Evening star. [volume], September 25, 1937, Page B-3, Image 17

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
COPLEY, AMERICAN MASTER
His Work Is Notably Represented in Additions to Collection of
Portraits at Corcoran Gallery of Art—Geniuses Who
A ’ Sprang Full-Fledged Into Fame.
By Levla Mechlin,
THE portrait collection at the
Corcoran Gallery of Art has
been greatly augmented by the
loan from Mr. Copley Amory,
of this city and Boston, of three not
able paintings by early American
artists. Two of these are by John
Singleton Copley, from whom the
lender is descended. The third is of
- Copley's son-in-law, Gardiner Greene
of Boston, and is by Francis Alexan
der. pupil of Gilbert Stuart.
Most notable of this group is the
large canvas depicting the Copley
family, painted in London, shortly
after the Copleys took up residence
there in Revolutionary days, and in
cludes not only Copley, his wife and
four children—one boy and three girls
—but also his father-in-law, Richard
Clarke, wealthy Boston merchant and
intrepid Tory', to whom the cargo of
tea destroyed in the "Boston
Party” was consigned.
It is a charming composition, well
arranged, in the then prevailing style,
bounded by draperies in the fore
ground and offset by a landscape back
ground. A touch of domestic intimacy
is given by a treasured doll thrown
down at the left corner of the canvas
and most carefully portrayed. The
little boy in this picture was destined
later to become Lyndhurst and to serve
three times as lord chancellor of Eng
land. The little girl in the immediate
foreground was the great grandmother
k of Mr. Copley Amory. The portrait
has never been out of the possession
of the family.
JN THE whole history of American
art, thrre is perhaps no more in
teresting figure than John Singleton
Copley, and none whose achievement
better illustrates the fact that artists
are born—not made. His parents (both
of English stock) emigrated from Ire
land to New England via the West
Indies. Before very long after their
arrival, the father died, and in 1748
Mrs Copley remarried, taking as her
scconn^ riusoana Peter Prmam, painter
end mezzotint engraver and teacher of
reading, writing and other accom
plishments.
Pelham's influence on his stepson’s
art i although it extended over a brief
period i was very great, and despite
the fart that, Copley was only 14 years
old at the elder person's death, he was
veil grounded by Pelham in drawing
and the rudiments of painting and
engraving. Children matured earlier
in those days than in these. When
Copley was only 13 he painted a
portrait of his stepfather. The follow
* ing year he did one of his half
brother. Charles Pelham, which was
followed by one of the Rev. William
Welsteed, of which he madp and pub
lished an engraving. By the time he
was 17 he had set up as a portrait
painter, and before he was 21 he was
well established in Boston as an artist
of large standing.
This seems to us today little short
Of miraculous, considering the meager
npss of his education and oppor
►tt tnities for study. But he had un
doubtedly had access nor only to
works by Smibert, Blackburn and
other itinerant painters from abroad,
but also to paintings of European
masters brought to this country vby
well-to-do families; and he was born
In an age when a wave of good paint
ing crested—no one knew how or why.
'TTHERE is, strangely enough, some
doubt as to the year of Copley's
birth—some give it as 1737—others as
1738. The Metropolitan Museum of
Art. New York, with the majority,
»accepts the former, hence it held its
Copley commemorative exhibition the
first of the current year, while the
Museum of Fine Arts. Boston, holding
to the second, postponed one until
after the first of next January. In
any event the day was July 3. as at
tested in a letter written by his
daughter.
Up to 1774 Copley made his home
In Boston, buying and living on a
farm, located between what is now
the "Common" and the Charles Rivpr.
His house was approximately where
the State House now stands, and to
his studio there went to be painted
many of the leading citizens of New
England, among them founders of
the Republic and our cherished in
stitutions. as well as their “ladies,” i
women of stern character and dignity. !
As a well-known writer has said, John
Singleton Copley was a typical product
of early Boston, and his portraits em
body the very life and breath of
aristoeratie New England. Indeed,
the possession of a Copley portrait has
long sinee been regarded as a badge
► of aristocracy. Some of the austerity {
of pioneer days and New England
Puritanism found its way into the
portraits Copley painted in this coun- j
try, despite the fact that, from the
very first and until the end, he de
lighted in depicting textiles, painting
costumes with infinite and at times
meticulous care.
The current of Copley’s life seems
to have been largely determined by
external events, and certainly his
career was influenced by the inter
vention of persons who were but re
motely connected with him by family
ties or business associations. It was
through the influence of one sea
faring friend that he was persuaded
to spend the Winter of 1771 in New
York, which added to his revenues as
well as to his reputation and circle
of acquaintanceship; and it was
through another, Capt. R. G. Bruce,
that his work was brought to the at
tention of Benjamin West and ex
hibited in London. In 1766, when
Bruce was contemplating a' voyage to
England, he persuaded Copley to let
him take with him the portrait of
his half-brother, Henry Pelham, en
titled “Boy With Squirrel,” that it
might be displayed in one of the
London shows. Copley consenting,
Capt. Bruce sailed off with the can
vas, and on arrival in London took it
to Benjamin West, American-born
genius and tireless friend of all
American painters, who immediately
wrote Copley in high commendation,
brought it to Reynolds’ attention,
and entered It in the Society of
Artists' current exhibition, where it
occasioned much favorable remark.
