The Washington times., 1923-05-03
JEAN ELIOT ON SOCIETY
Notables Pay Visit
to Ne1V FreeT
Gallery
BY JEAN EI1tOT.
S5fAAN VAs
I the matter Of opening the

the personages crowded in SC
thick one could not possibly see
the pictures. Instead the gal
lery is to be open for . week,
from 9 in the mernipg to 9 in the
afternoon, to the discriminating
company to whom invitations
have been sent-Ieaders of diplo-
matte and official society ARTISTS
ana lovers Of the beautiful VINO
have been associated with the
artistic development Of Washing
ton. And after that 1t Will De
thrown open to the public.
BY reason of this arrangement.
although there has been q stream
Of visitors to- the gallery since It's
doors-were opened, the peaeeful
atmosphere that is one of the
chief charms of the little build
ing Is undisturbed and enc may
study the treasures there en-
shrined at ones leisure. HVW-
ever. in the course of a stroll
through the various rooms yes
terxiay afternoon, one eneountefed
many persons more usually seen
in fashionable drawing roefns.
There was Robert Woods Bliss,
for instance, who is shortly Civ
ing up his post as Third Assist
ant Secretary OF State and will
take up his duties as American
Minister to Sweden. Mr., Bliss
is person of discriminating
taste and it was a pleasure to
note his keen joy in the beautiful
things displayed and the way in
which he fingered over objects
which appealed to his fancy.
With Nine. Christian Hauge
were her brother and sister-in-
law, Mr.. and Mrs. Ross Todd, of
Kentucky, now her guests, and
their tall young daughter, Miss
Louise Ross Todd, who has been
with Nine, Hauge most of the
winter. We also crossed trails
with Miss Anne Squire, Mr.. and
Mrs, ID, A. Hartman, Mrs. Sam
uel Kimberly, an artist OF no
mean ability and a discriminating
critic, and Mrs. Junius MacMur-
ray. with her son, John Van A.
MaeMuFray, of the diplomatic
service, whose keen appreciation
Of the japanese ana Chinese col
lections on view was developed
during his service in the Orient.
s.
THE setting devised by Charles
= A. Plat, the architect. for
the collections Of the late Charles
low white building 0vershadowed
by giant trees and nesting in
their foliage. The galleries with
In, too, are perfect in every de-
tail, dove gray and cool. lighted
from above, and the pictures and
ether collections have been ar
ranged with a sure taste 20 that
the peFfectien Of each is en-
HANGED by its neighbors.
There Id something Festful and
appealing about a small gallery;
and the eust0dians of the Freer
Gallery have carefully avoided
any oNercroWdiag or confusion.
Indeed. only a. limited number Of
objects fren the carefully devea-
oped FFeeF collections Have been
placed in the exhibition galleries.
and they win be supplemented
from time to time with other
treasures now tucked away in
storage and study ro0ms.
The gallery is built around an
open court with clipped shruhbery,
graveled walks and fouAtaln
splashing merriIy in the sunshine.
Here peacocks strut and spread
their jeweled tails-much hand
sOn1er birds in my humble opinion
that than those which decorate
whistler's famous Peacock Room,
removed from +. n. Leyland's
house in London and enahFiHed
complete in the gallery. don't
quite know what I had expected
OF this apartment, Of which had
been reading ever since the Freer
bequest was made, but ! know
that il was the enc disappointing
feature OF the gallery to me.
The Speaker and Mrs. Gillett are
1T present in Massachusetts,, but
will return to Washington shortly
to remain through the spring.
Attorney General Daugherty has
been Joined at his apartment al
Park Hotel by his son-in
II