LB -%,' 1 ^ 1 ^■H ^^ ID ± IrtaMJE: m ('l;i,s,s _L6^x^£;^ ('ojnri.qlil X" lOI'VKKillT l)i;|.osiT, /Ql ■ '- X s m s g 6 ^ 1/1 Decoration of the School and Home By THEODORE M. DILLAWAY h DIRECTOR OF MANUAL ARTS BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS MILTON BRADLEY COMPANY SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS 1914 4^ COPYRIGHT 1914 By MILTON BRADLEY COMPANY SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS JUN 17 m^ r I od ©CI.A374nGS CONTENTS PART ONE Chapter Page I Decoration of the School 11 n School Grounds 16 III Decoration of the Schoolroom 23, IV Principles of Arrangement 39 V Treatment of Wall Spaces and Windows 51 VI Selection of Subjects for Pupils 64 VII The Decoration of the School Entrance and Hallways 68 VIII Decoration of the Assembly Hall 75 IX The Influence of Good Decoration 80 X Processes of Reproduction 84 ■ XI Picture Framing 90 Xn A Suggestive List of Pictures and Casts for Ele- mentary and High Schools 94 PART TWO XIII The Teaching of Home Decoration in the Public Schools 130 XIV Home Furnishing 160 XV Color and its Application to Interior Decoration 167 XVI Furniture 177 XVn Table Lamps 187 XVin Draperies and Curtains 189 XIX Sofa PiUows and Vases 197 XX Selection and Arrangement of the Room Furnishings 203 PREFACE "The habit of regarding Art as a thing apart from life is fatal to the development of taste. Its true function should be to contribute to the joy of right living." In- deed, a nation's art is a reflection of the daily life of its people and indicates very clearly the quality of ideals that they possess. A study of Greek art reveals the fact that the Greeks attained their highest development of culture during the Golden Age of Pericles. The decline of their ideals, following the conquests in Asia, is clearly written in the art of that period. It is quite as true in the case of the individual as of the nation, that the degree of refinement which he possesses will be at once apparent in the environment that he chooses to create for himself. If orderly habits and a refined sense of form and color are cultivated, these qualities will be reflected in daily acts and personal appearance as well as in that part of his environment which he controls. Educators believe there is education of the highest order in a beautiful school environment since it trans- mits culture and refinement as no amount of formal instruction can do. There is a feeling growing among teachers that a room made attractive with harmonious colors, fine pic- tures, statuary, and plants, arranged in decorative man- 8 Preface ner, exerts a great influence upon the happiness of the children. This improved state of mind tends to produce greater interest and higher accomplishment in daily tasks and it undoubtedly has a beneficial influence upon the child's deportment and his attitude toward the school. Therefore, it is the purpose of the first part of this volume to reveal the importance of this phase of educa- tion to the general public, and to suggest the solution of some of the most important problems in School Deco- ration to those teachers who desire such information. The illustrations of schoolroom decorations were ob- tained through the courtesy of principals and teachers and each one was selected to illustrate the principle under consideration. Therefore, some plates are not without minor faults — such as suspending a picture from one hook instead of two, or allowing the picture to rest on the blackboard molding. The writer feels that the experiments in relating the art work in the Public Schools to Home Furnishing and Dress will prove one of the most valuable phases of the child's art training and, without doubt, more time and attention will be devoted to these subjects in the future. The second part of the volume deals with various successful experiments in teaching Home Decoration and such considerations of design and color in home furnishing as will assist the teacher in developing the child's judgment in the selection of furniture, wall papers, rugs, draperies, bric-a-brac, etc. The writer wishes to acknowledge the courtesy of the following people who have generously contributed information and illustrations : — Preface 9 The Emery School Art Co., Boston, Mass., dealers in pictures for school decoration, and sole agents for the Riviere color prints, for color plates by Henri Riviere ; the M. H. Birge «& Sons, Buffalo, N. Y., manufacturers of paper hangings, for plates of room interiors; the Curtis Publishing Company, Philadelphia, for cuts of home furnishings; the Atkinson, Mentzer Company, Chicago, 111., for plate of Rhine color prints; the Sherwin- Williams Paint Company, Cleveland, Ohio, for color plates of room interiors; Caproni Brothers, Boston, Mass., manufacturers of plaster casts, for views of assembly halls; Mr. Donald McDonald, Boston, Mass., manufacturer of stained glass windows and lighting fixtures, for reproductions of designs for lighting fixtures ; Messrs. Curtis and Cameron, Boston, Mass., manufac- turers of carbon reproductions of mural decorations and paintings, for plates of Blashfield's and Sim- mons' decorations. Mr. Henry Turner Bailey, Editor of School Arts Magazine, for permission to quote from The School Arts Magazine; Mr. Frederick Whitney, Director of Art Department, Salem Normal School, for photographs of decorations in the Salem Normal School ; Mr. Edward Thornhill, Supervisor of Drawing, Worces- ter, Mass., for suggestive lists of shrubs and flowers; Miss Mary McSkimmon, principal of the Pierce School, Brookline, Mass., for interior views of the Pierce School; Master Henry B. Miner, and teachers of the Edward Everett School, Boston, Mass. ; Master Myron T. Pritch- ard and teachers of the Everett School, Boston, Mass. ; Master Edwin F. Kimball, Gilbert Stuart School, Boston, Mass.; Master Arthur A. Lincoln, Washington AUston 10 Preface School, Boston, Mass. ; Master Charles F. King, Dear- bom School, Boston, Mass., for views of school decora- tion; Miss Alice A. Swett, Art Instructor, Washington Allston School, Boston, Mass., for description of teaching art in relation to home making ; Mr. Edward Kingsbury, Art Instructor, English High School, Boston, Mass., for reproduction of his mural painting in the Charlestown, Mass., High School; Mr. Ludwig Frank, Department Instructor of Manual Arts, Boston, Mass., Public Schools, for plates suggesting color schemes for schoolrooms and assembly halls. PART ONE CHAPTER I Decoration of the School ARCHITECTURE The ancient Greeks surrounded their mothers with beauty so that children might be born beautiful in body and with a love for beauty. This system of educa- tion produced a race of cultured men and women, and the world is yet their debtor for the noble results that they achieved in art and literature. We cannot afford to ignore the effect of environment in the education of children for it has been truthfully stated that daily association with poor pictures, dis- orderly rooms, and ugly school buildings — surrounded by unattractive, unkempt grounds — may indeed be as injurious as association with trashy literature. Is it little wonder that children who have attended such schools lack ideals of beauty and are disorderly? What lessons in surroundings does the boy take home from the sordid building in which he is being educated? Can you reasonably expect the girls from such a school to set a higher standard about the homes they will soon be making? Comenius long since urged "that the school building be a beautiful spot, that it offer to the eye a pleasant view from the outside and a pleasant view within." 12 Decoration of the School and Home There is urgent need for improving the style of our school architecture, for we are not keeping pace with the improvement in this respect in our libraries, churches, and other public buildings. The factory-like style of architecture, fig. I, plate I, is unfortunately coming into vogue in many of our large cities, and is excused and tolerated in the name of economy. It is doubtful, how- ever, if the making of an ugly object has ever proved economical in the end. The great opportunity for making the school "a pleasant view from the outside," as Comenius urged, has been sacrificed for the sake of saving a few dollars. "Members of school committees and others interested in school construction should recognize that in such work great saving in cost can seldom be made except by sacri- fice of desirable features, and that the permanent value of a building depends upon the knowledge, skill, and forethought used by the architect in the disposition of its parts, in the durability and fire-protected character of its construction, in the quality of its appointments and fit- tings ; and, finally, that beauty of the design, though no small consideration, may fittingly be retained within the limitation of brick construction. " The percentage of excess of cost between a school designed with regard for architectural efifect and one of a purely utilitarian construction is not great. Under ordi- nary conditions, satisfactory architectural results may be obtained at an increase of cost of not more than five per cent, above that of most 'practical' construction. A careful reckoning of the cost of the Brighton High School, the most elaborate school designed by the writer, shows Fig. I. The element of beauty has been sacrificed in this school building. Fig. II. A notable example of beautiful school architecture. PLATE I. Decoration of the School and Home 15 that eight per cent, of its cost, above that of a purely utilitarian structure, covered the expense of its architec- tural features. It will be generally admitted that a large building demands a greater relative cost for architectural effect than does a smaller one. Few people now main- tain that a pleasing architectural effect is an unim- portant consideration, and that a beautiful school is not a factor in the education of the young." — From "School