New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-12-15
THE LOAN EXHIBITION.
LETTER FROM CLARENCE COOK.
sPIESpID SHOW, BUT A POOR SCHOOL
. an. :yJffor of The TrtbUue.

A
ia the Editor OF Tht Trtb"ne ,
Srs. The crowds that every day, and All
dav tronp the rooms Of the Naonai Academy Oh Dc-
slgp prove sufficiently how much interest the p"''o
fakes in the exhibition provided Tor us an"''"."'
! ard instruction by the ladies' VINO are NJ 'te
| head OF the Society OF Decorative Art ~
| truth. one cannot help being little surprised
| AZ the great number OF people who daly "sit
This Inhibition when he considers that the things 10 Dc
seen here are neither more beautiful moro curious w.
more costly than the things which are c0neu III .no
rooms Of the Metropolitan Museum and yet that 'no
Museum il probably not visited by ~ many persons III
apy month tomtlng the free days. as nave VIZ
d tho LOAN Collection in any single day since u ""s
opened II is probable safe to assert that more people
have visited the Loan Exhibition III any sihSo uay '
have Waited the Castelnni Collection IN the meuo-
| rollt1n Museum during the whole ume u mas oeen Oh
yirv or course there several relsDns To pe gwen
:, M, for tne neglect OF the and o. Its ehrI
treasure then for the abundant patronage OF the Loan
Exhibition II il pleasant TO know That since the society
of Decorative Art came into being there mas Deeh
great and aways increasing interest taken ~ us "otA
| and much OF the interest shown In the present
exhibition OF the society is the outcome OF the interest
tken hy New-Y or the society Itself Thrn, again. u
il social affair aud the long t ~ names on the gene
raj and special committees, Including, rs IL docs Utmost
| everybody in city known 10 bo concrrnod III
| tho wcll-heng Of the arts, or rcok0nod authority
| IN matters OF taste. Is p-oy5catiyo Of curl
| osity because it is taken for granted that each
| Of these ricf and cultivated names represents some
treasure that only culture backed by wealth could call
ts own and that he OF these treasures y to be seen
spread out these walls or found IN these eases Aui
best reason Of AL these crowds the answer to the
sacrifice OF time and comfort the energy, the hard
| work. which have been pat forth without stint
| by the good women who, having once set
their hands 10 this work have determined there
should he failure II success depended upon them
The courage, and confidence In tc community th'J
gave Us the hi Cosnoa collection have Carroll th- Loan
Exhibition through spite Of all obstacles, AMI have no
doubt accomplished more than could have been hop;d
for in putting tue Society Of Decorative Art on hnn
money basis.
OBVIOUS CRITICISMS.
There are two obvious criticisms to be made upon the
present exhibition The first Is that the rooms arc
too l and the objects crowded The second Il more
imuoriant II is that the educational aim Of such
collection has mach nay, altogether, subord
mated o. mere display In saying this ain FAR from for
getting the diicutcs under which the man
ayers have Observation-Disclosures 80 great that
they would nave made thc exhibition impoS-
sble II II bad not been in the hands Oi women am
not forgetting either the actual results Of the i5or' OF
these ladies' the collection 81 hundreds Of boa
iml and costly things an incredibly short space oi
time their cement in telling and artistic way
on the walls aud IN the cases. " There - NJ
difficulty" said Louis Kossuth to him who Wills
ana once again New-YOrk ladies have proved the
SAYING true But the has been broken, and
the public made cOnyincngy acquainted with the
fact that il Society decorative Art aud that tine
managers OF thar society people with not only viii
but way the next step in order TO make these eXhb
tons III ncty part OF the educational aims Of the
soccty-bulh regards the public and a. regards the
working members 81 tho organization.
OF course IN the Lesinuog of an enterprise such as
/ this exhibition. It necessary take almost
! everything that was offered; partly, perhaps, 10
make friends, but much more because It could not be
known. until trial hal been made now many things
would be contributed. Tn wonder i that 40 few 30
very few Objectionable things have bacn ac.cp. Cd.
They few that they do not need 20 be spoken
o. and yet II l., probable that very few thing, offered
rejected, While II the tim3 hal been longer In
which 70 ,sn.6 il would no doubt have been
easy 10 collect twice much j. here shown.
1he criticism j.. that in exhibition for given pur-
pose. that purpose should DE steadily kept In view rae
present exhibition completes on - own ground with the
Loan Exhibition in the Metropolitan Museum, whcrols
10 ought. Ia uy opinion 10 have been distinctly organ
lied wrha view 0 setting forth some sound principles an
decoration to showing us the why and the wherefore OF
ne success or failure different schools of ornamental
| ton IN which could h1.c bern done without ia anyway
| interfering with the success Of the exhibition a.
| splendid display.
! The managers will hope, acquit the writer OF anv
disposition lud fault lie Is far from wishing 20 de-
So and freely acknowledges that u woud be the
eat thing in the World 10 write enthusiastic praise OF the
exhibition as 4 collection 0f beautiful thing, gener
uaslv contributed But, his interest IN tie So
cicy which this show j. organized Is great that
a "a! xious 10 have il the Elective work posi-,
! bic. ana not 10 waste It's opportunity. oar public
! does most seriously need to De taught ths prime
plies good art and the only way FOR learn tnec
principles is 10 much possible what Il good
and little possible OF what Is bad Indifferent.
There is plenty OF fst-rate material here but ii Is
swampcd by the merely tol rabe and accidental and
~ AGAIN aud again II he wouu get "a clear notion
OF tne contents OF th itwo5ox, away without
an aching head and dazLlcd eyes.
THE LACE-ROOM.
What mean will be clear to any who will lay
down the newspaper for moment and ask herself can
didly what definite knowledge she has gained 81 the
different varieties Of lace Manufacture from her one visit
to the lace-.o0m. Here room wel-!ncd with cases.
ana with good part OF it, noorspicc taken up WIKI
containing the most lovely and precious specimens
OF his loyelcst Of human handcrafCs. Well did the old
fable invent that Atncue. angry with AracLne for
rivalry with the goddess in womanly works with tn.
needle, turned her into spider and lcft her free
to make lace a leisure. For only in lace making and
IA such gold spinning one secs In the Csstelu COlcc
ton, the work Of Old E.m5can hands that the skill OF bu
man fingers is shown in full prrcctOu aud what
| man do in riyans the spider
! nowhere well he seen II would ne this lace
room ut the Loan Exhibition, II II could be- here
properly speaking. at all what the aim OF The society
Of Decorative Aui is 70 teach those OF our people
who wish to learn it. design FOR manufacturers.
now to design WORK to be executed by themselves. An
exhibition, them IN AID OF such society ought 80 be rs,
! 0i all an instructive exhibition, one made 10 serve
| ~ splendid illustration OF doctrines taught
III the school Some day shall have aceml king mere,
| and We do not look to our Americans content to
copy the same patterns that their Greek, Italian.
Bribant, English sisters have been weaving FOR
|