Evening star., 1937-08-14
PRINTS AT LIBRARY
All Periods Are Represented in Best of This
Field of Art, With Work of Years
Assembled for Public.

uept sie numerous SCTOlS owned hV
some OF the leading museums, but
marveiously reproduced through the
medium OF photography, which show
illustrative dra awings by japanese
artists from the eleventh TO the III
teenth century-very graphic and
amazingly modern. These last are
essentially story telline-the picture
books Of the people, and, even in this
far-of1 land and time, as the scroll is
unWound the story unfolds with COM
plete lnteligibility. That these scrolls
nave come 10 dwell in our national
print collection is not only a matter
OF general congratuls ton. but evidence
OF the willingness of the leading art
institutions 10 share their treasure.
1t should not be thought that our
national print collection puts special
emphasis on rhe remote pssl-far from
1t. In fact, largest and most I'M
portan is rhe section which embraces
the works OF The printma kers of mod
ern nmes-by which, however. we do
not mean The So-cslled "modernists.
During the regime OF Mr.. Parsons, D.
L. Cameron of Edinburgh. now ranked
as one of the grestest living etchers
OF today, was introduced TO Washlnp-
Ton print lovers through an exhibition
OF his plates. Under the present head
Leicester B. Holland. holder OF the
char OF fine arts endowed by the
Carnegie Corp seven years ago. rhe
collection of work. by contemporarv
prlntmakers has been steadily bull,
up until IL now contains example. of
the works of the leading masters
or SUPREME imports is the
Joseph PenneIl collection which
comprebends almost complete record
or thus distinguished American srtists
output. Here are his etchings and his
autographs. hi. illustrated books and
drawings, and in few instances his
water colors. Here also are his writ
lnss on the graphic arts. the cause
OF which he espolsed and defended
as knight of old his liege lord or
iadv, spd finally here is The great. al
most unbelievable collection of Whis-
tler1ana, which he and Mrs penneil so
ssslduousiv assembled and with such
LOYALTY Of friendship
In the national print coilecnon ore
no less than l9 etchings bv Mervon
among them not merely his most
iaIhous plates, Such as lie Stryee'
and Il AoSide de Notre Dame de
fariS out. most SURPRISINGLY as Mer-
Yon never came 10 this country. one
OF San FRANCISCO. Calf. panoramic
view. Ihe story Is that TWO "Forty-
miners Wanted such picture and
learning that Mervon was the best
etcher in Paris. commissioned him TO
produce This plate. About 40 inches
long by perhaps high, IL gives nc
perhaps only Mervon could have given
an excellent view of the queen c,ty
OF our Western coast. born OF The
gold rush. Undoubtedly it must have
oeen reconstructed bv note. and
views sent 10 The ttcher but II has
the stamp OF authority snd certainly
carries conviction. An engaging touch
is gwen This print by q tsblet in th,
lower center, helpful in tn. com oos,-
non. classical in design. and bearino
Inc lnIHsls OF the Two men bv whom
'he WORK was commissioned Too long
20 oe conveniently or 30 telv stored
fhis print now hangs in Mr.. Hollands
Office.
other French etchers are as we'll
represented in this. collection ss Mer-
yon Running casually through The
ca'S 'oghe cards. few among rhe great.
or nesr-great. seem 10 be omitted
Obviously Seymour Hsden is here
ano Al his best, and also is that mos1
FAMOUS of Swedish erchers. the lat.
Anoers Zorn. Especially strong Is
Cne American group. Donald Shaw
Nc ,aughlin's representation is co,,
piete, his autograph collection ha yina
oeen gwen the Library OF CONGRESS-
oN MS wife: others are seen in from
one 10 hVe or six proofs ACQUISITIONS
nave oeen made in This department
through The modest income accruino
from the Hubbard beouest. When tho
Fenneli endowment becomes available |
as IL VIII shortly now, this fund can
oe devoted 10 The purchase OF earlier
masters. BY stipulation, The income
iiom The Pencil fund can onlv he
spent for Pennell prints. Whistler
Items and works produced by print
within the past 100 years
IN A mesS'Ae. outside of the field
or prints. but distinctly within rbe !
sTS phlc arts, are TWO new collect,ons ,
'naneurated and developed by and
lnoer The direction of Mr.. Holland /
l nese are cabinet Of American Illus
lration, ests blished in 1892 and con-
'Sthe OF original drawings bv illus
lrators OF the twentieth century and
earlier, and pictorial archives OF
tariy American architecture, estsb
iSheo Two years later and made IN
Oh measured rawlings and photo. I
graphic negatives OF Early American
o'1llolngs. Books on art made avail /
aole 10 students through the depart-
ment OF fine arts of the Library Of ,
congress number over 10000. OF which
many are on prints and their mskino
Coulo richer veins of gold be found
N snv mine awaiting, as this does !
the prospector9
John Taylor Arms. reckoned nv
common consent among the foremost
OF our contemporary American etch- |
ers, Is an ardent print collector but
one who puts merit before rsr,,v
always. That print collecting i,
rlch mans game is. he saws. 4 mis-.
take, but he has no sympathy with |
those who glost over bargains y.
himself, once saved the price Of n
etching by Brscquemond by eo,no
day after day without lunch. = The
spirit OF acouisition, he insists shouId
be, II loved this print 50 much. 7
needed 1t so much in nv life. that
L was willing to give up holiday
and creature comforts for it." Every
one cannot do this, even il he wou,d
out those who have this love and
may seek satisfaction in the
nauonai print collection, free 10 all |
IN which. through the instrumenta)itv
l.