The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-20

A modest cottage one storied, but roomy, sits half hundred yards back from the main street of Camden, street which a mile further up to the northeast merges into the Bridgeport road. There is a small verandah run ming half way across the front of the cottage. The building sits in the center of a big. lot, perhaps twenty acres Tn extent.
 The yard is a labyrinth of roses. It was November when we were there. put some of the roses were still blooming. It is a beautiful rose garden. It IS still a monument to the man who years ago laid it out and fixed it's lines and demarcations.
 From the outside, there Is nothing to suggest that this Alabama cottage is anything like mecca for artists. Nevertheless hundreds of people have passed up the rose bordered walks to view the remarkable collections of en- cravings, contained within the cottage. Without doubt the finest collection of the engravings of Turner, the great English artist, is contained in that Ala bama cottage. And some of the rarest of the engravings which he gave to the world are owned and kept in this Cam den cottage.
 There are here engravings, made un- der his scrupulous care and instruction which perhaps could be duplicated mo- where else in the world. Engravings are framed and hung upon these walls which can not be duplicated. because after making the plates and run ming off few the great artist broke up and destroyed the plates, so that those engravings in which he took so much care would have the added value of be- ing exclusive.
 This remarkable art museum is the Topper cottage and they who own the engravings and other mementoes of Turner are kinsfolk of the great Eng fish artist. They came to the Peppers of Camden by right of kindship when Turner's estate was divided up in London after the long law suit which followed the death of the artist. The original owner was Samuel Topper cousin of Turner's and for many years we'll known cit- izen of Camden. MT. Topper, an Eng lishman, came to Camden years ago. He was himself a man of unusual ar- tictic taste and a musician of no mean ability Through his mother he was closely related to Turner. He was for a long time bookkeeper for Camden mercantile house. He 1t was who laid off the rose garden and who left the imprint of his discerning taste in many ways upon the cottage and, it's grounds The cottage is occupied and the pic- lures are owned by two daughters, Misses Annie and Oracle Topper, and one son, Jack. A third daughter is Mrs. L. E. Starr.
 There are no paintings of Turner there, because no family could afford to have tied up the great fortune that a single painting would represent For instance, a few years ago the Wander bilts paid $1O0,000 for one of Turner's famous works. The Slave Ship" and presented it to the Boston Museum of Art. Most of the masters paintings are owned by the Royal Academy and the British Museum, for they were so willed by Turner when he died. Some. others are in art museums in tho United States and some few are owned by multi -millionaires who are able to afford such high priced luxuries.
 The art of engraving, 1t is said. reached it's highest development dur ing Turner's lifetime, due more to him than any other man.. By his wide grasp of artistic possibilities. by his thorough methods, his scrupulous attention to detail and by his indefatigable industry he brought it to the high state of per fecxion it attained in his life time. While he has been called by competent authorities, the greatest colorist the world ever knew, and by no less an authority than Ruskin the greatest water color artist in the history of art