The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-08
Regarding American Sculpture

A beautiful bronze statue of Edwin Booth, portrayed in the character of Hamlet, is soon to be erected in Gra- mercy park, New York, by the Play ers club. Edmond T. Quinn is the art ist and his work was selected from eight competitive models by commit tee composed of members of the club and the committee in turn was as- sisted by three sculptors.
 Of the tragedians who have adorned the American stage, Edwin Booth was easily the prince of them all. He rose to the height of his histrionic power in the seventies. In 1876 he made a limited tour through the south, and those who saw him then saw him at his best. It was shortly after he had played Hamlet 100 nights consecutive ly in New York to audiences that over crowded the house.
 Early in the eighties he and Barrett played together and toured the south, but Booth was then failing. He felt it and was accordingly depressed. Soon after that he left the stage and lived in retirement until his death in 1893. A few of the older theatre goers who saw the elder Booth are still living, and some of them incline to the opinion that he was a man of more genius that Edwin. But com- potent critics like William Winter, who saw Junius Brutus Booth and then Edwin throughout the latter's brilliant career, make it plain that the son was far greater than the father; certainly more finished and convincing.
 As Edwin Booth reached the ma- turity of his art the velocity of his passion was like whilrwind, but he minimized more and more the storm of passion and "exalted the spiritual" It was fitting act on the part of the Players club to pre- sent New York with this memorial of the beloved actor and high-minded gentleman.
 In this weeks issue the Literary Digest devotes page or more to an article entitled Safeguarding Our Public Art" Long before art galleries had been established in this country the American sculptor had come to the front and was working his way to fame as evidenced by imposing statues-marbles and bronzes--and little later the sculptures seen on friezes of public buildings. It is worthy of note that notwithstanding the comparatively small culture in art matters in the early days very little of the sculptor's work seen in the parks of cities north and south can be con- demned as mediocre, as measured by artistic standards. Indeed, many of the statues seen in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington and Richmond would compare well with works of memorial sculpture found in the capitals of Europe. Nevertheless our public art is growing at such a fast rate that artists and lnymen of taste are pointing out that some wise measures of public pro- lection seem advisable
 Charles Moore in paper laid be- fore the American Federation of Arts makes suggestions respecting the choice of men to execute projected ornaments of the public highways, First of all he insists that competent advice should be sought at the outset : and also during the execution of the work. The method has been for some organized authority to appoint com mittee of laymen and to allow such laymen to decide without consulting an artist. The Players club acted 1udiciously in providing that three