In connection with this scheme of elementary instruction in the rudiments of art, it seemed appropriate, since all art is one and a knowledge of drawing is the essential preliminary step to any practical art training, to give some account of the various institutions for art education, and of the several public art collections and museums, then existing in the United States. As there was then no accessible list of such institutions, and little record of them existed, it was first necessary to learn their names and localities. The difficulties, hindrances, and ill success, attending such preliminary efforts, can only be realized by those who have attempted similar undertakings; such results as were obtained, after the most thorough and persistent use of the facilities at the service of this Bureau, were given in that circular.

UNSATISFACTORY STATISTICS OF "CIRCULAR NO. 2."

How meager and incomplete these were, can be seen by contrasting the tables of statistics at the end of the circular, with the corresponding tables as given in the latest annual report of the Commissioner of Education. Taught by previous similar experience, in attempts to obtain educational statistics in other departments, these difficulties had been foreseen, and the publication of this circular was avowedly tentative and with the purpose of obtaining fuller information in regard to existing institutions, preliminary to a more complete publication.

PUBLIC INTEREST IN ART TOPICS.

The interest shown in this circular and the demand for it, which soon exhausted the edition, bore ample testimony to the general interest felt in the subject of the introduction of drawing into the public schools; while the information about local art collections and institutions, freely sent from all parts of the land, showed that, as a means of "collecting information," this circular was most efficient.

In view of the large, rapidly increasing and varied correspondence that grew out of this publication, it was thought advisable to prepare, in place of a simple revised edition of the circular at first intended, a much more comprehensive work; which should include such varied information in regard to the subjects of industrial art education, the higher art training institutions, and the public art collections, as was shown, by the letters received, to be desired.

HISTORY OF GROWTH OF THIS REPORT, AND DELAY OF ITS PUBLI-
CATION.

It was first designed to issue this work as one of the Centennial pub lications of this Bureau and the manuscript was prepared for that pur pose and at that time; but it became necessary in order to publish the report on libraries, and the annual report of the Commissioner, to defer the publishing of this Report on Art Education until after the close of the Centennial Exhibition. As that immediate occasion had passed, it was decided to give the Report a more permanent character by includ ing, so far as possible, the history of the art institutions, and the public art collections in the United States, from their origin to the present day; to do, in short, for these institutions, what had been done for the libraries.

This implied in effect a recounting of the history of the art development of the country from the colonial period; in itself no small undertaking.

The unprecedented activity, progress and development of art culture in this country during the past few years, in a measure to be attributed to the influence of the Philadelphia exhibition, furnished an amount of new material which has added not a little to the labor of preparation. In the statistical tables given in the "Appendix" to the annual reports of the Commissioner, and in the record to be found in the Commissioner's own reports, under the head of "Art Education" a summary of this progress has been given from year to year.

HISTORIES OF ART ACADEMIES, MUSEUMS, COLLECTIONS, ETC. In the historical accounts of the various art institutions, the design has been to give as full statements as could be obtained concerning the individuals who took part in their founding and development, with an account of the several steps taken, and of the character and quality of the works of art, as well of those included in special exhibitions, as in the permanent collections; while, from this cause, these histories may be open to the charge of too much minuteness of detail, it is hoped compensation may be found in the additional value they may thus possess, for those interested in the particular institution or exhibition, as well as by the opportunity afforded to each institution for measuring its future growth. In thus recording and perpetuating the names of all those public spirited citizens of the several communities, who, in the past, as well as recently, have so fully given of their substance, their time, and their influence, to aid the progress of civilization and culture;

only simple justice is shown to an exemplary class of public benefactors. To leave an honorable name, to desire to live in the memory of a grateful people, is no unworthy, or uncommon, ambition. That community will be wise and far-seeing, which will take care to nurture a like ambition, by the pains taken to honor and perpetuate the memory of former benefactors.

THE AUTHOR'S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

To those many kind and often personally unknown friends, in all parts of the United States, without whose aid this task could not have been accomplished, the compiler of these histories desires to return heartfelt thanks. To indicate all these kind friends by name, would be almost impossible and would incur the risk of unfortunate omissions. A partial list of those to whom, in the preparation of this work, the writer has been more or less directly indebted for information, advice and assistance; not a few of the wisest and kindest of whom are, alas, already deceased; would include the names of the leading educators and educational officials in many of the States, cities, and towns, as well as in several of the universities and colleges, of the United States; of the officers, curators and principal promoters of all public art museums, art academies, art schools, and artistic associations and social clubs; the leading librarians; many individual manufacturers, also leading publishers, editors, art writers, and artists; a great number of private individuals, lovers of art and friends of education, with not a few of the members of Congress, both Representatives and Senators, who have manifested an interest in the work and aided, not a little, by encouragement and suggestions; while many of the Government officials in Washington have taken an intelligent interest in the progress of the work. Here in Washington, if nowhere else, may be realized the co-operation of the many which is essential to any comprehensive work by the one. The motto of the nation known as the United States, might well be taken as the motto of most of the works here published under its auspices, "E pluribus unum."*

PLAN AND CONTENTS OF THE APPENDICES.

