Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-01
LANGDoN WARNER
On the PennsylvanIa Museum

THE Pennsylvania Museum is performing
L an important function in Philadelphia,
not only in the education of the people in
matters of art, but in the more practical
matter of the commercial value Of art in its
various phases
philadelphia is the first city in the
country In textiles and the second In dyeing
and furnishing textiles" said Mr.. Warner.
''The museum has one Of tho finest collcc.
tions In the United States OF early textiles,
and these are ut the disposal of the design
ers both for actual copying and as inspira-
tiOns for new designs. The students OF de.
signing cannot secure the best results with
out thorough knowledge of what has been
done in this line by the great men OF the
past, and this knowledge they can obtain
only in a museum such us ours.
''But these are not the only ones who find
the collections In the museum OF value.
Iron workers, makers of tEpewriters, cash
registers and workers in countless other
branches, which on the surface seem to be
far removed from the domain of art, find
know the successes Of the past. 1t is only
by having a fine collection which may be
used In connection with actual teaching that
things can be materially Improved.
Commercial VaIue3 Of Art
''The influence of great museum on pub
lic taste is very great If the collections are
of the best things in their Irrespective mcdi-
ums that have eyer been made. the public
taste is raised. perhaps unconsciously,
whereas If the items exhibited are bad the
artistic taste of whole community may
very easily be debased. Therefore it is i'm
portant for q museum to have It's cOilec-
tions very carefully scrutinized as to their
artistic value, for the influence which they
will exert, though silent, is none the less
potent.
Art Is DemocSatic
"The original conception of a museum
was that it was an entirely private affair,
generally the collection of a Grand Duke or
other member of the aristQcracy. who made
his own collection of the objects in which he
was especially interested. whether they took
the form Of curios or of art. But the later
development was to gather together for the
benefit of all people u great collection of
cial students of the different subjects as
curators to make the collection more avail
able to the public.
''It Is no contradiction to say that art, :,
which is the most arstOcratic of all forms
of human endenvOr and interest, is at the
same time the most democratic, because any
one with the desire for 1t can obtain its
whole meaning. Therefore, to give the peo-
pie n chance to get it is the only fair,
democratic and really American thing to do.
"For some reason the American people as
whole do not seem to appreciate the ap-
peal and the use of all the arts as they
should. We use it less, we are afraid Of
the word 'highbrow.' and it is largely the
Italian and Russian peasants who really
use our museums.
An Enormous Power
Nevertheless, here is n great potential
power, which should receive the SUPPORT of
every resident Of the city. And the com
munity will support 1t when it fully realizes
when the new building on the Parkway is
completed Philadelphia is the first city in
the country in collections Of paintings easily
placed there by the two Elkins collections.
those Of Johnson, Wistach, Widencr, Me.
Fadden and many private collections of
smaller scope. With this in mind the COL
lcctions in other departments of art should
and it will be done when the persons to
whom we must look for support realize what
tremendous power for good is ready to
their hands.
perhaps the first function of museum
is to give pleasure to the thousands of per-
sons who visit it. But aside from this, II
brings to the public an opportunity to estab.
lish standards OF taste and enjoy beautiful
things; to school children an early apnrc-
ciation of art and knowledge of its his
tory to the manufacturers source of do.
sign from the best that has been prOduced
up to the present time, and to the student
of arts and crafts constant inspiration for
original work.
"The standard Of taste can be raised only
by seeing the masterpieces Of other ciyilixa.
Sns st q uns on. Saes sl But e % Ss , D !ss
the persons who buy Clothes table china.
~ si " " iiil ls ,s/as i, I.