Final Report of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission Part 78

Canada.--Group IX, paintings and drawings, silver medal: Florence Carlyle. Bronze medal: Laura Muntz.

Germany.--Group IX, paintings and drawings, bronze medal: Anna Maria Wirth.

Holland.--Group IX, paintings and drawings, gold medal: Therese Schwartze.

j.a.pan.--Group IX, paintings and drawings, silver medal: Madam Shoyen Uyemura. Bronze medal: Madam Giokus.h.i.+ Antomi.

Portugal.--Group IX, paintings and drawings, silver medal: H.R.M. the Queen of Portugal.

Russia.--Group IX, paintings and drawings, bronze medal; Miss Eliza Backlund, Miss Emile Loudon.

Sweden.--Group IX, paintings and drawings, bronze medal; Esther Almquist, f.a.n.n.y Brate, Anna Nordgren, Charlotte Wahtstrom.

Group 11, Mrs. Elizabeth St. John Matthews, New York City, Juror.

Under the group heading "Sculpture," the four cla.s.ses into which it was divided represented: Sculpture and bas-reliefs of figures and groups in marble, bronze, or other metal; terra cotta, plaster, wood, ivory, or other material; models in plaster and terra cotta; medals, engravings on gems, cameos, and intaglios; carvings in stone, wood, ivory, or other materials.

Mrs. Matthews reports as follows:

The recent Louisiana Purchase Exposition furnished further evidence of the importance of such gatherings of the world's artisans, and has left with us an illuminating impression of the effectiveness of the greater civilization which is the result of unification of national interest in the development of the useful and beautiful. This is probably the greatest good from such expositions, and they serve to cement the workers of the world in one grand mosaic of endeavor.

The field of application is large, and the progressive people are few. We are babes as yet in the ability to receive ideas, and with comparatively little capacity for the expression of them in tangible work, so that whatever tends to a common interest that speaks for progress, let it be exultant cause for practical thinkers to give their support to every such movement.

The wide identification women have accomplished in the fields of industrials and art during the past decade has made it necessary that the s.e.x be taken into serious consideration in expositions, and that requisite encouragement and support be given women it is necessary that they should have adequate representation on committees and boards that are formed for administration.

Service on such boards by women is invariably conscientious and efficient, and for this reason their services are valuable in all departments in which the work of women is involved, and it is certainly obvious that socially they are indispensable.

As a member of the committee on awards in sculpture at the recent exposition at St. Louis, I wish to say that in the sculptural exhibit 60 out of 350 pieces, or 17-1/2 per cent, were by women. Four of these pieces were by women of foreign birth and residing in foreign countries. Of this number there were a few portrait busts, and the remainder were ideal and symbolic works.

The first impression one received in viewing the work in this department was that there was a number of women sculptors in this country of more than ordinary ability, and this impression grew the more you examined their work with that of men. It is true that by far the greater number of pieces sent by women were small, but even they showed a capacity for conception, construction, technique, and individuality that will ere long make them fully the equals of men in this important branch of the arts. And there were large pieces there, too, that spoke of a daring that will soon develop into a confidence that promises well for future work, and this element was what the women sculptors of the country lacked more than any other.

The placing of their work alongside that of men will do much to increase confidence in their own powers; and while it would not be exact to say that the work of the two s.e.xes was equal in merit, the difference was not great. For this reason I think the managers did an extremely wise thing in not segregating the work of the two s.e.xes, and to have placed them side by side, so that the weak points could be discovered and remedied and the points of excellence improved. All were delighted to see the advancement women have made in sculptural art in the past few years, and this advancement is attested by the fact that they received 1 gold, 3 silver, and 16 bronze medals in this department alone.

The progress they have made in the past ten years has been most gratifying, and they are certainly progressing more rapidly along certain lines than men. The deficiencies and points of weakness brought out by this exhibition will soon be overcome, and as women have become convinced that natural endowment does not fit men for greater work than women, they will evolve grander themes than heretofore. And by firmness with which woman in art is already treading this upward path, she is convincing others that another road exists than that which their feet knew.

It is positive that the encouragement given to man on account of his physical prowess, by both men and women, has had a psychological effect in helping him to evolve ideas and to carry them out in tangible form. Women will be helped to a large extent only by women; they must not wait for that help that has been given man. They must do the work that comes to their consciousness, or that which is given them to do, without question or hesitation. There should not be any doubt or leaning on any seeming staff. Women are the originators, the creators of spiritual and material progress, and must not be fearful in expressing themselves. The female mind is more refined, more delicate, thus receiving truer perceptions than man's. The sensitiveness of the woman nature is of much advantage in any artistic endeavor.

The fine arts, music, poetry, painting, and sculpture, have been the educators of nations. Now that woman's thought is finding greater expression, their mental and moral influence on both s.e.xes will be great; and as such expositions are world-wide educators, the beneficent influence of women as coworkers and practical idealists is above and beyond computation as a proper exposition attraction. It was a great surprise to the millions of people who saw the excellence of talent that was shown by the women artists, and the fact that women did it elevated the sentiment and appreciation of art. Indeed, without the work of women officially organized, and as individuals, it could not have reached, as it did, the height of success.

Group 12, Miss Rose Weld, Newport News, Va., Juror.

Under the group heading "Architecture" the four cla.s.ses into which it was divided represented: Drawings, models, and photographs of completed buildings. Designs and projects of buildings. (Designs other than of architectural or constructive engineering.) Drawings, models, and photographs of artistic architectural details. Mosaics; leaded and Mosaic gla.s.s.