Architecture," Edmund Marsh Wheelwright. Distinction and beauty in school architecture will result when buildings embody fine proportions; when cornices, windows, doors, and other details of construc- tion are in proper scale relation to the whole; and when ornament is used in restraint and intimately related to structure. Note the fine proportions of the building in fig. II, plate I ; the interesting treatment of the space relations in the facade; the beautifully designed cornice and frieze which are just the right proportion for the rest of the building; and the pilasters and wrought-iron lan- terns at the entrance which, with the frieze decorations, give the right amount of ornamentation to the whole. It is fitting that such a beautiful building has been named after Gilbert Stuart, the great American por- trait artist. CHAPTER n School Grounds Landscape gardening will add much to the attract- iveness of the school building. The ugliness of the type of building in fig. I, plate I, may be made less conspicuous by means of planting ivy, which will soon soften the severity of its lines. The approach to the building may be made inviting and beautiful by means of a few trees, grassplots, and flower beds, judiciously placed. Such problems as these afford excellent opportimities for teaching the children their first lessons in Civic Beauty. In some schools the beau- tifying of the school grounds has been accomplished by a committee composed of school children, who have made beds for plants arid shrubbery, set out trees, planted vines to make bare walls and fences more attractive, and kept the yard in an orderly condition. This work has aroused the interest of fellow pupils which has resulted in their co-operation with the committee in keeping the appearance of the grounds neat and orderly. TREES AND SHRUBBERY Trees not only beautify the school grounds but may serve to screen an objectionable view from the windows. The maple, birch, poplar, and elm are varieties which are well adapted for this purpose. Fig. I. Fig. II. The well arranged beds of shrubbery add much to the attractive appearance of the Salem (Mass.) Normal School Grounds. PLATE II. 18 Decoration of the School and Home Shrubs are most effective when planted in hedge- rows or in beds. The following shrubs have been successfully used in decorating school grounds in Worcester, Mass. : — Forsythia Suspensa (Golden Bells). Blossoms in April before the leaves appear, and is a graceful, droop- ing growth. Forsythia Fortunei. Upright and strong growth. Both of the above should be planted where they will have sunshine. Deutzia Gracilis. White. Early in June. Deutzia Crenata (Pride of Rochester). Exochorda Grandifiora. Spirea (Van Houtte). White. Last of May. Droop- ing habit. Four to six feet. Spirea (Anthony Waterer). Crimson. All summer. Two feet. Spirea Arguta. White. May. Barberry. June. Green leaves, with metallic luster. Yellow blossoms and red berries. Lilac (Persian.) Two varieties, white and purple. Not as coarse growing as the common French variety. Lilac, Charles X. Reddish purple. Viburnum Plicatum. (Japanese Snowball.) Hand- some plicated leaves. Whiter flowers than the common. Hydrangea Paniculata Grandifiora. August. White flowers remain all winter. Syringa, Philadelphus (Mock Orange). Weigelia Candida. White. June. Weigelia Rosea. June. Weigelia Eva Rathke. Summer. Decoration of the School and Home 19 Sumac. Native. Golden Elder. White. Golden Spirea. White. Variegated Weigelia. Foliage green, white, and pink. Variegated Dogwood. Silver-margined. Slow grow- ing but very desirable. Purple-leaved Barberry. Red fruit. All of the above should be planted in the sun to develop the best color. VINES The schoolhouse, fences, walls, and outbuildings may be made more attractive by having vines grow upon them. For permanent screens, use such hardy vines as the Woodbine, Trumpet Vine, Clematis, Honey- suckles, Virginia Creeper, Wild Grapes, Bittersweet, etc. For immediate results, plant the rapid " Cucumber Vine," and the annual Morning-Glories. Japanese Ivy is excellent for the building, for it clings to brick and stone walls without support. While satisfactory decoration may be obtained with trees, shrubbery, and grassplots, flowers, when planted in narrow beds bordering the building or fences, contrib- ute a most cheerful and homelike atmosphere to the school grounds. However, the custom of breaking beautiful lawn spaces with circular beds should be avoided. The selection and arrangement of flowers in beds should be presented to the pupils as a problem in color 20 Decoration of the School and Home and design. Here is an excellent opportunity of putting into practice the theory of color harmony taught in the class room. The pupils in the intermediate grades might experi- ment grouping flowers of one or two analogous colors with white, as a bed of red and white tulips or red and purple-red asters. The pupils of the higher elementary grades may be first taught to group flowers having strong contrasts of intensity; as red and yellow, either by separatmg them with white flowers or with flowers having the coloring of intermediate hues. In this case the shock of violent contrast is avoided by the gradual transition from red to yellow through the hues of orange-red and orange-yellow. By this method flowers of all colors ranging from red to purple may be made as harmonious as the colors of the spectrum or a sunset. The grouping of flowers to produce a complementary effect as yellow and purple asters, or orange and yellow bloom with blue and purple, may also be considered. In this way each flower bed might be made a definite color problem to be worked out in crayons or water colors in the class room, and then the best results of these exercises may be worked out in the flower beds. Following is the list of flowering plants and vines for school grounds: — Dahlias, Golden Glow, Nasturtiums, Morning-Glories, Paeonia, Day Lilies, Phlox, Columbine, Asters, Gail- lardia, Coreopsis, Delphiniums, Heleniums, Bleeding Heart, Oriental Poppy, and Japanese Spirea. CHAPTER III Decoration of the Schoolroom The plea for better schoolroom decoration in America was probably first made by Charles C. Perkins and John Philbrick in 1870. It did not attract public attention, however, until 1892, when Ross Turner urged that "daily association with good pictures and statuary affords the best means of developing culture," and added force to these words through a practical demonstration of decora- tion in the Phillips School, Salem, Mass. Since that time, much has been accomplished by educators in surrounding the children with reproduc- tions of the masterpieces of architecture, painting, and sculpture. More attention has been given, however, to the selection of pictures and casts, from the stand- point of the child's appreciation, than to the proper arrangement of these subjects upon the walls to pro- duce the most effective decoration. Much more satis- factory results will be achieved if the decoration of a building is considered as a complete whole and a plan is drawn up by the principal, teachers, and art director which will include the dimensions of wall spaces and a list of pictures and casts which harmoniously decorate these spaces. Such a plan would be a safe guide for teachers to fol- low and would eliminate the possibility of unsuitable gifts which are sometimes donated by well-intentioned people. 24 Decoration of the School and Home A model school in decoration, centrally located, and demonstrating correct decoration of school and grounds would prove to be an inspiration to the teachers, pupils, and parents. The McElwain School in Bridgewater, Mass., illus- trates how such a plan was successfully carried out by Superintendent John De Meyer. PLAN FOR INTERIOR DECORATIONS OF THE McELWAIN SCHOOL AT BRIDGEWATER, MASS. Corridor directly in front of entrance, "The Evolu- tion of the Book" by Alexander. Size of each of the six pictures 16"x32", framed in groups of three with a three-inch, dark oak frame, one and one-half inch molding separating different pictures. The first three placed on the left-hand corridor wall and the second three on the right. Each picture occupying a space of twenty-five feet long and approximately nine feet high. Cost $125.00 including the frame. Grade I In front of room, "Bambino" by Delia Robbia. Size 32" X 40". Cost $6.00. Space nine feet. The balance of space occupied by two doors and a heating shaft. The rear of the room, "Cats and Kittens at Play" by Adam. Size 18" x 22". Cost $3.00. "Children of the Shell" by Murillo. Size 18"x22". Cost $3.00. Space occupied by the two, twenty-two and one-half feet. On the side of the room, ** Hiawatha." This ugly shaft has been made less obnoxious by a Japanese towel. PLATE IV. ^ Decoration of the School and Home 27 Size 15"x22". Cost $2.00. Space three feet. "A Distinguished Member of the Humane Society" by Landseer. Size 17"x21". Cost $1.50. Space nine feet, balance filled by transom. Grades II and III In front of room, "The vSwans," Rhine color print. Size 30" X 40". Cost $2.00. "The Little Shrimp Fisher- man" by Blommers. Size 25" x 32". Cost $6.00. These pictures occupy a space of twenty-four feet. "Summer Evenings," a color print by Henri Riviere. Size 21i2"x32i2". Cost $3.00. This picture with a clock and a six-pane transom occupies a space of twenty- nine feet. Grades III and IV In one room In the front of the room, "The Triumphant Entry of Alexander into Babylon." Slabs I and A. Size 24"x41". Cost $7.50 each. Space nineteen feet. On the side of the room, Rhine color print, "Isle of Swans." Size 21i2"x3132". Cost $3.00. With clock and a six-pane transom occupy space of twenty- nine feet. In the rear of the room, "The Brook" with the "Pilgrims going to Church" by Boughton. Size 28" x40". Cost $6.00. Grade V Front space, twenty-four feet long, series of four pictures framed together with narrow strips of mold- 28 Decoration of the School and Home ing between pictures entitled, "Life at Mavoit," color prints by Henri Riviere. The pictures are entitled: — 1. "The Old Men." (See frontispiece.) 