New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-06-14
ART IN SCHOOLH0USE.
Plans for Permanent Decoration soith
Busts and Paintings.

new public school buildings. the award OF con-
tracts for which has been held up by the build
Eng trades troubles will be the finest ever in
co-porated in buildings Of the kind in this city
The scheme. which suggested by Arnold
u Drummer Of the Board Of Education. has
been worked ont by the superintendent Of school
buildings. c. 2. J. Snyder. in the plans for the
4onr new buildings. the De Witt Clinton High
school al Tenth-ave. and Fifty ninth-st-; Pub
liz School No. 49, in Ninety-fifth and Ninety
sixth SITS; Public School No. 81, in one-hun-
and-forty-tifth snd One-hunored-and-
for+v-sixth SITS. Borough Of The Bronx; and for
: nutlic school in Eighteenth and Nineteenth
SIS Borough of Brooklyn
In each of these buildings it is planned to
decorate the platform or rostrum end Of the
auditorium THAI a permanent, artistic and edu-
rs-ional scheme may result.
Briefly the plan is to decorate especially pre-
rs-ed inches and spaces along the wall back
~ the auditorium platform either with busts
of men famous in history or with great photo
grsphs or paintings of historical places or in
cidents
And this can be done" said Mr.. Drummer,
speakinE recently OF the plan conceived by Su-
per.ntendent Snyder and himself, ''at no in
--ease in the cost OF construction In these
dsvs. when works of art and models Of the
hsndiwork Of the masters can be secured so
beaplv X is little short of criminal that school
children should be compelled TO sit for hours
looking at bare walls.
Under this plan. every pupil in d room so
decorated has constantly before the eyes
picture that means something. For instance.
one room could be made an American room'
and decorated with the busts Of Washington,
Lincoln or other great Americans. Another
could be designated a Roman room. another a
Greek room, and so forth, the decorations Of
ding 70 he scheme
o. IL
In this way the pupils would become, by as
ISOLATION. familiar with Beethoven, Wagner, all
the great musicians: Napoleon and the great
leaders; the Parthenon. Pantheon, the great
csthedrals and innumerable other famous build
ngs
The scheme Is adaptable to all school build
irEs. Irrespective Of grade The little children,
growing ID with these busts and pictures be
fore them, would soon regard them as a part Of
their very lives. Looking upon beautiful
f-fezes. they would soon learn TO see the beauty
n curved lines Men upon horseback would
appeal 10 their love Of the beautiful We all
know the effect of surroundings upon a child
The child of musical parents, brought UP among
musicians inherits q love Of music So these
children, confronted daily by things OF beauty,
must learn 10 love the beautiful
The plan TO illustrate by either sculpture or
n
carried out on the largest scale in the new De
witt Clinton High School This building,
which is 10 be. when completed, the largest
high school for boys IN the world, is 70 have d
great auditorium Back Of the platform IS TO
- IN organ, and in two big panels, each i by 10
f.er-zn either side OF the organ, II is planned
70 have two large paintings executed by some
rspsble master Of the brush Subjects Tor
these paintings have not been chosen. and this
-E,e cf-7Tc hnI1
nov the intention 20 have reproduced some his
-o-fc incidents Of the period during which De
WIT Clinton was Governor Of New-York.
IN each Of the proposed schools the decora-
lions win be in the auditorium, which IN each
case will be located On the first floor Ot
course the scheme Of decoration would not De
IS r-etentious III the other schools as in the
ne Witt Clinton High School In the other
three new school buildings any panel pictures
,1ses will be only about ) by feet and instead
cf ,asn+ings large photographs viii be used
The plan prepared by Superintendent Snyder
fo- the decoration OF the auditorium in Public
School No. $50 contemplates three big pictures
81 in the wall between pillars directly back OF
the platform. each being sur1nounted by pusI
win inscriptions high on the wall close 10 lhe
refIfngs while on each side friezes placed nigh
or the wall extend from the central scheIne 10
the doorway at each side Of the room
The plan for Public School No. % conten-
MATES three busts set in inches behind the
platform. with two large panel pictures De-
tween hem and the doors on either side
srsu another scheme Of decoration is outlined
IN The Man for the new Brooklyn school, three
Fig ric-ures being arranged in the central
sraces hack Of the platform. while over Inc
central rgcture and over each doorway busts
gre 70 he placed in inches. Just what the pct
7,-es and busts viii be has not yet been deter
mined.
The scheme OF interior school decoration
which Superintendent Snyder has worked out
has never been tried before in any public schooi
iU The world and naturally, the subject Is one
Of much interest not only among lovers Oh ar
f0- arts sake. but among educators as well
F-o- Years i has been the custom 10 decorate
schoolroorn interiors in this city, as eIse"hele'
f7v hanging pictures about and sometimes d
bust has been set up IN convenient corhei'
hut nothing attaining 10 the pretensions OF the
present plan has ever been attempted pe1ore'
a step in this direction was taken however
when the wadleigh High School was built IL
.hfs city. wall space being left back OF lhe
platform in the auditorium for z painting Iha'
has not vet been executed In carrying out the
present plans IL is proposed not only TO proEloe
tuacc for the decorations, but 10 place the oec
aratiors IN them. putting no trust IN the uh-
...~-siutv Of future developments.