Shortly thereafter Copley was elected
a fellow of this society and much
pressure was exerted to induce him
to go to London to live.
fiUT business was good in this coun
try at that time for outstanding
portrait painters and Copley had mar
ried and had a growing family. It
took more courage than he had to risk
all for that ■which glamored at a dis
tance. When he did eventually yield
and set sail in 1774, it was with the
desire to travel in Europe and see the
works of the great masters rather than
with the Intent of setting up a studio
in London that he was motivated. He
r.
» *
I had his period of travel and study, but
| before it was completed the Revolu
i tionary War came or* and his wife de
! cided it expedient to leave America
| with her Tory father and her little
; children. Copley found them in Lon
don in 1776 when he returned from
his travels in Europe, and there he
i remained until his death in 1815; al
i ways expecting, however, to return to
! Boston, always calling himself an
: American painter.
i His success as a painter in England
| was astoundingly large, when one con
siders the greatness of the English
school of portrait painting of the pe
riod. and that it was with such men
as Reynolds, Romney, Lawrence and
Hoppner that he was in competition.
West took pains to introduce him and
advance his interests, but it was to
Copley's good painting and intelligence
that his success was actually due.
Among the most famous works of
his English period were historic can
vases representing the "Death of Lord
Chatham” and "The Death of Maj.
Pierson,” both of which now hang in
the Tate Gallery, London, and by per
mission of Parliament were lent to the
Copley exhibition held at the Metro
politan Museum of Art in New York.
The former depicts William Pitt (Lord
Chathami just after his collapse in
the House of Lords, where he had gone
to plead the cause of the Colonies. Its
composition comprises 55 portraits of
parliamentarians and by-standers.
1 ’’I''HE RE is disagreement among
1 Cri£ir.X as to thp r>nmnarativi>
! merits of Copley's work done in Amer- i
ica and that produced in London. The 1
former is certainly more direct and
■ simple, the latter shows greater suavity [
and technical excellence. Some claim :
that the latter is “overelegant,” but
had he not been influenced by the
fashions of the day. it would have been
; strange indeed. That he held to his
i own individuality throughout is suffl- 1
ciently remarkable
Cuthbert Lee, in his admirable book
on ' Early American Portrait Paint
ers,” calls attention to the fact that,
as insidious as is the term, Copley
and his colleagues, West, Stuart and
Malbone, were “fashionable portrait
painters." What brought them clients
was pre-eminently their artistic abil
ity, but this was not all—“a substan
tial number of their patrons had
natures which quickened at the sight
of beauty and had cultural back- 1
grounds w'hich demanded artistic
worth.” Also, the painters them
selves "had the ability to get along
pleasantly with their fellow-men, w>ere
keen-minded, warm-hearted, interest
ing and agreeable men to meet and
to know.” They, as well as their
art, were esteemed.
The prices they asked for their
works were, as compared to prices
today, extremely small, but the pur
chasing power of money was much
greater then than now, and the suc
cessful painters (such as Copley)
earned a very substantial income.
West charged only £5 for portraits
painted America and Copley about
£11. But during his Winter in New
York his commissions brough him in
over 300 guineas and he was able
also to maintain an elaborate estab- j
lishmen in London until his vogue
dwindled. Let it not be forgotten
that these painters so prized today
were prized and duly rewarded in
their own day. Successful then, their
works were high-priced and mar
ketable as now.
It Is an interesting thought, in
connection with the early American
portrait painters that they seem to
have sprung full-fledged into con
summate ability and fame. But this
is not a phenomenon in any field
dominated by genius. Nor should
it for a moment be supposed that
our early American art sprang from
the soil. LJke our civilization, it was
rooted in Europe. Our early Ameri
can portrait painters derived imme
diately from England, but indirectly
from Italy, France and the Nether
lands. This fact in no wise lessens
the miracle of its up-springing in the
wilderness or the merit of the achieve
ment.
,'J''HE Corcoran Gallery is fortunate
in having on display, at present,
not only the great canvas of the
Copley family, but three other paint
ings by Copley, collectively indicative
of his scope and ability. These are
the portraits of Jacob Fowle, typical
of his period—in red coat—presented
to the Corcoran Gallery of Art by
Miss Dangerfield- the portrait of
Mary Turner Sargent, most gracious
and particularly indicative of Cop
ley's ability to render textures ex
quisitely, lent by Mrs. Arthur Mc
Arthur, and the fine portrait of
Eleazer Tyng belonging to Copley's
early period, very serious and sig
nificant—lent by Mr. Amory.
All of these portraits are now to De
seen in the second American room
at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, which
has recently been redecorated and re
hung. They are, what is more, in
excellent company, for adjacent on
the same walls are such works con
spicuous for merit, as well as because
of the distinction of the sitter, as
"Portrait of Chief Justice Shippen,”
by Gilbert Stuart; "Self Portrait,’’ by
Edward Malbone; "Portrait of Col.
