Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-01
AN OPPORTUNITY TO BEsTOw BEN
EFITS.


have collected museums of antiquities and
of natural history that are of greatest in
terest and benefit. The cost has been
much exaggerated. In a long and deeply
interesting article, the New York Eceaing
Post points out that very respectable
museum can be set up for an asionishingly
small sum of money, and the Slater Me
mortal Museum of Norwich, Conn.,, is
taken as an example.
Norwich has population $1,000 less
than Sacramento. 1t did not have, as has
this city, building for the enshrinement
of collection, and was therefore at an
immense disadvantage compared to the
Capital City of California. Mr.. w. A.
Slater, citizen of comfortable means re-
solved that his town should enjoy the ben
efts of a museum, and he set about to col
lect the necessary exhibits upon which, as
nucleus there will of course grow with
years great exhibition of the curiosities
and the natural history of Connecticut.
He provided the necessary building, the
cost of which need not here be considered,
because it cuts no figure in the matter OF
the collection. He then ascertained that
the real foundations for valuable collec-
ton are Reproductions" and not original
works. These may be of sculpture or OF
natural history, as is the Ward collection
at San Francisco. On that basis he pro-
cured 124 reproductions for the Greek and
Roman section and 103 for the section Of
the Renaissance and GOO for the section Of
photography, or in all S27 objects
Among these are some of the largest
casts made, such as the selection from the
Pergamon reliefs, the Nike of Same.
thiace, and the Font of Siona. They were
all made expressly for the museum, and
imported from London, Paris, Berlin
Munich, Florence, Rome, Naples, and
Athens. In addition to these there is 8
complete collection of the British Museum
electrotypes of Greek coins, handsomely
mounted
Among the large photographs two hun
bred and fifty of which are framed with
sliding backs, so that new exposures can be
made from month to month for the enter
tainment of the people, are the best plates
of Braun, Maya, Brogi and other celebrated
photographers. Most of the statues are
mounted ON revolving pedestals.
Yet, the gross cost of this collection that
is attracting wide attention and drawing
people to Norwich daily to inspect it, wa;
but S27, l12 81, including freight, all car.
riage, all mounting, labor, draperies, etc
The real cost of the casts was but $l9,.
96S rs. Nearly $6,OO0-was expended fol
labor in mounting, hauling, carpentery
drapery, ETC. Now, asks the Post, has it
paid? 1t answers by giving the statistics
of visitation for one year, the visitors hav-
ing exceeded ten thousand. So, then, the
public has proved its interest. and in the
main it is that of the class of the public
that has not the means to go abroad and
to view originals. The schools also have
found the little museum most valuable
object lesson.
The Post adds:
| The lesson to be learned from it now is, that
such collections are needed, that they are ap-
preciated not by few but by many, and that
! so far as the cost is concerned they are within
the reach OF every well-settled community.
Now let US see how Sacramento stands as
to its chance of having very fine museum
collection. The city owns building fitted
for such purpose that costs three times
the sum expended for the Norwich struct-
ure, and that for beauty is not surpassed
in its interior, in the whole country. 1t
has upon the walls of its art gallery seven
hundred valuable paintings, and in the
lower section the State Mineral Cabinet
with three thousand numbers. In its closets
it has 5000 fine studies, rare and valuable
engavings and colored plates that are
worth thousands of dollars, that the gen.
eral public has not seen, because there has
been provided no fund to place them upon
the walls. A distinguished connoisseur
not long since examined them, and said
that with glass-covered racks he could give
distinct and new exhibitions of one month
each for thirty months upon the walls Of
the gallery with this magnificent collection,
and at the end of thirty months the col
lection would be new again to the public.
The auxiliary worker with the city, the
California Museum Association, has hete-
rogeneous collection of natural history,
curiosity and pioneer relics in the Art Gal
lery of some 5000 numbers, but unclassi-
fed and poorly arranged, for lack of means
to properly place the examples, of which
probably 1000 are really valuable, while
the remainder are Indifferent, but have
been accepted to encourage the spirit OF
giving. In addition, there are five valu-
able and beautiful examples of statuary in
marble, and casts sufficient for the School
of Design. All this property was given to
the people-it has not cost them solitary
dollar.
But there are no reproductions in the
gallery such as in the Slater Memorial
Museum, and such as are in the Ward
collection, and which should form the
basis of all other collecting. The immense
Ward collection referred to of reproduc-
tions of natural history examples was pre-
scented to the California Academy Of
Sciences, San Francisco, and cost its donors,
Governor Stanford and the late Charles
Croker, $4,000 Now one-ffth of such a
sum, backed by the collection already
made, would give Sacramento museum
that would be source of unlimited pride.
and taken in connection with the Art Gal
lery and the collection of plates referred to-
would put Sacramento in front rank and
be the means of endless instruction and
qualification to the people, and potential
agent for good in all directions. 1t only