San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-08-24
AGAINST LIVING PICTURES.
Lady Somerset Considers Them a
Decentralization to the Femi-
nine Sex


Lady Henry Somerset, the IA
nous Temperance advocate of Eng
land, who reached New York on
the Paris last week, stopped in this
city for only few hours, but, al
though tired by the long trip, and
on the eve of another journey, she
consented gladly to talk for the
Herald readers.
In her apartments at the Bruins
wick with her friend Miss Frances
Willard, her son, Mr.. Henry s.
Somerset; Arthur Hungerford
Pollen, Esq, young harrister, her
private secretary, and few people
who had called to express their
welcome, she talked on her favor
lite subject-temperance and the
elevation of womanhood.
There is nothing of the regular
agitator about Lady Somerset. She
is a simple, unaffected woman, who
dresses quietly, and in the best of
taste.
"Let me tell you first, why l
came to America, when | needed
rest" said Lady Somerset. "This
is my fourth visit. l suppose
there have been some questions
asked as to why / rest here and
not in England. l like the United
States, its people and its social
freedom. Every one over here
that L have met has been more
than kind to me, and my friends
in this land are many and sincere.
"Oh, no." she added in answer to
a question, "there is nothing wrong
with my health except a little too
much strain that it had to endure,
and a few weeks idleness will cure
all that.
"For that reason / have taken
cottage close to Miss Wizards at
Twilight Park, on the Hudson,
and there for two months l am 60.
ing to live in seclusion, taking no
part in any public movements,
but just enjoy long, quiet vaca-
tion."
Then Lady Somerset smiled as
she added, at is hard for me not
to do what my friends propose, and
perhaps 1 may get out of my self
constructed Jail once in while"
Then coming to her recent man.
ifesto on the subject Of living pic
lures, Lady Somerset said, 81 am
not setting up any opposition to
the nude in art when artistically
treated, for then the nude becomes
a glory, not degradation of sex !;
but the living pictures when they
initiate that phase of art, are at best
but the rawest, most crude form of
imitation and work to the democrat
iZation of womauhood.
Otis preposterous to imagine for
a moment that it is the emotion of
an artists soul that draws on the
women to make exhibitions of
themselves it is the clear cut COM
mercial situation which they ap-
preciate.
"They pose as living pictures for
so many dollars; their work bears
no hallmark of genius, and, as a
rule, the subjects are chosen to suit
the fancy of the managers, as they
interpret the public fancy, to swell
their own Golfers. Not to educate
the public taste for art, but to pam
der to vitiated tastes.
al do not consider the question
from the point of view OF democrat
iZation to the spectators, for they
are present of their own wish, and,
if they did not care to visit places
where these pictures are on exhibit
ton, they need not 60. Their act
Is purely voluntary. But it is on
account Of the decentralization to
the sex that | object to them. No
woman would take part in these
representations were it not a
matter Of bread apd butter to her,
and if she should, why then, for
the sake of the sex, it should be
made an impossibility for her to
do So"
The effect of her manifesto she
firmly believes will be the with
drawal of the London living pic
lures before next November, for
she attempted to put the matter
before the voters for the county
council in such way that each
candidate must declare himself
either for or against continuance
of the performances, and she relies
on the Englishman's well recog-
nized antipathy to the open sup
port Of anything not orthodox.
adv SnmnrCnf will rafI1rn N
England in the fall and, after a
short visit, come back to the Unit
ed States for the winter. Although
her plans are not fully matured,
she expects to spend the wear in