The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-09-18
GUARDING ANCIENT SILVER
CHURCHES AWAKENING TO rHE
rALTE OF ART POSSESSIONS.
Queen AnheS Communion service 90 %.
Georges. Hempstead-A Now HAmp-
shire Church Lends Its Two Century
Old Cups 90 the Boston Art Museum

Hampstead. L. l.. 10 falling into
line with a movement. very interest
ing but not very widely known, which
has been making rapid progress within
tho last two years. n movement Of con
servation but not 81 natural resources
This IL a conservation of art possessions
which are no, the less interesting hec=;;=s
they are not great paintings whose transit
from one owner 20 another with their
accompanying fabulo u prices is recorded
in the newspapers.
IL has dawned upon museum managers
and upon those Interested in the artizan-
ship Of tho country that among the more
or less neglected possessions OF the land
IN tho way OF art were certain communion
services Of silver. together with other
plate. which have appertained TO old
churches, particularly Episcopal churches
for a century or two. member Of
the Jewellers Association some time ago
made a tour OF these churches with the
special object Of investi eating these ser-
vices, and lac reported that a number
Of the churches on the Atlantic seaboard
were rich in works OF the silvermith's
art which dated in part from the Colonial
days Of the craft in this country and In
NaEN iCoo contemporary
En- glish craftsmen He obtained photo
graphs OF some OF the plate and astonished
his colleagues by the wealth OF ornament
and modelling which he thus put before
them.
Tho Boston Museum OF Fine Arts vas
among the first to urge thess works on
the public attention and IL opened its
galleries for the exhibition OF them and
-. - a.. Al
should they wish 60 lend their plate for
exhibition. In some Of the churches
the ancient plate was Cherished a. too
fine for ordinary use and was brought out
only on special occasions. another service
being substituted for regular periodical
use. In others the service Of ancient date
was aSed regularly and Is used to-day
a. a matter Of course.
Many Of thess services were presented
20 the churches by Queen Aane. together
with great prayer books. nat 10 70 say
one prayer book 70 church Sc. Georges
Episcopal Church OF Hemp,,ead In among
those which were so hon"red by Queen
Anne. who gave IL both a communion
servics and prayer book.
People are accustomed Co ses In thu
art shops and in private collections and
AZ public auctions ecclesiastical works Of
art in divors forms which have been
obtained from Old World churches by
industrious merchants who have secured
them by the ingenious devios OF supplying
the congregations with resplendent mod
ern equivalents. which make appeal 20
oongrs cations and priests alike when 90
companied by handsome prices paid for
the old and worn articles; but II seems
- -
United States newer and less valuabIs
articles are being substituted In common
use for the more highly priBed products
Of an earlier craftsmanship. even though
here tho older works arr not being sold
"a tho stranger. but instead Are being
preserved for the deiectation OF those who
love them.
The latest word in the movement came
only last week in the announcement from
Greenland y H.. that the Congregational
Church 81 that place had just voted In
lend permanently 20 the Boston Museum
its ancient communion service. which "
600 wears old or more In this service
there were originally Included sir cups
hut one Of them was loet long ago and the
congTe cation decided that tho rest wers
a. they wore kept in = private house. 80
the loan to the museum was voted IL ia
ACCOMPANIED with the condition that the
cups NAV he recalled temporarily az any
time II the church wishes them for an
anniversary or other apecial ptIypose.
Now IL turns out that the women
~ ST Georges. Hampstead. are prepar-
ing a pamphlet illustrated, descriptive
of the silver communion service which
Queen Anne presented To that church
and giving as we'll historical sketch
~ other interesting possessions Of this
old church among them the PRAYER book
which contains the PRAYER for the mar
tvred- King Charles and references "a the
Plot. and in which also there
IL an interesting insertion. II 10 in the
PRAYER for the British sovereign. in which
a reference to the President OF the United
States 10 pasted over the reference 20 the
King
ST Georges usA~ ito communion ser
vice regularly and keeps IL In the church
aafs hut for greater safeguard the parish
has had made great chest 80 heavy
that II takes two men to litt u, in which
The service NAV be carried TO and from
= safe deposit vault. ST Georges Church
building il an old one. with some h and
-oms windows and makes some ~ the
neighhorinR modern buildings NJ Hemp
stead look cheap. nut the building 10 not
81 old NJ the church. which was organized
IN isao and established in 1910
One ~ the interesting epitaphs in the
~hurchvArd whose tombstonse Offer intAr-
eating studies IN stone carving NJ earlier
iavs. that on 'he stone erected to
Samuel Seaburv which says
He sleeps M Iish' ia on his brow
No Rrief- 'orren' his hearts deer arhin-
No vision hAun's his slumh~r. now
lie sleeps The sleep that knows No waking
IIe sleeps and worms must r-vel desp
non that brow made pale nv sorrow
Ne sleeps and drramless is that sleep
which knows no coming ~ the morrow
10 sleeps no smiles ulumes hls eve