The Republican journal., 1911-06-01
Umpires, Darby and Clough. Time, 40.

IN
ARTS AND CRAFTS. Mrs Sarah Rideout Alb.
bott of Saco gave very interesting lecture
on Arts and Crafts in the North church last
Friday evening under the auspices of the
Travellers Club of this city. Mrs Abbott is
chairman of the literature and art committee
OF the Maine federation, and member of the
Art committee of the National federation.
Mrs. Edward Sibley, president of the Travel
ler's Club, presided and first introduced Mrs
Helen Dunton Gilchrest and Miss A. Louise
bennett, who favored the audience with a
piano duet. Mrs. E. S. Pitcher, a member of
the club was next introduced and sang Dudley
Bucks Until Gods Day." Mrs. Sibley spoke
briefly of clubs in general, of the much abused
"club woman" touched upon incidents and
personal experiences at various meetings of
the National and State Federations, and then
gracefully presented Mrs. Abbott, who at once
enlisted the close attention of her audience.
She gave concise review of the Arts and
Crafts movement from its inception by Will
liam Morris in London % years ago to the
present time, and told in detail of its growth
in this country since 1897. She exposed many
of the fallacies that have crept into the move
ment, ,critized the crude and inartistic work that
masquerades in the name of Arts and Crafts,
and condemned the so-called artistic fads, but
was equally frank in commencing real merit
The fact that an article is handmade does not
enhance its value unless it is well made True
craftsmanship must excel work done by the
has ,
thing is done by hand does not make it valu-
able. I'VE have long made virtue of imper-
fections in hand work. she said. This is
passing and the work must be as nearly per-
feet as it is possible for the craftsman to
make it. Many things must be done by ma
need it," The hand work done by the peas
ants in foreign countries has become from
generations of practice and experience, well
nigh perfect, and a second nature She spoke
particularly of the Swiss, Italian, Japanese,
Chinese and Mexican work in wood carving,
inlad work, embroidery, etc, and at the close
of her talk exhibited many beautiful speci-
mems of work picked up in various lands
Mrs Rideout spoke of the beautiful new art
museum recently presented to Portland, of
the loan exhibitions and of the travelling ex-
hibitions sent out by the National Federation
The private museums of art treasures were
mentioned and their owners, who allowed the
public to view what they would otherwise
never have an opportunity of seeing without
foreign travel were commended. An informal
reception was held after the lecture and all
present had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Ride
out and of examining her art treasures closely
The parlors were simply decorated with cut
flowers, and members of the club ushered Mrs.
Abbott was the guest of Mrs. Amos Clement,
who also entertained the executive committee
of the club at dinner Friday evening. Mrs.
Edward Sibley was the hostess Thursday. Last
Thursday morning Mrs. Abbott spoke before
the inmates of the Girls Home and invited
guests. Her subject was Nature and her talk
was principally on bros and flowers and was
illustrated with colored and black and white
charts.