The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-07-21

Man shares with the maybe the
collectors instinct. In his early de-
velopment his collections are not
markedly different from the mag
pies.
The savage and the child, like the
acquisitive, pied-plumaged bird,
gather bright beads and stones and
bits of colored glass and metal
whatever glitters or glows or tinkles
finding these foolish treasures OBJ
jects Of delight and piling the min
precious hoard. But of the three:
savage, child and maybe, the mag
pie alone remains the purely ats
thetic collector.
Children and savages quickly
learn to barter the boards that they
have accumulated. Their collecting
drifts easily into commercial enter
prise and it is not long before a
change takes place in the character
of their collections. Articles that
are saleable displace those that are
not and the ambitious collector
ceases to accumulate trinkets be-
cause they satisfy his love Of the
beautiful and devotes himself to ac-
quiring valuables that can be traded
or sold.
Alas for the demoralizing effects
of dawning civilization The mag
pie has all the best of it. He takes
for himself what catches his fancy
and he cares not a rap what other
magpies may think or say Of it 1t
is hard for human collectors to win
back to maybe independence. But
occasionally they do. Occasionally
man is found who collects certain
things simply because they appeal
to him.
He is not concerned with future
profits and in all likelihood his ulti-
mate object is eventually to share
his treasure with all who may find
them interesting. He does this by
placing his collection on public view
Either in his own home or in a
public gallery or museum the OBJ
jects are arranged and displayed,
and their educational and aesthetic
attributes influence public thought
and become targets for public criti-
cism.
Various collections assembled by
individuals have through the years
been placed in the John Heron Art
Institute of this city.
Some have been gifts; some have
been loans. All have contributed to
the value of the museum as treas
ure house of objects of art.
At the present time several COL
lections of this type are housed in
the museum.
Choice examples Of paintings, of
porcelains, pewter, carved ivory and
fine textiles have been discriminate
ingly grouped by certain generous
collectors who have enjoyed the
thrill of searching out and acquiring
these works of art and now display
them that all the world may partici-
pate in their satisfaction.
During the summer months when
visiting exhibitions are few, the mu-
scum makes fresh arrangements of
its permanent and loan collections,
presenting the various items in new
combinations and with a change of
background.
A collection of luster jugs lent by
Mr.. and Mrs. Will H. Latta is shown
arranged in a wall case and makes
a most interesting display. These
are jugs and small pitchers and COB
lets differing in design and orna-
mentation, but all finished in the
metallic lustre glaze.
The Staffordshire ware collected
by Mrs. Julius F. Pratt and lent by
her daughters, Mrs. Ernest Knefler
and Mrs. VIM. G. Bobbs, occupies
one case. This blue ware was made
in England but much of it was in
tended for the American. trade. and
bears designs of American subjects.
Descriptive cards designate each
item.