I. INTRODUCTION.

The papers here grouped illustrate the efforts made from time to time, during the present century, to inaugurate the teaching of elementary drawing, industrial art, and some instruction in simple industries in the public schools. References to these papers are found in the notes to the historical chapter of this Report preliminary to the extended account, in succeeding chapters, of the successful experiment inaugurated by the coming of Walter Smith to Massachusetts. The account of the contemporary efforts made in England, serve to show that the difficulties and delays experienced here were not peculiar to Americans.

These papers comprise extracts from The manual for drawing in public schools published by Rembrandt Peale, in Philadelphia, in 1845; from the lectures by Mr. Minifie to the pupils of the Maryland Institute, Baltimore, in 1852; from the articles on The importance of art as a branch of education, by M. A. Dwight, reprinted from Barnard's American Journal of Education, in 1857, and the Report by City Superintendent Philbrick, of Boston, in 1871, in which last, is given a concise history of the development of the public schools of Massachusetts from the earliest date of their establishment by law. The account of Haydon's persis tent efforts in England, with the extracts from his biographies and his writings, taken in connection with the like efforts of Mr. Peale, are of value as showing how clearly these artists, recognised the need and the possibility of the art education of the people: while the protest uttered in 1874 by Mr. John Sparkes, head master of the Government Art School in Lambeth, against the errors then existing in the methods of art training as practiced in the South Kensington schools, emphatically confirms the statement made by the foregoing writers as to the importance of drawing from the human figure.

The extracts from Peale's "Graphics," inserted to show the purpose and plan of the instruction which half a century ago this distinguished artist and public-spirited citizen so labored to introduce in the public schools of Philadelphia, as recited at length in the body of this report, find a fitting preface in the following interesting announcement of Rem brandt Peale's forthcoming book for teaching drawing, which appeared about 1834, in the second volume of Dunlop's History of the Arts of Design (a work in two volumes and now out of print). This work, which in its plan bears some resemblance to Vasari's Lives of the Painters, takes up the biographies of the American artists, seriatim. In the

While, in the papers quoted in the Appendices to this Report, all the original cross-heads and sub-titles have been retained, and the punctuation and orthography of the different authors preserved, so far as is permitted by the printers, I have inserted cross-heads freely when, for any reason, they seemed desirable. I. EDWARDS CLARKE, Ed. Art Report.

biography of Rembrandt Peale occurs the following reference to the work in question:

The ever-active mind of this gentleman leads him to exertions honorable to him self and beneficial to mankind. He is now about to publish in New York a book on the principles of drawing, with illustrations, and he shows the connection between drawing and writing, giving rules which I have seen. This work will entitle him to the gratitude of the public. The book is calculated to enable the student to instruct himself in writing by the same process and at the same time that he learns to draw. It will be eminently useful in schools of every description. The author has displayed great knowledge and much thought on the subject. The transition from drawing to writing is finely pointed out and illustrated, and the work must be extremely useful. I hope it may be adopted in our schools, and thus the ingenious author remunerated. (Vol. II, page 58.)

II. PEALE'S "GRAPHICS."*

The volume is divided into books, each preceded by a few introductory pages, while the first seventeen pages are occupied by a general introduction, comprising, also, directions for a series of "manual exercises for the education of the eye," and a few elementary definitions of geometrical figures. The following extracts are mostly taken from the several introductions.

The simple geometrical forms, perspective, irregular curves and complex forms, map drawing, and the drawing of the human features, are taught in course. The forms of written letters are analyzed and writing is thus taught scientifically as drawing. The volume of 1866, from which these extracts are copied, contains only four books and two extra pages of illustrated plates; while, in the copy of 1854, referred to in the first chapter of this Report, there is a fifth book entitled "Drawing applied to writing," comprising 31 pages, with 7 additional pages of plates. In this edition each chapter is supplemented by several pages of engraved plates illustrating the topics treated, in all, 41 pages of plates; the whole forming a very complete handbook. The extracts on "Drawing applied to writing," at the close of these quotations, are from this volume.

EXTRACT FROM INTRODUCTION.

Graphics, the art of accurate delineation, auxiliary to writing and geography, teaches the essential principles of drawing, which, as a universal language, instantly intelligible to every eye and understanding, is the guide and foundation of much useful knowledge.

