Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-14

tween wandering about the streets between
the hours of their engagements or spend
ing a car fare going home for the inter
val.
The situation of the club places il within
easy walking distance of the largest studio
buildings. Its two long, cheerful rooms
are open from in the morning till q
at night. They are prettily furnished with
comfortable arm chairs sofas and divans
The walls are artistically papered and
hung with reproductions of the old mas
tiers. There is a small library open to the
members and copies of the latest mag
azines on the tables.
Here the models may come as often as
they choose during the day and stay for
hours at a time. They may take off their
wraps and sew or read as they lounge in
the easy chairs. They may make appoint
ments to meet their friends at the club
rooms and entertain them if they wish
Every day at noon lunch is served at
the club at cost for all the members who
care to drop in for it. 1t is simple, but
wholesome and well cooked. Every day
from to g. moreover, when the work of
the artists and their models is ended. after
noon tea is served to the girls and their
friends by the matron. This forms a de-
lightful social hour, when the models may
meet to chat over the work of the day.
help each other by comparing notes and
form new friendships. In winter time the
girls flock there to fortify themselves with
a warm drink before the cold ride home.
The club is really the only means which
many of the models have of becoming ac
uuainted with others of their profession.
Coming as they do from many different
cities and from various walks of life,
there is no natural siSterhOod among
them. They rarely meet in the studios. and
the mutual aid which workers in every
field can render each other was impossible
among them before the club was establish
ed.
Some Of the girls who pose assume fict-
tious names and hide the nature of their
work from their friends. This is one thing
which the Art Workers Club is trying to
correct. 1t tries to show them that their
calling is as respectable any other
means of livelihood. 1t tries TO inspire
them with real pride in their work. For,
if the better class of girls could be induced
to acknowledge their vocation openly, this
would elevate the profession as nothing
else could do.
The members of the club are also en-
couraged TO get up various amusements
such private theatricals, among them
selves. and the club rooms are given them
of evenings for these entertainments.
A Protection Association.
From a business standpoint. the Art
Workers Club is as advantageous to the
artists as it is to the models. 1t keeps the
names and addresses of all its members in
both fields of the work The artist applies
to the club for a model of any description,
and the matron in charge generally knows
which girls will come nearest to his re-
quirements and what hours each has dis
engaged. The model knows that she is
sure of good treatment in any studio to
which she is sent by the club. and the
artist knows that any model sent him by
the club will be required to keep her en-
gagements with him forfeit all aid from
that source thereafter.
On the other hand, 1t is often the artist
who breaks an engagement at the last mo-
ment. Then the club fights the girls bat
ties for her and makes the artist pay for
i'm
At present the Art Workers Club has
about two hundred members among the
models of New York and almost as many
among the best known artists of that city