New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-11
HE PROGRESS OF AMERICAN ART INDUSTRIES IN LATE YEARS

of the family gathering: but. until very
! lately we have been strangely Indifferent
or iSnorantly Grass in our attention 10
its framing. And. however willing we
may have proved ourselves to have been
20 fight for our fresides We have
studied their adornment but little ana
their true decorative value hardly any
at all.
AS a critic has said. we have thrown
away the simple old "wood mantels' ::
have installed the monstrosites OF the
carpenter, the varied assortments of re-
ceptscles and cheap mirrors in the over
msnter; have INDUCED ourselves in Gus
tom made marbles and then have been
framing our hearths with grotesque and
hideous shapes-products OF disordered
minds"
I'm other words. We have used ''mantels
made for sale by manufacturers all over
the country who have no idea OF archi-
tectural beauty" to quote an experienced
master craftsman. GustaVe 5. Jacobson.
who is true believer in the axiom, An
that is good in art is old"
But this critic does not lay all the fault
at the door OF the much SHINING manu-
factureT: for he says: in certain por-
tons Of the country. culture has not suf-
iiciently advanced to have awakened peo-
pie TO the artistic and psthetic value OF
the chmneypiece: they are still too COM
mercial still sticking 10 the nondescrpt
modern forms. in it's use.
MASTERS OF REPRODUCTION.
Mr.. jacobson is one of an old and widely
known firm of ornamental plasterers.
modelers and sculptors which some four
years ago conceived the idea that. as
there was so much that was bad OF in
different. in general use ii would be an
excellent thing if it were possible To re-
produce all that's best i'm chmneypiec"s.
Since the idea appealed alike To- their
patriotism and to their artistic sense. they
set about developing it with characteristic
intelligence. skill and energy.
They have now so perfected the cement
stone process that IL will defy the exam
ination of experts 10 detect any difference
between the real and the artificial, and
they have built UP catalogue represent
ing some sixty pieces of ancient and mod
ern art
Great care is exercised by them 10 OBJ
tain the requisite hardness texture ana
tensile strength. and they give equal at
tention to the faithful reproduction "i
design and detail They can. and do. re-
produce perfectly the grain OF wood. the
Indiana limestone i'm It's various shade
and the French Caen and English York
oil "a he %
versimllitude Of sse.
Architects all over this country were
quick Ia recognize the value of their
achievement. and 10 give them the needed
cncouIa cement; and. as result. their re-
productions reproductions. not limitations
are installed in many of tine finest
mansions offices and public cdiiices
throughout the land. For example \
French period in the Office of Cornelius
Vanderbilt: another. in Nj. HarJes' coun-
try house AT Syossct. Long Island. rr-
production from Plas Mawr. AN Eliza
bethan castle In Wales. in the residence
Of MI Glatfelder York. Penn, Tudor
and = Gothic. and i've Renaissance Tudor
and Henry II chimncyrieces in th" n"W
hotel at White sulphur Springs. ". Va.
They not only make their chimney pieces
10 hatmorize with the color schemes "i
the decoration. and true to school but
deftlv adapt them to space limitations 4
our modem apartments -ts. ioI example.
q large reproduction at half the size 81
the original IN the Cluny Museum-and Oh"
our ideas of the pIopTieties and aesthetics
i'm di .closures Of The human anatomy.
Among the splendid work u their lar 3"
staff of designers ana sculptols healed
D, their Nh Geib. which may be seen a.
the studio Jacobson & 90. No. 81 East
.ith sticetl OF these master craftsmen 800
reproductions Of art objects IN cement
stone. are chimncypiece from ,h'
Doge's Palace. Venice. Tudor. from
Westminster Hall. Henry ~. from Tho
Cluny Museum. a Louis XIV, fr.eze
by Ginning Gibbons. design from
Chsumont. France. on' from ia" Wee
chic. Florence. one rom Marie Anton
cites chamber At Tontainbleau. and many
other noted pieces. ,The Cluny that would
cost 10 copy. in Europe. $500 iu soft lime
stone. Oh $40" iu marble. can be repro
duced here for S}o1J In the firms iue
library. devoted mainly To the chimney
piece and the fine ceiling work after
famous originals. which is embraced IN
their activities. may be found an eXt'l-
siye and interesting array of photographs
taken in place. from museums. palaces.
castles. and old abbcys famed FOR their
s.rf