Richard W. Johnson,” by Neagle
(who, by the way, it will be remem
bered, did an excellent portrait of
Stuart); "Benjamin Franklin," by
Joseph Wright, and "John Randolph
of Roanoke,” by Chester Harding.
Standing before a portrait by one
of our early American painters, Gari
Melchers, one of the greatest painters
of our day, was heard to exclaim:
J uu Ji; OU ailiipic, SO
fine—so much better than any of us
can do today.” To this question there
still is no answer. We do know1, how
ever, that they were richly endowed,
completely sincere, good craftsmen,
intellectually aleit and fully supported
by a no less intelligent public.
At this time, when we are celebrat
ing the sesquicentennial of the fram
ing of our Constitution, it is particu
larly interesting to be able to study
thp faces of the framers and their
associates, as set forth by the portrait
painters of the period.
Two Interesting Recent Publica
tions on Portraits, issued by the
Oxford University Press.
|N CONNECTION with the subject
of portraits and portrait painters,
two volumes, recently published by the
Phaidon Press of Vienna and the Ox
ford University Press. New York, come
to mind as especially notable. One
is devoted exclusively to the work of |
Titian, while the other is given over
to "Self Portraits” by artists from
antiquity to the present day. Both are
literally picture books, being made up
almost entirely of reproductions rather
than text.
The volume on Titian has five-and
a-half pages of scholarly and engaging
introductory text by Prof. Hans Tietze
of Vienna, who, it will be remembered,
lectured a couple of years ago in this
city before the Washington Society
of Fine Arts and is a leading authority ,
on art: besides a chronological table ]
of epoch-making events in his life, a j
-The Copley Family,” by John Singleton Copley, lent to the Corcoran Gallery of Art by
Mr. Copley Amory. _ —Star Staff Photo.
list of his works with their where
abouts and a bibliography, 48 pages
in all. In addition to which there are
350 lull-page reproductions, some in
color, of Titian’s paintings, the ma
jority of which are portraits of the
great of his day, the high Renaissance.
What an assemblage they constitute!
With what skill and genius they were
portrayed by this greatest of Venetian
masters! Even those persons who are
widely traveled and familiar with the
great galleries of Europe will find this
pictorial record revealing to an un
believable degree.
"The Five Hummed Self-Portraits,”
edited and introduced by Ludwig
Goldschneider, translated by Byam
Shaw, confirms and increases impres
sions created by the works of Titian.
Here we have not only man as inter
preted by man through the painter’s
art, but man as seen by himself. In
most instances the version as pre
sented carries conviction. "The mir
ror above all, the mirror, is our
teacher!" Leonardo da Vinci once ex
claimed; and we should not forget
that the slender purse, rather than
self-conceit, more often causes artists
to so resort to self as model.
''J'HE intellectuality as well as the
sensitiveness of the self-portraits
which look out at us from these
pages is remarkable. The long-haired,
wild-eyed genius of fiction does not
appear until our own era is pictured.
Instead, we see among these men of
genius evident normality, apparent
strength, character and self-respect,
based, perhaps, on faith in their high
calling. Aside from the art, what in
terest is to be found in the personal
equation! How did the great artists
of all time look, how' much did they j
paint themselves into their pictures?
In this book we have an answ'er to i
these questions.
In the volume on "Titian,” profes
sor Tietze remarks that every great
artist is unique in all he undertakes,
and that while genius must be nour
ished to attain full strength, true great
ness (such as Titian’sj is innate from
the beginning. Also, he reminds us
that what such artists paint is what
their seeing eyes perceive, such per- ]
reption being predicated on sensi
tiveness to artistic beauty even as an
intellectual need; and that without
the intention of creating something
new, they inevitably renewed the spirit
of art through their individualistic
expression. This is as applicable to
the art of today as to that of the
past, to the work of our early Amer
ican portrait painters as to that of
those of the Renaissance. It is one
of the truths that are eternal.
In the list of Titian's masterpieces,
tlie "Venus With Mirror" in the Mel
lon National Gallery of Art collection
is noted, together with other important
works now in public collections in New
York, Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis and
other cities of the United States. But
to learn from thus source that there
are, or were, not levs than 38 Titians
in the Prado in Madrid, gives one
pause—what has been or will be their
fate?
Portraits of Oriental Types, by
Miss Noyes.
WENT Y-EIGHT portrait drawings
of Oriental types by Miss Betha
Noyes of this city are being shown
as a special exhibition by the Art As
sociation of Newport, Rhode Island,
from September 20 to October 2.
These, in pencil and colored crayon,
were done on Miss Noyes’ recent trip
to Sumatra. They represent members
of the crew of the vessel on which
she made the long voyage and w'ere
done at the suggestion of the friends
with whom she traveled and with the
permission and encouragement of the
captain. It is to be hoped that they
will later be exhibited here.
