Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-02-26
KIPLING, SR.

"The clever Father of II Clever SON"
The New York Tribune of last Sunday
contained an interesting article about John
Lockwood Kipling, the father of Rudyard
kipling. In it are many interesting facts
about man who made several acquaint-
ances and produced a very agreeable i'm
preston when in Brattleboro on visit to
his son nearly two years ago. John Lock
wood kipling enjoys deserved fame as an
artist in lines of work peculiar to himself
His ait education was received at the fa-
nous South Kensington inst tuition in
England. lie went to India in the govern
ment employ in 1865, soon after his mar
riage. The boy Rudyard was born in Cal
cutta about the end of that year. The
merit of his work as an artist was early
recognized by his appointment as one Of
the directors of an art school in Bombay,
which reached high degree of usefulness.
When he removed from Bombay to Lahore
several years afterward the government as
signed to him the work of establishing the
Mayo art school, as monument to the
memory of Lord Mayo. A more notable
and important position to which he was
appointed was that of curator of the La
hore museum, an institution, which, under
his direction, became by far the largest of
its kind in India. 1t is devoted to all va
rieties of native art, and to native curiosi-
ties of every description. Mr.. Kipling had
charge of all the Indian exhibitions which
were given while he remained in that
country, and the Indian portion of the
Colonial and Indian exhibition in London
in 1866 was managed by him. Besides
his work for art Mr.. Kipling has accom-
plshed good deal of literary work. One
of his most interesting volumes was enti-
tied Beast and man in India" and was
illustrated by himself Some of the illus
trations of Rudyard Kipling's "Jungle
book" were made by Kipling, sr.
The Tribune article is call out by the
fact that John Lockwood Kipling is max
ing the chief illustrations for the new edi-
ton of Rudyard Kiplng's works, which
Scribner's Sons are bringing out. His
method of work is to first model the illus
trations in clay and then have the casts
photographed. 1.-The effect is wonderful
" solid and lifelike." There will be 80 of
these plates in ALL Rudyard Kiplng is
quoted as writing to friend in this coun-
try that his father was getting more and
more into the esprit of the job" that he
had "stabeful of clay" on his place, and
was working almost necessarily.
An interesting incident is quoted, illus
trating the thrift of Queen Victoria as
against the freedom with which rich Amer
leans spend money for any passing fad.
While John Lockwood Kipling was still a
resident of India the Queen "either to sat
isfy desire of her own, or TO conform TO
the growing fondness for Indian art as a
house decoration, determined to have an
Indian room in one of her palaces. John
Lockwood Kiplng was chosen as the man
best qualified to superintend such an I'M
dertaking, and under his direction a Hin
doc artist of note prepared the designs up
on teakwood panels. The people of India,
while they excel in the actual carving, are
too unfamiliar with the European style OF
architecture to be able 10 dispense with
such supervision. Now comes the odd
part of the story. The room, to be per
feet specimen of Indian work. should have
been finished, walls and ceiling, in solid
blocks of the real, carved teakwood. The
thing has been done in this country. But
teakwood costs money, and the Queen de-
cided that such a proceeding was too ex'
pensive for her to countenance. So the
Hindoo artist was allowed merely to make
a set of pattern panels of the wood. I'm
pressions of these were taken, and the en-
tire room finished in stucco, at compare
lively small cost, and in fair imitation OF
the genuine article. The difference could
OF course, be detected by any one familiar
with the lakewood work, and Mr.. Kipling'!
ideas regarding this stroke of royal econ
omy can perhape be guessed At just as wei
as If they were expressed"