Evening star., 1919-03-23

A collection of British commercial
posters of much artistic interest and
pictorial charm is now on view in the
upper main hall of the Library of
Congress. to which it has lately
been presented by Miss Amelia Doro-
thy Defries,, an English art writer,
who has spent the past winter in
Washington lin the employ of the
British embassy. 49,. .- ~
These posters in most instances
were published by the Underground
Railroad of London to advertise its
several routes and to induce the pat
ronage Of the public. Others adver-
tise tram routes to suburban towns
and villages. A few call attention to
merchandise on sale by various Lon
don shopmen, All are the work of
artists. not so-cailed Commercial
artists" but the foremost artists of
England, such as Mr.. Clausen, whose
services have been secured by these
enterprising business men and who
have not hesitated to give their best
talents to this kind of public art.
There are more. people who see the
posters on hoardings and read the
advertising in street cars and in sub
way stations than ever enter the
doors of an art museum. There can,
therefore. be no better means of ele-
waiting taste than through this me-
dium. -.
Our own government discovered
during the war the enormous value. of
posters as means of reaching the
people. A poster which fuldlls re-
quirements delivers it's message at one
blow or at single look, both def
nitely and forcibly. To do this re-
quires not only. advertising instinct
but extraordinary artistic ability, for
the thing that merely screams may
attrack attention. but not convey a
message. A poster to be of real value
must be impressive and memorable.
The British commerciaT posters now
on view answer these requirements;
they are direct, simple, impressive and
engaging; they make direct appeal to
the observers .imagination: they Of
fer real inducsment to eXcursioning.
Few landscape painters have set forth
the attractions of the country more
graphically. One is not merely satis-
fled to look at the picture, one wishes
immediately to put on his or her hat
and go out into the open and see
these sights, walk through these in
teresting streets. cross the open mead
ows. explore the woods. climb the
gentle sloping -hillsides and realize
: the bigness as well as the beauty of
nature. the spaciousness of the sky
overhead and the delight Of long un-
interrupted vistas.
1t is a curious thing that the busi-
ness world, as a whole, has not yet
apparently learned that good thing
that is, a thing with artistic quail
ity-is many times more valuable
than a poor thing, that quality counts
more 1t is a precept of the business
world that to get returns from ad-
vertising one must advertise largely,
but it has not yet become generally
understood that good lettering and
artistic pictorial quality tell just as
much in the value of an advertise
ment to the advertiser.
During the war the foremost artists
of America gave their talents and
their time to the government, max
ing posters used in the liberty. loan
campaigns and in the campaigns
izationse asking financial. support.
such as the Red Cross and Y. N. C..
A. the library association, etc. They
thus proved their ability. It is
greatly to be hoped that the COM
mercial. world will take advantage
of the experience gained at that
time, and that through the employ
ment of these artists in the future
the quality Of our national adver-
tising will be raised and our bill
will become. az it were. the peoples
art galleries. e1evating rather than
degrading taste. in a regulated manner,
and adding to the gayety, charm and
interest of our streets and public
places.
An exhibition of etchings by Ernest
David Roth, the well known Ameri-
can etcher,. is now on view in the
atrium of the Corcoran Gallery of
Art. These etchings are chiefly Of
architectural. subjects and cover a
great variety Of themes Many were
done before the war in the famous
cities of Italy with their wonderful
architectural beauty There II a
group in Venice, there are others in
Florence and the Italian hill towns;
Paris is shown in its most pictur-
esque guise; there are one or two OF
the artistic atmosphere Of the old
world civilization. are shown num-
her of etchings Of New York today,
made last year in the metropolis.
and, strange as 1t may seem TO many
who are .skepticaL the etcher has
found no less beauty in this over
whelmingly W busy, up-to-date, twen-
tieth century city of the new world
than he found in the cities of the
old world wrapped in traditions.
-of ST.. .PauFs Church on lower Broad
way. with its simple colonial spire.
background against group OF mod
ern skyscrapers-a quiet spot in the
midst of the busiest part of the
busiest Of cities. with it's old grave
yard undisturbed, preserving in the
present the tranquility of the past!
There is another of the city. with Its
cyclopean business buildings rising
like lowers along the water fronts.
which also gives indication of not
merely wealth and power. but areis-
tic sense and imaginative quality.
There are others of single buildings
which the man on the street wouio
probablx pass without even a sloe-
long look, but which through the in
.terpretation Of the ietcher are found
really, beautiful in themselves.
Mr. Roth. is q true artist as well as
which othsrs less gifted would not
discover, and interpreting it in
manner not only ingratfating. but
satisfactory His compositions are
excellent, his line firm. yet sensitive:
his subjects Invariably well chosen.
None could fail to find interest and
pleasure. even real delight. in this
exhibition of the work of cotem-
porary American etcher.
sixty Or more water colors by an
American artist. 4. Newell Marshall.
who through. long residence abroad
Is. however, little known in this coun-
try, are now being exhibited in the
Corcoran Gallery OF Art under the
patronage, Of Nine. Grouitch. wife of
tho CeFbi2n minister 49,.