--
American Premiere
Of Schumann Concerto
'J'HE Robert Schumann violin con
certo, which has generated a mild
furore in the music world since be
ing unearthed from the Berlin Staats
bibliothek recently, will receive its
American premiere with an American
symphony orchestra by the St. Louis
Symphony on November 12. Yehudi
Menuhin, influential in the "discovery"
of the work, plays the solo score, and
Vladimir Golschmann conducts the
orchestra in his seventh season with
the group, which launches its fifty
eighth year. The concerts take place
in the Opera House of the Municipal
Stadium.
Introduction to the world of this
work will be made October 20 over an
international radio hook-up by the
British Broadcasting Co. Symphony
Orchestra under Sir Adrian Boult.
Jelly d'Aranyi handles the solo instru
ment.
I Toscanini to Conduct
In National Broadcast
^RTURO TOSCANINI, considered
the greatest living conductor, re
| turn* to America to bring hi* peerless
j interpretation* before an even more
j vast circle of admirer*—the radio
S audience—on Christmas night. Na
tional Broadcasting Co. has engaged
the acknowledged maestro for a se
ries of 10 Saturday night concerts, In
which he conducts a newly and es
pecially created N. B. C. Symphony
Orchestra. It is the first full-size, full
time major orchestra to be maintained
by an American broadcasting or- j
ganization that will be at the disposal
I of the maestro.
In returning to this country about
; December 15, Toscanini comes back
to the land where he has had per
sonal triumphs as great as any in
the annals of his art. It was during
his sewn years of association with
! the orchestra of the Metropolitan
Opera House, from 1908 to 1915, that
he rose from the ranks of fine con
ductors to the pinnacle of individual
supremacy among them.
In 1920 Toscanini returned to La
Scala in Milan where. In earlier
1 years, his genius had matured. Then,
after appearances with great orches
tras in various parts of the world, he
devoted most of his time to his con
sistently brilliant concerts in America.
Last year he left again, and was
thought to be lost to his host of
American admirers until he con
sented to his present engagement over
the networks.
Boston Concerts.
'T'HE BOSTON SYMPHONY OR
CHESTRA, with Dr. Serge Kous
sevitzkl waving the baton for his four
teenth successive year in the New Eng
land city, beings its fifty-seventh •
season in Its own home. Symphony
Hall, on Friday, October 8. Twenty
four pairs of Fridav-Saturdav concerts
and a shorter double series for Mon- j
days and Tuesdays will be Included, as
well as a tour of the East and Near!
West.
Dr. Koussevitzki announces a spe- '
cial emphasis upon the works of Mo
zart and Beethoven this season, but
will also bring forward a number of
new and significant compositions of
the present day, as Is customary with
him.
- —^ ^ •jj—$
FLOATING HOMES
(Continued From Page B-l.) i
the galley. The Allens, whose smiles '
ire generous while looking down on
It, acquired the little fellow on one
sf their recent Jaunts to Florida and,
iccording to Mr. Alien, alligators grow
snly one inch every year, while many j
tenaciously live on for centuries, so ;
Mr. Allen contemplates a disposal as
soon as pet "Albert” shows any signs
>f growth. He thrives on raw ham
burger meat fed to him by Mrs. Allen.
The crew’s quarters in the forepart
ire occupied exclusively by the senior
Allens.
At the rising of temperature, the j
rather spacious aft deck house can be
converted into comfortable sleeping 1
quarters. Try to imagine for yourself
the picturesque setting there would be
at night. A sky with its usual moon
and stars, but closer, the river, and
long lines of bridge lights reflecting
hazy streaks on the water. Incom
parable beauty, this!
rPHE Allens’ rowboat or "town car”
makes several trips from boat to
dock during the course of a day. In
the mornings some member of the
family, accompanied by "Wooley,” the
large dog. who never misses his chance,
rows father to shore so that the small •
boat will be available to those left
at home. Incongruities, somehow, do
not exist.
Walter Blount, in the legal depart
ment of the Home Owners’ Loan Corp., !
and one time county judge of the;
Trial Justice Court in Berryville, Va.,
lx skipper and owner of the sunshine,
a cruising houseboat, and yet not
strictly so. says Mr. Blount, since it
lacks the square windows and height,
whereas she possesses he regular ship
like portholes. Moored at the Wilson
Line dock, it Ls 71 feet overall, 16!z
feet beam, 4 feet draft, the wider beam
than on the Chicago adding much
space to the naked eye.
venient devices and the same number
of cabins, the two yachts are super
ficially similar; a majority of the
salient diversities develop from that
psychological term, “individual dif
ferences.” On the Sunshine a passage
way connects the state rooms (Mr.
Blount prefers this wordi to the din
ing room, and there is a grand hone-st
to-goodness stairway, including the
balustrade and all. The aft deck
house, roomier because of the wider
beam, serves the Blounts as a front
porch.
rPHIS particular yacht was pur
chased September 20 of last year
from Carl Bickel, former president of
the United Press, who kept his prom
ise about retiring when he did—at 52.
