ESHn puSiis schools mainly through
the example and enterprise Of Massachusetts,
(which has made It compulsory In its schools
outlay. the services q the able, practical IN
structor, Professor Walter Smith, of England,
whose ,ss .he
Of fSchool Superintendents, at willard hall, were
reported IN your columns q few months since.
been educated in II themselves, do not realize the
Importance Of this branch, and are Inclined TO re-
gard II as
MORE ORNAMENTAL THAN USEFUL.
as It has usually been Taught IN our young ladies'
thing Of the principles of perspective even. and
round, was aimed at, but merely the production
of pretty copy Of an engraving or lthograph,
which, after being touched up By the teacher,
men Of the daughters "accomplishmentsl It
certainly did not amount 70 much, praeticslly.
wards Inspected the besutiiul mechanical draw;
machinery, designs for paper, ,hsngings. laces and
public schools and the Normal Art school Of Bos-
ton-do not need to be informed that what he
Commencing with the simplest straight lines
and curves. Prof. Smiths system (which he has
developed in q series Of text books, which, think
are In use in our public schools here) carries the
pupil along gradually and progressively, until,
almost before he 10 aware of IL, he finds CON-
growing grow beneath his hand. So sure is m In its
results, in all these practical mechanical aspects
those with which all but professional artists are
bis many years experience at the head Of some Of
the principal schools Of design in England, as
never yet met q person whom he could not teach
to draw; and those who showed the least natural
talent for II, provided they had application and
hciency. Or course, when we pass 70
A HIGHER STAGE OF ART,
involving free-hand drawing and asthetic inven-
tiop, genius, as In the kindred art Of music will
tell; but that is point not now necessary to con-
slider. HE.E
Chapman whose painting OF the "Bsptism Of
Pocahontas" forms one Of the series IN the
rOIunda at the Capitol, published Q series Of
drawing books some years since, the motto on
which was, "apy one who can learn to write can
learn to draw The truth Of this is evident
method of drawing certain conventional forms or
letters, and one great reason why most persons
do not produce better specimens Of caligrsphy Is
attempt TO Initiate these forms individually, as
the pupil in drawing is obliged TO do. Hence It is
drawing even If IL Unnecessary 70 take for it pOr
tiop Of the time previously devoted to writing,
nothing being lost, but very much gained, in the
But Improvement in writing is BY no means the
only or the greatest advantage gained. Leaving
out Of the question those pupils who may display
special talent sufficient to warrant their becoming
professional artists, engravers architects, civil
engineers, pattern designers, &C., TO whom the
benefits Of an early training are sufficiently OBJ
vious, the boy who is to become a carpenter, q
tailor, or q shoemaker, will acquire these trades
with much greater readiness, and practice them
and hand gained by an early and persevering
study Of mechanical drawing. Early, say; for,
as Prof Smith declared, If you wish to make q
drsughtsman the
EARLIER YOU CAN CATCH HIN THE BETTER
Hence, It is not only in the secondary and higher
schools that 1t should be taught, but in the
primaries, and still better, In the kindergarten,
feature. But in order to dethis il is not sucisnt
to have one or two teachers Of drawing for the
whole city, who can devote only an hour or two
considerable can Be accomPIished even in this
way by able and jealous Instructors like Mrs.
Fuller and her assistapts p, Each Each school teacher e.
himself herself to instruct in this branch, as In
reaoing or writing; and am glad to see that this
school. :
Now a word more as to the advantages to be
derived, so that parents and taxpayers may see
the expediency OF providing for this Institution In
proper manner In the first place, II is one OF
the most important auxiliaries to that improved
method ofteachtnR which
ALL ADVANCED EDUCATORS ARE ADoPTINsI
which aims to impart q knowledge Of things
rather than Of their mere:names. For, 70 quote
Prof. Smith once more, mo person who has never
learned to draw really sees any object as It ac-
distinct and correct impression of It" (This point
he Illustrated by the fact that man who under
took to sketch for him q plan Of his own house
day, on the wrong side.) The pleasure which the
ability to sketch a beautiful scene, or anyobject
effort to acquire But aside from these consider.
stiops, let US look at its direct money value,
which, alter all, is the most convincing argument
to the average American mind. You alluded in
your editorial to some Of the pursuits such as
architecture, civil engineering, engraving and
TYPOGRAPHY, for which knowledge Of drawing is
q liberal compensation; and SO great is the de-
mand for competent instructors In this branch
that lady graduates Of the Massachusetts, Normal
Art School receive annual salaries OF from 81 900
TO 81 500 for the public school work, to which may
be added private lessons.
But 1t is in the comparatively
UNTITLED FIELD OF DESIGNING
that there is the most promising opening It is
said that city in Massachusetts spends $40 roo
annually for its manufacturing designs, which
have hitherto been produt ed in Europe or by i'm.
ported European artists. Nothing but lack of
competent instruction prevented American taste
and energy from securing the money thus spent,
for its own pocket. And this, II may be observed,
is q field which can be cultivated by women as
we'll as by men.
In conclusion. I will add that II Congress could
be awakened to the acknowledgements Of a school
or schools Of design, such as those which have
produced the acknowledged excellence Of France,
Germany, and England 10 this field, 1t would not
leave the formation Of one here to the uncertain
contingency Of its establishment by the future
graduates Of our public schools to which you re-
fer, but would at once make q liberal appropria-
tion to start one under a competent director, In
connection with the Corcoran Art Gallery. 1t IS
to be hoped, as Prof. Smith suggested in conver-
sation with the writer, that the Centennial Exhi-
bition, next year, by showing US our comparative
poverty in this regard, will force our Legislators
Bs the Crystal Palace exhibition did those of
90