The sun., 1903-09-13
A CATSkILL Art VILLAGE.
NOVEL COMMUyITY STARTED Ri
AN ENGLISHMAN.
Ralph Radcline-Mhite ehead's summer Home
In the Mountains for Artists. Musicians
and Mriters-Work and Fun Among
Fine scenery uresQuc Dances.

and Mriters--N0rk and Fun Among
Fine Scenery-PicturesQuc Dances
At Woodstock, Ulster county, in one oi
the most beautiful parts of the Catskill
Mountains, il an estate of | 200 acres held
exclusively for the use Of artists, writers
sculptors, musicians and students and ex-
ponents OF all the arts that tend to beautify
life. The tract Of land Ia the property OF
Ralph Radcliffe Whitehead, an English
man, who has put into practice new
scheme of philanthropy.
He has founded an art village which Is
known as Byrdcliffe, and about sixty stu
dents from all over the United States are
studying there at the summer school But
that is only one part Of the scheme. Musi-
clans, singers and authors are invited to
come to ByrdclifTe, where they can live at
an extremely reasonable rate and In great
comfort. surrounded by beautiful scenery
and congenial people. The place is con-
Quoted by Mr. Radclifie-Whitehead like
house party on a large scale. and 1t is neces-
sary to apply for an invitation before COM
ing there. The visit Of any one who proves
to be a jarring note In the general harmony
comes to a speedy end.
Mr. Radcliffe Whitehead is a graduate OF
Oxford and pupil and personal friend OF
Ruskin, and he knew William Morris and
many others distin guished In art, He be-
longed to the pre- -Raphaelite movement.
He has travelled for many years in Europe
studying art. and has estates in several
parts of the world. One Of them is in the
Black Forest in Germany, and another Is at
Santa Barbara, Cal.
Last summer, for the purpose Of founding
a settlement where every craft which en-
bodies beauty could be fostered and en-
couraged. he bought seven adjacent farms
upon the southern edge OF the Catsklll
Mountains He spent more than a million
dollars, it is said in building studios, stu
dents inn, summer cottages and home
for himself and his family.
All of the buildings are fitted with the
best Of plumbing and there are porcelain
baths and everything needed for personal
comfort. but they are severely simple III
decoration. The walls are, for the most parts
OF planed boards. colored with green stain,
and the marks Of the axe can be seen on all
the rafters The scenery is magnificent
and paintable, and the buildings are tucked
away in little hooks and hollows, SO 40 not
to break into the continuity of the foliage,
which is Just turning brown and brilliant
red and yellow.
At an altitude of thousand feet on the
side of Overlook Mountain are the big
studio, Mr.. Observation-Disclosures house.
the students inn and cluster Of cottages.
The studio itself is about forty feet square
and has high, unbroken walls for hanging
pictures, and big open fireplace. Open
ing out of it is the library, which contains,
besides a very good selection of the best
authors, collection Of art books and re-
productions of works of art made by MIR.
Radcliffe Whitehead during his many years
of travel and residence in Europe.
The students inn is long, low building
something akin to Swiss chalet, without
the furbelows. Mr.. Radcliffe-W hitehead's
own house, where Morris furniture abounds,
is hidden by a terrace which overlooks
sweep of many miles of beautiful valley.
Attached TO the inn are workshops for
industrial art work. such as making COM
Portable and artistic furniture and orna-
ments of hammered brass. On the latter are
depicted chipmonks and rabbits, of which
there are great numbers in the vicinity,
and which are new feature in brass design.
The motto of the place seems to be to live
simply and work, and there is every incentive
for accomplishment. Although it is the
aim Of the management to keep the tract
as wild and uncultivated as possible, and
the moss-covered stones walls are the only
sign of former cultivation on the major
part of it, it is known to the natives in the
vicinity as "the park"
There is an orchard near Mr.. Radcliffe
Whitehead's house, and what farming is
done is managed by Capt. Fritz Van der Loo,
q young Boer, who won his military title
in the recent war with England. The
| Captain directs operations from cosy
little cottage called Bearcove nesting
200 feet below the big studio, on the side
| Of Overlook Mountain, and the table which
| is supplied from the products of his farm
| auglrs we'll for his success.
| Farming, however, il not the Captains
only accomplishment. He is a delightful
| host at Bearclove and one Of the leading
spirits in the jolly studio dances, which are
| given twice a week and sonnet imes oftener
impromptu. The 200 feet Of floor space
of the studio is cleared off, and it is an ad-
mirable place in which to dance
| The dances are frequently preceded by
| a musicale as varied as the many branches
of musical activity which the company
represents. NJ. Paul Kafer a young Bel
| gian 'cellist, is one of the recent partlci-
pants.
! Dancing at Byrdcliffe is considered az
one Of the arts, and is not confined to the
| ordinary waltz and two-step. They dance
everything from the Virginia reel to the
| gratzia and the cachuca which Cavt
does in Carmen" to national dances in
| costume. Persian and Assyrian dances
are not unknown to the studio, and there
is a graceful woman who gives instruct ion
in the terpsichorean art in all its varieties
from the Mexican paloma, even to special
classes in fancy jigs.
The young girls at the dances wear con-
| ventional white frocks enllvened here and
there with spray of brilliant foliage or
All artistic sash. The men appear in the
most unconventional of neglige costumes
Everything is permitted from white ducks
to the loose flannel shirt, with a flowing
red tie and knickerbockels, which is the
costume adopted by most OF the painters
The fiat blue or red artists caps, of which