Even in the process of its acquisition, it is of signal benefit, by inducing habits of attention, observation, comparison, order, and precision; learning one thing at a time, and that perfectly, before leaving it to begin another. It is manifest that whilst the eye is instructed to analyze the component parts of all forms, the hand may be trained to accuracy in demonstrating the truths of vision. Hence, every child may be advantageously taught the elements of drawing in early life, the most convenient time, when this knowledge can be most readily acquired.

FIRST BOOK OF DRAWING.

Drawing, the natural and universal language of man, should be cultivated as the first guide to all that can be done by hand, and taught in every school, as preliminary to all other instruction; as it affords the best early occupation of children, and lays the foundation of knowledge in accuracy of perception and habits of order and precision; besides its moral influence on the minds of youth and its ultimate advantages in every business of life.

Nothing has been wanting but a simple grammar of its principles, to be put into the hands of every child, with directions that any parent or teacher of ordinary capacity, whether previously acquainted with drawing or not, could explain and superintend, and thus himself more perfectly learn what he is teaching. The experience of fifty years in Europe and America has enabled the author of this work to effect so desirable an object, and to witness its successful operation.

*Graphics, the Art of Accurate Delineation, a system of School Exercise for the Education of the Eye and the Training of the Hand as auxiliary to Writing, Geography, and Drawing. By Rembrandt Peale. Try. "Nothing is denied to well-directed Industry." E. C. & J. Biddle, Philadelphia, 1866. pp. 105. [Copyrighted by Rembrandt Peale, 1845. ]

S. Ex. 209-27

417

It is now manifest that every one who can learn to write is capable of learning to draw; and that every one should know how to draw that can find advantage in writing. Whilst it furnishes the first and most agreeable occupation to young persons by the cultivation of the eye in accuracy of vision, it prepares them not only for the correct and easy acquisition of writing, but renders the study of geography, geometry, and other branches of knowledge more simple and effective; and finally enables them to see, to know, to direct, and to do, every thing correctly that depends on form.

Drawing is the most useful of the arts, because it is their handmaid in arranging and defining their purposes; instantly rendering intelligible details that would be obscure, and gratifying the sentiment of taste, by giving to objects of manufacture not only accuracy, but the attractive forms of elegance. The language of form from the hand of the draughtsman becomes the law and guide of the workman. The rudest materials are rendered precious by its influence, and almost every occupation in life presents occasions for its service. Its utility is universally acknowledged, and every child exhibits its power to invite attention, and its efficacy in conveying instruction. Hence its extensive employment in modern books of education and science.

WRITING BUT A FORM OF DRAWING.

Writing is little else than drawing the forms of letters; drawing is little more than writing the forms of objects. Every one that can learn to write is capable of learning to draw, and every one should know how to draw that can find advantage in writing. Writing is of so much importance that its correct attainment is worthy of every effort; but no effort can be so effectual as one that follows a well-grounded study of principles, which are the foundation of that as well as many other arts. It is time enough then to commence writing. Children are usually put to writing too young. They cannot begin to draw too soon; and they should not be permitted to learn to write until they are prepared for it by an elementary course of drawing.

The art of writing, to be taught consistently with nature, ought to be treated as subordinate to that of drawing, and to all its preparatory acquirements. Writing itself is a sort of linear drawing, and that of stated forms, from which no arbitrary or fanciful deviation is (or should be) permitted. The practice of writing, when acquired previous to, and independent of, drawing, spoils the hand and mars its freedom by confining it to a few peculiar forms on a contracted scale, instead of cultivating in it a general ability for all forms.

Another reason why drawing ought to be taught before writing is that by the previous acquirement of drawing the formation of the letters is greatly facilitated, and all that time is saved which children generally spend in correcting bad habits contracted by a long practice of bad writing, and substituting a good hand for the misshaped and incorrect characters to which they have been for years accustomed.

But of all the arguments that may be urged on this subject, the most important is that the child should learn to do everything in perfection from the beginning, which he will not be able to do in writing, unless this acquirement be built upon an elementary course of drawing.*

DRAWING TENDS TO ACCURACY.

Professor Leiber, in recommending drawing as an essential part of education, quotes Goethe, who remarks that those who draw well have more distinct conceptions of what they see, and explain their views with more certainty and effect; he therefore deems it an object of the greatest importance to cultivate in young persons, by means of drawing, a facility and accuracy in discriminating the characteristic forms of objects at first sight; and adds, that persons who never see attentively, and whose eyes convey but dim images to the mind, never become good observers, and seldom close reasoners; nor does their memory long retain those ill-defined images and superficial impressions.

