The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-15

musicians is greatly enhanced by the nunn'
Der OF works in the library. sOmeof them
very rare, on the art Of musical Instruments,
their making. history. decoration and the
like, together with Volumes more generally
on the subject OF music, although works
s~uperiuOus to the study Of these coilsc7
tions need not be sought here.
In 1892 tho Edward &. Moore collection OF
$50 volumes on Greek. Roman and EtruScan
vases and antiquities. ancient glass. Tan
agra figurines. jewelry. gold and SILVER
work, porcelain. pottery. metal work, &C.
came as a welcome gift to the library
since the amount OF funds then mt the
disposal Of the librarian barely sunficed
for the acquisition of new publications
needful from day to day in the study OF the
COLLECTIONS Of the museum. and the DIS
cO~uragingly small number OF 40 volumes,
eighty-nine by gift. was all that the year
had brought in up TO the time Of this grit
to supply the ibrary's crying need. BY the
will OF the late Jacob y. Rogers "A wise pro-
vision directed that portion OF theincome
Of the fund he created be devoted to the
purchase Of books for the library. There
fore provision must be made. it would seem.
In n Of the new wings OF the museum in
compliance with the increasing demands
Of the library for space.
The card catalogue Of the library, in
dexed under both subjects and authors, is
one, that well might make the library OF any
foreign museum pale with envy. Foreign
libraries are the worst catalogued libra
RES the world over, and il is a standing
Joke, though a sad and mournful one, that
when the librarian Of a European museum
dies the catalogue dies with i'm. Even in
South Kensington you may search in the
catalogue for the museums own work on
Persian Art" and not find IL there, although
you know there must be a dozen copies
around on its shelves. Supplementing the
usefulness of the excellent catalogue of the
library OF Ehe Metropolitan Museum of Art.
the librarian, William Clifford, and his
capable assistants havs am extensive knowl-
edge OF the classes of subjects contained in
the thousands Of volumes on their shelves.
In this way they are equipped 10 render,
and they do render. an immense service TO
the student who desires information not
only on a subject itself, but on related sub
jects as well by snggested sources, authOri-
ties and various cross references. Thus
through the personal work Of its staf the
library becomes more thai ever a positive
educational factor.
Those who frequent the museum library
are those who go for a purpose; in other
words the student or studious members OF
the museums great visiting family. Because
their number at present may appear to the
casual inquirer comparatively small. that
can be no argument against the ibrary's
definite usefulness. Indeed IL all the per-
sons who seek warmth and shelter behind
the convenient excuses Of the overworked
volumes in the Astor Library and in the
other libraries OF this city should show
! themselves up in their true c~olors. decamp-
ing TO leave the field to those who come
there with serious intent. the page boys
would enjoy a holiday. and the librarians
would find little to interrupt taking care OF
the books. cataloguing and answering the
intelligent questions Of the few who would
happen in from time to time. No, a library's
Intellectual utility cannot be gagged by the
number of its visitors; IL can only be indi-
Gated by the quality of the demands made
upon it's resources. In this respect the
library OF the Metropolitan Museum Of Art
holds an honorable position. IL has nothing
that attracts the idler. the ~loiterer, the coin
age crank, the revolutionist. the slumberer
or the shammer. IL is a serious place full
Of serious books for serious people. No
periodicals are lying around loosely to be
snatched up and read upside down between
maps. The museum library has periodicals..
over ninety Of them. but they are all periOdi-
Gals Of the fine and applied arts and Of en-
t~iQuities and architec ture. cataIogued and
accessible. but placed on the shelves.
Already the library has acquired some
5000 photographs. which though not all
- -our ~ rn vraN aUroaushla
| These prints are from negatives Of famous
pictures. drawings, monuments, antiqui-
ties. objects of art generally and OF sculp-
ture and architecture. which collection Is
constantly being added to. as it will prove
most valuable In comparative study. Scat
tered throughout the print rooms Of the
European public and private collections are
the drawings Of the early masters It is
only possible ia gather any adequate idea
of their line technique by bringing repro
auctions Of them together this way, even
though we may have few Of the originals.
Mr.. Bernard Berensen, ar American art
critic living in Italy. has one the world a
great service in producing a superbly illus
trated volume on The Drawings Of the
Early Florentine Masters. a copy Of which.
inestimable in value 10 the student. is one Of
tine DOtSt6NlOuN VI Nnp AhurOuAA AADAuAy
The very beautiful illuminated manu-
scripts given the Metropolitan Museum Of
Art by Mrs. Lucy Drexel, Miss Mary Leroy
King and others form the nucleus Of a
future collection Of greater extent, anticipat-
ing the study OF which subject the museum
library a added a number OF useful vol
umes on illumination, ancient manuscripts.
lettering, &C.. one Of the most valuable Of
which is The Illuminated Book Of the
Middle Ages" by H. Noel Humphreys.
a work Of great beauty end fidelity to the
originals reproduced in full colOrs hat has
been out Of print over fifty years. Shortly
a superb illustrated volume descriptive
OF the famous Book Of Kells," now in the
library of Trinity College. Dublin. will be
accessible. as it has been ordered for the
library. The Book Of Kells" is one Of the
most wonderful examples OF human work.
manship the world has ever produced.
Then there is a o n the work on
Raphael's Loggia superbly oOlored by hand.
the splendid work on Oriental Carpets'
which the Austrian Government selected
Cir Caanar Purdon Clarke the Dreaent