It is unfortunate that in this department the extent in which women share in the kind of work represented in this group was not demonstrated. While there are not many women architects of buildings as yet, it is believed that the number is rapidly increasing, and within the past ten years it has been discovered that their apt.i.tude for designing and working in leaded gla.s.s is of the highest, their artistic tendencies rendering them peculiarly adapted to this kind of work.

Miss Weld reports as follows:

In this department there were only two women exhibitors, both Americans. The English and French exhibits were not open for compet.i.tion, but, so far as I could find out, there were no exhibits by women from either of these countries.

One of the American women exhibited as an architect some attractive plans and interior views for a farmhouse. The other, as a landscape architect, some photos of garden scenes.

This last exhibit was the more striking of the two, as it showed that in the last few years women had made inroad into another profession hitherto left to the men.

Miss Brown only finished her studies in landscape architecture at the Ma.s.sachusetts Inst.i.tute of Technology in 1903, where she was one of the first three women to take the course, a course only established within the last few years, so that there has not been much time in which to show what women can do in the profession. It is only a step from private gardens to public parks and grounds.

Until lately the laying out of the grounds has been left to the landscape gardener, after the house and other buildings have been completed by the architect. It is the idea of the landscape architect, as I understand it, to consider both elements in the original design, instead of leaving them to the different tastes of the architect and landscape gardener in the hope of having a more harmonious result.

Though both the exhibits mentioned above were appreciated in their cla.s.ses, I can not help thinking that not enough attention was paid to the way they were presented, especially in the case of the garden scenes. Six little photos mounted in one frame did not show to the advantage or make the impression that the working drawings and one large photo of the result would have made.

As the work of men and women must stand side by side in the world, the proper way is to exhibit it on terms of equal comparison, as was done at St. Louis. If the work is better than the men's, so much the more glory; if not so good, it ought to arouse ambition.

It was a great disappointment to see such a small exhibit by women in this department, a department where such creditable work has been done by women in this country, and if there had been at all a just representation I am sure it would have been a great surprise to some of the foreign visitors. I hope the other departments were better represented.

Group 14, Mrs. Eugene Field, Buena Park, Ill., Juror.

Under the group heading, "Original objects of art workmans.h.i.+p,"

the eight cla.s.ses into which it was divided represented: Art work in gla.s.s (other than that which is included in group 12); art work in earthenware, pottery, or porcelain; art work in metal (other than that included in group 11); art work in leather; art work in wood (other than that included in group 11); art work in textiles; artistic bookbinding; art work not covered by any other group.

It is to be regretted that Mrs. Field felt unable to make any report on this group, which so self-evidently must have contained much work done at least in part by women. It is well known that they have, within the past few years, entered the field of artistic bookbinding with the most gratifying success; that they excel in art work in textiles, and are proficient in art work in leather.

Department C. liberal arts, Col. John A. Ocherson, chief, comprised 13 groups and 116 cla.s.ses, the board of lady managers being represented in but three of the groups.

Group 16, Miss Frances B. Johnston, Was.h.i.+ngton, D.C., Juror.

Under the group heading "Photography," the two cla.s.ses into which it was divided represented: (Equipment, processes, and products); materials, instruments, and apparatus of photography; equipment of photographic studios; negative and positive photography on gla.s.s, paper, wood, cloth, films, enamel, etc.; photogravure in intaglio and in relief; photocollography; stereoscopic prints; enlarged and micrographic photographs; color photography; direct, indirect, and photocolor printing; scientific and other applications of photography; artistic photography as applied to portraiture, landscapes, etc.

Miss Johnson says:

There were comparatively few women exhibitors whose work was pa.s.sed upon by our group jury, but notwithstanding this fact, the work of the women ranked very high, and was fully recognized in the awards. In this regard I do not venture to base any report to you on my memory alone, and I have, so far, been unsuccessful in getting any official list of the awards made.

Group 17, Mrs. Horace S. Smith, Chicago, Ill., Juror.

Under the group heading "Books and publications--Bookbinding,"

the seven cla.s.ses into which it was divided represented equipment and products: Newspapers, reviews, and other periodicals; collections of books, forming special libraries; new books and new editions of old books; drawings, atlases, alb.u.ms; musical publications; equipment, processes, and products of making st.i.tched books and of bookbinding; specimens of bindings, stamping, embossing, gilding, etc.

No report.

That the work of women entered into the nature of the exhibit is shown by the fact that the Exposition Company granted the board representation upon it, and one has but to step into any large bindery to see scores of women busily engaged in the various departments, from folding the printed sheets to laying on the gold leaf. On newspapers the range of their work is from typesetting to editor in chief, and no library seems to exist at the present time without one or more women on its working staff.

Under the group heading "Maps and apparatus for geography, cosmography, topography," the four cla.s.ses into which it was divided represented: Maps, charts, and atlases; geographical, geological, hydrographical, astronomical, etc.; physical maps of all kinds, topographical maps, flat or in relief; terrestrial and celestial globes, statistical works and tables; tables and nautical almanacs for the use of astronomers, surveyors, and seamen.

Mrs. Woolwine writes:

Having served as juror in group 18 of the Department of Liberal Arts at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, it gives me great pleasure to make for you the best report I can on woman's work, my knowledge of most of which has been obtained from outside sources, as by neither registration nor cataloguing was there any differentiation between the work of man and woman.