2. "The Boys Fishing." (See plate XXXII.) 3. "Working in the Fields." 4. "The Port." Size of each 15"x21". Cost $1.50 each. On the side of the room is "The Avenue of Trees" byHobbema. Size 15 I4" x 21". Cost $1.50. Together with a clock and a six-pane transom occupies a space of twenty-four feet. The rear of the room, "Traffic on the Thames." Size 21 1 2" X 32 1 2". Color print by Henri Riviere. Cost $3.00. These two pictures occupy a space of nine- teen feet. Grade VI Cast, "Boys Playing a Trumpet" by Delia Robbia. Size 42"x38". Cost $13.50. "Song of the Lark" by Jules Breton. Size 25"x32". Cost $6.75. These occupy a space of nineteen feet. Side of room, "Plantmg the Potatoes" by Millet. Size 21io"x32i^". Cost $3.00. Occupies a space of twenty-four feet. Grade VH In front of room, "Washington Laying His Com- mission at the Feet of Columbia" by Blashfield. Size 24"x72". Price $25.00. This occupies a space of twenty-four feet. Side of room, "Along the River" by Le Rolle. Size 22"x 28". Cost $6.00. This picture with clock and transom occupies a space of nineteen feet. Fig. a. Fig. b. Fig. c. Fig. d. Color schemes for elementary school rooms. PLATE V. Decoration of the School and Home 31 Back of the room, space of nineteen feet, is filled by "The Sower," MiUet. Size 24"x32". Cost $6.75. Grade VHI In the front of room, space of nineteen feet, there is a slab from "The Western Frieze of the Parthenon." Size 32"x48", and "Night at Sea," color print by Riviere. Size 21 32" x 32i<". Cost $3.00. Rear of the room, "The Shepherdess" by Millet. Size 25"x32". Cost $6.75. "Institute of France Cite," color print by Henri Riviere. Size 21 K"x 32 V^". These pictures together with clock and transom occupy space of twenty-three feet. Side of room, "Abraham Lincoln" by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Size 22" x 28". Cost $5.60. This picture with transom and clock occupies space of twenty- four feet. Grade IX Front of room, "The Lake" by Corot. Size 25" x 32". Cost $6.75. Space nine and three-quarters feet. On the rear of the room, "The Angelus" by Millet. Size 25"x32". Cost $6.75, and "The Moonrise," color print by Henri Riviere. Size 21H"x32H". Cost $3.00. Occupying space of twenty-two and one-half feet. On the side of the room, " Sunset," color print by Henri Riviere. Size 21^-." x 32^ V'- This picture, with clock and four-pane transom, occupies space of twenty-three feet. 32 Decoration of the School and Home Assembly Hall "The Roman Forum." Size 23" x 32". Cost $7.50. "The Castle and Bridge of St. Angelo." Size 28" x 32". Price $7.50. These pictures occupy a space of thirty feet. The other side, a cast, "The Triixmphant Entry of Alexander into Babylon," slab 17" x 18". Cost $19.00. Occupies space of thirty feet. In the principal's office, "Autumn Gold," color print by George Inness. Size 14" x 21". Cost $1.50. Space five feet. Teachers' room, "Saint Barbara" by Vecchio. Size 21"xl9". Cost $1.50. The above pictures with the exception of the series entitled "The Evolution of the Book," were all bought unframed and framed by a framing house with a uni- form oak molding stained to match the color of the woodwork throughout the building. The total cost for framing amounted to about $98.00. . THE COLOR OF THE WALLS AND WOODWORK It is very essential that the schoolroom walls should be treated in such color schemes as will enhance the decorative value of pictures and casts. At the same time, practical as well as aesthetic considerations should regulate the choice of these colors. The amount of light in a room or hall should receive first consideration. Owing to the cool quality of the light in rooms of northern exposure warm color schemes, such as illus- trated in figures a and d, plate V, are needed to give a feeling of warmth and cheerfulness. 1 r.[ Fig. a. Fig. b. ; ^ ^ 1 1 Fig- c. Fig. d. Color schemes for assembly halls. PLATE VI. Decoration of the School and Home 35 The lighter the tone of orange or yellow on the wall the greater the percentage of reflected light. For this reason it is apparent that fig. d would prove more satis- factory than fig. a, plate V, for a very dark room. Cream- tinted ceilings will aid in giving the required amount of reflected light in all rooms. If the wainscoting is treated in burlap, as is the case in many modern build- ings, it should be painted a somewhat darker tone of the wall color, or a color that is similar. However, if the interval is too great between the two tones the contrast is too violent to be pleasing, and if the wall color is very light it will appear faded and weak. On the other hand, the wainscoting should be dark enough to prevent finger marks and dirt from showing. The walls of bright sunny rooms require such tones of cool colors as will make a restful background for the eyes, and at the same time be bright enough to reflect the amount of light required. The tones of gray-green and gray in the color schemes illustrated in figures b and c, plate V, are quite dark enough for such rooms. The practical considerations which determine the color scheme of the class room should, in a measure, be observed in the Assembly Hall. However, its use calls for richer color treatment of walls and woodwork. The tone of the former should be deeper and richer than in the class room, and the woodwork may be painted lighter than the wall, as in fig. b, or darker, as in fig. c, plate VI. If the hall is used much in the daytime, and its lighting is poor, a scheme of yellow or brown will prove the right treatment. 36 Decoration of the School and Home However, if it is a bright room or is used solely for even- ing functions, the schemes of grays, as figs, a and d, plate VI, are most satisfactory. The color of the woodwork and furniture in the class room should harmonize with the color of the walls. The former should be treated in brown stain, in rooms having warm color schemes, and in grayer stains in cool- colored rooms. When there is a choice in the selection of the desks, chairs, and bookcases, it is well to choose simple designs in colors as near the woodwork as possi- ble. A dull finish is more restful than varnished sur- faces. For this reason, golden oak furniture, owing to its prominent grain markings and highly polished surfaces, is not as desirable as furniture treated in duU colors. In old buildings, the woodwork is generally painted and grained to imitate oak. In such cases, it is well- nigh impossible to make the color of the wall harmonize with the crude yellow of the woodwork. Most satis- factory results can only be obtained by removing the old paint with paint-remover, and then staining or repainting to harmonize with the wall color. When this is impossible, the crude color of the woodwork may be made less obnoxious by painting the wall a soft intensity of yellow to match the lightest tone of the graining. Order should be the first law of the schoolroom. PLATE VU. o ;_j a > u H o < w >-l m < P4 .g CHAPTER V Treatment of Wall Spaces and Windows The front of the room is the center of interest from the pupils' point of view, and if the teacher has but one fine cast or picture, it should be placed where it will exert the most potent influence upon the children. The front wall of the room is admirably adapted for statues and bas-reliefs for the light from the side windows brings the modeling of casts into bold relief. Bas-reliefs having proportions similar to Thorwaldsen's "Triimiphal Procession of Alexander" will harmonize with the proportions of the wall space above the black- board and will prove to be a sufficient decoration, as in plate XII. A similar arrangement may be obtained with a picture having such proportions as "Washington Laying His Commission at the Feet of Columbia," or a series of small pictures framed together, as "Fairy Tale Series" by Jessie Willcox Smith. Very satisfactory effects are obtained by placing two large pictures as in plate XIV or a bas-relief in the center, and balancing on either side with a picture, as in fig. h, plate XI. As a necessary accompaniment to a well decorated wall, the corners, table, and blackboard should be kept in good order. An exhibition of daily work, however well arranged, is spotty in effect and when placed near a decoration, as in plate XIII, it produces a very 52 Decoration of the School and Home strong attractive force which interferes with the full enjoyment of the pictures or casts. Work may be more fittingly exhibited either at the rear of the room as in plate XV, or where it will least interfere with the decoration. For the same reasons, drawings, small pictures, or written work should not be tacked upon the blackboard molding, except for a short period, when the teacher desires to have a lesson or class criticism. The table affords excellent opportunity for making the front of the room an inspiration of beauty. Too often it serves as a catch-all for books and materials, as in plate VII. Note the atmosphere of refinement that the table creates in the room illustrated in plate XVI. In the Everett School, in Boston, each class undertakes the study of one poet for the year and the teacher utilizes the table in a most attractive way, making, as it were, a shrine of beauty to the chosen poet. The table might further be utilized to illustrate the study of masters in art or music. A piece of statuary may be made an effective part of the decoration at the front of the room if placed upon a pedestal between the teacher's desk and the window. Generally, the side wall opposite the windows proves to be the most difficult one to decorate, for here are placed the clock and ventilators, and the teacher must endeavor to select pictures and casts of such propor- tions and tone value and arrange them in such a way that the strong attractions of the clock and ventilator The table at the front of the room