The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-05
WOOD CARVING NOT IN VOGUE.
1t Has Been Largely Superseded by
Papicr Mache.

FROM new 1 OTh commercial Advertiser.
In the realm Of modern art nothing is so
remarkable as the decrease in the last few
years in the demand for wood carving for
interior decoration Wood carving seems
to have passed entirely out of vogue
among the wealthy, who formerly used 1t
very largely in the decoration Of their
houses, hotels and the like In late years
II has been superseded by papier mache,
in some cases in cheap imitation Of wood
carving, and In others no attempt is made
20 Initiate carving In wood, but IL is sim
ply used to adorn walls in whatever de-
sign the decorator chooses. Whether or not
1t is artistic depends somewhat on the
point Of view-and on the decorator-but
IN general It bears the same relation to
wood-carving that plaster casts do to real
sculpture. The matter Of cost seems to
have been considered, and papier mache
may ascrlbe its popularity largely 10 the
fact that it can be used for decorating at
one-third or less" OF the cost Of genuine
wOod-carving.
Naturally the new condition falls heavi-
ly on the wood carvers and probably not
more than one-fourth of the followers of
the craft in this city are at present en-
ployed At any time during the day a
group of carvers may be found at the
headquarters of the Wood Carvers Union
IN Schuellers han, in East ThLrty-third
street, and they are always willing to talk
about their grievances
THE trade Of the wood carver Il gone.'
said John S. Henry delegate of the union
to the Central Labor Union to reporter
for the Commercial Advertiser to-day.
Ten years ago we had steady employ
ment the year round and a good carver
was always in demand. To-day, of the 3f5
members of our union, less than 100 are
employed. With four or five new buildings
IN my al, - ~
monico's, Sherrys new building and the
New York Athletic Club house, and sew
eral residences besides there ought to be
employment for all, but not a man is
working in any of them PAPER mache
casts have taken the place of wood, even
in those places Where you would least
expect II. 1t Is not surprising that papier
mache should be used in decorating far
houses, but in the abodes of the wealthy
or places Which are used by them YOU
would not expect to find such a cheap
travesty on art. In one of these build
ings the work of decoration was begun in
wood and the cost estimated at $4,000
Then 1t was decided to use papier mache
Instead, because it could be done for 1000
4 used to think that the rich people in
TINS town were fond of art, and they were
then, but the taste of the present genera
ton seems to have deteriorated. New
YORK has some Of the finest specimens of
y
and some that would compare favorably
with those of Europe. The old mansions
and club houses and hotels were decorated
throughout in wood, as for instance, the
vanderbilt houses and the old Waldorf
hotel, but within the last ten years the
tendency has been more and more To-
ward the Use of papier mache, until to-day
we are left practically without trade.
Why people Of means should use this
new material is a puzzle to me. They will
spend thousands of dollars for paintings
and statuary to ornament their houses and
buildings, have everything complete ana OF
the best, and for a trihing difference in
the cost of the whole ruin The most efrek
tive decorative work they could secure
some Of them evidently appreciate the fact
that wood carving Is more effective than
plaster work, for they have decorated one
or two rooms-as the parlor and dining
rOOm--in wood. Such cases are even more
inexplicable. for the sham is more appap-
ent by comparison.
Il don't know to whom to attribute this
change of taste, but / believe the archi-
tects and the contractors are chiefly to
blame for it. in that they represent the
papier mache to be just as good as wood
carving. OF course they know it is not
but it is more profitable to them to EN-
ploy It in the decoration of buildings. In
some cases, perhaps, the builder think he
is getting genuine wood Carving in his
mouse until he has moved in.
In any case it is a deplorable condi-
ton in broad sense, for 1t must lower
the standard Of American art. New York
has the best wood carvers in this
country, and, It might be added. they are
mostly Americans. There are many
French, German and italian carvers
among us but the American holds his own
and does as good work as is done by any
Of them. While the substitution Of papier
mache for wood carving is done on ac-
count of the difference in cost, there is no
excuse for 1t, strictly speaking, for the
cost of wood carving is little in compar-
son with its actual worth. No class Of
artists is so poorly paid as the wood cary
ers. They receive from 80 cents to 90 cents
an hour, an average being about 80 cents
To receive 30 cents an hour man must
be a modeler as Wen as a carver and an
artist of high ability. Ordinary stonecut-
ters get 81 a day, or as much as the aver
age wood carver. 1t takes years of study
for a man TO become a wood carver of
any ability and usually FIVE years Of an
premiership before he can command jour
neyman's wages
"Our union has been in existence thirty
seven years and there never has been
time since it has been organized when so
many of its members have been Idle as
now And worse still, there is no pros
poet of improvement; the trade seems
broken up for good. IL falls hard on us
who have spent years in learning the
trade TO be thus thrown out of employ
ment, and IL is a sore trial TO see our art
thus passing away ! hope the art OF
wood carving may be revived for general
use sometime, but l do not look for Il
during the life Of the present generation. I"
Al the factory of the Potter, Stymus
Company the foregoing was practically
verified. though the representative OF the
firm who talked 20 the reporter held that
la, atsa IT,.
alton is just as good as wood-carving. "It
is true" said he that wood-carving for
interior decoration has been almost entire
~ superseded by papier mache and very
few houses or buildings are now decorated
in wood, except possibly IN a few rooms
The reason Is, Of course, the difference I'm
cost
uIn many rnanecia the nanler macha ~