New-York tribune., 1908-03-06
TO PRESERVE STATUES.
Municipal Art Society appoints
Committee,

A movement has been started by the Municipal
Art Society for the repair and preservation OF pub
lie monuments Of the city. and for that purpose
the society has appointed committee consisting
Of Harold a. Caparn. chairman; John De Witt
Warner and Jacob A Cantor.
Regarding the movement, Mr.. Caparn said yes
terdsy: The Municipal Art Society has received
many complaints about the lack Of repairs or oter
faulty conditions Of public monuments and q COM
Tnittee has been appointed to look into the matter
The members have decided that the first step is TO
collect information in regard 20 the condi1ion OF
the various public monuments all over the city
With this object in view they will send out notices
inviting the member Of the society and others 10
contribute information Of any monuments which
may under their notice as being IN de1ec-
tive condition They then propose TO present this
information 10 the proper authorities and invite
their cooperation
''ATost'of the public monuments are IN charge OF
the Park Department, which under Park Con1rnis-
sioner Smith has shown every desire 10 Work IN
l7arrrorv- with the various art societies It is
boped that this movement viii be the means OF
aiding the Park Department in its varied ana
ouerous duties by contributing useful Information
from outside and the popular point OF view
Every citizen is. shou be. Interested IN the
7,roner condition and preservation Of the mon
urnents Of various kinas which help TO make the
city more than d mere place to do business ln
and II are invited send any information of the
reor1isite character to chairman Of the COM
rnirree care of the Municipal Art Society. No 1l9
East 18th street
We were Informed recently that the COLUMBUS
monument at Columbus Circle needed pointing
that the cement between blocks of stone had
d-orned out and should ne replaced We have also
reca.ved 4 complaint that some Of the stones OF
The Soldiers and Sailors Monument, between oS'h
and q0tb streets Riverside Drive, are now out OF
rJsce owing 10 : faulty foundation. and that a
fountain on Second avenue between $50 ana ei'h
streets has been so bent that it cannot ne uSe0'
Some time ago the bronze lettering on ue Fe'e'
t-oorar statue south Of Cooper Union. was torn OUT
The members of committee volunteer 10 IN
er,ac- the public monuments that come under our
o1-r notice but most of our information Is eA-
Tacrad 70 come from the public
The e-atues moreover. need cleaning constantly
.s,,.c5a71v on account Of the soft coal nuisance
xEben = Edwin Elvell curator or ancient hllo
r,odern sculpture at the Metropolitan Museum u
A., tho statues in Central Park we're cleaned unuer
lfe df-ecrion Birds had made their nests in some
- ,t,aro The statues cleaned win "alei'
ard the dirt not the patina, was removed 4iNT
statues Of the city on account OF the ousI ana oo'
smoke should he cleaned frequently
+ NJ Caparn added that the committee also hoPeu
- 1,iny abort the relocation Of some OF the statues
f inferior merit in less important parts OF Ihs '''
,1an Central Park There are about ninety statues
- monuments in Manhattan and Brooklyn. one
s+.t,e in The Bronx and three monuments HI