The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-08-15
ART CRITICS
TRIBUTE TO
ST. JOHNSBURY
w. M. Fisher Gives I'm.
pressi0ns of His Visit
to This Section

The Caledonian- Record consid-
ers itself fortunate in presenting
the impressions of St. Johnsbury
and its famous institutions by w.
M. Fisher of London, one of the
leading art critics in this country
who has been here for the past
few days, Mr.. Fisher was for IL
years connected with the Metropo-
Titan Art Museum in New York
city and is now with the artists
colony in Woodstock, N. Y.
Editor Caledonian-Record:
Writing Impressions of St.
Johnsbury and vicinity which are,
presumably, to be read by St.
Johnsbury people-this, for a
stranger still "within their gates
may not be entirely without pit
falls. One may not, for instance,
without impunity omit mention of
certain things of which St. Johns
bury folks are justly pround How
is one here for only a few days, to
know all these things. | must, per
force, ask indulgence.
Motoring in from the Maine
coast we were fortunate in having
fine clear day, and the road
through Crawford Notch with the
splendid view of the Presidential
range en- route made US feel we
had seen the most magnificent,
panorama in New England
The most magnificent yes, but
it remained for the town
and vicinity Of St. Johnsbury to
show us the most completely char
ming.
The three rivers, the many COM
manding hillocks and we'll nigh
hidden valleys; and above all the
views to the north and east from
the golf cOurse-anyone Of these
is delightful, but to see all con-
centrated within a couple of miles
is enough to make one genuinely
regret living and working else
where.
St. Johnsbury itself is the "home
town" par excellence. The houses
all have a real home looking
and feeling. And they are all so
obviously well-cared for that there
is no doubt as to the pride of
their owners. Just pride is a poor
word to express the glad and-con-
tented-to-be atmosphere about
these big and little houses. Look
ing down on the roofs, trees and
church spires of St. JohnsbuIy
from any nearby elevtion one feels
strangely thankful not to have
missed something indefinable-a
sort of quiet thrill. The poet
John Davidson, writing of some
old buildings, put it they were
"ruined to beauty" Could he have
had this birdseye view Of St. Johns
bury he would have written some
thing equally poignant and unfor-
getable about the moving beauty
of these picturesquely grouped
roofs, trees and spires.
That a town of st. JohnsbuIy's
size should have such splendid
buildings as the Athcnaeum and
the Museum j., indeed a surprise.
Its citizens may well be proud of
them. The collection of birds in
the Museum is Unexpectedly large
and irresistibly fascinating. And
who could pass the Indian and
Oriental domestic and Ornamental
arts exhibits with but a glance?
However often one may have seen
things similar, one seldom sees
things like. While primitive and
oriental designs are either of
pure simplicity or of simple COM
plexity, there is always a refresh
ing vigor and boldness both of
pattern and color which renders
them distinctive. The collection of
colonial household arts is also Of
memorable interest.
On the whole, the paintings in
49, D~~a