Industrial Art Museums.

Among the most important means of stimulating industrial art education and of apreading a knowledge and appreciation of art throughout the country is the foun- page 47 dation of local museums of applied art of such a character as is Lest adapted to advance the industries of the districts in which they are situated.

Stimulated by the advice and influence of the director of the South Kensington Museum, and with the liberal aid of private benefactors, such collections have been provided in the local art museums at Sheffield, Derby, York, and elsewhere. In Manchester also, steps have been taken to found an industrial museum, and the corporation has acquired the famous Hock collection of textile fabrics for this purpose. The Mancbesters Birmingham, Stoke, and other galleries are open on Sundays, and are visited by increasing numbers of orderly working people. It is very desirable that similar facilities should be provided for the inspection of our metropolitan museums and collections. We are of opinion that the connection between these museums and the local schools of art should be of an intimate character. Indeed, in this respect pinch may he learned from foreign countries, where many such museums exist and exert great influence on manufactures. Further, we must express strong approval, in winch we merely repeat the opinion offered by competent witnesses both at home and abroad, of the system of circulating among the local museums collections of works of art from the national collection at South Kensington. The value and utility of these collections are greatly enhanced by suitable manuals and guide books well illustrated and sold at a cheap rate; these serve to explain to visitors of the artisan classes the features most worthy of notice.

While we fully admit the force of the contention that the contributions of the state to the foundation and maintenance of museums will be of the greatest service to the country at large, if applied mainly to central institutions like those of the metropolis, of Edinburgh, and of Dublin, we highly approve of the grants to provincial museums of reproductions, either gratuitously or at a very low price. Those grants may even, in the ease of typical museums situated in some of the chief industrial centres, be extended with advantage to original examples of art and of manufactures calculated to increase the know ledge and improve the taste of those (more especially of the artisans) engaged therein.