Evening star., 1927-12-04
BY LEILA MECHLIN.

"RANK GARDINER HALE. mas.
l. ter craftsman and metalist OF
Boston, is holding at Jane Bart.
Il lett's, 1903 Connecticut avenue.
his annual exhibition of hand
wrought jewelry and enamels, and
thereby demonstrating anew not only
the artistic merit of cotemporary
craflwork but the fact that the ma.
chine, with all it's magic, can never
successfully compete with man in art
production. For designing and exc
cutting such iewelry as Mr.. Hale gives
us is art of the finest quality--art
such as was produced at the time of
the high Renaissance in Italy and
work which the master craftsmen of
those days would have been proud to
claim. This may seem high praise,
but it is none too high.
The craftsman of today works under
extremely difficult conditions and
against great handicap-that of mod
ern commercialsm. The cry and the
need of the age is for quantity pro-
duction, for speedy processes. for
standards which are not too high for
the uninitated. When complaint is
made to the retailer that the things
he markets are inferior in artistic de-
sign he is apt 10 shrug his shoulders
public demand. But it is a fact. and
one which should be boldly emblazoned
in public places, that that which is
really good. supremely fine. has never
failed to find a market. This is evil
denced by the patronage which Mr..
Hale's work receives. Without such
patronage it could not be produced.
Not only has Mr.. Hale's work found
an appreciative public in Boston, New
York and Washington. but in many
other places throughout the United
States. Many more requests come to
him for the privilege of exhibiting and
selling his work than he can accede to.
Obviously. he and his two assistants
have limited power of production.
especially so long as they uphold the
present high standard. When asked
why he did not increase his working
force. Mr.. Hale said that to do so
would mean turning an art into a
business. which he would never do
Mr.. Hale is not only a fine designer
and most skillful craftsman, but an
enthusiastic supporter of the arts and
crafts movement, member of the
council of the Boston Society of Arts
and Crafts, an organizer of the Art
Association of Marblehead, where he
has his Summer home, and an ex.
tremely capable lecturer on the handi.
crafts. Each Winter he not only
holds a series of exhibitions in differ.
ent parts of the country but gives
demonstration lectures in schools and
colleges and before art associations.
thus spreading a knowledge of real
craftSma anShip and it's Significance
In a notable address made at the
latest convention of the American
Federation of Arts. held in Boston last
May. Mr.. Hale said: with the advent
of the machine, which does everything
for us and is working nightly to
deaden our appreciative sense, we are
accepting its wonders without thought
end are in danger of losing our vision.
We are forgetting what the old guilds.
men and craftsmen knew. so we'll
that the mechanical perfect is the
artistic commonplace. The
machine has added very greatly to
the wealth Of our country, but I am
sure that the future philosopher will
weigh with greater accuracy the pur-
will Offset it with losses to the human
race, great losses. even though we are
mostly unconscious of them"
The collection which Mr. Hale is
showing here at this time comprises
pendants and chains, brooches. pins.
cuff links. etc. Some are in gold.
others in silver. others in a combina-
tion OF gold and silver and precious
and semi-precious stones. There is one
exquisite pendant showing a design of
grapes and leaves, the former in silver
and the latter in gold. the stones used
being amethysts and vari-colored sap.
phires-a lovely colorful piece, rich
and at the same time not overwrought.
1t is in the appropriateness of design
to use that Mr.. Hale's jewelry stands
pre-eminent; and this is right, for in
the decorative arts utility and beauty
must go hand in hand.
There is. or has been. a prevalent
belief that craft work is of necessity
clumsy. but again Mr.. Hale's work
disproves such supposition. 1t is
wrought with technical perfection,
with amazing finish. Pieces such as
he produces can worthily be handed
down from generation to generation,
engendering pride on the part of the