The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-03-08

AN ACADEMY OF DESIGN.

Mr.. Searies, the beneficiary Of Mrs. Hop
kins' will allows it to be understood that
he contemplates the conversion of the Hop
kins mansion On California street into a
public institution of some kind. That is
the only use to which the Hopkins, Stan
ford, Croker and Flood houses on Mob
Hill can in the end be put. Nobody
would live in them, If he were in full pos
session OF his senses. 1t is stated that Mr..
Searles has thought of turning his house
either into museum or into library.
San Francisco will always be grateful for
any addition TO its Institutions of public
utility. But it is well, when an opportunity
of such gift occurs, to consider what is the
best use to which the gift could be put. in
one point of view there cannot be too many
libraries, for each new collection of books
awakenS new readers. But it would seem
that letters are obtaining more attention
than other branches of culture. which are
perhaps equally deserving. Without emu
merating Mr.. Sutro's library, which is par
ticularly rich in manuscripts and ancient
literature, we have three libraries in the
city that are very promising. The Free
Library which is very largely patronized.
will move in a few weeks TO the new wing
of the new City Hall. and will obtain there
excellent collection of books which is con-
stantly growing. The Mercantile Library,
in its new quarters, promises to become the
fayorite resort Of lady readers. The re-
moval of the Mechanics Library from its
present cramped domicile in Post street to
an uptown or midway location cannot he
long delayed. 1t has a large list of sub
scribers and about $4,000 volumes. Nor
should the Law Library. which is copious
and we'll ordered be omitted from the list.
Here are good many reading places for
city of 100000 people.
Science has its home in the new building
on Market street, and by and by, when new
energy is infused into lis management and
the Historical Society and the Astronomi-
cal Society and the other learned societies
are gathered under its roof, it will con-
tribute its share to the advancement Of
science on this Coast.
But for art very little is being done.
There is an art association which has just
been indebted to Messrs Stewartand O'Con-
neil for little money to go OH WITH bat its
most loyal members will not claim that it
adequately represents art on this Coast. 1t
neither contains collection of art worthy
OF the Coast, nor does it offer pupils an op-
portunity for thorough study. And yet
there are in this city good many pictures
of the highest order of merit and good
many people sufficiently trained to appre-
ciate them. The private galleries of Mr..
William Croker. the late Mr. Charles
Croker. Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Frank Pixley,
Senator Stanford and others, the collection
of the Bohemian Club, and one or two
smaller collections. contain works which
would attract attention at any picture show
in the world. This shows that the taste ex-
lists and tnat all that is needed to develop it
is little encouragement. How would it do
for Mr.. Searles to convert the Hopkins man.
sion into an art building and to endow it
with an income which would enable it 10
buy few great pictures every year?
A city which supports-inadequately it is
true-artists of the caliber of Thomas Hill,
William Keith. David Neal, Theodore
Wores. Amedee Jouiin, Ernest Kaylor,
Alice Rideout, Ludovici, Schmid, Peixotto.
and others who might be named, cannot be
said TO be devoid of artistic taste. If there
were a splendid monument to art where
these gifted painters could exhibit their
works as they produce them by the side Of
the masterpieces of Europe and the East.
they would be stimulated to still better
work than they have yet yielded and the
public taste would be educated to distin
guish true from false art. Instead OF gong
to New York or Paris for pictures, our rich
people would buy them here, and scores of
youths of both sexes would learn TO say
proudly with the Italian. Inch 10 son pit
tore. II would seem to be difficult % con-
ceiye nobler use for some of the millions
| of the late Mark Hopkins than to expend
! them in such cause.