New-York tribune., 1905-11-04
CIR puRD0N CLARKE HERE
pE4DY TO BEGIN YORK.
n;recfor of Metropolitan Museum
Talks on Tariff on 4rt.

~..nar Pu-Go1 tlaTke, the director of the
i.-.5olitan Museum of Art. arrived from Eng
As. Srros.e7iay full of enthusiasm and eager to
aoD Ian the duties OF his office.
sha .,,rdon was met at the steamer by several
.ss and after taking luncheon at the museum
z,obert w de Forest. secretary of the board
W. .ses. John Crosby Brown, William NJ. LAT
"a George II. Story, the acting director be-
iAA -.,ing hundreds OF letters sent from all over
-,,ne and America
bDir rp,-sen expressed the hope that within twenty
,be museum would be the superior of the
3e1 conth Kensington Museum. He said the pur-
e1e" mower of the Metropolitan Museum OF Art
-, great-about four times that of the South
va .nn NEseuTl-but the latter institution had
A r. tne-vear start Of the Metropolitan museum,
ia9 -, when all the building plans Of the Metro
a.. o., museum had been carried out, it would be
tas the size OF the ne" euiioihks oi the oou'ii
-,.sington museum.
- - sir Purdon was asked whether not his
~ would be revolutionary, he said:
-,ork is all before me. and what / may pro-
y n0sf mUt be acted upon by the trustees; 1 may
pase tosever that the first purpose Of the inst-
So, ;s that il shall be fine arts museum but 1t
talsa bs = comprehensive enough 20 take in all the
nss. ns's - which art has been applied look upon
i i,aa -5ansy IS that should endeavor to make 1t
FsB5TTseeet;caIy. there present only two de-
i.~eerts In the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Ia:rting and antique sculpture: True, there Is
psiinH5sss ,oIIection of musical instruments-the
EastsV BROWN colection-and the great Garland
sTs~fion Of porcelains of ]. Pierpont Morgan out
CO.. is practically no furniture, and of textiles,
;;rsses - and embroideries only handful In
:ssse There is no show Of Oriental weayngs.
TbsTa departments are 10 be created ana some
,ti5ss in the museum will later be superseded by
Ofiai Ts the Metropolitan Museum of Art we ought
20 make another South Kensington Museum, but
an 50 perfect scale that there viii be no neces-
stv for another museum in New-York; II We
fpecsse too much in one direction there is danger
y mgkfng some group of people start another
museum in order TO fulfil some want which We
90 not satisfy
Sir Purdon spoke of the north wing, which is 10
h added 10 the present 5th-ave. front, to be fol-
l,red BIZ the addition of a south wing. He said he
k,ew of several valuable collections In this city
ghich would be given to the Museum soon as 1t
could properly house them. If people thought their
collections would be properly displayed they would
give them 10 a museum in their lifetime.
Regarding his purchases abroad for the Museum,
Sir Purdon said that, in addition TO the Bramantino
psnels. several of which were reproduced in yes
tsraay's Tribune he had bought a quantity Of wood
uork in Paris and London. principally Of the
French Renaissance. which was being delivered yes
,eraay afternoon. The woodwork will be exhibited
as soon as proper space can be provided.
Sir Purdon said that he had bought for the Mu-
scum French and German wrought iron work. in
cluding two examples of great brackets supporting
lradesrnen ard guild signs, ten feet high.
Sir Purdon paid his respects to the tariff on art.
saving:
! consider the customs tariff detrimental to the
art manufactures of America. III keeping out an
Gent works of art But from the European point
Of view the tariff is making it possible for the
European museums 10 buy in competition with
the knowledge that they viii have to pay enor-
nous duty for their art purchases. Ancient works
Of art cannot in any way interfere with American
manufactures except 10 improve their quality and
In starving the American designers and art stu
dents they are njuring America
The tariff modern art manufactures is not
value the actual cost of the object but the duty
charged on an ancient object, based upon It's mod
ern selling price. is often absurd especially when
il exceeds many times the original cost OF the
Dbiect The tariff keeps out ancient things which
would be OF benefit to the country at large. am
In favor OF free art. excepting on modern work,
and am open q compromise based upon time
limit OF creation OF works before the date Of I'M
poTtatfon.
Referring to the high prices paid by Americans
IN Europe for works Of art, Sir Purdon said, for
example that the OF the high prices paid by
J. Pierpont Morgan, the president of the MetropOl
tan Museum of Art that he bought tip top
things" Sir Purdon said that the best art objects
abroad brought high prices while the second rate
objects were hard to sell.
It was reported that Sir Purdon said that he
pected stay here for the remainder of his life,
and for that reason he thought II was proper that
he become an American citizen