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selves set up; but it is above all, in the homes and by the firesides of the people, that the arts must make their home; since to-day in the new development of the industries of the world, the arts, once again as of old enter into all the works made by man.

If the Republic, then, by the culture of its citizens and the quality of their manufactures, is to take and keep equal rank with the leading nations of the civilized world, a love for Art and the knowledge of its true principles, with skill to apply them in all industries, must become well nigh universal.

This diffusion of the knowledge and love of Art, can only be effected, by the definite and persistent training of the people.

How such a result was finally achieved in Great Britain, largely through the efforts of a single individual,—more fortunate, though not more earnest than his predecessor, Haydon,*-is incidentally shown in a memorial article concerning one of the most distinguished of the modern workers in this field of human activity; whose name has long been "familiar as a household word," to all interested in the modern movements for the re-creation of artistic industries, and whose recent decease is widely lamented.

In a notice of the public work of the late Sir Henry Cole, by Mr. Newton Price [see Nature for February 5, 1885], occur the following statements as to the result of efforts undertaken by him, for the dissemination of a knowledge of art and science among the English people. To Sir Henry Cole is justly attributed much of the success of the Great Exhibition of 1851; while the successful founding and development, both of the "South Kensington Museum," and of the "Science and Art Department," are conceded as the triumphant results of the far-seeing public spirit, and the indomitable energy and perseverance, of this remarkable man. Of his methods in diffusing this art training Mr. Price says: * "Soon the land was covered with schools of art and science classes, to the astonishment of the statesmen who supposed that they had been holding the reins. As a result, the English people were converted from Philistinism, and became ardent lovers of art. In the poorest cottages may now be found vessels of artistic design and other delights of the eye, as cheap as the ugly patterns which obtained everywhere except in the houses of the richest a few years ago. In the recent debates in the French Parliament on the proposed renewal of

*For an account of the lifelong efforts made by Haydon, for the dissemination of Art Knowledge in Great Britain, see Appendix A, Paper VI.

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the commercial treaty with England, the French minister stated that when that treaty was first made, in 1859, France supplied England with almost all its objects of art, but that in the interval, owing to the work of the schools of art, the tables had been turned, and it was now England that was pouring these articles into France. It was ce terrible Cole who had stuck to his work, undeterred by abuse and opposition, till he had redeemed England from its dependence on the ingenuity of France."

While the above extract bears testimony to the benefit derived from such training by the manufacturing interests of a country, the following paragraphs well illustrate what is here implied by the term "The Democracy of Art": "He pictured an England whose toilers, admitted to participate in the benefits of civilization, found relief in refined enjoyments from the depression resulting from the minute division of labor into dreary monotonous tasks without variety. Like the great English reformer who vowed that he would make things plain for a ploughman which had been reserved for the understanding of a cultivated few, Henry Cole lived to make the poor sharers in the best benefits of modern civilization. He set himself to make common those refining agencies which tend to cheer and sweeten the dull monotony of excessive toil and hopeless poverty. Hence his efforts to stimulate the creative faculties of the nation, to make known our art treasures, to cheapen specimens of art and to call out the dormant sense of delight in the beautiful, so as to reach and raise men through their higher faculties of enjoyment. He who sets himself to 'level up' and to destroy privileges by making them common will have enemies enough in his time. Probably Sir Henry Cole had his full share of abuse and misrepresentation. But, unlike many of, the world's benefactors, he lived to see much good fruit resultig from his pertinacious toil for the public good, and he will not soon be forgotten by a grateful country."

In these preliminary essays, an attempt is made to ascertain the causes that underlie the material prosperity of nations, so that, before proceeding with the account of the sporadic experiments of the past, or the well-planned and successful efforts initiated in Massachusetts, in 1870; and with the history and detailed account of the various Institutions for training in Industrial, and in High Art now existing in the United States, which largely make up the contents of these volumes; it may be possible briefly to survey the present condition of the arts and

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manufactures in the civilized countries of the world and to ascertain the methods by which these countries have attained their surpassing excellence in artistic productions. It is necessary also to recognise the fact of the striking inferiority in artistic qualities of most of the manufactures produced in the United States, before 1876, and to thoughtfully consider the existing situation of the people of these United States, in their relations to foreign producers, and to each other; to mark the amazing transformation of the last quarter of a century, and the changed environments surrounding the American youth of this year of grace, as contrasted with that into which the youth of 1830, or 1860, were ush ered; further, to note the present tendencies of development in this country, and from the needs of the present and the near future, to consider how the children of to-day are to be best prepared to become the citizens of to-morrow. In these preliminary suggestions much is assumed which it is believed will be found demonstrated in the succeeding chapters, or in the several appendices, which follow.

The education of the children of the people should be such as to best fit them to promote, in their turn, the welfare and prosperity of the nation. In the changes so strikingly effected by the rapidly advancing civilization of the world, it has happened, naturally enough, that the common school training, admirably adapted for the conditions for which it was designed, now fails to meet satisfactorily the new and changed conditions, and we realize how, in the words of the poet:

"Time makes ancient good uncouth."

From the results obtained by the English and Continental governments by the systematic education of school children, and even of adult workers, in elementary industrial drawing, and, afterwards, by technical training in the application of art to various industries, the similar methods available for the use of the American people are pointed out; while the wonderful results of this special educational training of artistic workers, on a large scale, as seen in the amazing improvement of old, and development of new manufactures, amounts to a positive demonstration of the vital connection, between the education of a people, and their arts and manufactures. If this is so, political economists and statesmen, are equally interested with educators in the problem of how, with the least delay, the American people may effectually avail themselves of the advantages of the new education.

From this point of view it is hoped that the topics treated, in the opening papers grouped under this title, may not be wholly without interest.

THE TECHNICAL EDUCATION OF A PEOPLE.

England and Russia at the Centennial Exposition - Their message to American Educators, Manufacturers, and Statesmen-How a Czar re-created a national art — Howa people, reconquered lost industries, and created new ones-Technical training in Industrial Art inaugurated in the Russian Strogonoff School-This training contrasted with that given to the old time apprentices - Results and methods shown by both countries- Why shall America not adopt the "methods"?-"Doulton Ware and Lambeth Faience";- the new products of English industry resulting from its new alliance with art-American inferiority in nearly all art industries was plainly seen at the Centennial - Philadelphia in 1876 gave to America, the lesson Hyde Park taught England in 1851 - England at once expended money liberally for the art education of her people, seeking to improve her manufactures and regain her lost prestige-Let the United States do likewise - Elementary drawing in all public schools in the United States, and the establishing of special schools for supplementary technical training in mechanic arts, both possible and desirable.

Two of the foreign collections shown in the Main Building of the "Centennial" Exposition, held in Philadelphia in 1876, had a peculiar attraction for all interested in the then somewhat novel project of introducing into the public schools of the United States the study of drawing, with the purpose of promoting the industrial arts; for the reason that, in each of these two countries, industrial art training had been adopted with a definite purpose and this exhibition furnished to Americans the first opportunity for an impartial judgment as to the results of that experiment. It need hardly be stated to those who saw this Exposition that these two countries were England and Russia. In the exhibitions shown by the former were to be seen the practical results of a general movement for improving the manufactures of a whole people, undertaken from a conviction of inferiority which had been forced upon all observers who visited the first modern great "World's Fair" held in Hyde Park in 1851. In the Russian department was to be seen, on the other hand, the result of the definite effort made under the patronage of the Czar, to re-create a national art.

The old Byzantine craftsmen had wrought in all the precious metals

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