The Washington herald., 1921-04-03

vi
J. designing Of textiles. ceramics and
furniture, to say nothing OF women's gowns,
;s ont at last. II has been traced BY eI-
merits In such things at the Museum OF the
University Of Pennsylvania back to ancient
C,eeee. to Rome, to Egypt, to China OF
,.venth century artistic and cultural leader
shin. And % thoroughly has the museum
,,cceeded in inculcating into manufacturers
% tbes. things in the United States the
;d.. that all superb art IL but slow
18th the result Of centuries OF painstaking
Ill toward an ideal, that these producers
have torn q page from the book ct the
E,-o,..ns. with the result" according
a. ,b. museum, that In many lines OF textile
S.nuf.cture the modern product equals the
e,.,t produced in any age. and in some
instances is said to exceed all previous
effort"
To I. now many years since the news
s,,.r.d to this country that Paul Poiret,
~. famous French designer Of wcmen's
20, had invented what was familiarly
..lled the "debutante slouch." But most
.-or;c.ns-eyen those in the business OF
d..;enins-did not know that the inspiration
to- the clinging lines Of the ''slcuch' gown
an. from a statue in the Louvre somewhat
S;r,;I., to that Of the Chinese Venus de
N;lo,' .t the University Museum in Phila-
aolnh;. At Just about that time the
,,,,..um BEGAN a campaign to interest de-
siSner, employed by manufacturers in its
exhibits. These come from all corners Cf
the world and represent every CIVILIZATION
in and before recorded history.
By way of illustrating how the idea
has taken hold. and some of its possibilities
the museum has made public photographs OF
DESIGNS copied from ancient relics. These
show how the makers Of lace have learned
new tricks Of beauty from the lace makers
of forrotten Peruvians; how manufacturers
of print cloth have borrowed from the ex-
ouisite porcelains of old China; how the
silk mill owners have caught new In
spiration for drapery silk designs from price
less antique Persian velvets. And then,
lust to show that this source ct inspiration
is not limited to any one thing, the museum
has published photographs in color Of dainty
evening gowns and house dresses, the lines
inspired by the flowing garments on Chinese
sacred statues, the color schemes borrowed
from examples Of the delicately tinted glass
"The student is perhaps the most vital
factor in giving out the message content Of
the MUSEUM" says Miss Lucille Howard. who
prepared the illustrations and who acts as
guide and reception committee at the in
stitution to designers seeking inspiration.
He Is the future artist, architect or
designer as the case may be. As such, he be-
comes, through the medium Of his own crea-
ton, a most potent dissemination Of the wealth
of information the museum holds. His
work in due time passes into the hands Of
the manufacturer, who in his turn produces
the design in the form Of his particular
product and this rug, textile or ceramic,
whatever it may be, eventually reaches the
buying public.
I'm the last analysis the manufacturer
becomes the arbiter and 1t is distinctly his
mission to choose wisely and with construc-
tive judgment as to the designs he Ii to give
out to the world, embodied in bis product
Let 1t be said that this is precisely what
our great manufacturers are doing, with
the result that in many lines Of textile
manufacture the modern product equals the
finest produced in any age, and in some
instances Is said to exceed al previous
effort. This 10 but q renex Of this wisdom
on the part Of the manufacturers to send
their skilled designers and technicians 10
the museums to study the finest work Of
all ages In their particular line. This de-
sisner 10 our student In advanced suise,
who Is already familiar with the treasures
the museum ofers for his study and Who