Realizing the peculiarities of every
sailing vessel!. Mr. Blount thought it
wise to engage the services of an adept
captain to bring the Sunshine down
from New York. As though pre
meditated, the yacht was given the
chance to prove its seaworthiness by
braving two terrific windstorms, one
a 35-mile gale and the other a 55
miler. The wind, blowing furiously,
caused an endless roll, glasses fell
crashing in a mournful heap, the ra
dio slid from one side of the table
to the other, French frys that were
on the stove went helter-skelter all
over the galley and one porthole swung
open, but fortunately escaped taking
in any water. A houseboat, in the
strict sense of the word, could never
have endured such harsh treatment.
Mr. Blount, who deeply cherishes the
memory of these two breath-taking ex
periences, gave vent to his feelings
when he said he would enjoy doing
the whole trip over again. Here is the
course: “Between the mainland and
Long Island through the East River
narrows, outside of Sandy Hook be
tween Atlantic City to Cape May. and 1
then the ocean, around the cape and
into the Delaware Bay (rougher than
the Chesapeake) where it tapers into
he Chesapeake and Delaware Canal—
iea level and no lock*—into Northern
Chesapeake.” The w'hole Journey eal
:ulates about 800 miles. Out there
jasoline boats cruise around looking
tor customers so that they may sell
their wares, everything from bras*
polish to gasoline. Buying gasoline
might be compared to driving your
car to a filling station and saying,
■fill her up. please.”
Much polish Is needed to keep brass
plate shiny and bright, for the salt
water frequently plays pranks of
changing the golden blaze into dull
ness, all within the batting of an eye
lash. “PolLshing keeps a crew busy,"
says Mrs. Blount, who promptly drew
the analogy between that and David
Harum’s theory of why dogs have fleas.
Pilot, engineer, one man at the bow
line and one man at the stem line
comprise the crew at cruising time.
The telegraph system, like one on the
Chicago, enables pilot on the bridge
and engineer In the engine room to
work In a co-operative manner.
Bar Examg
(Continued Prom Page B-l 1
assigned to the brooding silence of ma
chineless rooms.
Every applicant is assigned a num
ber. which he write* at the top of
each paper, and the examiners have
no way whatsoever of knowing whose
papers they are marking. At such ft
state of high tension are many of the
entrants that it is not unusual for
some of them to end up with a differ
ent number on their last paper than
on the first, as the digits are inad
vertently reversed or scrambled amid
the increasing nervousness and at
tempt at speed on the part of a jittery
student.
J^ALPH GIVEN, the efficient secre
tary and mainstay of the com
mittee, is custodian of the numbers,
and lists opposite each of them the
grade received on each paper from
the respective examiners. A totftl of
not less than 420 point* for the six
papers is required. Applicants aver
aging less than 420 or “flunking” more
than two papers, even though their
average totals 420. must take the en
tire examination again, in an ensuing
June or December, if they wish to be
admitted to the bar, and not infie
quently have to take it several times
before succeeding. Many State* with
leas rigid requirements require the un
successful applicant to take another
examination only on the subjects
which he has failed.
Mr. Given recalls that during the
World War the requirements of the
committee were waived to the extent
of permitting an oral instead of writ
ten examination of prospective appli
cants who had been ordered to leave
for training camps.
After the written examination is
over and successfully passed, the
moral character, references and past
record of each applicant are rigorously
scrutinized and he is required to ap
pear in person before a member of the
committee for an oral examination
as to character and fitness.
Despite the constantly-raked re
quirements of most States in the mat
ter of admission to the bar, the rap
idly-increasing number of attorneys
would seem to indicate that the mod
ern youth does not share the unhappv
opinion voiced by Thomas Middleton
about 1590 that "whoso loves law dies
either mad or poor.” There are now
about 175.000 lawyers in the United
States, On the basis of the 19.70
occupational census, there was one
lawyer for every 862 of the population
of this country, or 131 per hundred
thousand, as contrasted with 47 for
every hundred thousand in England.
227 in Fiance and in Germany, and
40 in Italy.
The District of Columbia, with one
RARE SOURCES OF WISDOM HERE PUT LIFE INTO EDUCATION
' - A_____
History Made in Capital, Which Preserves for All Time
Vivid Reminders of Events That Gave
Interest to World Affairs in Past.
By Lucy Salamanca.
ii s'—s. NLY to live in Washington
/ \ is an education!” exclaimed
I I "one famous educator after
a visit in the National Capi
tal. And no one who has had the
privilege will disagree with him. How
much, then, have those thousands of
students who will spend this coming
school year here to be thankful for
beyond the simple fact of their regis
tration in some educational institu
tion. To live in Washington while
one is pursuing a course in art, sci
ence, history, or any subject one might
mention is to breathe life into the
curriculum, to endow the facts in
the text books with a warmth and
glamour that only first-hand contact
w’ith places, people and things can
bring about. The school boy or girl
privileged to attend classes in Wash
ington is getting his education by liv
ing. as well as by studying—and that
is all the difference between a glowing
vital conception of knowledge and an
accumulation of pigeonholed facts.
