New-York tribune., 1901-05-06
A SCOTCH TOWN SHOW.
THE GLASGOW EXHIBITIoy-A BRILL.
IANT DISPLAY OF MODERN ART
THE ENERGY OF A PRO
GRESSTTE MUNICIPALITY.
Glasgow. April %

the most energetic and progressive town fn tba
United Kingdom For a generation the munich
psllties have been looking to the Scotch metrop-
oils FOR new ideas and fresh experiments in
town government. Courage has never been lack
ing here FOR undertaking any application of the
principles OF municipal socialism for the public
good Glasgow has outstripped BIRMINGHAM
Manchester. Huddersfeld and Bradford in car
rying into practice advanced ideas of collec-
tvism. The streetcar service, which is trans
formed this week into an electric system is
owned and operated by the municipality and
So also are the supplies Of water. gas and cleo
tric light The drink traffic has not vet been
municipalized. although trust has been formed
FOR introducing the Gothenburg system in a
modified form; but municipal insurance has been
adopted in principle. municipal banking has
been proposed, a municipal telephone service
has come in, and refOrmers are confidently ex-
pecting municipal pawnshops, medical service
workshops, foundries and bakeries. A munich
pal International exhibition is the logical Sc
quence to the maintenance Of museums, art gal
leres. public halls and peoples palaces, which
has been the consistent policy OF the Town
Council Of Glasgow.
An international exhibition held here on
smaller scale in 1888 yielded profit of $4,000.
With this surplus a foundation II the
handsomest art galleries in the world has been
completed at a cost of 81. .250O0O the Town
Council having assumed the bulk Of the cost of
construction. With guarantee fund Of $500
600 q second exhibition has been organized and
the new buildings added to the Art Gallery rep
resent a local investment of S30000O0.
Clearly, there is no lack either of energy
faith or organizing power in the Scotch metrop-
oils The site is Kelvingrove Park, which is
overlooked by the university picturesque and
impressive structure. About one hundred acres
have been inclosed in the heart Of the finest
residential quarter Of the city. The river Kel-
win winds with two great bends through the
grounds, between the new group Of exhibition
structures and the university. The buildings
cover about twenty Of the one hundred acres
Designed by Mr.. James Miller, a Glasgow archi-
tect IN Spanish Renaissance. they form a hand
some, symmetrical group when viewed from the
high ground beyond the river. There is an
Industrial Hall, with high dome fianked by
four white towers and with domed pavilions
and lofty minarets at the ends. From this great
structure there is a long covered avenue leading
in front Of the Art Gallery TO bridge over the
roadway and connecting the industrial section
with another huge building, Machinery Hall
The aggregate space for exhibitors in these
buildings. the Art Gallery and other structures
on the grounds is 437 $50 square feet, every inch
OF which is now occupied. women's work from
all countries is displayed in large section OF
the main building.
HALL OF sTATUARY.
The central hall of the Art Gallery is filled
with statuary arranged with artistic effect by
Mr. Onslow Ford and Mr. Frampton Conspicu-
Gus figures are the colossal Cromwell. the phil
osophic Charles Darwin the controversial
Thomas Huxley and the stately Gladstone. The
galleries surrounding this magnificent hall are
occupied with archaeological and historical col
lections. One gallery in the western section is
devoted 20 memorials and relics Of Old Glasgow.
The walls are lined with prints Of oldtime
bridges streets and landmarks like the Cathe-
dral, with portraits Of worthless such as Watt
Livingstone and Thomas Campbell; and the
central spaces are filled with cases Of old glass
and silver and relics OF the medieval town. The
adjoining gallery is a fascinating archive or
Scottish history Mary Queen Of Scots smiles
and Prince Charles frowns from the side walls;
DarnIey's ring and other famous Jewels are
among the precious relics; there are memorials
OF the Covenanters and the days of Wallace and
Bruce; Claverhouse's coat is among the historic
yobes and the Duke OF Portland's famous silver
is among the plate. surrounded with oldtime
armor and weapons; there are stags heads from
every Scotch forest collections Of beautiful min
iatures from old houses with carved Sedan
chairs and antique furniture; and literary treas
ures like the three earliest editions or Burns's
poems. Adjoining galleries are devoted to the
prehistoric monuments Of Scotland. memorials
OF the ancient boroughs and the Highland clans.
and the evolution Of the national sports Of arch
cry curling and golf. The Arts and Crafts Sec
ton is filled with pottery, metal work. bronzes
and objects Of all kinds There is a large black
and white gallery, with etchings by Rembrandt
and examples of Albert Direr among its most
precious possessions. Adjoining are the School
Of Art rooms, the Photographic Section and the
gallery Of architectural drawings.
The galleries on the second floor are mainly
occupied with oil paintings and water colors
representing English. Scotch. Dutch and French
art OF the present century. The pictures have
been lent from the best private and public col
lections Of the United Kingdom, and constitute
one Of the largest and most brilliant exhibitions
Of modern art ever brought under single roof.
would earnestly advise all American tourists
planning European journeys this season TO bear
this collection in mind. and TO reserve day
or two in Glasgow for the purpose of seeing
scores OF modern masterpieces not ordinarily
accessible. The Corots alone are worth the rail-
way journey from London and there are many
precious gems by Diaz. Meissonier. Troyon'
Josef Israels. James Maris. Millet. Constable,
Hoppner Raeburn, Turner, Linnell. Millais' KOS
setu and Burne-Jones. Lord Strathcona has
lent Turner's glorious Mercury and Argus. and
not far away is the restful Florence Ihe
Pre-Raphaelite movement is represented by nu-
merous canvases. among them being Ford
Mflais's Ferdinand" and Christ in the Car
penter's Shop: Rossetti's Mariana, with It's
5ewelled effects Of color; and works by Holman
Hunt There are several Of Hollands low toned.
quiet pictures OF Venice Millais's famous land
scape Chill October" IS here and Burne-
Jones's Cupid and Psyche" is radiant in tender
beauty. Mr.. whistler is represented by one or