afifords excellent opportunity for artistic arrangements of books, pictures, casts, and vases. PLATE XVI. > w H o 3 a Decoration of the School and Home 55 are in a measure reconciled. (See chapter IV on Principles of Arrangement.) The decoration on the back wall of the room should be in harmony with the other walls. What has been said concerning the front wall will apply here, although the most attractive casts and pictures should be at the front, the center of the child's interest. Unused blackboard spaces at the rear of the room may be covered with burlap on which drawings, written work, Japanese prints, or other interesting material may be exhibited. The placing of these exhibits on the burlap will offer excellent opportunities to the pupils to learn the principles of arrangement in a most prac- tical way. In the room illustrated in plate XV, the burlap was fastened to the wall with glue; and such careful attention is given to the arrangement of drawings that it forms one of the most attractive features in the decoration of the room. Another teacher in the same building brightened a rather dark corner in a most attractive manner by an arrangement of Japanese towels (see plate XIX) and the expense did not exceed one dollar. Note how the ugly ventilator shaft in plate IV has been made less noticeable by a Japanese towel which cost only twenty-five cents. When such beautiful material is available at so little expense, is there any excuse for lack of beauty in the schoolroom? The unused blackboard spaces may also be dec- orated with blackboard drawings as in plate XVII. These sketches, however, should not remain for any 56 Decoration of the School and Home great length of time, for when they have outlived their usefulness they are distressing and become an eyesore. Owing to the proportions of the narrow spaces be- tween the windows in the schoolroom, pictures having greater height than width will produce the most har- monious decorative effect. The clock, which so often interferes with harmonious decoration when placed in the wide spaces over the blackboard, will fit admirably between the windows as in fig. i, plate XI, and circular bas-reliefs may be intro- duced to assist in giving shape harmony. The propor- tions of plaster busts make them admirably suited for such spaces, fig. i, plate XI, while statues, fig. g, though harmonious in proportion, are not appropriate here as they show to better advantage on pedestals nearer the eye level. Japanese prints are very effect- ive in the small spaces between the windows. They should be hung from a hook directly back of the picture. A frequent mistake in treating these narrow spaces is that, taken as a whole, the decoration does not balance as in fig. g, plate XI, in which case the eye is led in an oblique line from left to right instead of hori- zontally, as in fig. i. There is nothing which may be made to contribute more to the cheerfulness of a schoolroom than plants and flowers. They may be grown in window boxes and bowls, as illustrated in plates III and XVIII. Geraniums and rubber plants are perhaps the most hardy varieties, though ferns are most desirable when the temperature of the room will admit of their growing. > ■■P la a fn H > a to J3 Decoration of the School and Home 79 the proportions of the panels or spaces which they are to decorate. Framed pictures, as a rule, are not as decorative in large halls as casts. The thoughtless arrangement of clocks, ventilators, etc., frequently makes the problem in decoration ex- tremely difficult. The suggestive sketches on plates X and XI will serve to show how the problems of balance in such cases may be solved. The most beautiful way of lighting the assembly hall is by reflected light. It is no longer necessary to put up with the ugly fixtures which mar so many well decorated assembly halls for at the present time beautiful designs, as illus- trated in plate XXVII, are available. Simple shades with little or no ornamentation are most suitable designs for the school. There is no excuse for the ugly venti- lators that mar the appearance of so many interiors when such attractive designs as illustrated in plate XXX may be obtained. Pupils of the Salem (Mass.) Normal Practice School studying statuary in the Normal School Hall. PLATE XXrX. CHAPTER rX The Influence of Good Decoration The silent influence for good of a well decorated building, upon the child, can never be measured. Yet teachers should not rely too much upon this unknown quantity or the greatest opportunities for cultural train- ing may be lost. In such cases, children frequently form wrong impressions of the world's masterpieces, as in one school where the committee of the graduating class was debating upon the most fitting manner for the expenditure of money for a school gift, whereupon one boy declared, " that, in his opinion, it would be far a « ■o n 3 a X X < 3 H a> -; o > y ^ «"" 5: .a; '^ > a, o w XI Decoration of the School and Home 101 Girl with Apple Greuze Girl with Lamb Greuze ^ The Balloon Dupre Shoeing the Bay Mare Landseer At the Watering Trough Dagnan-Bouveret Rest in Flight Knaus Deer in the Forest Bonheur Boy Sailing a Boat Israels The Mother's School Geoffrey The Little Shrimp Fisherman Blommers Hiawatha '---' ~ Norris The First Music Lesson Francis Day Bedtime Stories Francis Day Studies of Children Alice Barber The Children's Hour Taylor Angel with Lute Carpaccio The Return to the Farm Troyon Farm Scene with Cattle van Marcke The Strawberry Girl Reynolds On the Farm Millet Riviere Color Prints Views of Nature and Enchantment of the Hours Series Rhine Color Prints Swans Schramm-Zittau Cinderella and the Doves Herrman The Pied Piper of Hamelin Plaster Casts Apollo in a Chariot (Modern) Morning Thorwaldsen 102 Decoration of the School and Home Children Singing and Playing Instruments (Renaissance) The Choir Madonna and Child Angel Head Angela Sistine Madonna Bambino Cherubs Dancing Children of Charles First Feeding the Hens The Little Shepherdess The First Step The Goose Girl Innocence The Connoisseurs Dignity and Impudence Little Mother Landscape with Sheep Caritas The Torn Hat Deacon's One Hoss Shay The Village Blacksmith The Spinners Boy with the Rabbits Angel Heads Horse Fair The Balloon The Mill The Corn Field Children Catching Minnows (Cantoria Frieze) Michael Angelo Nanne d'Antonio di Banco Grade IV Fra Angelico Raphael Andrea della Robbia Donatello Van Dyck Millet Millet Millet Millet Sir Joshua Reynolds Landseer Landseer J. W. Alexander Couse Abbott H. Thayer Thomas Sully Howard Pyle Taylor Walter Gay Johansen Sir Joshua Reynolds Rosa Bonheur Dupre van Marcke Constable Curran Large spaces over stair-landings are well suited for casts or pictures. PLATE XXXVIII. J3 m "to o X c CI O i^ •o p. <1> c < Decoration of the School and Home 105 Riviere Color Prints Views of Nature Series The Sunset The Cape A Brittany Fishing Village Series The Boys Fishing Rhine Color Prints Call of the Shepherd von Volkmann Crows in Snow Fikentscher On the Heath Osswald Plaster Casts Aurora Guido Reni Morning Thorwaldsen Night Thorwaldsen Alexandrian Procession Thorwaldsen Children Playing with Tambourines and Cymbals (Renaissance) Cupid with Bow Moreau Singing Boys (Florentine) Grade V Prince Don Balthazar Carlos Velasquez Madonna of the Chair Raphael St. John the Baptist Murillo Immaculate Conception Murillo Melon Eaters Murillo Song of the Lark Breton Return from the Fields Breton The Gleaner Breton George Washington Stuart Arrival of the Shepherds Le RoUe The Shepherdess Le RoUe 106 Decoration of the School and Home Oxen Ploughing Rosa Bonheur Age of Innocence Sir Joshua Reynolds Penelope Boothby Sir Joshua Reynolds The Belated Kid Wm. M. Hunt Girl Reading Wm. M. Hunt Innocence (Mother, Child, Lamb) Bouguereau Princes in the Tower Millais Fog Warning Winslow Homer Old Clock on the Stairs Taylor Boy Sailing a Boat Israels Spring Mauve Autumn Mauve Riviere Color Prints Views of Nature Series The Forest The Sea Enchantment of the Hours Series Twilight A Brittany Fishing Village Series The Port Rhine Color Prints The Sea Gulls Matthaei Earlv Soring in the Meadow Herdtle Plaster Casts Tnimpeters and Dancing Children Luca della Robbia Drummers Luca della Robbia Aurora Guido Rem Triimiphal Entry of Alexander into Babylon Thorwaldsen Grade VI The Gleaners Millet Bringing Home the Newborn Calf Rosa Bonheur Flight into Egypt Durer 55— The Sea Gulls. 49— The Glacier. 4S— Solitary Valley. 5t) — Swans. 210— .\ May M<.rnin,u. _'l.