Evening star., 1942-07-19
By JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

BY simply going to the basement
Of their home at 2309 First street
NV, Louis B. Thompson, member
Of an old Washington family, his
wife and father can experience an
unusual change in environment.
So complete is the transition, it is
almost as if they had stepped into
another country A departure from
the usual basement room arrange
ment has been achived by means
Of Mr. Thompson's creative skill and
deft experimentation with hammer,
saw, modelling tools and paint brush.
He has had no assistance in working
out this project, except that given
by his father, l.. z. Thompson, re-
Gently retireo as an examiner in the
Patent Office. The elder Mr.. Thomp-
son describes himself as his sons
apprentice. ~...-.
The son has brought about the.
extraordinary results which have
changed once conventional, little
used basement room into a thing
of beauty by his use of what he
describes as fragments of time"
after his daily work as a voice and
speech teacher here and in Balti-
more. Sometimes he manages to
get in an hour or two at his avoca-
tion early in the morning before his
own household Is stirring.
Centered About Memorial.
The rooms central motif is a
shrine as exquisite as that in the
wayside chapel of some religious
order. All of it. except for the fig-
ures of the Holy Family. are of Mr..
Thompson's own fashioning and de-
sign. 1t is memorial to his mother.
In harmony with the soft wood
chrome finish of the shrine are all
of the rooms various appointments,
even the lighting accessories, which
were designed and made by Mr..
Thompson.
The project had its beginnings
four years ago this August. In his
effort to find consolation in some
new task after his mothers death,
Mr.. Thompson started building what
he hoped might be the first of a
series of chests in the basement of
his home to hold his rare examples
of ancient music scores, collected
during his musical studies abroad
and stored in his studio at 1902 K
street NV.
Today, after the manner of their
old-world prototypes in refectories,
they line the walls of the basement
But, in addition to holding their
stores of music scores, they now
serve as seats for some so to so
guests, when Mr.. Thompson and
his music pupils give their recitals
in this room.
UtiIitarian Features Kept.
The easements essential utih-
tartan features have not been inter-
fered with by the transformation.
The furnace, wash tubs, garden
tools, hose and other equipment are
concealed but easy to reach.
The walls Of the basement are OF
stone and the floor of concrete. The
open wooden rafters he has left
exactly as they were. except for
painting them A Madonna blue.
He builds his own designs as he
works. His media vary to include
wood, beaver-board, clay, plaster
and sort of special process of his
own in modelled wet paper.
Having almost exhausted the pos
sibilities Of his basement, Mr.
Thompson is now experimenting
with oil painting. and what he be-
lieves to be an original process in
pen and ink portrayals. He achieves
| the latter with various sized brushes
by series of dots in many colored
inks. which he mixes himself. The
result is coloring as effective as
that of a soft pastel His series of
studies in American Indians in this
medium is unusually effective in its
color blendings.
Among the rooms many interest
! ing treasures is an old Hohenleiter