He also quotes the expression of one of the trustees of the Girard College, who says, "Drawing ought not to be left to the option of a scholar; a child MUST learn to draw as it MUST Iarn to write."

DRAWING CAN BE TAUGHT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS BY THE REGULAR TEACHERS.

The arrangement of progressive lessons in this First Book of Grammar of Drawing is the result of the author's long experience, demonstrated in the Central High School of Philadelphia, where the most ample opportunity was found to adapt them to the capacity of every one, and to inspire the confidence with which he offers them for more general use, as the certain means of acquiring accuracy and facility in the arts of drawing and writing.

* Pestalozzi.

Any teacher of ordinary capacity, but more especially teachers of penmanship, can effectively superintend this branch of education; and the more so if they will themselves practise the lesson as little in advance of their pupils, so as to appreciate the importance of each rule and to judge promptly of the pupil's efforts.

Some of the most obvious principles of geometry are employed in teaching the ele ments of drawing; but they are used entirely with reference to the off-hand practice of the art, which requires the compass in the eye. Abstract propositions and needless technical phraseology are avoided, leaving obvious things to explain themselves or to be explained by the teacher, instead of employing tedious demonstrations and bewildering letters of reference.

Let it be remarked, that however simple and elementary this course of instructoni may appear, it comprises every principle in the art, and is not only absolutely necessary to the young beginner who would learn to draw, but equally important to be understood by every one who has already practised drawing without the assistance of rules which are essential to insure correctness. (Pages 19-23).

DIRECTIONS TO TEACHERS.

1. The graphics are sufficient for self instruction in linear drawing, if the student can read with attention; if not, the teacher, with the book in hand, should see that each lesson is studied according to its intention, and practiced with facility before proceeding to another. Read the directions in pages 6 and 7.

2. The purpose of the first ten lessons being to produce squares, the teacher, but not the pupil, may use a card to examine and show whether the lines and squares are true. This study must be continued until squares can be readily drawn on any oblique line.

3. The great purpose of all the lessons from 11 to 19 being to acquire facility in copying the direction of lines, the pupil may test his drawing by the rule, as explained in lesson 11, page 12. Irregular triangles should be drawn, by or for the pupil, in different directions and proportions, for him to copy of larger size. He should define them, regular or irregular, as in lessons 14 and 15. A regular triangle, if cut out in paper, may be folded in two equal parts, the crease (corresponding with the dotted lines) meeting the base line at right angles. In all cases of right angle the teacher can show, by the corner of his card, if correct or not.

4. The lessons from 20 to 25 being the study of circles, the teacher should require the pupil to endeavor to point out his own faults, and to know the purpose of each figure in its entire form, or in segments of it, by referring to the printed description. 5. In lessons 26, 27, and 28, the pupil's attention must be directed to perceive how these ellipses, or elongated curves, differ from the circle-the longitudinal segments of them being flattened bows, either regular or irregular.

6. In lessons 29 to 32 the pupil must be questioned on the curves or bows, whether regular or irregular, and the direction of the triangular lines, or triangularly situated dots, by which they may be defined.

7. In lessons 33 to 3s it is only requisite to know whether the pupil, in copying them, pays attention to their general character as squares, oblongs, triangles, circles, ovals, and their sections, and the direction of the lines and relative direction of parts. The observance of the pupil and the teacher being thus far trained, all the succeeding lessons in the graphics being founded on these first principles, and chiefly of direction, triangle, and bow, require no other aid than is afforded in the description of each lesson. The chief attention of the teacher, or superintendent, is to see that each pupil studies one lesson at a time correctly, and the whole progressively. (Page 24.)

SECOND BOOK OF DRAWING.

EDUCATION OF THE EYE.

As oral language depends on education of the ear to discriminate sounds, before the tongue can pronounce them correctly, so the art of drawing requires the education of the eye to discriminate forms before the hand can imitate them with precision; but as the education of the ear, to understand sounds, is of greater importance than even the power to speak or imitate them; so the education of the eye, to improve its capacity for the enjoyment of sight, the beneficent gift of heaven, is more to be appreciated than even the skill of drawing, the language of the eye, in its most useful applications. In early life, therefore, as it is the first purpose of education to cultivate the ear by the most correct utterance of sounds, it should be esteemed of equal importance to cultivate the eye by the exact analysis and delineation of forms; not only for its collateral aid in writing and other branches of education, and its acknowledged utility in every manufacture and situation in life, but also for its constant influence in the cause of morals, by its refinement of the public taste, and the variety of occupation it affords.