He garners, as it were, two educations
* that outlined in the catalogue and
that seen, felt and heard in an ideal
cultural environment.
History, through this magic of the
Washington environment, becomes as
real to the student as current events.
And in no other comer of the world
car. it be made so peculiarly the stu
dent s own. He reads, to cite one in
stance, of the beginnings of the Na
tion, and no more than an hour’s
ride from his class room he can stroll
at will through the home of our first
patriot, study at first hand the dress
and customs of the times, take in
something of the inspiration that per
nonai contact aione can give and de
velop an appreciation of George Wash
ington and our early national strug
gles with which thousands of text
books could not imbue him.
JJE HAS, only as distant as a brisk
walk or bus ride, the Capitol of
the United States for his school room.
No matter what angle of our national
history he has chosen for study,
there is available to him here
every facility for first-hand acquaint
ance with his chosen subject. In the
very room where the first Supreme
Court sat to hold its unobtrusive ses
sions he can live historic moments
again, and he can trace the growth of
that institution of justice from the
little narrow room under a twisting
stair in the Capitol to the chamber
recently vacated and set aside for a
shrine. Beyond that he can cross
the street to the white marble edifice
that now houses in due magnificance
| the august body. Moreover, he can
| learn its purpose* and record* first
hand, Bitting at will under the diffused
X,
light of the quiet chamber while
court is in session.
Or, if the student prefer, he can
trace in the Oapito! of the United
, States our entire Colonial history by
a study of the paintings and Dusts
alone, and gather a very fine education
in a:‘ and sculpture at the same time, j
By the very architecture ot the
different wings of this building ne
can trace the history of a Nation, and
if he set out to examine each wing in
turn he will find at the end of his
pilgrimage that he has been carried
from an era that began with a single
building, through the period ot de*
struction, restoration and steady ad
vance to stability and permanence,
presenting an historical picture he will
never forget.
In the Senate Chamber or in the
House he can painlessly acquire knowl
edge of legislative procedure. Every
one who has ever tried to memorize
those colorless facts having to do with
•executive,” “legislative” and “ju
dicial” will appreciate the contrast,
in absorbing the same knowledge by
listening to exciting and thrilling de
bates from a seat in the gallery, eye
witness to the shaping of our na
tional destiny. A voice resounding
in a hushed chamber echoes in mem
ory long after a dusty array of legis
lative facts has gone the way of all
knowledge not tipped with the fire of
personal experience.
r£'0 PURSUE this matter of history
still further. The Washington
student has always open to his need
or desire for extra-curricula mirsuits
that astonishing monument for "the j
increase and diffusion of knowledge |
among men,” conceived and endowed
by James Smithson of England. Within
the walls of the Smithsonian Institu
tion he can see, touch and study such
objects as made history from the
very dawn of man. Without ever
walking across the threshold of a
school or college, any intelligent in
dividual could accumulate for himself
a very fine educational and cultural
background by no more than daily or
frequent visits to this one institution
alone. Such visits, undertaken in con
nection with planned courses of
study, will do more to revitalize text
books than anything short of having
lived through every era of history in
the flesh.
And for that matter, the Washington
student cannot reach the Smithsonian
without passing on the way—no mat
ter which direction he may travel—
of our national development. By
houses or localities that are landmarks
keeping out a sharp watch for bronze
tablets he may. in the j»urse of an
afternoon’s stroll, relive a period rich
■V
with the color and romance of an!
earlier day. But far more than words
on bronze or stone will these land
marks mean to him. He can ascend
the steps, cross the Jyill, view the
paintings and chinaware, the fine old
furniture thst certain of his favorite
historical heroes knew as daily asso
ciations. Washington is rich in such
storied houses, well-preserved relics
of a brilliant past. And many of
them may be entered as freely as
modern public buildings by the inter
ested student. In such ways as these
does he add to his vivid store of recol
lections that kind of knowledge that
accompanies him through life and does
not—as so much of the textbook lore
does—desert him utterly soon after
the midterm examination or directly
following the weekly quiz.
BUT to leave this matter of history, I
whose possibilities are endless in
the Washington environment, and I
consider some other subject in the
curriculum of the student fortunate
enough to live in Washington, let
us take science. There is extraordi- I
nary opportunity in the Capital for
the science student to make his chosen {
subject a vital, living thing.
At the upper end of Connecticut i
avenue stands the Bureau of Stand
ards. Within its red brick buildings
skilled and talented scientists set:
standards of quality that form the i
basis for our entire commercial struc
ture. Here they study fascinating
and curious facts, gather new stores "
of scientific wisdom and conduct ex- j
periments as enthralling as the an
tics of gnomes and fairies, and far
more productive. The wisdom of the!
wnj Uil tllv lUp
of that green, smooth hill, and the1
laboratories may be explored by those
whose interests are legitimate or sin- j
cere. Moreover, such a one will not'
lack for a guide who is well versed in
the whys and wherefores and is gen
erous beyond the generosity of text
books with his knowledge.
