The times., 1899-08-20
HERE IS SOMETHING NEW.
solomon Probably Never Heard OF
Professional Picture-Hangers.

solomon Probably Never Heard OF
Professional Picture-Hangcrs.
Yes. l hang pictures for living. and
enjoy my work very much" The speaker
was Miss Josephine Pentland. a little
blonde woman who. although she protested
she was well on In her twenties, hardly
looked old enough to be past her early
teens
Il never consider a Job for less than $40
and often receive ten times ten. You see
so few persons understand the proper
hanging of pictures. OF course where they
have lot of money and can employ a dis
unguished artist or frSt-ciass decorator.
they have no need for me. But 1t is the
people of moderate means to whom I am
useful. Do you know. as a rule such per-
sons hang pictures according TO their eye,
putting them in spaces where they will
ut and make as much show as possible.
1T seems impossible TO make them un-
derstand that each room or part of room
should be invested with an idea that can
be attained by the artistic arrangement OF
pictures On the wall. Engravings should
be hung with engravings. etchfnSs with
etchings, photographs with photographs.
and paintings with paintings. They can
not be distributed simply as regards size.
colors or framing Last week I was called
into a house. and found a superb collection
OF Japanese prints simply killing some fine
specimens OF a famous water coiorists
work The owner explained that he knew
the pictures were all good because they
had cost big prices. and had been bought
at the advice OF friends whose artistic
| taste could not be questioned.
Then he complained that as visitors
never seemed impressed with the beauty
M no had Tor
There were a number OF prints and
water colors in every one of his rooms,
all grouped together according to size.
and no two of them mounted the same
| style. Taken as whole, the frames were
not bad. so l managed to use them ,sepa-
rating and rshanging so that they follow
! ed up the idea given to the apartment by
! the pictures. One can readily see how
| different the hangings in a room decorat-
| ed with water coiors should be from one
! decorated with Jap prints. That man was
| the most grateful customer l ever had,
and [ am sure would have paid double
| the amount asked. The job took one and
one-half days for myself and the colored
| boy who works as my assistant, and | re-
| ceived s65 for it. So you see my work
| pays we'll.
/ Il am not an artist and really don't be-
| lieve l could ever be taught to do cred-
| table work as such. / began life as tie
youngest daughter of weli-to-do people in
Boston, received an ordinary Boston edu-
cation, and Travelled little abroad. Then
we had reverses. and when my father died
my mother and / did not have enough TO
keep body and soul together.
Il knew that for all big places open 10
women there were ten applicants 10 one
vacancy. so I made up my mind to think
up some little field ali untried by other
women and attempt TO climb in and fill
the niche. l knew / could arrange furni-
ture in a room in a manner to Please the
most artistic. My friends were always af-
ter me for advice So vent 10 a girl who
had recently married and set up house
keeping, told her my plans and asked 10 be
allowed to arrange her furniture. She con-
sented, but said that the arrangement OF
her furniture suited her in every way ex-
cept the hanging OF her pictures. so / un-
dertook to rehang her pictures, and | did
the work so satisfactorily that / soon had
several other orders
after my second year in Boston I de-
cided that New York was the better field
so came here and have worked for nearly
four years. AS a rule my time Is all taken
| and am well paid. / receive many order:
from out of town people who are Willing
to pay for the time consumed in going bacl
and forth. People in New York are con
tinuaIly changing their homes, and eacl
change is an opening for me. Then. too
many women like their rooms to make
different appearance each season. so the.
employ me to move their furniture aroun,
. | and rehang their pictures.
II think there is room for other womel
in the work. and would recommend then
to give my Idea consideration. for / sup
, port my mother aand myself comfortabl.
by it, and that is the main test"