^ — AiitUTim Air. The above are reproductions or a tew or " The Rhine Prints sold hy Atkinson, Mentzer Gf Co. PLATE XL. Decoration of the School and Home \m The End of Labor Breton The Angelus MUlet The Shepherdess Millet By the River Le RoUe A Kabyl Schreyer The End of the Day Adam Landscape with Cattle van Marcke Advance Guard Schreyer Oxen Going to Labor Troyon The Little Seamstress Israels Queen Louise Richter Carnation-Lily and LUy-Rose Sargent Picture Writing Remington Landscape with Windmill Ruysdael Wood Gatherers Corot Spring Corot Riviere Color Prints Views of Nature Series The River Enchantment of the Hours Series Setting Sun Port of Loguivy at Low Tide Rhine Color Prints The Plowman Georgi Harvest Time Hosse Plaster Casts David Verrocchio Singing Boys Luca della Robbia St. George Donatello Triumphal Entry of Alexander into Babylon Thorwaldsen Landing of Columbus Landing of Pilgrims 110 Decoration of the School and Home Grade VU Moonlight De Haas Avenue Middelharnis Hobbema Madonna of the Goldfinch Raphael Aurora Guido Reni Portrait of a Lady Franz Hals Knitting Lesson Millet Washerwoman Millet The Travellers Millet Holland Cattle Troyon Dance of the N5miphs Corot Pilgrim Exiles Boughton Pilgrims Going to Church Boughton Priscilla Boughton Flight of Night Wm. M. Hunt Bugle Call Wm. M. Hunt Sir Galahad G. F. Watts King Arthur Vischer After the Storm Israels The Frugal Meal Israels The Child Handel Dicksee Search for the Holy Grail Edwin A. Abbey Monuments of Egypt (Color Print) Jules Guerin Washington Monument (Color Print) Jules Guerin Hour of Reverie Bridgman Hunting with a Hawk Bridgman Holland Cattle and Fishing Boats Mesdag Hanging the Crane Taylor Priscilla and John Alden Taylor Pictures of Japanese Art Hiroshigi Pictures of Japanese Art Hokusai 3 w .2 S o d o -1 u* R X 0) u w ■8 H rt U) >-) C T 0, u c/) en ^ s H 6 o 00 a Decoration of the School and Home 113 Riviere Color Prints Enchantment of the Hours Series The Wind A Brittany Fishing Village Series The Old Men Quay Austerlitz A Street, Treboul Rhine Color Prints Last Look Wieland The Glacier Hoch Ripening Wheat Field von Volkmann Fishing Boats Hoch Plaster Casts Mercury ( Giovanni da Bologna Faun Plajdng Flute (In Villa Borghese, Rome) David Mercie The Minute Man D. C. French Chariot Race Lisbon Bacchantes Dancing (Louvre) Pelops and Hippodamia (Berlin Museiun) Children Dancing Luca della Robbia Boys Singing from Book Luca della Robbia Paul Revere's Ride (after the decoration in the State House, Boston, Mass.) Robert Reid Grade VIII Moses Sistine Madonna Madonna Gran' Duca St. Michael and the Dragon The Night Watch Portrait of an Old Lady Fighting Temeraire Michael Angelo Raphael Raphael Guido Reni Rembrandt Rembrandt Turner 114 Decoration of the School and Home The Sower Joan of Arc Going to Work The Golden Stairs Hope Automedon and the Horses of Achilles Portrait of His Mother Isabella and the Pot of Basil Halt of the Wise Men Bugle Call Medicine Man Signal of Peace Appeal to the Great Spirit Evangeline The Lake St. Barbara The Golden Stairs MiUet Bastien-Lepage Millet Burne-Jones Burne-Jones Regnault Whistler J. W. Alexander La Farge Wm. M. Hunt Cyrus Dallin Cyrus DaUin Cyrus DaUin Taylor Corot Palma il Vecchio Burne-Jones Mural Decorations Boston Public Library Decorations Puvis de Chavannes The Prophets Decorations in Trinity Church Evolution of the Book Boy of Winander Gansrmede Spring Ploughing Young Pioneer Shaw Memorial The Puritan Robert Louis Stevenson Statue of Sherman John S. Sargent La Farge J. W. Alexander H. O. Walker H. O. Walker H. O. Walker Douglas Volk Augustus Saint-Gaudens Augustus Saint-Gaudens Augustus Saint-Gaudens Augustus Saint-Gaudens Decoration of the School and Home 115 Plaster Casts Boys Singing from Book Luca della Robbia Victory (From Trajan's Column, Rome) Frieze of the Parthenon Paul Revere Cyrus Dallin The Medicine Man Cyrus Dallin The Scout Cyrus Dallin Slave (From Statue by Michael Angelo) Apollo Belvedere (Bust) Riviere Color Prints Views of Nature Series Twilight Enchantment of the Hours Series Coming Storm The Snow Paris from Notre Dame Towers The Old Mill at Loguivy Arrival of the Sardine Fishermen at Treboul Rhine Color Prints A Lowland Village Strich-Chapell Autimin in the Valley ' Strich-Chapell The Matterhom Wieland Evening Quiet Kampmann Autumn Air Ortlieb High Schools Riviere Color Prints The Seine River and Trocadero Palace The Fortifications of Paris Paris from Montmartre Swan Island Institute of France and Cite 116 Decoration of the School and Home Views of Nature Series Night at Sea Woods in Winter The Glade Summer Evening The Cape Enchantment of the Hours Series A Dead Cahn Last Rays of the Sun Dawn Full Moon Reflections The Mist The Tempest Night Rhine Color Prints Old Doorway Bendrat St. Mary's in Danzig Bendrat Marienburg Bendrat Autumn on the Hillside von Volkmann Schwabisch Hall Beckert Early Spring in the Meadow Herdtle Hertig's Fountain in Rothenburg Beckert Executioner's Walk in Nuremburg Beckert Out of Old Frankfurt Beckert Brook in Winter Felber Temple of Paestum Roman The Glacier Hoch Morning in the Mountains Hoch Swans Schramm-Zittau An Autumn Evening Kampmann Fishing Boats Hoch A May Morning Fikentscher 3 Vi •a M n S o n o 2 P< 3 si 5 a S Assembly Hall of the Girls' High School, Boston, Mass. PLATE Owing to its architectural quality, antique statuary makes the most effective decoration for the Assembly Hall. £LIII. Fig. I. Too many busts are undesirable in the Assembly Hall. ""■■'■■•■IM.BII Fig. 11. The unattractiveness of this hall was made less noticeable by its well chosen decorations. PLATE XLIV. Decoration of the School and Home 121 St. George and the Dragon Suess The Foot Race Schneider A Lowland Village Strich-Chapell The Plowman Georgi The Matterhom Wieland The Great Sphinx The Great Pyramids of Gizeh Pyramids and Sphinx Kamak, Great Hall of Columns Abu Simbel, Facade of Larger Temple Temple of Edfu Temple of Isis, Philae The Acropolis, Athens Alice Freeman Palmer '. Memorial French Alma Mater French King Arthur Vischer Angel with Tambourine Fra Giovanni Angelico Angel with Harp Fra Giovanni Angelico Vision of St. Bernard Filippino Lippi Angel Playing Viol Melozzo da Forli Madonna del Arpie Andrea Del Sarto Delphic Sibyl Michael Angelo An Athlete Michael Angelo Sistine Madonna Raphael Mona Lisa Leonardo da Vinci St. Barbara Palma il Vecchio Aiu"ora Guido Reni Cicero's Oration against Catiline Maccari Laughing Cavalier Hals Spring Mauve Autmnn Mauve 122 Decoration of the School and Home A Misty Morning in Holland Portrait of Himself as an OflScer Man with Fur Cap The Syndics Landscape with Windmill View of Delft Joan of Arc Hearing the Voices Matinee The Lake "1814" The Angelus The Gleaners The Horses of Achilles The Great Temple at Paestum The Parthenon Temple of Victory South Porch of the Erechtheum The Colosseum The Arch of Constantine, Rome The Forum, Rome Three Fates, from the East Pediment of St. Peter's and Vatican, Rome St. John Lateran Cloisters St. Paul Without-the-Walls Cloisters Milan Cathedral Notre Dame Cathedral Amiens Cathedral Cologne Cathedral Court of Lions, Alhambra Westminster Abbey, London Poets' Comer Mauve Rembrandt Rembrandt Rembrandt Ruysdael Vermeer Bastien-Lepage Corot Corot Meissonier Millet Millet Regnault the Parthenon Decoration of the School and Home M?> Canterbury Cathedral Durham Cathedral The Choir of Lincoln Cathedral The Houses of Parliament The Tower of London Kenilworth Castle Stratford-on-Avon House Where Shakespeare Was Bom Ann Hathaway's Cottage The Cathedral of St. Mark's The Grand Canal Derwentwater Niagara Falls Thomas Jefferson Alexander Hamilton Robert Bums Nasmyth James Russell Lowell Alfred Lord Tennyson Arnault Mt. Vernon Capitol at Washington Abraham Lincoln Saint-Gaudens Statue of Gen. W. T. Sherman Saint-Gaudens U. S. Frigate Constitution Johnson Signing Declaration of Independence Trumbull Courtship of Miles Standish Turner (Etching) The Theseum Theseus, from East Pediment of Parthenon Countess Potocka Homer Abbotsford Shakespeare Portrait 124 Decoration of the School and Home Madonna of Tribune Portrait of Himself Pres Gisors Portrait of Mrs. Siddons An Evening in May Napoleon Bargello Palace Stairs Colombo Breakwater Landscape The Falling Gladiator Golden Autumn Day Columbus at Court of Isabella Milton Dictating Paradise Lost Bismarck A Reading from Homer The Golden Stairs The Hay Wain The Wave The Fighting Temeraire Sir Galahad The Immaculate Conception The Tapestry Weavers The Forge of Vulcan Pot of Basil Broad Street, New York Elements of Newspaper News-gathering Diffusion of Intelligence Mechanical Development Moonlight FUght of Night Correggio Rembrandt Corot Gainsborough Troyon Delaroche Corot Rimmer van Marcke Brozik Munkacsy Lenbach Alma-Tadema Burne-Jones Constable James Turner Watts Murillo Velasquez Velasquez Alexander Cooper Dielman Lunettes, each about 15 X 27 inches De Haas Hunt Decoration of the School and Home The Coming Storm Treaty with the Indians Prosperity under the Law Engineering The Road to Concarneau Frieze of Prophets The Portrait of the Artist's Mother George Washington Martha Washington Bas-Reliefs Assyrian Friezes Orpheus, Eurydice, and Hermes Bacchantes Dancing Apobate's Votive Offering for Victory in a Chariot Race Castor with Horse and Dog Antinous Eleusinian Relief Apollo and Victory Monument of Hegeso Hydrophoros Eagle with Chaplet of Leaves Madonna and Child Madoima and Child Homer and the Nymphs Frieze of the Parthenon Statuary The Dying Gaul Augustus, from Prima Porta Diana of Versailles Inness MUlet Low Marsh Picknell Sargent Whistler Stuart Stuart (In the Louvre) (Athens) (British Museum) (Villa Albani, Rome) (National Museum, Athens) (British Museimi) (Athens) (Athens) Oak (From Trajan's Forum) Settignano Rossellino (Louvre) 126 Decoration of the School and Home Apollo Belvedere Faun Venus of Melos Niobe and Child Minerva Venus Psyche of Naples Discobolos Laocoon Group Nike of Samothrace Wrestlers Demosthenes Sophocles Apollo Citharoedus Thalia, Muse of Comedy Clio, Muse of History Polyhymnia Augustus Caesar Amazon Caryatid from the Erectheum Venus of Capua Faun Playing Scabellum Hector and Andromache Apollo Playing on Lyre Urania Joan of Arc Washington Lincoln King Arthur Moses Lorenzo de Medici (Vatican) Praxiteles (Florence) Giustiniani Genetrix Myron (Vatican) (Louvre) (Florence) (Vatican) (Rome) Scopas (Vatican) (Vatican) (Louvre) (Vatican) (Rome) (Athens) (Naples) (Florence) (Berlin) (Berlin) Chapel Houdon Vischer Michael Angelo Michael Angelo » s Si o S i 73 a Decoration of the School and Home 129 Busts and Heads Juno Ludovisi (Rome) Juno Famese (Naples) Augustus Caesar (Vatican) Zeus Ajax Minerva Hermes Venus of Melos Sappho Homer Diana Psyche Pericles Diana of Versailles Apollo Belvedere Demosthenes Slave Michael Angelo Dante David Washington Lincoln and other statesmen Longfellow and other poets Beethoven and other musicians Architecture Reliefs from the Alhambra Coltunns of the Roman Forvun Vases Barberini, or Portland Vase Homeric Vase from Pompeii PART TWO CHAPTER XIII The Teaching of Home Decoration in the Public Schools The teaching of art in the public schools has taken a decidedly practical turn. The old slogan of "Art for Art's Sake" has been abandoned for the saner one of "Art for Life's Sake." The art teachers believe that the teaching of art in the public school must be related as closely as possi- ble to the child's needs, and