And, just as the student of history
will find the Smithsonian a veritable
treasure house of information, so may
the student of any branch of science
trace man's scientific development in
the famous exhibitions there displayed
and in the historical records of sci
entific achievements made available
to him in the painstakingly prepared
plaques and cards and books and life
like groups depicting the advance of
civilization. Let him choose what he
will, to trace our scientific progress,
he may gain a visual impression from
the collections in this remarkable edu
cational center.
Nor do the sources mentioned take
into account any of the numerous
smaller institutions dedicated to sci
ence, some of which encircle the
globe by their explorations and spend
millions in experimentation, to the
end «that knowledge may be increased
and its benefits disseminated. There
.*»
V
are geographic societies, educational
academies, research councils, the Car
negie Institution, the National Acad
emy of Science, the National Geo
graphic Society and others important
and interesting because of their first
hand contact with the scientific world.
Down at Twenty-first street there is
the National Institute of Health,
where fascinating studies and experi
ments are constantly under way, su
pervised by men whose names have
gone around the world because of their
contributions to human health and
happiness through the medium of
medical science.
I
JF THE student here is majoring in
An art course or is in the Capital
to pursue studies that will prepare
him for dedication to one of the fine
arts, he has advantages in Washing
ton that are priceless in the Capital's
numerous galleries and museums.
Topping the list, when completed, will
be the magnificent collection of the
late Andrew Mellon, fittingly housed I
in a structure of nobility and beauty.
In addition, there are the rare paint
ings. the tapestries, the rugs, antiques
and laces of the famous Corcoran Gal
leries, and the rare and beautiful ex
hibits in the National, the Phillips
and the Freer Galleries and the col
lections of the Smithsonian Institution
to augment facilities offered by his
particular school or university.
For that matter, the City of Wash
ington itself is a veritable course in
art. Every public building, erected i
since our Nation became beauty-con
scious, presents a study in architec
ture and design that speaks more elo
quently to the creative mind of bud- !
ding architects or artists than all the
classroom lectures In the world. From
the classic example of the Supreme
Court Building to the pure sim- j
plicity of the Folger Shakespearean ■■
Library and the sheer loveliness of
the Lincoln Memorial the student can
find for leisurely observation an ex
traordinary representation of that
architecture which Goethe so graph
ically described as “frozen music,”
in settings that offer additional object
lessons in design and beauty.
A volume could be written about
the educational advantages arising
from proximity to the very source of
governmental operation. An arithme
tic book may enumerate for a young
pupil the coins ot the realm, but now
can such a lesson be compared to the
vivid impression gained from a visit,
let us say, to the Bureau of Engraving
and Printing, where he witnesses the
actual manufacture of money? One
might take every Government depart
ment in turn, and point out complete
educational courses offered, all un
wittingly, to the one who seeks tnem
out. A vast storehouse of knowledge
about our natural resources, tor ex
ample, might be gathered by visits to
the Department of the Interior, and
about our wild life and Indian affairs,
our territories and Insular possessions.
Science, Art, Literature and Other Special Human
Activities Provided With Original Contributions
Through Public and Private Collections.
TN THE Department of Agriculture;
the young geography or oioiogy
or botany student can gather fascinat
ing information having to do with
our new' plant importations, the char
acteristics of flora and fauna in every
section of our country, our corps and
cattle and the topography ot our
country. In the Department ot com
merce there is more knowledge avail
able about our fisheries, our trade, and
countless other related matters, than
any one university could attempt to
teach. And all these facilities are
accessible to the student in Washing
ton. who Is by means of them enabled
to make every study more graphic,
every subject more real and significant.
The State Department, the pan
American Union, the embassies and
legations acquaint the ( Washington
student first-hand with the conduct
of foreign affairs. Moreover, daily
news making mention of the activities,
social and national, centering in the
transplanted communities of other
lands breeds a familiarity with their
w’ays and manners and an appreciation
and understanding of them, their
representatives and habits, that cannot
be gained through text books or lec;
tures alone.
To have read, let us say, in the local
press, that the Egyptian Embassy is
issuing invitations for a reception in
honor of Its new king is to lead one
pleasantly into a story that gives a
clear picture of Egypt's form of gov
ernment, something of its history, its
manners and customs, and its current
events. Where, outside of a Washing
ton newspaper's social column, could
so much information be gathered so
cuui ucaaiy uy tuc otuunur a yrai a
reading of similar reports adds up,
before many months, to a considerable
store of interesting and valuable mtor- \
mation, all of which stands the student ,
In good stead when the mid-years roll
iround.
JN ADDITION to the specific advan
tages offered by such institutions
is those mentioned, there is one field
in which opportunities for study and
research are unsurpassed—and that Is
In the world-famous libraries located
In Washington. Nothing can be com
pared to the inestimable benefits to be
derived from association with such
institutions as the Library of Congress,
the Folger Memorial of Shakespereana,
the fine public libraries, of the Na
tional Capital, to say nothing of such
collections as the Government publi
cations, the records of the National
Archives, and the incomparable and
priceless 70,000 volumes and other
items that make up the rare book col
lection of the Library of Congress.
