The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-08-04
RELICS OF OTHER AGES.
Antiquities Found in England's
New Possession.
TREASURES OF CYPRUS,
Interesting Facts About the Metropolitan
Museum OF Art.

Cured twenty years ago no liz said to be rausackng
The dusty OF the pas" aud he Is thereafter
regarded by his fellow citizens antiquary. New
Workers. regard that mushroom city Of the West with
contempt and turn back to the days OF the nicker
bocxers in a way that would lead one to think those
sturdy old burghers were coutsmporaneous with the
builders Of the Pyramids; but they are disguised
when some old resident begins to tell OF his boyhood
when he bathcd where Canal street is now aud made
rural excursions the present site OF Union square
Every from abroad who has visited this
try has recorded the painful impression he derived
from the AIR OF "nowness" possessed by everything
and It Is said that when American escapes from
this atmosphere OF to-day TO visit the Old World he
exhibits peculiarly intense appreciation OF every
thing with the rust Of time upon It, AS the old lady
who went to Rome In order 10 have her picture
painted by one OF the old masters had many rea-
hves-and possibly few still livng-this taste OF
Americans Tor antiquities has bsen gralGed bv clover
and enterprisipg gentlemen abroad who manufactured
no end OF unique relics to meet their wants.
INDIFFERENCE HOME COLLECTIONS.
In view Of this marked national taste-and particu
larly considering tho present craze for pottery and
porcelaiu--it has puzzled thoughtful men TO account
for the utter indifference shown by Americans to the
largest most Interesting and valuable collection Of
works OF art and antiquities ever brough,
together in this country-a collection which
In tho pottery and glassware discovered by
General D Cesnola at Cyprus possesses u
feature equalled in any other city 10 the world.
TO say that the Metropolitan Museum OF Art has not
boon appreciated by the public OF this city would moi
begin to express the degree apathy shown toward
on the part OF tho masses. While artists and his.
torical students are coming from England TO study
copy the obj Gets exhibited there intelligent
people In this city who do not even know whore the
museum is situated. Senator A. A. Sargent, OF Cali
fornis, who In New York short time since only
succeeded in finding II after two days Of inquiry, and
when he inquired tho Aston House he was told that
they knew OF the Metropolitan Gas Company, but
never heard of the museum.
''Ah" said William Cullen Bryant, on the occasion
Of q visit to the institution short tme before his
death. sour people do not appreciate these things
now, but fifty years hence they will be visor"
A significant shrug indicated the Cyprus explorers
dsdain OF posthumous appreciation, and bystander
remarked, 'If you only had Gve-legged COW here
you would have all New York to look at It,"
GENERAL cgsNoLA AT WORK
These things were floating through the mind OF the
writer as he mounted she steps OF the brown Stone
building in Fourteenth street the other day TO see
General di Cesnoa and loarn something OF the prog
OF the institution. The transition was startling
from the hot pavements the noise, tho hustle and the
dusty atmosphere pusatng with the fevcrsh activity
OF tho metropolis OF America In the nineteenth Gen.
fury to the subdued light OF the COOL quiet galleries.
along The pictured walls OF which wcro displayed OBJ
jeets whose origin Ia lost In the miss of antiquity.
No moro pleasant place could be found to pass mid
day hour. Although Il was one of the days on which
admission Is Tree there we're not dozen persons in
the building and during the past year the total
Dor OF visitors but Al, 674 The visitors last year
al the British Museum amounted 10 799, 512 and at
the Boston Art Museum 100000 General ID Cesnola
was found in one Of the lower rooms engaged In ar.
ranging the now collection Of Cyprotc antiquities,
and writer fortunate enough to call ut a time
when he had hour OF leisure, as he was just plac
ing things IN order preparatory to leaving Tor his
country house at Greenwich, Conn. He talked pleas
snty OF the museum It's history and its
probable future In its home In Central Park.
II Is TO that unfortunate word ''museum" that the
General attributes great the lack Of pop
uiarty Of the institution. TO the scholar "museum'
means "tempe Of the muses., but to the untravs,led
New Yorker It means Barnum, mermaiis, woolly
horses and Bowsry shows Of fat women exhibited ny
shouting ruflsns to the sounds OF u hurdy-gurdy.
REMOVAL MUSEUM.
Tho city has built In Central Park two new rsprooi
sdi6css-one the Of the Museum Of Natural His
tory anu the other for the Museum OF Art The former
building stands ia Manhattan square aud opened
last year by President while that erected for the
art coileetion has only becn completed. The Oh
Too, an v,. a., NO hcas bu nys WAS tho fo nd.
~ " " =. -, $500, .
Ing oil scnooI Oh ART anu one oi nstutSi nsory' VI
we'll rs the recreation and instruction OF the public
~ a., ~ ,hs I.,,s,.,ure tns PARK Commissioners are
authorized to pay every year tho OF $4,000 to
each of these Tor Its support When the
.no,r..a I'M, IN. N. ~ bu,laiou for Tho N,
collections was Il found that the appropr
alton was exhausted, and therc nothing Whatever
within tho cdlnce IN tue way OF squipmsnt-not 80
m ucn as a char IN the line Of furniture commit.
toe OF trustees described the situation to the
NJ Albany and approx Ration oi 500 900 has been
obtained TO NJ the building Tor the reception oi the
collection. About the lst oil November next
tha work OF removing the objects from Fourteen IN
street 10 their new and perm resting place will
begin 1t will be labor rsqu ring good deal Of time
aud the exercise oil little ingenuity tor some Of tho
obisctsthe nm rble sarcopagt instancexe,gh sew
erai tons each aud have been mendcd aud restored
manner not calculated to resist very great jarrng
Most OF arc OF calcareous stone easily
fractured, and many have been put togsther out OF
the many fragments III winch they we're found. One
I