courses have been readjusted to meet this idea. Problems in color and design related to home fur- nishings are being introduced as a part of drawing instruction. One of the most effective methods of teaching home furnishing was established in the Washington AUston School by the School Committee of Boston, in 1909. The Schoolhouse Commission made some altera- tions in the annex of the school and supplied such equip- ment as would enable the pupils to furnish a modest home, and then to carry on the essential activities of housekeeping. Such work is usually associated with girls only, but in this case it was quite equally divided between boys and girls. '3 ^ o S w m ■< g P. Decoration of the School and Home 133 One fundamental aim of the class has been to re- establish the necessary balance between academic and manual work in the school and to restore to the pupil opportunities for applying the theories of the book which modem city life has largely removed from the home. It has also been the purpose to help the child to discover in himself his faculties in general and his special power for life work. It has not been the aim to teach trades or professions. It has been, however, the purpose to acquaint the youth with the fact that there are numer- ous and profitable trades and professions, in some one of which each will find his largest opportunity. Much has been said and written about vocational training that shall fit girls for the temporary work which they will do from three to ten years before marriage, and comparatively little has been said or done to prepare girls for the duties of home-making, which, in the con- stitution of society, becomes the inevitable vocation of nearly all. Furthermore, whatever are the occupa- tions of men, the earnings therefrom are almost wholly expended on the necessities of housekeeping. Back, then, of the diversified vocations of men and women whereby money is earned is the one very general vocation wherein most of it is spent. The art of living is the greatest art, and under present social conditions economic expenditure becomes an important subject of study. In the work laid out in this district it has been the purpose to teach the pupils how to conceive and construct the material part of the home, and then to study the making of the best home life. To this end the School- 134 Decoration of the School and Home house Department remodeled the school annex in so far as heavy manual labor was requked. It cut out one partition and built in another, put in four windows and laid new floors in two rooms, installed a kitchen sink, four set tubs, a coal range with hot water, and a gas range, and built three closets. It then supplied lumber, burlap, hardware, and painters' supplies. The School Committee supplied sewing material and the dishes and utensils for dining room, kitchen, and laundry. The pupils then went to work with the raw materials. The boys finished and dressed the floors, painted the walls where necessary, and made all the furniture for five rooms. The girls sewed the burlap used on the walls of two rooms; made the sheets, pillow cases and coverings for the beds, drapery curtains for three rooms, and a full supply of dishcloths, wipers, and dusters. They also hemmed the tablecloths and napkins and worked monograms on them. The girls were then assigned the duty of performing all the activities of housekeeping in a very real, practical way. During the year, they cooked, washed, ironed, cleaned, dusted, decorated, arranged, and all the while did some thinking, for, from the educational standpoint, that is the main consideration. The following outlines and tables are suggestive of the character of the work attempted : — SUBJECTS FOR STUDY THE KITCHEN— Suggestions for ftimishing : Floor, walls, woodwork, furniture, utensils. Decoration of the School and Home \^S CARE OF RANGE— Daily cleaning; occasional cleaning. CARE OF SINK— Construction of trap, fixtures. CLEANING OF FLOOR— Daily, weekly, CARE OF UTENSILS Dishes, garbage pail, dishcloths, wipers. CARE OF REFRIGERATOR— Cleaning of paint and glass, care of household stores. THE BEDROOM— Best location, sanitation, ven- tilation, furnishing, decoration, dangers from dust, airing and making of beds, daily cleaning and weekly cleaning. SPECLAX TOPICS FOR STUDY In like manner the treatment of each room of the house has been studied and practiced. Every academic study in the regular course has found its field of appli- cation. Problems in arithmetic have been based on measurements actually made in and around the "House," and on the cost of material used in construction. An illustrative lesson in geography is that on Indian corn, wherein the pupils study its history, its produc- tion, transportation and marketing, and its particular use as a food. The study of the water and drainage systems of the "House," of the air currents in stove and furnace (to- gether with the making of diagram), and many other such problems have given to the study of physics a practical value that mere theoretical study does not afford. Lists of words derived from industrial lines of work have been sent to the class rooms for spelling exercises. 136 Decoration of the School and Home Finally, it was decided to divide the subjects of this class into three divisions — the economic, aesthetic, and ethical sides of home-making. The pupils then talked and wrote on and illustrated in some way each of these divisions. Before written work in any of these departments was done it was preceded by enjoyable instruction, which very frequently took the form of discussion. When the pupils began to write this method was adopted : Each pupil was to tell, first, of something most beautiful to him in a real home; second, of some ideal beauty he would like to attain; third, of the exact way in which he did certain home duties or had accomplished special work in the apartment ; and, fourth, of the origin and growth of this new work in the school. The list of theme subjects used by the children illustrates these divisions of thoughts. It has been pleasing to find that the imagination has been sufficiently awakened to lead even into the realms of story telling and poetry. On the economic side, such titles as these : — a. When One Enjoys Dish Washing. b. One Day's Housekeeping. c. An Economical Summer Home. d. One Day's Happy Work from Morning to Night. On the aesthetic and imaginative side these : — a. A Room I Love. b. What a Window Adds to a Home. c. Encouragement of the Fine Arts in a Well-to-do Home. d. Grandma's Kitchen. An attractive corner in the Washington Allston School Home. PLATE XL VI I. Decoration of the School and Home 139 On the ethical side these: — a. The Center of Love. b. Love and Character in the Home. c. Foundations of a Home. d. Problem of Home in the Present Century. To cover these requirements each pupil wrote from four to seven themes. The titles cover quite a wide range, and in the main were original with the children. That the manual side of home-making has furnished the keenest incentive for expression cannot be doubted. The opening of new windows to sunshine, air, and view; the study of color effect in decoration; the de- signing of furniture; the emphasis placed upon sim- plicity and regard for space — these all have been con- stant themes of conversation both in and out of school, for the children's homes have felt the reaction upon them. Nor does it seem extravagant to say that these simple elementary lessons must make an enduring impression upon the future lives of the children. — Extract from Annual Report of Superintendent Stratton D. Brooks, Boston Public Schools, 1910. The following composition by a pupil of the school will serve to show the interest and ideas that this ex- periment awakened. "OUR NEW EXPERIMENT" "Mr. Crawford, our principal, was chosen by the School Committee to be one of the party of teachers who went abroad to find out what was being done in the form of manual training in the foreign schools. In a few places he found that the children were being better fitted 140 Decoration of the School and Home to go out in the world and to make a home for them- selves than here, so when he arrived home again he decided to try a new experiment on his own school, and that is the way the work on the Ideal Home originated. "A great deal of work had to be done in order to change these plain schoolrooms into a pretty apartment. All this time, whUe we waited, we had been receiving instructions from the teachers. Mr. Crawford came in a few times and talked to us in a general way about the home. Miss Nichols, our cooking teacher, taught us how to take care of the house and launder the linen. "Miss Norton showed us how to add little touches to make the home more charming in the way of em- broidering table and bed linen. Miss Swett showed us the artistic and bad ways of furnishing the house. Miss Kelley endeavored to apply our ideas to com- position work, and Mr. Nash gave us problems that made me dizzy for reckoning up the cost of lumber and so forth." Here are some ideas gleaned from compositions which show how seriously these pupils "play house." "A house is easy to get, but a home requires careful consideration;" "The warm rays of the sun and love combined in a household makes the home very happy;" "There is no reason why girls from eight to eighteen years of age should not learn and practice the whole round of housekeeping, from the beating of an egg to the laying of a carpet;" "Housekeeping is an exact science, and works like the multiplication table, if one only has learned it;" "A girl should be taught to take pride in keeping her room neat, or in dusting every The dining room in the Washington Allston School Home. PLATE XLVra. Decorati on of the School and Home 143 day;" "Houskeeping does not only mean keeping things clean and having plenty to eat, it goes from the outside of the house to the inside of the traveling bags of those who leave it;" "Good manners cost