Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-24
GRAPHIC ARTS DEPARTMENT
Projected Exhibit in the Library of Con-
gress.
The South Gallery of the Second Floor
Set Apart by Mr.. Young
for the Purpose.

| the description of the department CT
| graphic arts. In that connection Mr.. Youac
said:
1T is contemplated to have a series OF
| graphic-art exhibitions, and to that end
the south gallery of the second floor has
! been set apart. This hall, the finest in
the building, is PIT feet long by 35 wide
and the proposed exhibitions should he an
| attraction. The exhibitions will have a
| varied character. Our rarities and antiqui-
ties will have n prominent place. Works
/ Of modern times-those of our later mas
tiers with special genius-will be on me
| walls, as showing the resources of the de-
partment of art. These will be changed
| from time to time.
| we shall present graphic art in its diff
| ierent styles-its primitive expressions SC
| iar as the development of American genius
! IS concerned, and so on from rerOd 10
| period. enabling the student to note at a
| glance our national progress IN his field
| of industry and genius. We shall end.avo
| TO snow the history of political though;
| and as many as possible of American por-
traits from the colonial to presen. days.
| The department of arts, or, as it might
! more properly be called, graphic arts, as
distinguished from paintings and sculpture
| includes lines and mezzotiTt engravinss
| etcnings, photographs, photographers, lith-
| osraphs, chroEos, wood cuts. half tones
| and prints of every variety. Two of the
| chapters of the general library-3O and 81
| are given over to the literature of architec-
| ture and fine arts. These are divisions of
great value, embracing. as they do. dctIon-
aries OF ancient and modern art, of paint
1ngs, sculpture, representations of the Eu-
| ropean galleries, in the form of folios of
| line engravings. all Of which are frequently
consulted.
keeping inta:t the literature of the fine
arts as at present in the general library
| the art department will be devoted to the
preservation and exhibition of the graphic
n hi<.h CO fprv, h,,e
cumulating since 1870 A careful estimate
of our resources is as follows: Engravings.
1885; etchings, $3.50; photographers. 3,I36;
| photographs, 1926; Autographs. 5,a3G; fac
Smiles, 1900: typogravures 1,341; chromoS,
1,2O: fashion plates, I52; total, 54,236.
1.-The accessions are at the rate of 20
day. Former reports give the number of
photographs received under the copyright
law as 1887; e1gravings, chromos and
Autographs, I4G10; cuts and prints. 20.516.
Assigning one-half of these deposits to the
copyright archives. and in photographs
alone there would be discrepancy between
the figures given at the time and those now
presented as the result of a careful esti-
mate. An explanation may be found
partly in the fact that entries were made
from which copyrights were not taken out.
In this, in other departments, entries
were counted rather than the actual depos-
its, and therefore the estimates become to
a certain degree misleading. 1t is crafty
ing to observe, however, that in the work
of arranging the unclassifed matter, as re-
ceived from the Capitol. there are daily dis
coveries of graphic art material.
Photographs of Americans.
For instance, since the estimate quoted
above was made, we have discovered So
portraits of eminent Americans. This in
cludes in miniature 135 portraits of Wash
ington, 10 of Jefferson, 80 of Lincoln and
perhaps 80 of Franklin, and may be well
coined as the foundation of a collection of
the representative Americans. To these
may be added the portfolios of photographs
of scenes in Paris during the commune in
surrection of 1871 contributed by the late
E. 3. Washburne, American minister in
France at the time. Worthy of note, like
wise, are rare portraits of Jackson and Van
Buren,, political cartoons of the time, and a
portfolio Of etchinss made during the civil
war by confederate artists.
1.-The discrepancies between the present
figures and those of former reports are
cited, not for criticism. but as illustrating
the difficulty attending the transfer of the
congested masses which encountered the
library halls, chambers and cellars in the
Capitol into the light and space of the new
library There is no doubt thit when the
work OF assortment, for which there was
neither force nor space, is complete there
VIII be developed wealth in all depart
mentS as marked as that which is deye,-
cped in the graphic arts Time, patience
and critical intelligence will be required to
analyze and arrange the various sections of
our library. And while the severity of the
labor is a regret, We are glad to see that
every step in this work of reconstruction
and discovery shows some welcome addi-
tons to the treasures of the library-somc
new evidence of its rare and unique value.
Work. of CntaIoguinS.
AS soon as the material is we'll in order
we shall begin catalogue of the graphic
arts. This. while Independent of the gen.
eral catalogue, will be a part of the ulti-
mate plan. The rules governing the cata-
!oguing of books and pamphlets will be oh
served in those of the other departments
SO that in the end the general catalogue
Will be an epitome of the entire collection
mere is now a daily record of accessions,
and this record will be perfected as far
BACK as 1910. when the copyright law as af-
1ectlns the graphic arts came into effect.
Inc hrst considerations in the art de-
rartment VIII be those of classification.
cdtaloSulnS and preservation. Whatever
comes as graphic art however trivial or
even questionable, will be preserved as
calculating the manners and customs of our
day. 1t is not for us but those who come
aIter us to estimate the Importance of
what we now acquire and put away There
can be no vital criticism upon it's value nm
III after a century of experience and
change.
Art Library.
THE art library. embracing the books
>ANs eiS hSHt 'iiNCi Tue eye OI the SuDer1Q-
tendent, Is composed of S33 volumes These
are of special value and are arranged as
follows: Art literature, AZ volumes; deco
rattve art 1913; illustrated classics, 81: illus
trations of science and trades 73: individ-
ual works of art, 40; collected works of
art. 139; private art galleries. Is; public art
galleries, 4: national and royal art galleries
I3; explanation and research 102; foreign
art, %; landscapes, 80; miscellaneous, Z;
total, S33.
This library, together with what is re-
tanned in the way of literature in our gem
eral collection and the multitude of speci-
mems of grapaic art, affords a wide range
for observation and study. To enumerate
the volumes of the art department in de-
tail would be to anticipate the office of the
catalogue. Among those of special value
are e Agincourt's Historic de L'Art, in three
volumes; Hamertons Etchers and Etch-
ings. Requards' Ornaments des Maitres
Americans. Racinets L'Ornement Poly-
chrome; Wesies' Early Masters in Stained
Class. Jones On the Alhambra, Audubon's
Rfds Of America, Claude Lorraine's Liber
Nerieatis, works of Hogarth, Flaxman.
Turner. Gilray, Garome and others, Cha
bert's Galerie des Pentres, the Dusseldorf
and Luxembourg galleries, the galleries of
versailles, Dresden, Florence and Turin