Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-07
NEW ART MOVEMENT
A PROJECT GAINING IN USEFUL
NESS AND SCOPE.
Loani1g Pictures Like Books and
Making Picture Galleries
Travel.
Written for The Evening Star by Katherine L.

Written for The Evening Star by Katherine L.
Smith.
Following close upon the heels of the
travelling library movement came the circu-
lating picture gallery, which has now at
tanned the dignity Of an active, vital powar
in rural communities.
The pioneer in this movement was the
University of New York, and today its
keenest competitor is to be found in the
state of Wisconsin.
Early in 1898 the New York University
sent out a list of pictures, mainly carbon
prints and photographers, ready for loan to
all institutions connected with the univer-
sity. These pictures included photographs
of architectural monuments, great paintings
and historical portraits. They were framed
in quarter and were in two sizes. The
rent varied from 81 to s., transportation paid
by the university. The frames remained at
the institution which borrowed the pictures,
and the latter were replaced from time TO
time, as the schools requested, by new
prints.
Fully thirty-five schools in New York
state availed themselves Of the travelling
art gallery, and as soon as the movement
was a self-supporting basis the univer-
sity broadened Its plans and enlarged the
collection. The first move was to purchase
a. complete set of carbons which a certain
noted art firm had been exhibiting in var1-
Gus states, and this made 1t possible Tor
the outlying schools to retain pictures LOT
a nominal sum-
The university collection now includes over
A. 600 photographs and a dozen lanterns with
over 700 slides, appropriate to many INES
of study. All Of these can be borrowed by
schools and clubs, and are helpful factor
to any one preparing to enter the uniyer-
sity.
More Boston Energy.
The woman's Educational Association Of
Boston has taken up the work and has am
bilious plans for carrying the movement
into New England. Club women in the mid
west have appointed committees whose duty
Is to direct the work in the local public
schools, but the most important movement
in the rural communities was started by
Wisconsin woman and is spreading like
veritable art epidemic.
Miss Mary E. Turner, connected With the
State Normal School in Stevens Point, Wis,
is responsible for arousing among the
farmers of her vicinity a genuine interest
in good pictures. When she first heard OF
the travelling art gallery she gathered 10
gether the most appealing pictures or her
own collection and all she could beg or Dor
row from friends in and out of her school
With these she started out to the country
school houses, invited the children to bring
their parents for informal talks about the
photographs, and began to loan all the
pictures that she could spare.
Distributing Points.
The country school houses are used prin-
cipally as distributing points for outlying
workers. though teachers occasionally give
art talks to which parents, as well as chill
dren, gladly come. Each family UNDER
stands that the privilege to borrow the pic
lures is it's, and when the photograph has
been enjoyed for a week 1t Is returned to
be replaced by something new. Sometimes
great reluctance Is manifested at the idea
of giving up pictures, and then many
hard-fisted farmer has been induced by his
family to purchase print similar to the
one returned to the travelling gallery. In
such an event the teacher acts as purchas-
ing agent, securing the best possible terms
and thus fostering desire to increase home
collections.
The Wisconsin work is admirably sys-
tematized. Landscapes, marine views, flow
ers and home-like subjects are given the
preference. Both photographs and colored
are used, neatly framed with a
border mat of gray and with two pockets
fastened on the back. One pocket holds
library card, and the other concise printed
account of the picture and its artist. A
brass hook is also attached for hanging the
picture, and thus 1t Is packed into strong
envelope ready for its travels
The best grade Of photographs have been
found too expensive for workers Of limited
means and experience, but so long as the
picture is Of good standard, the style Of
print is not all-important. While 1t Is eS-
sential, Of course, that the picture should
be technically good, it is equally important
that those intended for rural communities
should appeal to the heart and the simpler
tastes In their subject matter. Colored pic
lures do this more quickly than photo
graphs.
The high-grade magazines using color re-
production and the better class Of illus
trated Sunday newspaper supplements are
recognized aids in furthering the movement
Carefully mounted and furnished with a
few facts regarding the pictures and their
artists, they are welcomed by the managers
Of any circulating art gallery
A favorite donation with wealthy persons
interested in the work Is a complete collec-
ton of prints full set is itself a liberal
education in art