Evening star., 1926-06-17
THE NORTH WINDOW
By Leila MechIin.


city Of Washington we're excava led
and the excsvators should chance to
come upon the newsstand In the
Union station, we today may tremble
To think what their differences would
he concerning the artistic sense OF our
own generation. Often one hears it
said that the dark ages OF ignorance
are past, the age OF the fringed tidy,
the silded cIothespin made into a but
ton hook rack. the tumbler pincush-
ion, much beribboned: but really moth.
ing could he more awful or more Il
part OF that same era than one Of the
souvenirs Of Washington conspicu-
ously displayed for the delectation OF
the incoming traveller. This takes the
form Of square Of light. sea green
satin is inches in dia meter. surround
ed with 3-inch red silk fringe
and displa wing In the center a view Of
the Capitol with views Of other public
buildings surrounding il. Lurid sun
set effects are used az backgrounds
and melt away gently into the sea Of
green. There are patches OF deepest
blue and wavy white clouds dotted
here and there.
Hut this is only the beginning II
one has time or inclina ton TO linger.
one will discover little lead capitols
gayly gilded, which. upon examina tion.
may prove their right to existence
through use as inkstands. Then there
ere the silver slippers to he used az
pincushiOns, and the little monu.
ments OF no use at all.
II we must have souvenirs Of Wash
inston why should not we have good
souvenirs. real souvenirs? Is not there
some phila nthropist. some lover Of art
who will come forward and institute a
cOmpAtitiOn for an inexpensive. suit
able Warrington souvenir? This in.
cOnsruous junk which is displaye 40
Eayly must be sold Or il would not be
put forth. and 1t must be sold to the
ignorant, whose ignorance 1t will en-
Eance.
1t Is true that the art displs yed in
the souvenirs is Approximately parallel
to that discernible on the covers Of
most Of the ma masazines on the same
stand, and these. 1t is supposed. repre-
sent modern tendencies. When the
covers it comes to rest with satisfac-
tion on q few without pictorial adorn-
ment. but artistically wearing their
tables Of contents on their shirt
frOnts-at least an artistic use OF type
and an appeal to the intelligence OF
the would. be buyer.
There was a time when ma eazine
covers offered real opportunity for
illustrators. designers. genuine artists
but II one may judge correctly by the
current outlay there ID very little art
employed In this field at the present
time. 1t is the sign painter Of the
lowest order whose wages are most in
evidence, and II the external dress in
such, what can the internal content
be? one would hesitate to look be
yond the cover.
1t In little amusing, however. to
find that the common accepts OF
an educational standard. that which
makes a. fetish of degrees and col
lege course an educational require
ment, has penetrated the conscious
ness OF the public to which these
urid gsyeties make appeal. Quite
number Of the magazines Of the least
scholastic sort. let 1t be said. are en-
titled The College Girl" college
Life" or something similar.
And what Of the novels in gay
bindings with boastful blurbs? They
and the magazines and the souvenirs
seem all one. Is 1t possible that this
represents the taste. the appetite. OF
the travelling public? Heaven forbid.
What q contrast is presented to the
thong htfui traveller from abroad who
recalls tho sta nds in foreign railroad
stations small. inconspicuous sffairs,
setting forth modestly little handy
volumes. well printed on good paper.
Of the classics. the works Of the sreat
novelists OF that nation, the great
poets. unbound and Of such size that
one can slip them easily into ones
handbag. And, for the most part,
what kinds OF souvenirs are sold In
France and Italy along the tourist =
trailo Simple little things. but we'll
designed. well made. objects typical
Of the country, Of its art and its
manufa cture.
On the lsla nd Of Murano. across the
lagoon from Venice. has been made
for centuries some Of the finest glass
In the world. An American Traveller.
discovering in one OF the factories
some v1ty ugly, inartistic objects,
marveled md made inquiry, TO which
the guide responded with shrug.
..Oh. those are made for the American
tuurist: they like that sort OF thing.
Sha me on us.--but why continue the
tradition? Here we are trying to up
build beaitiful city--the most beall-
tiful city In the world. We have
Commission OF Fine Arts to safeguard
us from errors in the department or
architecture, Of sculpture, of civic
decorstion: We ha We q lately appointed
Park Commission to see that our
marks are Artistically laid out: we
have A railroad station which is one
Of the sights OF the world because
not only OF it's size but its masnif1-
cent architectural design: and at our
very gateway we offer souvenirs or
all this in the form OF depioraDly
inept, inartistic, catch-penny articles
without merit, without worth.
There has been movement among
the art.loyins citizens of several cities
to secure more artistic souvenir post
cards. hiladelphia can boast series
Of post cards which reproduce draw
ines by some OF Phila adelphia's most
fa nous artists. among them the late
.IJseph f'enneil. 1t IL not necessary
to do as much as this. perhaps. In
the ha nds Of an artist, photographs
can be made Of great artistic merit:
some are 40 made. Some OF the sou-
venir views Of Washington made by
r. r.. Clark Of this city are essen
TALLY works Of art and admirably in
terpret the beauty Of Washington. We
should have more of these. Think
how lovely and satisfactory a. soft
venirs are the pictorial post cards to
be had in Edinburgh. in Switzerland.
in Venice, to name only few places.
Our post cards are improving. why,
now, should we not turn our attention
IN our souvenirs narY,c,llarly the SOU.
venirs Of our National Capital? 1t
may be said that the public desires
the banal, the inelegant.. the trihins.
but 1t is only fair to give the public
chance. and the fact is that in almost
every insta nee where the public has
been given q chance IT, voluntarily
gives preference to what ia good. At