The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-22
FOR FEMININE READERS
AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE ART IN
sTRUCTION OF PRACTICAL USE.
Contrast Between the Training of
Girls i'm the First Half of the Gen.
tary and NOw-The New Dances.

When a certain clever woman was asked,
to act as the chairman of the standing
committee on art for the Federated Wom-
ems Clubs, says the Chicago Evening Post
she accepted on one condition-that the
committee should turn its attention to
something practical. Women's clubs. as we
all know, spend many agreeable hours over
artists biographies or over photographs
from old masters, but they do not know
how to pick out rugs wall paper for their
own homes. Accordingly the members of
the committee conferred among themselves.
and the result was little exhibition of
what might be called household art. which
opened at the Art Institute to-day. 1t is
small-only one room full-but very prac-
teal, containing not valuable bric-a-brac.
carvings tapestries and the like. but tables
and chairs, rugs wall paper and china
things that every housekeeper has to buy.
Nor are they the rarest articles of this
kind. On the contrary. they were selected
with an eye to the average purse. The les
son to be taught that the woman of
moderate means could If she would, fur
nish her home artistically, which means
practically and tastefully. The energetic
committee enlisted the services of an archi-
tect, a connoisseur in rugs and a man whose
reputation for taste and originality in plan
ming interiors is established. 1t went the
rounds of Chicago shops, borrowing for ex-
hibition such things as illustrated its prin-
ciples 1t did not attempt to follow historic
styles; it chose neither the cheapest nor the
most expensive goods, but such as were
primarily examples of good design-things
that should satisfy the most fastidious taste
and yet come within the reach of a modest
income. Where that was impossible, where
1t was obliged to take beautiful things at
high price. it endeavored to take such as
might be reproduced in cheaper materials.
The members of the committee have for
instance, collection of rugs, large and
small, ranging in value from about S. TO
$500, and each of them gem. selected by
ap expert. There is a circular mahogany
dinner table supported on massive pillars.
with specimens of different kinds of chairs
that might go with it. For want of a bet
ter term these chairs might be called CO.
lonial but not-as the expert who assistedin
choosing them remarked-"the bow-legged
stuff people will have" They are, simple
but elegant of form. There is pretty little
work table, apparently intended for those
authority, "a dog has to wag his tail up
and down." An oaken hall or dinng-room
stand shows that beauty of fine proportion
need no adornment, and charming little
dressing table in Flemish oak has per-
fectly plain obong mirror, supported on
tapering, four-sided posts with small urn
like finals such as are often seen in old
Salem In all of these the cabinet work is
good, the lines of inlay are neat. the draw
ers slide easily and the brass iron ham
dies are refined bits of metal work. AL
though made from special designs. few of
these pieces are expensive, and those few
could easily be used as patterns for furni-
ture factories If the demand for them war
ranted it. A few factory-made chairs are
shown; some are even painted, the wood be-
ing deal and having no special beauty of
grain. And these plain, honest things are
infinitely superior to the mass of badly de-
signed and ornamental furniture found in
most Chicago homes.
Some excellent designs in low-priced wall
paper are shown and q rather alarming ex-
hibt is a book of samples of bad designs,
also to be found in Chicago shops. One
turns over these pages in terror with some
fear of finding ones very best drawing room
pattern shown up as a horrible example.
China and lamps are rather conspicuous by
their absence. Perhaps dealers in such
fragile wares were reluctant to risk them,
or perhaps it was difficult to find good ex-
amples. There is one fine Lockwood lamp
without a shade. People who have tried to
find lamps and shades that harmonic and
are both of good design know that it is by
no means an easy matter. A few gas fix
lures and a few hangings complete this lit
tie show.
1T is not exhaustive it is only suggest
i've" said one of the committee. I'VE have
only a certain amount of space at our dis
posal, and there seemed no use in multiply
ing instances"