Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-31
BY LEILA MEcHLIN.

now on view in the Smithso-
MAN Institution. The majority
are of children, few are Of cats,
There Is landscape or two. Christ
mas card and few other subjects.
But this etcher has made speciality
child life more pleasingly. There is
certain picturesqueness and decorative
quality In Vernon Thomas works
which set them apart and make them
of more than subjective interest. What
she does has marked individuality.
Her work is Enthusiastically her own.
The quaint picture5queness of these
etchingS of children recalls instantly
the fascination and charm of Kate
Greenaways Illustrations, which. while
having a great vogue at the time they
we're produced forty or more years ago,
are still popular and are reprinted.
In recent years here in our own coun-
try another woman, Diana Thorne.
British by birth but American by adop-
ton, has specialized In pictures of chill
dren and produced interesting etchingS
of child life, almost invariably with a
little whimsicality of subject. One of
p her most successful is entitled The
North Wind" and shows a group of
children following the bagpipe man as
though he were indeed the Pied Piper
of Hamlin. Among Diana Thorne's
other published subjects is a. group of
small boys playing marbles and soli-
tary little figure Of shepherd boy pip
ing as he sits on hillock.
But Vernon Thomas work is Of quite
q different character. Whereas Diana
Thorne employs almost entirely pure
line, Vernon Thomas makes frequent
and excellent use Of solid black in
masses and in pattern. One cannot but
feel that Vernon Thomas is primarily
an illustrator and secondarily an etcher,
though the medium she uses is en-
ployed well. Special note should be
made of her use of acceSsories-howerS,
plants. birds, butterflies, incidental to
the subject matter but always skillfully
introduced and eXQuisitely drawn.
Whether it is picture Of little girl
with a watering pot or pussy cat on
the back fence, it becomes. through her
Interpretation, portion OF design
the main factor in these instances, but
still part Of whole.
Vernon Thomas was born in Evans
ton. Ill. in 1894. She studied under
Ralph Clarkson, Charles w. Hawthorne
and others. She paints as well as
etches and last year she won the pur-
chase prize given by Mrs. Julius Rosen-
valid for painting entitled The Cut
Outs" showing little girl cutting pic
lures from her big sisters book. Among
her recent works are three paintings
for the childrens room in the medical
division Of Northwestern University,
representing children dancing, sewing
and blowing bubbles, commission from
Mrs. Louis L. Latin in memory OF her
husband.
Vernon Thomas is a member Of the
Chicago Society of Etchers, ana ner
home is in Chicago, though she mas
spent considerable time in New YORK
and was married here in Washington.
Her husband, Earle L. Kirkbride, Is an
etcfer. and for this reason, to prevent
confusion, she retains and uses pro-
fessionally her maiden name.
This exhibition, which takes its place
In the SmithSonian's distinguished Sc
ries for the present season, opened on
March Is and will continue to April II.
DOBERT FULTON LOGAN, who has
IN become in recent years one OF our
foremost American etchers, will hold
an exhibition of dry-pointS and etch-
ingS during the first two weeks IN April
at Gordon Dunthorne's.
Mr.. Logan Is a Canadian by birth,
but he studied at the school of the
Museum Of Fine Arts of Boston, the
Art Institute Of Chicago and under
Philip L. Hale. He began his artistic
career in Hartford, Conn, went abroad
at the time of the World War with
the A. E. F., and at its conclusion was
assistant director of the atelier Of
painting, Bellevue Art Training Cen
ter. When the atelier was closed he
continued to reside in France for a
number Of years and some Of his most
important works were done there. He
is represented in the Luxembourg Mu-
scum, the Chicago Art Institute, the
Library of Congress, the Metropolitan
Museum of Art, the New York Public
Library, the Morgan Memorial Art Mu-
scum, Hartford; the Connecticut State
Library and numerous other collec-
tons.
Mr.. Logan had expected to come
to Washington and install his own ex-
hibit, but an important commission
which had to be completed within a
given time made this impossible.
A PRoPos of the interesting exhibit
( ton of maps painted and in gesso
by Miss Burradge, lately on view at
the Dunthorne Gallery, an interesting
Boston, of maps of America, may fit
tingly be mentioned This contains
illustrations of many quaint maps ana
lists a large number of maps Of the
United States and other countries, the
majority extremely old, quaint and
decorative.
AS a British writer remarked. the
fascination of old maps Is proverbial.
AS long as human nature remains I'M
changed, so long will the unknown
and the mysterious continue to pos
irTa Cos
majority of mankind. Old maps have
this charm, and at the same time that
Of decorative quality.
All of those who have visited Bar
Harbor, Me-, will recall with interest
the beautiful relief maps modelled and
painted by the late Dr. Robert Able,
one Of our most distinguished American
surgeons, and not only a lover but a
producer Of art. For these maps, as
well as his incidental water colors are
OF real artistic ignifcance-finely
modelled, scientifically accurate and ex-
quisitely colored-extremely decorative
In effect.
A T the Arts Club opening today and
continuing to April 10, will be seen
recent paintings Of Morocco, Spain,
Portugal, and floral decorations by Cora
Brooks of Philadelphia, water colors by
Clara r. Saunders of this city, and
etchings by Benson B. Moore. like
wise Washingtonian.
Cora Brooks is pupil of the Phila-
delphia School of Design for Women
and studied under Daingerfield and
Smell. She is member of the
National Association of Women Painters
and Sculptors and the Plastic Club of
Philadelphia, and is one Of that group
of Philadelphia painters emitting them
selves THE Ten" The catalogue of
her exhibits shows an admirable little
reproduction of one of her decorative
flower paintings, an excellent earnest
of the pleasing character of her work
and an inducement to attendance.
Miss Saunders and Benson Moore
are both wel1 known in WashinCkoy,