One of the greatest institutions of its
kind in the world, the Library of
Oongrgu contains thousands of voi
umes available for research, study or
pleasure. In addition, It contains in
valuable collections of music and
manuscripts, prints, and other treas- !
ures. In its division of rare books the
student may consult volumes that were
printed in the early fifteenth century,
when Gutenberg had to labor behind
closed doors with his wooden alphabet
staves to print the first precious vol
umes known to man. He may handle
and study volumes and manuscripts
so rare that scholars come from all
quarters of the globe for the privilege
of seeing or touching them. And :
they are here for the free use and
benefit of the boy or girl who studies ,
in Washington, without question or
complication. Across the street from 1
the Library of Congress, in the Folger ,
Library, is one of the most complete 1
and rare collections of original Shakes
peare folios and early editions that has
ever been gathered under one roof. .
These, too, are for use of accredited
students.
A ND so, on every hand in this |
beautiful Capital of the United
States one is made aware of the rare
privilege it is to receive one's education
in a spot so blessed with advantages
charm and tradition. The indirect j
benefits are manifold. Who can meas
ure the value, educationally, of daily i
propinquity to individuals who are
making our own history and the his- j
tory of other nations? Who can |
measure the effect of association with !
the finest in art and literature and 1
science, or the influence of that 1
municipal graciousness which is char
acteristic of this very individual city'/
“I saw the President in his car tms j
morning.” ”1 heard the Senator
deliver that speech.” ‘‘I took a look at 1
Lindy's plane.” "I watched how 1
they make money.” “1 watched the *
opening of Congress.” “I saw the
Ambassador from England yesterday” 1
—these are the things the student ■
may be able to say who is fortunate *
enough to be receiving his education !
in Washington. And such exciting !
experiences leave far more vivid im- i
pressions on developing minds than 1
can ever be gained dozing over text i
books. 1
Text books and class rooms are, to <
be sure, very necessary, in or out of
Washington. But the boy or girl who >
can augment them by the rich in- !
fluences of residence in the Capital •
City is being doubly educated. There 1
is no question about the entire agree- 1
ment of each of the five higher in- t
stitutions of learning, the secondary *
and junior college schools, the private t
academies, and the numerous instl- 1
tutions specializing in commercial r
courses or the fine arts, that make of
Washington the great educational \
center it now is. t
awyer for every 140 persons or 714
a every hundred thousand, ha* the
argest number of attorneys for its
copulation in the United States,
.hough this is partly due to the pres
ence of many in the Federal service.
Nevada ranks next with one for even
194 and New York third, with one
awyer to every 456 persons.
These facts and figures do nothing
lo add a roseate glow to the thoughts
>f the budding lawyer as he struggles
hrougli his bar examination. When,
cn October 11, Mr. Earnest moves his
idmission to the bar, along with the
tames of other successful candidates,
my slight sense of achievement does
tot render the applicant oblivious to
he fact that, after all, the years of
study and sacrifice have taught him
cnl.v the A. B. C.'s of the vast and
ascinating flleld of legal knowledge
hat stretches ahead of him. And the
.hade of Daniel Webster loom* over
tint at the threshold, reminding him
trimly that, whatever rosy ideas the
iverage layman may have of the
cractlce of law, “A man can never
tallop over the fields of law on Pega
ius, nor fly across them on the wing
cf oratory * * * If he would be a
treat lawyer, he must first consent
a become a great drudge.”
Miss Moore Preparing
For Extensive Season
tur KiRinnmus
blond soprano star of the Metro
politan Opera, concert, radio and
Lhe screen, is spending the time
>riginally set aside for a European
pleasure trip recuperating from a re
cent illness and preparing for a heavy
;eason of concert, opera and radio
?ngagements during the Pall and
Winter.
The diva and her husband, Valen
in Parera, had planned a trans-At
anlic holiday that was to include a
lommand performance before King
?arol and Dowager Queen Marie of
toumania, as well as an audience
vith Premier Mussolini of Italy, but
ill plans were called off when Miss
•Ioore was rushed to a California
lospital for an emergency operation
hat came as an unexpected climax to
busy Summer of work ir> California.
But Mias Moore's European holiday
vas not all that had to be postponed.
Another was work on her new pic
ure, “I'll Take Romance,” in which
he will sing no less than six operatic
,rias, including the Jewel Song from
Faust," the Gavotte from “Manon,”
he Drinking Song from "La Travi
ita,” the duet from “Madame But
erfly" and the celebrated soprano
iria from “Andrea Chernier.”
Sudden illness also deprived tha
Inger of the opportunity of singing
it the unveiling of the sculptured
lead of Abraham Lincoln on Mount
tushmore in Black Hills. Miss Moore
vas also forced to decline an invi
ation from Gov. Browning of Tennea
oe to participate in the governor’s
our of their native State. She has
ong been a colonel on the staff of the
’ennessee executive.
Her appearance here this season
dll be made at Constitution HaB
trough the Dorsey Consert Bureau.
*
1