New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-25
CONEY ISLAND ART

sad case was that of Dr. Goodrich, proieSSoi
Of zoology in Piedmont College, Ohio. mention Oh
which has already been made in the New-i ork
papers The professor was in this city on 'iS'V
to married daughter, who lives IN liariem' asu
one day last week went down TO Coney lslahu' L"
ing of course, much interested In all KINDS OF an
imal life, his attention was soon attracted oS
the geological display on one OF the largesV hie'
go-rounds Unfortunately the professor Is a'iic'eu
with heart trouble, and after ten-mnuue eA"n'
nation Of the animals he fell to the ground anu
was removed 70 a hotel In an nsenslDie cohoi ''o'
The shocl, has unsettled the ll-fated instructors
mind and to-day in his delirium he constantly
ridicnles and dcnounces the idea Of blue lions
and four-legged Ostrlches
The professors mistake was in demanding too
close copying of nature We suspect him OF
being n realist. The Coney Island school OF art
is essentially idealistic. If the professor had
wanted servile copying of nature he should have
zone 10 the Museum of Natural History, where
the artist Is held TO n style Of severe simplicity
bv the limitations Of the skin Of the late animal.
Or better vet perhaps, he should have gone 70
TINT nameless region around the old Arsenal
and looked AT his friends more or less fresh from
the hands of nature. IISrt no superfuons legs
disturb the symmetry of the ostrich, anu the lion
is not painted red, white and blue. But clearly
especially when We consider the lamentable QUIZ
come-the professor was not Mt home In the study
OF natural history as presented by Coney Island
merry-gO-r0und.
There has always been much adverse criticism
of Concy Island merry-gO-round art, and most OIL
il. il seems to us, has been uncalled for Inc
Copcv Island animal artists have always wrought
in n glad uncertainty. From the first they have
ideazcd their horses, their cames, even their
uniforms. Indeed, mentioning unicorns reminds
us that much Of the freedom from restraint which
characterzes the work Of the West Brighton
School may be more or less directly traced TO the
unicorn. 1t In 1872 in the early days Of
the school when Bunwaldi, since famous, but
then obscure and struggling, finished an order TOR
the statues for a mcrry-go-round given him by a
Coney Island man named CroSsman when the
work was done Crossman found fault with the
nniCprn because it did not have four horns.
Bunwaldi had already provided it with two horns,
but refused to recognize another pair as being
indigenous 10 the animal Gresham insisted,
and also criticised the six legs which it had been
given Bunwaldi felt his professional pride
touched. hired truck placed his unicorn on 1t
with all It's wealth Of legs and horns and drove
up % the mcnagere In the Park determined 10
compare unicorns. What his disgust 10
find that there was no unicorn in the Park col
lection. lie returned 70 his studio in Bleecker-st.
an angry man. Again taking the unicorn in hand
he made II fairy bristle with horns. No one
could ever say positively how many horns there
were on that unicorn but the number was estl-
mated at above forty. This was the beginning
OF the emancipation Of the Coney Island School.
Tigers since that have been-grecn, pink. purple
or other color according 10 which pot OF paint the
artist first laid his hand on. Equal freedom has
characterized the modelling, and when wood has
been scarce the humps have been sacrificed on
the camcls and grizzly bears have been propped
up on two legs, while at other times game-cocks
have been given spurs up and down their legs
like pegs on IA hat-rack, and the grand American
eagle has been provided with tail that out
nvalled the peacock
Concy Island art may be ideal, but at the same
time il Is alive and vigorous, and IL seems 10 us
that there is no good reason why man should
fall insensiblc while looking al it, any more than
while surveying the statues In Boston.