nothing in a home, good taste is saving, and good housekeeping makes money." HOW THE DRAWING WAS RELATED TO THE IDEAL HOME EXPERIMENT "The children assemble in the large living room and we talk of the 'School Home' and its purpose; then the conversation proceeds toward the selection of our own home, the kind we would like and the kind we are forced to content ourselves with, and which must have three essentials: the house must be suitable for the lot; it must be in keeping with the neighborhood, and the cost must not reach beyond a certain limit; also it must be built on a convenient and economical plan; then the exposure, all the sun possible, — foundations, cellar room, — plenty of windows, grouping of windows in some rooms if possible; inside and outside finish, — spacing in rooms with a view to the accommodation of fumitiu-e, some of which may be built in, best arrange- ment of furniture (and how to dispose of some we may have on hand that we would like to part with but cannot afford to), — shelf or shelves in rooms which help the decorative possibilities. The color schemes, wall paper, wood staining, the overcrowding of mantels and shelves, also of pictures that have no redeeming merit, the hang- ing of pictm-es, calling their attention to the fact that certain pictures fit in some spaces and not in others; l^-t Decoration of the School and Home Strong emphasis placed on the right combination of colors, those suitable to sunny and those to colder rooms. We had lately a full house cleaning; the girls of course did their part, and then I had some of the boys help with picture hanging and redisposal of shelf objects. We needed a bookcase for the living room; the boys made the plan, designed it for the space, and one boy wished to make it alone. He took entire charge of it, and it is very satisfactory. Attention is called also to window draperies, simple with straight lines, and the great necessity for having 'breathing space' in the rooms by orderly placing of simple furniture, leaving plenty of walking space; good color, sunlight, and fresh air among the indispensable things of a home. Last fall we had an interesting experiment in domestic art. The girls in the School Home 'put up,' in house- keeping parlance, over a hundred jars of preserves, jams, jelHes, marmalades, pickles, tomatoes, etc. You can imagine the beautiful coloring in that number of glass jars of various sizes, filled to the brim, all nicely labeled. Then they were arranged by a number of the girls on several tables of different sizes, properly placed, both jars and tables, in the living room, and with great attention paid to the color scheme, analogous and other- wise. Such a splendid scale of yellow-browns and brown-yellows, red-oranges and orange-reds, etc., etc., can hardly be imagined, and they could not have had a more harmonious setting than the brownish tones of the room, which was flooded with sunlight and inci- dentally the colors repeating themselves in the out-of- door coloring seen from the windows. I think Bakst Decoration of the School and Home 145 even could have gained inspiration from it. It was such a splendid showing both industrially and 'colorfully' that we had every class in our school, little and big, file into the room to see it, and we gave them a ten-minute art talk, both asking and answering questions. They had been in the throes of crayon scales and water color pictures, and were very much alive in their appreciation. I have written more fully about this particular perform- ance because I thought then and still think it the best color lesson we ever had, and a fine correlation of in- dustry and art. It was of both practical and esthetic value to even the youngest, for they realized that this work, producing such satisfying results for mental and physical needs, must surely be of exceeding value." — Alice A. Swett. EXPERIMENT IN THE LYMAN DISTRICT In a suite of rooms at 18 Chelsea Street, East Boston, which are hired for the purpose, a household department has been established for the Lyman District. The work of this class should go a long way toward proving the efficacy or failure of the domestic arts as a branch of training in the elementary schools. This department of home-making has three primary objectives. It strives to impart a more definite knowl- edge and a larger view of home-making than can be obtained from the brief period spent in the ordinary school kitchens. By the increase of time allowed this class for the domestic arts it is intended that habits of work under natural home conditions shall be acquired. 146 Decoration of the School and Home As its third objective, it has the purpose to aid girl grad- uates of the school in their choice of a vocation through the discovery of their aptitudes. Sufficient practice in the various lines of home work is given to enable the pupil to form the habit of appli- cation and to acquire accuracy, self-confidence, and the satisfaction that comes with the consciousness of achieve- ment of a most tangible sort. The course of study is divided into two parts — house- hold work and general sewing and dressmaking. Under the first heading are taught sweeping, dusting, washing windows, washing paint, scrubbing floors, caring for fires, cleaning stoves, cleaning steel, brass, nickel, and silver, painting walls and woodwork, starching clothes, care and handling of dishes, and the manifold operations that bring skill in cookery. Under general sewing and dressmaking are taught the taking of measurements, adjustment of patterns, use and adjustment of sewing machine, basting, sewing, patching, darning, and mend- ing, in so far as such work is necessary in making the plain necessities of the home. The general training in an apartment, where home- like conditions prevail to so much greater extent than is possible in school kitchens, gives at once an industrial rather than a school flavor to the work. More depart- ments of work are taught, as kitchen work in a kitchen, dining room work in a dining room, and bedroom work in a bedroom, so that the kinds of work are given that pertain to every department of the household, and it is intended that the girls shall become able to take charge of such work for pay when necessary. There is also 3 J3 3g n i; o hen J3 I-) 3T3 C J5 H Decoration of the School and Home 149 laundry work, an industry in itself, that requires skill and commands good wages. The general purpose of the work is to give the pupils a better appreciation of home tasks by a system of work that has a definite bearing upon the home life, and at the same time to furnish instruction that will have a direct bearing on several vocations that girls may follow upon leaving school. They are taught that art enters into every phase of home making. The furnishings of this suite were extremely simple, chosen with due regard to the station in life which these girls represent. The selections of furniture, wall papers, floor cover- ings, and draperies were made with the idea of illus- trating that good taste may be exercised in purchasing even the cheapest furnishings, and the result proved the theory. The lessons on color and design in home fur- nishing in the class room indicated that the furnished suite had exercised a beneficial effect upon the pupils and was a valuable object lesson. Further interest in this subject was aroused in both experimental centers by the Art Director's talks on color and design, illustrated with samples of wall paper, rugs, and draperies. This method of showing the application of book theories to actual living has passed the experimental stage and is now a permanent part of the education in this city. At the present time, there are four such centers and the work will undoubtedly be extended to those districts where there is the greatest need of teaching "The art of correct living." 150 Decoration of the School and Home Probably the nearest approach to the furnishing of a real suite of rooms as explained in the experiments described would be a room built on the school premises and constructed by the boys in the manual training classes under the supervision of the manual training teacher. The interior of this room might be refurnished each year to represent a different room in a home. It is believed that the extra time and expense for the carrying out of such an experiment vi^ould be justified by the excellent opportunities afforded the pupils for putting into practice the principles taught in the class rooms and shop. Furthermore, it would stimulate the boys' observa- tion of the various styles of home architecture, and include a study of the most practical forms of building construction, sanitation and ventilation of buildings. The working out of the problems in color for the walls of exterior and interior, floor and ceiling, and the making of designs for rugs, curtains, draperies, couch and table covers, and applying them to the material, would present an excellent opportitnity for the Art Teacher to relate the art instruction of the class room more closely to life. THE MINIATURE HOUSE The miniature or toy house, as it is sometimes called, has proven a successful method of teaching home fur- nishing on a small scale and is particularly well adapted to the lower and intermediate elementary grades. Through a desire to relate the boys' lessons in weaving in a sixth grade in Boston to some practical end, a minia- ture house was constructed in the manual training shop. t3 en 3 C ■»- o an il H o Decoration of the School and Home 153 The uses of wall and floor coverings were first con- sidered. The pupils discussed the relative value of carpets and rugs for floor coverings and decided that the latter were more sanitary. Designs were then made on paper to harmonize with the size, shape, and color scheme of each room. These were woven on the looms and after discussing the results, the best examples were selected to adorn the different rooms in the house. The furniture and other furnishings were designed and constructed by the boys after careful consideration of utility and beauty. The final result was sane and restful and it is safe to say that the foundation of many a future tasteful home was laid through that sixth grade experiment. An art teacher describes, in an interesting way, a similar experiment as follows : — " Ever since actual labeled Manual Training has been in our schools we have been struggling for some sort of a habitation for our furniture, raffia rugs, canvas mats, and curtains, to say nothing of the wall paper and lino- leum designed and painted in the drawing department. We tried playhouses made of strong manila paper over a wooden frame to be made by the teacher before the class, assisted as much as possible by the children. We who have taught in the grades did not favor this plan, and the paper warped, became ugly, and quite vmsatisfactory. "It was finally decided to try wooden boxes, which were obtained and handed over to the boys in manual training for remodeling. 