New Ulm review., 1898-11-30
j ROYAL ACADEMY b l[.,j
FACTS ABOUT ENG4AND's GREAT AND
s$. WEALTHY SOCIETY.

r =
l= b WEALTHY SOCIETY.
How the Members and Associates
Are Elected-The, InstitutiOn's Big
Fund and the Good Works That
Are Done With 1t. a+tss 49, zss I. = -.
To become q Royal academician, or at
all events an associate, is the ambition
Of every young artist, for mem bership
in the academy means much more than
the mere right to put the letters r. A.
after ones name and to exhibit pictures
in the fine galleries at Burlington House.
In the first place, an academician is an
esquire by right and not merely by
courtesy, and, further, he is entitled,
should he ever come On hard times, to
substantial pension of between $3.50
and e400 year. II he dies leaving bis
widow unprovided for, the academy al:
lows her liberal suna for her: ,nainte-
nance. #.ssz
The associates and the associates wild
ows are also entitled to pensions on
somewhat smaller scale so that there
are many reasons apart from the honor
and glory why the painter, sculptor or
architect should wish to become mem.
Der of the powerful and wealthy body.
When therefore young artist begins
to get on, when he has his pictures we'll
hung year after year, when they find
ready buyers and are talked about in
society, he takes the first step toward
election by suggesting to one of the
academioians that he should put his
name down on the list of candidates.
Once down his name stays on the list,
either until he dies or is elected or vol
unfairly removes it, and this explains
why one finds On the roll Of candidates
the names of many artists once popular,
but long since forgotten by the public.
When vacancy occurs among the
associates, printed copies Of this list on
blue foolscap paper are sent to all the
members, together with a request that
they shall attend at the academy on a
certain evening, when an election will
take place. The elections themselves are
conducted in a singular and somewhat
complex fashion peculiar to the academy
"a method which took the place about
30 years ago of the rough and ready sys-
tenn formerly in vogue.
Both aoademicians and associates are
allowed to take part in the election, and
when the mem bers are gathered together
each scores out with a pencil the name
of the artist for whom he wishes to
vote and hands the paper so marked to
the secretary. These scorings out are
known as "scratohes'' at the academy,
| and the secretary, after examining all
the papers, duly announces how many
'tscratches' have been given to each
candidate.
| The election is then advanced another
stage The president, who, by virtue Of
| his Office, occupies the chair, directs
| that the names Of all those candidates
who have received more than four
scratches" shall be inscribed in chalk
upon the blackboard, while those to
| whom only one, two or three votes have
been given have no further chance of
being elected.
| The academioians and associates then
vote again for the candidates whose
names are on the board. The two lead
ing men in this contest are now selected
for final ballot, the winner in which
becomes an associate of the Royal aoad-
emy.
The academicians are elected in pre-
cisely the same manner, except that the
associates are the candidates instead OF
the outsiders. ALL this system OF
"scratohes'' and "blackboards' seems
cumbrous and unnecessary, but it il
said to work extremely we'll in practice.
Sometimes, though very rarely, tic
occurs, and in this case the president,
,or, in his absence, the academioian who
temporarily takes his place, has cast
ling vote. When Mr.. Ernest Crofts, the
battle painter, was elected, he tied ir
the final ballot with Mr.. jackson, tht
architect, and to Mr.. Calderon (who il
.the absence of the late Sir John Millai!
aecuped the chair) fell the difficult
task of making the final selection
The associates have no voice in tht
election of a president, the power O.
voting resting entirely with the acade
micians. Sir John Millais, the lat'
| p16SAuSuC, WAS c46Clou ny lAc uuduA
NOUS vote of the mem bers, fact which
must have been extremely gratifying tt
that great artist But on some other oc
casions the fight for the presidentshi]
has been very severe indeed.
The post is we'll worth struggle, fol
it carries with it substantial remunera
tion, besides great social and :artisti
distinction. The late Sir Francis Chan
trey left *e100, 900 to the academy, ou
of the interest Of which salary Of SOM
$500 or $500 year is provided fer th
president. ="
The academy is immensely wealthy
The receipts from the annual exhibition
average frona e20,00 to e25, 000. an,
it is believed that the money investe,
in the hands of the trustees does not fal
far short of $500, 900. Out of this mon
ey the schools lin which 200 or 800 stu
dents are instructed gratuitously) ar
supported and a great many pension
and donations te deoayed artists ar
given Little is heard of these charitie
by the public, but they are very consid
:. arable, and the declining years Of man,
+ -