The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-09
MRS.ASTOR'S COSTLYLACE
THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM
GETS HER COLLECTION

Foreign Countries, Presented by the
Wishes Of the Rich Lady Who Re-
y Gently Died to the Museum Value ed
at S5o,ooo-Other Gifts.
From the Neic York World
During the visits o: the late Mrs. John
Jacob Aston to the Metropolitan Museum Of
Art, in whose welfare and prosperity she
took a deep interest, none Of the collection
there exhibited was Of more interest 10 her
than the beautiful specimens of the handi-
work Of European lace-makers, which had
been gathered together through the
generosity Of lovers of needlework like
herself. She frequently asked Gen. di Ces-
nola, the manager OF the museum, to open
the cases containing these specimens, and
took pleasure in handling those which
pleased her, and for one Of which she had
once offered g 600
But have better collection Of laces
than that, Mrs. Aston was wont to say,
and those favored ones who had seen it
readily pronounced it to be the finest and
most valuable in the United States, and one
Of the notable private collections Of laces in
the world.
When Mrs. Astor's will was opened
recently, no bequest was made to the mu-
scum. Friday last, however. Gel. di Ces-
nola received a letter from John Jacob
Aston, requesting him to call, he Aad
something Of importance to the museum TO
communicate. That evening the General
called at the mllionaire's residence, on
Fifth avenue, and was informed by Mr. As
tor that, in accordance with the ott-re-
peated desire of his late wife ne was ready to
transfer TO him for the Metropolitan Mu
scum her valuable collection of laces. Gen.
di Cesnola responded in fitting terms and
assured Mr.. Astor of the pleasure it would
give him to convey this message 10 the trus-
tees OF the museum, and adj the benefaction
to its already valuable collection. There
upon Gen di Cesnola examined the laces,
carefully packed them up and took them
away in a cab to his house, No. 107 East
| Fifty-seventh street. Yesterday he called
meeting Of the trustees of the museum and
informed them of Mrs. Astor's magnificent
gift. This news was received by the trustees,
of whom there are twenty-six, with undis-
guised evidences Of pleasure, and they all ex-
pressed their appreci alton of Mrs Astor's
literally and kindly interest in the great
work of making the Metropolitan Museum
| such treasury of art as the first city in
! America should possess. A formal acknowl-
edgement of the gift will be sent to Mr.. As
tor In few days, wherein the trustees will
take occasion to express their sentiments
The Aston collection, rs it will henceforth
be called was then transferred from Gen
di CesnOla's house to the Metropolitan Mu-
scum, where it was placed in a massive safe
until suitable arrangements may be made
for its classification aud exhibition. One
of the trustees of the museum said yester-
day to reporter;
at is not probable that the public will
have an opportunity of viewing these laces
until the additions now being made 10 the
! "a no
now for the proper exhibition of all the art
| treasures in the museum, and many val
liable collections will have to wait until the
new wings are finished before being exhib-
tied. BY next November we expect that
this will be DONE and | don't think that
the Aston collection can be shown before
then"
Mrs. Astor's collection represents the
work of lifetime of one whose boundless
wealth enabled her to crafty a rare taste
in all matters of art needle-work The
foundation, ana by far the larger part of it,
was gathered in France and Italy by Mrs
Astor in 1S45 and 1853, when she was
making a long stay abroad. The hunting
here and there in obscure stores and bric-a-
brac shops on the continent for speci-
mems of lace work of the finest class
was a work of love with her, and in this
way she became possessed of many pieces of
great historic i,,G value andsthYers whose Goun,
UerparIS cOuld not now De procured, the
product of famous workers in this line
Mrs. AsUOr's lace handkerchiefs and fichus
soon became famous, and were the admira-
ton of all her friends From time to time
a rare bit was picked up here and there
sometimes in New York, often in Europe
to replace one sent rs gift to a friend or
disposed of as undesirable, and in this way
the collection was constantly growing I'M
til, at the time of her death, it consisted of
just seventy pieces. An expert VINO saw
the laces some years since, yesterday esti-
mated their intrinsic value at from $40, 900
to $4,000, though of course it would be I'M
possible to duplicate them all, even for those
large amounts.
-Four years ago, when prominent gentle
men in this city interested the leaders of
society in the fund for pedestal for the
Statue of Liberty, great loan exhibition
was organized at the Academy of Design to
further the success of which each was urged
to send something Mrs. Aston approved
of the objects of the exhibition, and prom
ised to send some of her rare laces, and with
this beginning the prominent ladies of
society were not slow to follow suit The
exhibition was great success. but among
its hundreds of beautiful objects of art none
ELECTED higher praise or attracted wider at
tention than the French and Italian laces
which Mrs Aston sent
With the addition of the Aston collection
| 10 bLuJ dllCdNl1 IOaS SSSt,u DN IL, ZIG MeUrO-
politan Museum laces will be certainly the
finest in America, and among the notable
collections of the world.
Last year was the most notable in the
history of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
through a suddenly developed generosity on
the part of the wealthy men Of this city,
who for time seemed TO vie with each
other in adding rare and valuable pictures
to its galleries. BY the add
ton Of Rosa Bonheur's Horse Fair con-
tributed by Cornelius Vanderbilt followed
by MeisSonier's 'lS07,' from ex-Judge Hill
tom the Catherine Wolfe collection. and the
pictures given by Mr.. Schaus ard other
liberal-mlnded citizens, our collection of
modern paintings was made worthy os the
metropolis of America, and recent events
would indicate that this interest in the
metropolitan Museum shows no sign OF
slackening.
Since Jan four notable and valuable be-
quests of works of art have been made to il,
among which the most prominent has been
that Of Mrs Astor's laces. The late Cephas
Thompson, who was one of Americas fore
most painters about forty years ago, had
long intended that his collection of original
drawings by Raphael, Michael Angelo and
other old masters should find last resting
| Ilopa in mr. only Duhlio tya Ila,,,. aud to,,