New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-10-14

THE LABOR OF LEARNING HOW TO PAINT SCENES
! AND HOW TO DESIGN COSTUMES AND ARMoRs.
There is a story which may or may not be
| true. that Dickens once asked the help of Car
| lyle on a matter of research. Dickens, accord
| ing to the story, was at work on "A Tale Of Two
/ Cities" and Carlyle had long been at work on his
| History of the French Revolution" So Dick
! ems wrote to Carlyle and asked him to recon-
: mend a few books which 1t would be of advan-
tage for him to read as authorities the
French Revolution. The next day. or the next
but one, heavy truck was backed up to Dick
ens's door. and it proved 10 be loaded down
with what Carlyle regarded as "a few books"
which he felt that he could recommend, and
was willing to lend to Dickens for his perusaL
This matter of research is really pretty
serious matter. when goes at it in earnest.
The British Museum and the Aston Library
are vaguely supposed to be sufficient repositories
of human knowledge. and he who wants 10 know
anything, it is assumed has only to go 20 which
ever one of them is nearer to him and learn it.
But what one wants to know is pretty often in
the nature of a needle, and these glorious insu-
tutions are often in the nature OF haymOws-or
perhaps stacks" would be a better librarians
term. Education, it has been said is not know
ing many things but knowing how to find out
what wants to know. There are persons
who have the commendable habit of writing to
a newspaper when they want to find out any
thing Then the editor picks q book of reference
from the shelf and answers the question, and it
is likely as not that the questioner had the
same book on his own shelf, only he was not
educated to the point of knowing that that was
the book to look in
This is a sufficient Introduction. and it may
now be remarked that the task Of learning the
correct scenery. costumes and properties to be
used in a revival of a notable historical play
involves a considerable amount of trained and
expert research. The subject is brought TO mind
by Richard Mansfelds present elaborate re-
vival of King Henry V" visible at the Garden
Theatre Mr.. Mansfield himself Is not unac-
customed to such problems and 70 their methods
Of solution but in this he called in the ser
vices as a specialist OF Alfred ]. Rodwaye, Eel
low of the Royal Historical Society Of England,
member Of the American Historical Society and
Fellow Of the Royal Society of Northern Anti
quaries of Denmark
Mr.. Rodwaye for the purpose Of illustrating
to the readers of The Tribune the nature of his |
task of research, has furnished a list Of about |
forty works which he used in determining how |
the play of Henry W. ought to be made to look |
on the stage. The list looks much like |
library catalogue that it would be rather dry |
reading and it will be enough TO say that 1t |
contains the names of histories chronicles, books
on costume. books on heraldry. books art |
books sports military and ecclesiastical |
works. and books few other special sub |
jects. The result is before the public, and all |
who are interested may look upon it.
HOW 1T is SEEN ON THE STAGE.
The result begins with the first scene Of the 1
play, in the palace of Westminster. The paint /
ed scene copies its original exactly. And in this
scene is at illustrated the fact that books.
however many are not TO be made the only /
sources of information For the cut OF the robaas