Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-04-16

the book is directly related to the printed page
Almost every great library has its print room
or rooms. its collections of etchings Autographs
woodcutS, engravings. Perhaps the fact that
he majority of such prints were originally made
as book illustrations has escaped general atten-
ton and recognition There has been a ten
dency on the part of some to regard Illustration
as a minor art; but Rembrandt was an illustra-
tor-witneSs his drawings and etchings illus
rating Biblical scenes; Daumier was an illustra-
tor the majority of his drawings having been
made for illustrative purposes; our own Wins
low Homer began his artistic career as an Illus
traitor. drawing for Harpers Weekly. Abbey
and Alexander began their painter careers as
illustrators.
As DR.. Holland chief of the division Of fine
arts of the Library of Congress. has said in
recent report: Illustration in the last decades
of the last century was probably not only the
most highly developed art in this country but it
reached higher development here than any
w1ere else in the world" And to what heights
it attained: what q delightful chapter in the
history Of American art that decade makes.
The late W. A. Rogers, in his fascinating
book. "a World Worth While" gives an account
of sthe life our American illustrators lived and
of the work they did at that time in New York
This group included Abbey and Mast Kemble.
Remhart. Rogers. Smedley, A. B. Frost, Reginald
Burch and many others.
Something more than year ago the impor-
lance of American illustration was emphasized
by q gift from Mrs. Drake to the Library of
Congress of the Alexander w. Drake Memorial
collection Of wood engravings proof prints in
large part of illustrations made for the Cen
tury Magazine. signed by the artists and &C
quired by Mr. Drake while he was art editor OF
the Century Following this gift came an offer
from william Patten Of Rhinebeck, N. Y,
who was art editor of Harpers Magazine in
the eighties and nineteS of the last century. to
to form for Ia library Of C0OQr2SS a
collection of original drawings made as illustra-
tions during the golden age" at the end OF the
nineteenth century. Knowing personally most
of the illustrators of the period Mr. Patten vol
unteered to approach them. or their heirs In
order to see what original drawings could still
be found. This he has done most successfully,
meeting on every hand with the greatest gener-
osity and enthusiasm. Already the Library has
received drawings by Abbey, Bush, Church,
Glackens, Charles Graham, E. w. Kemble
Thomas Mast, C. S. Reinhart, w. A. Rogers
Smedley and Alice Barber Stephens and to
these will be added later promised gifts of draw
ings by Otto Bacher. William Appleton Clark,
Charles Livingston Bull Frederick Dielman,
Charles Falls. A. B. Frost, Jules Guerin. Arthur
l. Keller Wallace Morgan. Edward Penfield, May
Wilson Preston, Albert Sterner Frederick Dorr
Steele F. Walter Taylor and F. c. Yohn Thus
there is every prospect that the Library of Con-
gress will before long, possess cabinet OF
American illustration unique in the world,
which will serve an historical record OF .
great American art, and will provide invaluable
material for study and inspiration to illustrators
of later times.
"A LILLIAN T. SAEDLEY. whose work consti-
w tutes this first exhibition Of original illus
trati0ns in the Library Of Congress. was born
March 26, 1885, In Chester County. Pa. At the
age Of Is he entered . newspaper office. Later
he studied engraving in Philadelphia, drawing
and painting 1t the Pennsylvania Academy Of
Fine Arts When he was 70 yeaEs Of ale he