The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-19
Museums NEWDIRECTORH HERE
SIN E. PURDON CLARKE talks
on the COMMERCIAL SIDE.
Museums should Educate Designers Of
Manufactures. as Well as Buyers and
Not TOO Far Apart-The Metropolis
tan Has Great Opportunity.

evening by SIT IaSpar luTuoh o'ai NO.
ubo will he Director of the Metropolitan
Museum Of Art after Sept 1, and who ar
rived by the Campania yesterday, are
odopted bv tho trustees--and there Ia little
QUESTION that they will be adopte d-a
,,eat stimulus will be given both TO the
a,rrecia ton Of works Of art and TO the
manufacture Of textiles, pottery, glass and
other objects calculated to satisfy the
asthetio taste No longer will 1t be the
custom Of directors Of American museums
ia treat the works Of art as objects OF
rey.rencc alone: on the other hand copies,
cast, and reproductions will be freely
furnished to manufacturers, and every
min, POSSIBLE will be done to cultivate
Perfection in design,
mu .aum. Sir Purdou explained, plays a
double part. It educates the public 10
appreciate good things and II educates the
designers 10 give them good things. II
r,u.t be- a living institution in order to Work
an, ,bese two objects There Is no use OF
educating designers II there il no public
NJ a,prccate the signs. They had had
nm UNPLEASANT experience in that respect
I, England where at first the designers
we're ten years ahead of the public taste,
and many ilNtlNAdNNultios 'ihf''N@''' 40 Wv
,oy designs. had financial difficulties.
roobyiato this difficulty they had cultivated
to,r schools Of design. thus enhancing
rubiio appreciation. and, in order to pro-
mote n norrelative stimulus in manufacture
had gone 10 the pains OF furnishing copies
cast. and reproductions to manufacturers
lbeexlen-e being taking out OF the museum
funds The results had been most bene-
rcial both from the standpoint of art and
that of trade Sir Purdon said that he
Jaw no reason why the same principle
could not be applied as successfully IN TINS
country
In south Kensington schools OF design
are connected with the museum, but Sir
pur,lon did not advocate the adoption OF
that plan in this country for the reason that
there WAS risk Of the museum becoming
subordinate TO the school OF design de
wouid afford reasonable facilities TO stu
dents Of design within the museum, nothing
more.
Sir Purdon hopes to see the Metropolitan
Museum Of Art the greatest IN the "orld'
or at least the great American museum
with other American museums WorNhE
In connection with 1t or In suoorhnauo
10 il. Though he mad not seen the Me'Ip
y
trew in a general way the wonderful
Trogress that Ind been made. Oppor-
ttnities for development are greater mere
he said, for the reason that tho income
Of the Metropolitan far exceeds that oil the
South kensington museum
The Metropolitan has an annual income
of S2OOO 900 and receives annually large
money beneiactons in addition 10 glits
of collections; for South kenslngton the
Government gives only $500 year l.Iu
there are no money benelaouons, aIthouSH'
of course many gifts OF valuable colec-
tions. The South Kensington Museum was
founded in 1850 and 1.-THE forty-nine years
since that time. Sir Purdon said, tho 4, v
ernment had expended but s2WOO1O upon
IL. while the gifts OF objects OF art were
worth S75o0.Coo at the cost prloe 10 tue
In regard TO American art Sir Purdon
taid no liked many Of its accomplishments
very much. If there was anything. to
onticse be thought il was due to ten
dencv TO follow French rather than English
masters The original American nrt, de-
noted principally in landscape work, does
not differ particularly. he thought, from
the English. In fact the work OF the two
schools vas very sympathetic some 81
The names 10 COnjure with IN England,
Sargent and Whistler, for example, were
thosa Of Americana and the present ten
dencv was 10 bring the ideals and workings
of the artists Of both countries into closer
correlation. The side that most needs de-
yelopng in this country is the study OF
design.
Sir Purdon will remain in the city but
week or ten DAYS and then r. urn TO finish
much mcompleted work in the South hen-
eington Museum The work VIII consume
practically all OF his time until his hnai
departure from England late IN August.
He is the guest of Rober- W De Forest
secretary 10 the trustees Of the Metropoli-
tan Museum. at the atter's residence,
Washington Square North. Next Monday
evening he win be entertained at dinner
by } P.erront Morg n, at Mr.. Morg ms
residence, 2l0 Madison avenue. ne trus-
tees Of the museum will be among The guests;
The following evening MIR De Forest will
give a reception in his honor and here sir
Plrdon will have an opportunity oil meeting
many American artist.
Usher. met the distinguished foreigner at
the Cunard line pier The Campania locked
NJ about AS. Sir Purdon was one Of the
ir-t 20 leaye the ship and almost MS first
experience was an en- counter with pho-
tographers Doubling the propr!ety Of
posing for them, he referred the matter
TO Mr. De Forest, and II was only after long
argument that the camera men carried their
point, Sir Purdon wa amlamlty ltset
a. be took the requested pastures, held
steady and looked pleasant according o
directions. But at the close he lett the
observation room with the remark:
i feel almost Ike some celebrated crimi-
nal
Sir Purdon looked the picture of health
a. be stepped on the pier, "a II the voyage
had agreed with him immensely He wore
heavy fur lined overcoat he IL about
"a years Of age with white wavy hair and
dropping gray mustache. In the evening
be gave out this formal statement
My present visit to New York Is a very
brief one for the purpose OF becoming ac-
quaiuted with the trustees, curators and
stan Of the museum and becoming gem
orally familiar with its affairs.
l shall have no policy, much less any
announcement, 10 make until | have had
ample portunity for such conference.
As al my many friends on this side
O. the water know, my interest IN art il very
general and cosmopolitan. | am welded
% the art OF no particular country, and
Certainly 10 the art OF no particular school.
My interest, too, Is quite as much on the
educational side Of museum work as in
TIE gathering together OF important col
lections
! should hope to see the museum in close
touch with every important educational
Institution IN New York, including your
pubic schools
! am a believer in good catalogues and
handbooks as well as IN careful labelling
and Identification.
The museum collections should teach
O. Well as please
am not a stranger TO America or Ameri-
NFAfN Avvzsa 10