The sun., 1891-06-01
IT WAS A GREAT SUCCESS.
THE EXPERIMENT OF OPENING TEE
MUBEUM ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON

THE EXPERIMENT OF OPENING THA
MUBEUM ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
Tea ThousanA Persons visited the osiie-
ries, Almost AM OF whon Apparently
HAD Never Beea There Before-sene
ofthe ChsrAeseristies or the Crewa.
Well. It was success. The Metropolis
tan Museum Of Art was opened for the
first time 70 the general public on q Sum
das yesterday afternoon. The conten-
'ion OF those who have most heartily
advocated Sunday opening In the past was
that II would admit to tho advantages Of the
museum people who had never been able to
vtsit It before. The experiment justified them.
Tho crowd was distinotively New York crowd.
and therein It was distin n0uished from the
ordinary week day crowd. which consists
moatly OF out-of-town visitors to the city and
Of our country cousins. Being New York
crowd. It was made up for the most part Of
people who had mover seen museum before.
They were workers Of all nationalities and
trades. Their week days for years had been
Riven to toll. This was their opportunity and
they embraced It.
II was . Rood-nstured crowd. % became the
occasion. 1t trod on its own toes with i'm
punity and laughed. It talked freely and con-
fdlngly with itself. and told Of its personal
enjoyments and troubles regardless OF the
fact thut the talk was loud enough at times
for tho parade OF fashion that swept MP tho
boulevard to overhear.
1t was happy crowd. A good part Of it
brought big baskets OF lunch. but was not q
bit disturbed because the baskets could not
pass tho turnstiles. One part OF the crowd
brought cameras. 1t was against the
rule to lot cameras in. but the cam
era part OF the crowd just laughed
whom It heard that and left all the Suspicious
leaiher-covered boxes with the guards at the
doors. Nothing could disturb its serenity.
An integral part Of Il brought small baby
which yelled vehemently. All the other In
tegral parts smiled. and were glad they had
left their babies at homo.
It was big crowd. Just As coon as the doors
were opened at O'Clock It began to stream In.
From that time until o'clock the eray-coated
old policeman at the south entrance hardly
had 70 nSd e. az S for
the guards at The rate Of a thousand or twelve
Only on exceptional holidays do 30 many
people visit the Museum q. spent some part Of
Sd mot ssa and on .y h
ysstsfday. It vas impossiels 70 .sl! The exact
doors there were no turnstiles.
Men were stationed at those entrances to
~
ably accurate estimate can be made. The
figures Of the turnstiles At the south entrense
and % Who have ths
so%ssains more than 1900. and af that does not Of
who @ came % % see the Museum and those 1Sso WSo
@ sse H. people ws,e not 30 MANY As ths others.
sad is:w %Ss; ss ssnsJ q:
were, They wanted to sec the extraordinary
STT They waited until tho afternoon was on tho
iss9sst. s: Then they came mel in little Companies 20
1--WE sssse Ss ss se. tss |
me Ssa Ssss5 s5s sTssf rssf uS Hheh came
asa %.H ssss
az a;s S.s e a.sas sFs
sspids % tSsous6 The hrss nail into @ the west Vest
ssss, r. ;Ssss GS ssosSs Ss
minuteiy. and tbs women pade treauent sx-
ishsd their inspec,ion Of the laces they, won't
out satisfied. und seemingly unmindful that
they bad not begun to see ono side OF the
There entered in the first quarter Of an hour
c9s ,RsIs n the
ionsd lone M bsscE ATTN sun bonnet and II large black
sna8 sSlessd, and made with large YOKE ssd and
s%s = Hi sas assrs ssr; Ps ssa .zsa Estis:
dressed ss thee" They were oasts's. and
iron Work q The days oi Il oH vaIrs WSen pages
sss IL aS on
covered hoEses. The men attracted there
They had large. hard hands. and thsre were
engine. SHs ths lathe. Or t6s forge The SKIN Of
eSaey eh51 70 is s!ss
crowd arc nYd tue nlcoye all the afternoon:
IN ss ssfSSss Ss In
osptibis. II was brishtenine 1o. There were
:ss saS the psSDe oussn
Sa SSsf ssn Haa ssRs g
sssis X: S:% s.s S
ESyyT,codg ss hs. T'!sfsSS and quiet
the interference OF the eleven park. policemen
TSs ehiiarsn nIs made sroubs @ save
n while. whom some. careless parent dragged a
so quickly through the gates that
Tho turnstiles caught its hand.
One difficulty tho guards experienced and
seemed unable to prevent There were men
there. apparently good many Of them. who
The rules OF common decency.
II simply the drawing Of large numbers OF
visitors 70 the museum who had never been
there before was tho success sought. tho sue
cess OF the OK eriment WAS full-measured. One |
feature Of the afternoon was con spicuous.
1t 10 doubtful IL many OF the visitors OF
yesterday who had never been there before
Of the whole thing. or 4 they will ever 80 |
dazed aoT aGoa f ara
awed by the imme nsity 2f the affair.
was park policeman Hs was was round and
Ho was an object Of large interest. which he |
Increased by asking every one questions about
OF DiC Cssnola ssid l.ts in the afternoon
though be did not think that the kind Of q
lake advantage OF tho Sunday opening had
visited the Museum. |
way. and his opinion was shared BY his fellow