New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-01
SUNDAY OPENING IN LONDON.
RESULTS OF THE EXPERIMENT AT THE
GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS
From The London Chronicle.

From The London Chronicle.
The Sunday opening Of the national galleries
In London has just come to an end. The ma
tiOnal museums will continue to keep their
doors open throughout the winter These two
facts form the subject of a talk which | had
yesterday with Mark II. Judge. the honorary
secretary of the Sunday Society.
Sunday opening in London he said, com
menced at the South Kensngton Museum on
Easter Sunday. 1896 Before the end Of May
the whole of the museums and galleries were
open on Sunday
What is the verdict upon the movement"
at can be no other than that it has been at
tended by great success. There has been
steady growth in the participation Of the public
On average ten thousand people. | should
fancy have visited the national museums and
galleries in London every Sunday. Bear in
mind also that Sunday opening has been half
day opening at the most"
II notice that yesterday you took ngurcs AZ
to the attendance"
YES. and found it over six thousand. no mat
ter that the weather of the afternoon was thor.
oughy bad. The attendance at the National
Galley was Just over nine hundred. II YOU
were to take the figures of the previous Sunday.
when the weather was good. you would have
an attendance there Of close upon three thou
sand
Now why the galleries to close during
the winter. while the museums keep open!
We'll. the trustees of the national galleries
decided from the first to close during the
autumn and winter months Already we have
been able to get the season heightened by two
months. one in the autumn. the other in the
spring. our argument needless TO tell. IS That
galleries and museums alike should be open dur
ing the winter"
"The nation pays the piper in both cases. does
ii not?'
Quite So The question Of artificial light is
hardly an answer in relation to the galleries be-
cause at some of the museums artificial light
has not been used. Simply they have been kept
open while daylight lasted. and that plan could
be followed by Ill the galleries. Where there IS
artificial light we contend that it should be used
50 as to permit Of the institutions being open In
you want Sunday opening on a more COM
pIete scale"
Certainly The present position you may
describe as close time for art. We'll. VIZ
should there be a close time for art any more
than for science? Why shut gallery and H. %
a museum open? Some people would say th'ti
the study of art was more nearly allied TO re-
ligion than the study Of science Certainly art
and theology get into fewer controversies than
arise between science and theology
is there any sort OF opposition lcit 10 sun
day opening| ,
| practically the opposition has ceased. The
societies which took that line have members
| in both houses Of Parliament Yet no word
of opposition was offered in Parliament to sun
day opening 1t said that people would be
attracted away from church service wen.
churches continue to increase on all SIDES. You
would have seen at the National Gallery on
Sunday people carrying books which Indicated
| that they were either going to chufch OF h'u
been there.
What sort OF people go 10 the huSeu"iS anu
galleries of a Sunday
"Au sorts and conditions Of people Simply
they represent the population Of London. Here.
and in the country. the hrst sunday Oh Decch'.
her is observed as Museum Sunday. We find
| that the attendance that day at the various
| nublic institutions in England runs up TO forty
| thousand As you see. 1t ~ great pubic
which utilizcs Sunday opening and. as | say.
il continues to increase
| That in short. is an account OF sunday open
ing at the moment. No doubt the three galleries.
|
| museums and keep open every sunday VI the
year.