The Washington herald., 1913-06-22
National Museum Now Con-
tains Result Of Life Work
of the Late Rear Admiral
Dickins = Presented by
His Widow.
Ry WILLIAM L. ALTDoRFER.


History a la carte! Menu. The land
ing of Lafayette with the eggs and
breakfast bacon. The United States
ship Constitution leaves Boston Harbor
with the luncheon salad. The Dumb
Asylum leaves Philadelphia with the
soup for dinner and the City of Quebec
leaves the same place with the dessert
for dinner That sounds like the futile
attempt of a wild-eyed chef to tickle
the palate of a jaded man about town
Yet a hundred years ago a repast served
like that would have seemed common
place.
History a la carte in the days of our
forefathers was possible for the reason
that the favorite china of their day,
principally Staffordshire ware, consisted
of pieces showing either historical events
or scenes of notable places. In those
days, for the sum of % cents or 50
cents, a quaint plate of dark blue show
ing the great New York fire, the first
steam engine and cars, Harvard Col
lege or the courthouse at Boston,
could be bought. Today people with the
china hobby, sometimes known as china
collectors, gladly give $50 and SO for just
such pieces, and consider themselves
fortunate in getting it at any price.
Uncle Sam has gone into the china
business. He now has the largest COL
lection in this country, and probably in
the world in his National Museum at
Washington. This unique collection of
china was the gift of the widow of late
Rear Admiral Francis William Dickins,
who spent the greater part of his life
collecting IL. II is made up of nearly
800 pieces, consisting of plates, cups and
saucers, bowls, pitchers. and every con-
ceivable form of china used for the past
200 years. Included in the collection are
many unusually fine specimens of White
House china used during many of the
administrations at Washington So re-
markedly interesting is the collection
that a good general conception of the
early history of America may be gained
by study of the various pieces. One
of the astonishing things shown is how
well the ceramic art lends itself to the
preservation of historical records.
Depictfons Remain Vivid.
In the old Egyptian papyri and manu-
scripts the scenes depicted are generally
blurred and hardly decipherable. but. on
the contrary, the picture scenes on these
plates and dishes are fresh now
upon the day they were baked. In the
Ceremic art there is fading of colors.
no decay OF the materials, and the plates
and plaques. unless broken. preserve in
tact for posterity whatever may be en-
craven upon them. Many of the dishes
have been used so much that they have
actually commenced to crumble. and yet
their color tones are perfect.
The acquisition of this set of china by
Uncle Sam marks another step in his
plan of preserving for the coming gen.
eratiOns a complete and unbroken series
of everything relating to the arts and
sciences of today. The Smithsonian In
stitution is carrying out the work out
lined for il by its founder, The diffusion
of knowledge among men and while
this latest collection is only one of a
thousand other interesting things there,
Yet il is particularly worthy Of mention,
because it is the first time that any such
collection was made, and because there is
nothing like it in the world. Rear Ad-