Evening star., 1941-06-01

broken, to clarity an ever-changing
present and to inform the future
with wisdom the collection, the
library, the house and 26 acres of
the beautiful estate were last year
| turned over to Harvard for use by
research students and to advance
| these objects. At the same time 27
acres were given to the District for
a park. Last autumn the collec-
ton, housed in a building especially
designed for the purpose and en-
tered from Thirty-second street
NV, was opened to the public.
In the early part of the current
year the first research Scholar-in-
residence arrived-a distinguished
French lecturer and teacher; more
lately, a few young research stu
dents have been accepted and set
to work. Despite the restrictions
| imposed by present world condi-
tions the project already is full
filling the desires of those who not
only conceived its potentialities but
through their munificence made 1t
possible for them to find realiza-
ton.
AS very truly stated in an article
by Marvin Chauncey Ross in the
bulletin issued by the Fogg Museum:
america has very few small collec-
tlOnS OF q specialized nature, such,
for instance, as the Hispanic Mu-
seum's collection, in New York, and
certain outstanding collections in
Europe, for the very excellent reason
that most of our museums are de-
signed to serve diversified communi-
ties" The collection at Dumbarton
Oaks, while limited in its field, COW
ers a wide period of time and ex-
tensive territory, but is restricted
within these bounds. 1t begins, we
are informed, with examples of the
arts preceding the founding of
Byzantium, the very early arts of
the Mediterranean world-now the
theater of a great war threatening
the whole world and its culture-in-
Guiding the arts of Greece and Rome
and those of the years of transition
from the old to the So-called new.
The greater proportion of the ex-
hibits is from the early, middle and
full Byzantine period, and each adds
something to the understanding of
the people and the life of the time.
A delightful description is given of
the exhibits, which are exceedingly
varied and embrace jewelry, sculp-
ture, enamels, fine carvings of ivory
and many other articles of beauty
and utility. This collection, which
at first could be seen only through
special permission, is now freely
open to the public, under reasonable
restrictions, daily.
The research library, which is most
closely linked with the collection,
has been in the making for some
years and has grown with surpris-
ing rapidity, until it now contains
some 10000 volumes and also gen.
eral study collection of about 5000
photographs. A special feature OF
the library is the emphasis placed on
publications in Russian relating to
Byzantine art, both in the original
and in translation. But perhaps the
most valuable achievement of the
library so far is the compilation of
its census of original study ma
terial in museums and private own
ership in the United States which
has been carried on and practically
brought to completion by staff men,
bers in cooperation with owners.
Not only will this collection and
library, known as ''Dumbarton Oaks"
advance scholarship in this country,
but it will add something to Wash
ingtnn hv those it will attract here