The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1919-04-11
APPLIED ARTS AND TRADES.

APPLIED ARTS AND TRADES.
art, said Ruskin, lis the ex-
preston of mans joy in his work, ;"
and what greater joy is there than
the making of beautiful things with
mes own hands?
This desire is truly an instinct.
Prehistoric man felt it and left be
hind, as his principal legacy to the
future, carved stones, beads, en-
graved bone, copper, and examples
of pottery, the design of which is SO
good that even today it brings forth
our sincere admiration. Savage peo-
pies felt this instinct. The ancient
Empires of Egypt, Greece, and Rome
owe to it not little of their glory.
The charm of the Middle Ages and
of the Orient today is, at least to us,
largely due to their beautiful arts
and crafts.
This instinct for making beautiful
things with ones own hands has
never deserted mankind. 1t is alive
today as never before. Even mod
ern machinery and cheapness of
commercial factory products have
never failed to suppress it.
It serves us today as a protest
against the lack of character and
feeling, and the total disregard for
line and form in SO much of our
modern factory product.
And already the beneficial results
of this protest can be seen in our
manufactured articles. Mannfac
turers are taking a keen interest in
training men in more thorough
knowledge and in higher ideals of
their crafts.
Architects and furniture manufac-
turers, for example, are turning to-
the Art Schools and offering not
only prizes to students to stimulate
the training of adequately equipped
wood-caryers, but are offering those
who have thus acquired such skill,
remunerative employment
The joy of making beautiful
objects of hammered copper, of ena-
meled metal bowls, lamps, candle
sticks, desk sets, vases, beautiful
pottery and carved wooden objects,
must have it's appeal. What is more
delightful than to make, to buy, or
to receive for gifts? Thro' the app
piled arts and trades department of
one of Maryland's Art Schools all of,
these delightful and profitable SUBJ
jects are taught, not only for their
own sake, but teachers in the crafts
are also trained. One of the uses
of this work in connection with the
war is in the rehabilitation work
with the wounded soldiers who are
not fitted to return to their former
occupations. To those who need to-
be taught the use of their hands all
over again, the various handicrafts
are taught not always for their pro-
fessional use, but as pleasant and
interesting means of coaxing the
wounded men to regain the use of
their hands, and to furnish amuse-
ment to tighten their weary hours of
convalescence.
Let us look at the art metal crafts.
For generations Baltimore has been
one of the important centers of the
In the early days in
Maryland among the most noted
were Peter LIE Ret, es-
tablished in 1890; Standish Barry
in 1890, and Charles L. Boehm, in
1900. In 1915 the oldest existing
firm of Maryland siIversmiths was
founded. This firm has. passed. from
father to son ever since; and is to-
day established within four doors OF
its original SITE
A great School Of Art and Design
in Baltimore has trained most Of
their designers in this delightful art,
and any one who is willing to ac-
quire thorough theoretical knowl-
edge, combined with practical train
ing and experience, will have no
,r0uhlo in cacurinU an oycarIopt