New-York tribune., 1899-06-11
ENGLAND'S GREAT MUSEUM
TON OF IMMENSE ARTISTIC AND ,
ECONOMIC VALUE TO THE
NATION-PRINCE ALBERTs
WORK IN FOUND
ING 1T.


which henceforth by orders Of the Queen is 70
bear the name Of "the Victoria and Albert
Museum" is crowded from cellar to garret with
treasures of art, yet it is a mistake TO regard
it in the light solely of an art museum. 1t is
something more than this. 1t is the greatest
exhibition and school in the world Of art ap-
piled to industry. AS such it possesses a far
greater Importance than if it were merely a
show place for costly and unique examples %
modern and Of ancient art such as for instance
tie Louvre and Cluny Museums at Paris, and
so many Of the other treasure houses of the
same kind on both sides Of the Atlantic. For
the South Kensngton Museum, as a museum
Of Industrial art. has been a source of bound
L IS prosperity to the English people, and has
had the effect Of not only retaining in the
| United Kingdom millions which formerly went
abroad. but has Likewise brought other millions
from foreign countries
In order TO explain what is meant by this II
must be pointed out that at the time Of the
! foundation Of the South KensingtOn Museum
some fifty years ago, art furniture art textiles,
art pottery and porcelain. art ironwork and
glassware. besides the thousand and one other
manufactures, the appearance Of which is en-
hanced and beautihed by the application Of art,
! were imported from abroad, mostly from
France, Italy and Germany. Whenever the
well-tOdo BrtOn wanted something pretty to
adorn his hous" he had to go abroad for it. and
the consequence was that imports Of this kind
figured each year in the Custom House returns
to the extent Of some SjO.OoOOOO The artisan.
and, alas too often, his employer. the manu-
facturer. were so utterly devoid OF the instincts
Of art that even the very coal scuttles the fire
irons. the tables and the chairs were from an
artistic point Of view abominations and objects
OF horror.
To-day these importations have entirely
ceased and instead Great Britain exports al
most many manufactures to which art IS
applied as she formerly imported This has
been brought about by the influence of the
South KensingtOp Museum and OF its branch
institution throughout the United Kingdom and
Ireland
OF the millions who have visited South Ken
sinGtOn Musedm-On public holiday many as
10000 people pass through the turnstes be-
tween 10 in the morning and 10 at night-the
majority belong 10 the working classes and
there are few Of these artisans who. visiting
the galleries and courts Of this great museum,
sometimes merely from idle curiosity have not
carried away with them new ideas concerning
their trades. ideas that are destined to prove Of
and incidentally to the country to which they
belong. The iron worker. for instance. has be-
fore his eyes marvels of ironwork gathered to-
sether from every civilized and barbarous coun-
try in the world. The weaver discovers some,
10 him. entirely new species of design: the glass
blower will find himself face to face with some
Of the daintiest productions Of the masters Of
his trade in Northern Italy. Bohemia and
nd "a,
manufactures Thoughts strike the artisan
while wandering through the museum. in tha
way Of some improvement in a mechanical
process or Of some application Of artistic deco
ration not yet attempted and new ideas arr
reused and energy given to dormant powers. Of
the nature or existence Of which the man haE'
until that moment not even been aware.
ARTISTIC KNOWLEDGE ADVANCED
The main benefit conferred by the South
Kcnsington Museum is that the average Of
artistic taste and knowledge is to-day at least
100 per cent higher than what it was fifty years
ago in England The artistic sense has been
developed and directed among the masses who
do rot have the same opportunity as the rich
to visit foreign centres Of art and industry. !.
is this educational object that has been always
kept in view by the three men who have IN
turn presided the de-stnes OF the South
KensngtOn Museum and its branch institutions
as its successive directors, namely. the late ST.
Henry Cole the late Sir Philip Cunlife- owen
ana General Sir John Donney, who is now
about to retire from the office The aim has
been the education Of the eye as we'll as the
instruction Of the mind. 1t is for this reason
that the collections include large numbers Of
objects in each class so that the visitor may
trace the progress Of each Industrial art or