Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-22
CHARLES J. COHEN
On Work Of Falrmount Park Association

THE Fairmount Park Art Association has
l. played nm important part in the cultiva-
ton Of a sense of the beautiful among the
residents of Philadelphia. by locating, oh.
jects Of unquestioned art values In places
where they are easily accessible to the gem
eral public. according to Charles j.. Conen'
president Of the Fairmount Park Art AS
ISL. isS'S''0" ana "e"0eF Oh 'Na' '''' '''S'
"Thc Paramount Park Art Association,
said Mr.. Cohen. ''has done some very i'm
portant if not very widely heralded work
in connection with the Parkway When
the Art Gallery is finished, the Parkway
will present one Of the finest prospects, not
only in this country. but in the world; ana
it will be something Of which every Phil
adelphian may and will justly be proud.
When it is finished and the residents OF the
city see what has been done, they will be
astonished at the foresight OF the present
generation. The members of the Paramount
Park Art Association are glad of having
had the opportunity to advance q work
which in the end will mean SO much TO
the city.
Many Years Of Activity
"The Fnirmount Park Art Association
dates back to ISL, ,Hhen the subject OF IT,, the
future development 81 the Park was dis
cusscd by Henry X. Fox and Charles H..
Howell the originators OF the associatloh,
eSDeclallN us felutcu 10 tuc W 80
Park with pieces of fine statuary and other
works of art. Mr.. Fox. by the way Is
the only member Of the original board sur :
viving who is still member. although
Walter Lippincott. also member OF tne
first board is still living, but not on the
board at this time.
"The movement inauguratcd by Mr..
Howell and Mr.. Fox grew wit h the years
and the artistic impulses OF the American
people began to assert themselves more Wig :.
orously under the fostering Influences OF
various organizations for this purpose, OF
which the Farmount Park Art Association
was not the least significant Within the
fttingly observed in 1891. there had been
more than fifty works Of art of high ar
tistic value given to the Park and the city
through the work of the association, with
permanent endowment fund OF Sl3O.0O0. and
the gift of two great memorials. the Richard
Smith Memorial gateway and that provided
for by Mrs. Samuel, commemorating the
early history Of the country.
"But much as these works of art have
added to the attractiveness of the Park, yet
we feel that it has been the indirect in
fuence of the Fairmount Park Art AS
sociation which has been its greatest gift
to the city. in giving tremendous impetus
TO the civic psthetic movement. 1t Is
largely to this Feeling on the part Of the
citizens that the artistic pre- -eminence of
philadelphia today in many lines may be
traced.
Park Great Civic Asset
"There was every reason for the artistic
development of Fairmount Park. for it Is
unauestionably one of the great parks of
the world, and lends itself we'll to adorn-
ment by use of fitting works of art. 1t is
an ideal place for the placing OF memorials
OF the great men who made the Republic
possible, for those Of men Of our own and
other nations who have done great work
for humanity and for commemorative statues
10 those who have upheld the great ideals
Of mankind, as we'll as for those which
have little historic or commemorative attri :
hutes but which stand simply for the ideal
of beauty in the world.
,But the beauty of city has material
os we'll as an artistically educative value,
os I'm the case Of the City Of Paris, which
hos been enriched by many millions of dol :.
lars because the French saw early that
art has a practical utility quite as great
~ any other element of human value.
There are many places in the Old World to
which persons travel by thousands, simply
IN see them, and 1t is not the commercial
supremacy which draws them, but the ar.
tistic In every case.
"It is the development of this iden which
has been uppermost In the thoughts of the
FairmOunt Park Art Association since the
days Of its foundation, and 1t Is this end to