Evening star., 1928-11-18

Thus eventually members of the society
will be able to assemb!. en- interesting
collection of the representative work.
of leading American sculptors. These
medals will cover in subject a wide
range. not being confined to portraiture
but commemorating facts or events in
natural history, sport. conservation,
forestry, aviation, architecture and the
ike. The organization committee COM
priseS George D. Pratt, Robert w. De
roreSt and Alexander B Trowbridge
professional advisers Herbert Adams
and James Earl Fraser No definite
orders will be placed until at least 1000
Members shall have been assured. This
number of members will make it pos
sible to carry out the plans with an
individual membership fee of only So.
In medallic art France has always
eXcelled, but We have and have had for
some time in this country medalliStS
whose works compare favorably with
the best The medals and medaliic por-
traits Of Saint-Gaudens are exquisite
works, replete with the genius of the
great sculptor-genius which could only
be satisfied by perfection, and was tire
| less in effort to that end. The late Vic
tor D. Brenner was another of our ca
! pable medalliStS. James Earle Fraser'S
medallic portraits rank high in merit.
Weinman and Manship have produced
exceptional work in this field, so also
have some of our woman sculptors, Bea-
trice Longman. Janet Scudder and
Laura Cardin Fraser.
During Roosevelt'S administration at
tention was called to the fact that our
coinage artistically fell far below that
of the countries of Euorpe, and it was
on President Rooseveh's recommended
ton that Sculptors of high standing
we're called in to redesign our coins
The art of the medalist is the art of
the coin maker, and If as a people we
ocnle to recognize the value of art in
common things-medals bestowed for
merit, coin in current use--we will be
advancing our reputation in the eyes of
the world and memorializing our own
passing generation.
MRS. LOUISE KIDDER SPARROW,
A'A whose portrait busts from time to
time have been shown in the annual
exhibitions of the Society of Washing
ton Artists, is at present modelling a
portrait bust of the late Capt James
F. Gillis, under whose charge the United
States Naval Observatory in this city
was established
Old Washingtonians will remember
when the observatory was located
where the Naval Hospital now stands
and when the officer in charge not
only administered the affairs of the
observatory, but. with his family, was
in residence. In those days there was
no Potomac Park, and the river swept
close to the observatory. grounds. SO
that the GilliS boys and their friends
went swimming, as 1t were. from their
own back yard
Mrs. Sparrow has represented Capt.
ellis In an old-faShioned stock, with
hair, rather long, waving back from
a broad, well modelled forehead. She
has worked from a photograph ap-
proved by the family, and under the
advice of Capt. Gillis descendants, who
are deeply interested in the work. Not
only has she endeavored to interpret
personality and likeness. but also to
give her work a certain picturesque
quality which will insure it permanent
interest--not a simple task. And yet
it is well to remember that almost all
of our great men who have been me-
morialaZed through the medium of
sculpture have not been portrayed dur
ing their lifetime, but as in the present
instance, from photographs. painted
portraits and from memory, or even
from tradition. r..
Mrs. Sparrow, who is the wife of
naval officer, maintains a small studio
at 1861 Crescent place, and has therein
an interesting display of portrait
studies. She also is at the present time
doing charming little portrait of her
own son, now schoolboy, as she re-
calls him in babyhood.
Mrs. Sparrow is fortunate in pos
sesSing an admirable portrait of her
son, painted by Mrs. H. X. Bush-Brown
of this city, a full-length, showing the