New-York tribune., 1911-01-29
lz<88Rz24Q)F I]NTEREST>t0
6be Joys Of Metal Work.
Not Only Pleasure, but Lots OF Money in II
for Women, Says Professor Thatcher.

This playing with fire must he great
fun for men. but do the girl students here
succeed at it?''
Certainly. certainly" said Professor
Thatcher. clattering his tools and laughing
In a way which showed that the solemn
face of tho lecturer wasn't natural to him
at all. "Why. some of my best workers
are women. 1t is easy enough 10 handle
these tools-just little practice is all that
is necessary That's one OF the things about
metal work that makes me tired. Everybody
thinks it is so hard to do. and so they are
willing TO pay outrageous prices Tor any old
thing that is handmade.
Gracious! A man takes a piece OF brass
ami throws a hammer at It. then some
body comes along and buys it for beau
tful hammered brass bowl The trouble.
YOU see. with most of the so-called arts ard
crafters-it's an awkward name. but |
can't find better one-is that they don't
finish Up their work.
Here in Teachers College. however, we
try 10 make finished workmen at least.
whether they are to be teachers or private
workers. and some people who have never
done such work before get TO be very skill
ful by spring. One man made a cha1ng
dish last year with alcohol lamp and
everything complete. and one girl here has
had great success making chalices for
church use.
"The girls in the class always do the
best work in iewelry. Men are more fitted
for pounding brass and their fingers are
too clumsy to handle fine work. You know
the best workers I'm the big factories I'm
IL cnd
not only because of their deftness but be-
cause of their artistic talent They nat
urally have skill in designing and feeling
for color, so they turn out really artistic
products. That, yog know. is the only
excuse for handwOrk. If it is not going 10
be artistic We might as well buy machine
made iewelry. and because OF the wide
spread interest in handmade iewelry the
factory work is improving. 1t had TO, to
meet the competition.
This has reacted on the arts and crafts
jewelry and made it cheaper. though it is
still enormously expensive. People won't
pay so for a lump of brass with a 25-cent
green stone in ii. but they do pay more
than it is worth. You see. unskiled work.
ers thought they had TO be paid for their
bungling ways to make a watch fob they
expected pay for weeks when really they
ought not to have been paid for the time
when they were experimenting
Another thing arts and crafters must
learn is to vary their work. 7 get so sick
Of copper and green stones and silver and
blue stones! They make great square
buckles and lockets. TOO. al alike. and
think those are beautiful because they are
handmade. They will make great thing
like an OK collar for a delicate little
woman. Oh. it's awful! Now. up here
make the class study themselves first. and
then design jewelry which will he appro-
pirate for their own use. Dark people can
wear bright stones, few look well in these
dull gray and green stones and small
women should wear delicate bits of iewelry.
When possible. the piece should he de-
signed to match the gown with which it is
TO be worn. When this is done the making
Of jewelry becomes an art And it is in
this direction that there is great opening
and lots OF money for women. with their
artistic feeling. their originality, their deft-
ness and patience they can make things
much finer than any factory can turn out.
mere. ne enueQ, WIN lauBn, tnat :
the end Of my gospel of metal work OF
course. too. there Is no object in using )
and 10 cent tools when you can get better
ones"
This vigorous person, who just loves 10
hammer brass not only teaches teachers
all the week, but on Saturday he amuses
himself by making jewelry for his wife and
neighbors The conflicting claims Of his love
for making things with his hands and
his passion for beauty and poetry caused
the young professor much trouble when he
was stil younger. He wanted TO be me-
chanicai engineer. Then he wanted TO be
mural painter. A compromise was effected
by career IN handmade jewelry. That It
was successful is shown by the popularity
of his courses. which number almost as
many men as women--a rare thing In
Teachers College. The only complaint ever
raised against the jewelry course is that
all those brooches and pins and watch fobs
can't he given away al Christmas time,
and instead Of glittering on some Christ
mas tree they have to lie, desolate and
forgotten, in a box. awaiting the annual
exhibition Of metal work in the spring.