Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-04
JUSTICE STAFF0RD'S RULING
Custody Of the Harriet Lane Johnston
Collection.
TERMS OF HER BEouEs,
Her Donation win Go to the smith
sonian Institution, Which Was De-
signed to Cherish Art.


District supreme Court, 1t has been deter
mined that this country already possesses a
national art rallery This decision "a In
terestine f,rat because no one rea,,-ea +ha.
,o - 800 80 NJ o'o ioeiiNcu liiae
there was sucn tning as a national gal
lery In this country, and, second. because It
brings to the government and incidentally
to washtrvtor +ba rIerr,at Yona rohx,sto,
al eouecttoh' winch ID IntFinsicaiiy Valua-
Die. very beautiful. and will form the nu-
cleus around which real national collec-
ton evenfuallv will ha h,,,It I'm Tho n,c-
80. -. g.. -. .".y ~
lures nays Jus. oeen trahslerreo 10 the GUS
tody OF the Smithsonian institution and
will be placed exhibition as soon as pos
sible.
Tbta aec,.,or of tho comet =, ,,,or. ,-r,ror-
toni 49, ..,.,. ~. .-.,ss.a. - 49, -
$50 sA.o.A os On e'ie :. "isAet u eno iiiseoh
coAecuon would Indicate. The smithsonian
has had an art collection for years, and It
has slowly been growing mostly through
gifts; but the present decision recognizes
1t as a national gallery. This will attract
more donations. and although the collec-
ton for the present will be housed in the
viii aoht, . =, IN s time ha ,,1S
Ing erected for the art collection; and there
Is no reason why IN time the national gal
az no,,cb q canfsr nf ottraot,a., - ;sJitnns
as the National Gallery Ia London
BY the will Of Harriet Lane Johnston in
Isoo ner arr coIlection, consisting OF TWEEN
yas ieft 10 the Sorcora al ~ oe
such time as there should be established
by the United States government national
ar sahery Inc oeouese 70 the CoIcoran
Conditions smch "a that the cnIiect,on
should be housed in a separate room with
out artificial heat. and there were some
other provisions to comply with which
would have entailed more expenditure than
the trustees felt that they were justified
In making for merely temporary collec-
ton. They therefore declined the custody.
and 1t looked for time as though the col
lection would have to be sold and the
money divided with the estate, going prin-
oipally to the Harriet Lane johnson Home.
President Roosevelt. who Is interested in
such matters, urged on Congress Its duty
to establish a national gallery hut IL IL
seldom that such a thing can be done in
fault Finally the executors OF the estate
and the Smithsonian Institution went into
court In a friendly suit to determine the
custody Of the pictures Then it was that
ian already constituted national gallery
Ff1ne DUTY OF the Smithsonian.
AS a matter of fact the formation of an
ar saneis 10 o,e u Tue nrse ou.ies OF the
smithsonian unoer the act creating II, ana
when the present Smithsonian building
was erected Ii was designed with fwo az
a.. 49,. .a.s- s.e,s,,s. -.
ta1 plsseS.. foo.na speo'any poHt ior
sahery. Inc ACT creauhg II says that IL
shall have custody Of objects Of art, the
rh,. f,,no.,or =, ~. ,,.t,.,,.;. - -
ms iuiic1oh VI 'he INSTITUTION mas oeen
recognized by the regents all along and
there have been a number of valuable oh
tects aco,,fred that have mora nIaca IN an
ART gallery than thew have In a o,,saun, Ga
aorne ~ they,, hove haan t,,rnaa 90, 81.
the TEMPORARY care Of the C,orcoran saiIerw
they viii all 20 with the Johnston coIiee-
ton toward forming the foundation OF a
national galledy. There are other and more
extensive plans afoot that will help on the
work. but they have not yet taken official
work. but 1t Is sufficient for the present
to refer to the fact that they are in exist
ence.
one OF the nrst purchases OF the Smith
sonian, directiy IN line with the formation
% % .ne arr gahery. was the Marsh collection
VI pIin.s ana engFaVihgs. rms was lucky
was for long time United States minister
Ut. ~ Iaeece ana 70 i,aiy HIS collection OF
hv the sm3thsonian IN 1aHo ear emu .s was Do9 1
thousand dollars 1t was Temporarily de-
posted with the Congressional Library.
anu eAp per 80 eslimate US value now at be-
Rut t 9oV anu pvAo ~
chases made. The building I'm of an art
collection requires time and great deal of
nenesssri,., On Oh .ue 1.ner nand. Is not
of the National M.seun, ard aus
Smithsonian have come largely from
the government surveys and from dona-
tions But there have not been so many
art donations: The Smithsonian did pur-
chase the c. B. King collection Of about Is
engravings in 1881. and 1t had for time
the CUSTODY OF the Stanley collection Of In
dian paintings This was very valuable
coLectlon and 1t was thought that the
Smithsonian would ultimately buy them
But they were on exhibition in the old
building till the disastrous fire Of 1865.
when they were all destroyed. But there
remains the Capron collection, the portrait
of the Dowager Empress OF China and
number of other things, all of which win
go toward enriching the new cnIlecttor
The Smithsonian already has nuits l.rea
collection of busts or pron,nent ,,,a - a,S
scientists several val,iahia nortrait. aas
other objects. ali of which viii orr ;,t, a .ha
new collection Va. 81 ineo .ne
The johnson Collection.
Tho johnson co,,so.,on NH, :.
-. ".a oe kept To-
ssliiei as sinsie cohtripution, and In the
shape IN which 1t was turned over to the
Smithsonian today was practically ready RI