When an enlarged edition of the circular was first planned, in reply to varied and miscellaneous requests for information, the scheme of an *For the typographical appearance of this work the author is solely indebted, for aid, to Capt. Henry T. Brian, Foreman of Public Printing, and to his courteous and accomplished assistants of the Government Printing Office.

S. Ex. 209

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appendix, which should contain such full statements upon all the diverse yet cognate topics which are included in a complete scheme of art education, was decided on; the object being to give, in one work, the necessary information relating not only to the elementary steps of such industrial art education as had been introduced in the public schools of Massachusetts, but also, such as would be useful to those planning the establishing of schools of high art, or of public art museums; with lists of art publications, of art material, etc., requisite to such undertakings,-information at that time most difficult to obtain. It was also thought desirable to give such extracts from foreign official reports, as well as from unofficial foreign material, as was requisite to an intelligent comprehension of the subject of art education in its entirety; since such information would not else be readily accessible to most American educators interested in these topics. In enlarging the scope of this work, this general plan has been retained.

GENERAL PLAN OF THE REPORT.

In the arrangement of the work, an attempt has been made to show the natural and orderly development of art education, beginning with the elementary drawing taught to children in the public schools, and progressing to the technical schools of industrial art on the one hand, or to the academies of high art on the other;-the same elementary training essential equally, to the artisan, and to the artist; while the loan exhibitions, and the permanent public art museums, are placed as the summit and crown of the public art educational instrumentalities. Views of the leading art museum buildings with plans of their interior arrangement have been obtained whenever possible, and thanks to the co-operation of publishers and of museum officials, the arrangement of the art collections can be readily studied by all interested in planning buildings for the reception of similar collections.

As many inquiries were made as to what was proposed by this system of industrial art education, in response to the urgent request of the compiler, a number of sets of illustrations, giving the actual work of scholars in the Boston public schools, first issued in the report of the Boston committee on drawing 1874, were contributed to this publication by Messrs. J. G. Osgood, & Co. of Boston, Mass. the publishers; the selections of subjects were made by the writer so as to present a fair view of the whole course of instruction then given, as shown by the copies of the actual work done by pupils.

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The system has been introduced into the schools of so many cities and towns since that time, that there is no longer the same reason for their insertion that then existed; therefore, the limited number of copies of this Report which are thus illustrated, will be, as far as possible, distributed among those educators where as yet drawing has not been introduced into the public schools.

SUMMARY OF APPENDICES.

Under each topic of the somewhat comprehensive subjects of industrial and high art education, the purpose has been to collect, in the Appendices of this report, such material as shall best enable one investigating a given topic to come to an intelligent conclusion. The action of European countries, and of the State of Massachusetts, in regard to the elementary instruction in drawing, having been set forth in the opening pages of "Circular No. 2," that part of this circular, (now out of print) is retained and inserted in Appendix B. The questions relating to industrial art drawing and the practical results obtained by such training are of vital importance in coming to a decision as to the desirableness of introducing the study of drawing in the public schools; for this reason the author and editor of this Report felt that he had secured a most valuable addition to the work, when he obtained from the late Mr. Charles B. Stetson, the able author of the well known work on "Technical Education," a complete copy of his full report upon the results of industrial art education, as shown by the displays made in the educational department at the Centennial Exhibition; a report, for the preparation of which, Mr. Stetson was pre-eminently qualified. This report, now first published in full,-an abstract only appears in the official reports of the exhibition,-possesses added interest to the friends of the lamented author, in the fact that it was the last work of this accomplished educator; whose sudden death, is a loss, not only to his friends but to the cause to which he was so enthusiastically devoted.

In the matter of technical art education, the annual reports, made by the committee on education of the American Institute of Architects, contain so much of permanent value upon the subject in all its relations, that it has seemed desirable to include very full extracts from them.

The establishing of public art museums, is a matter of such vital importance, whether we consider the general art culture of the community, or the needs of students desiring special training in art, that the inser