154 Decoration of the School and Home " Meanwhile the children were building similar houses at home. Many a big brother and father lent a hand, and thus the Saturdays at home were made jojrful, for nothing is better to fall back on any holiday than a box playhouse. "For the primary children, the manual training de- partment provided furniture made of stiff manila paper. The art department painted the kitchen furniture pine color, the dining room Flemish oak, the living room furniture mahogany or maple or black walnut, as the taste of the class decreed. The bedrooms were left cream white. In many rooms the painting was con- sidered as busy work or a reward of merit for a perfect number or spelling paper. The work was so well done that when I first saw it in a room where the children came from wealthy homes I thought, ' Oh, dear ! James Street has spoiled the whole thing by letting the chil- dren buy the furniture.' It looked like real wood. "The small people painted the outside of the house 'in really truly house paint,' mixing the soft colors from red, yellow, blue, and white. They also stained the floors, wainscotings, and window casings. The wainscotings were only portions of the walls left below the paper, the window casings were added, the children measiu-ing and planning window openings of the desired size. "After this came the designing and painting of lino- leum, and tile paper for the kitchen. We all decided the kitchen must be the first room furnished, for while people could sleep on the floor if necessary, they must be able to prepare food at the outset. Most of oiu: Decoration of the School and Home 155 kitchens were a sunny yellow brown, with pine furni- ture. 'Tile paper is expensive, but will wash,' so all the kitchens were in that design, but as different as the people guiding the youngsters. "The dining rooms had 'two tone' papers. One woman said, * Such stylish paper, if you please ! ' "The bedrooms varied, — blue, pink, pale green, yel- low, — but all dainty and sweet, and the bedding — such home work is a joy forever! One little boy who had just learned the blanket stitch made a white cheese- cloth 'comfortable' with blanket stitch and bows in pink, 'all alone.' "The living rooms were, in general, green, cushions were made to match the walls, and the rug was often natural raffia with green stripes combined with dull red-orange or black. The curtain rods were 'sucker sticks' mainly, while a clay ball finished the ends. The portieres were usually canvas but an occasional 'whip lash' hanging made of clay beads painted in Indian style, strung between pieces of 'soda water straws,' varied the monotony. "The manual training department made rugs of raffia, mats and bureau and table covers of canvas, and curtains of coarse cheese cloth. These details were supervised, sometimes designed, and always discussed from the point of view of good taste in the art depart- ment. The results were far reaching. One of the devoted mothers said, 'Oh, everything must match these days! When Alice wears a red dress she must have a red hair ribbon and a red pencil even, and when a blue one the ribbon and pencil must be blue.' 'Cer- 156 Decoration of the School and Home tainly,' another said, 'and a handkerchief border to match; but isn't it lovely! How I wish I might have had such training.' "Many classes had the fun of moving in with a papa and mamma doll and no end of children for whom a carefully 'weeded' number of toy articles were al- lowed to enter this precious place. Toy plants in jars, a tiny alarm clock for the bedroom, a red lamp for the red room, a suit case for the attic (all made at home from school patterns) and of course the necessary telephone had to come, and we could not exclude dogs, chickens, and baby carriages from the dooryard. " One class put the house in the sand table and made a yard, flower beds, pathways, ponds, trees, and a gen- erally clever place, 'all their own way.' "This whole work has been kept in excellent shape, wise teachers choosing care takers daily or weekly, to keep floors and furniture clean and sweet. "What could not be accomplished for 'their little good' in the three R's was often made up in this work by developing the 'three H's, the hand, the head, and the heart.'" — Miss Katherine G. Sanders. APPLICATION OF COLOR TO PRINTED OUTLINES OF ROOM INTERIORS In schools where it has been impracticable to teach Home Decoration by the methods already described, the subject has been presented in an interesting manner that has proved to be of educational value as a training in the appreciation of harmonious color and design. ■V C8 m 2 o o C M ""13 2 a o 2 •a 0, ^H .Si; a S I" S E H Decoration of the School and Home 150 The sixth, seventh, and eighth grades are furnished with printed outlines of different views of room interiors to which color schemes are appUed with water colors, after the pupils have matched the colors of woods treated in different stains, samples of wall paper, draperies, and floor coverings. The examples of wood staining are procured from the manual training teacher, and samples of wall paper, carpeting, and draperies are obtained from the department stores. Further considerations, which precede the application of color to the outline, consist in having each pupU first assume the lighting of the room, and then select a color for the general scheme which will be either warm or cool according to conditions. It is better that the pupil use one of the colors of the wall paper samples rather than apply an imaginary color. The wall color may be made the keynote of a small color scale and the colors of the woodwork, draperies, rug, and other furnishings established in relation to it. With this color scale as a guide, the pupil is then prepared to apply washes of color to the printed outline of the room. Considerations of good design in all home furnishings should accompany this study of color. Catalogues may be easily procured and the illustrations cut out and compared and the best examples mounted. In some cases, teachers have combined this study of form and color by first making a drawing of the room interior and coloring the wall and floor spaces and then arranging and pasting the pictvires of furniture and other furnishings thereon. CHAPTER XIV Home Furnishing WALL AND FLOORS The wall and floor coverings should make harmonious and restful backgrounds for the furniture, pictures, and bric-a-brac in the room. Designs which are made up of conspicuous units or colors that are too intense are always irritating and can never be induced to stay back in their respective places. The truth of this statement may be made very apparent by selecting wall papers having units of vary- ing degrees of contrast as in plates LII and LIIL It will be observed that pictures show to better ad- vantage on the wall papers where there is a slight con- trast between the design and the background, as in fig. I, plates LII and LIII. The revolt against over-decorated papers — such as fig. II, plates LII and LIII — brought in these quiet patterns as well as plain papers, burlap, and the painted wall. The ingrain and oatmeal papers are the most satis- factory of medium priced wall papers and cost from fifteen to forty cents a roll. The cheapest papers are never economical, though last year's patterns are apt to be much cheaper than the latest designs and quite as attractive. The various textile fabrics used for wall hangings are much more expensive than paper in first . ■- rii:i -^ a a < u< H Decoration of the School and Home 163 cost, but much more desirable. Burlap fades very readily, but may be recolored on the wall with paint or a dye made for the purpose. Neither biurlap, grass cloth, canvas, buckram, nor cotton tapestries can be said to be sanitary. Probably the best wall finish is paint, as it is sani- tary, wears well, and may be easily toned to harmonize with rugs and furniture. Cold water paints are pref- erable to oils, are about one third of the cost, and give the walls a velvety finish far more pleasing to the eye than the gloss produced by oil paints. However, this may be overcome if the paint is stippled. Cold water paints must not be confused with cheap calcimines mixed with glue which cannot be washed and are never wholly satisfactory. Carpets and rugs having conventional designs of closely related tones and subdued colors make the most restful coverings for the floors. A rug or carpet spotted over with a pattern of naturalistic roses, fig. II, plate LIV, is altogether too conspicuous for a background. Design has little excuse for being unrelated to the use and structure of the object it decorates. These conditions demand that a rug be treated in a fiat con- ventional pattern of closely related tones, fig. I, plate LIV. This all-over rug pattern is a good example of tone harmony, although, owing to the bilateral units of the pattern which lead the eye in one direction, it is not as suitable for a floor covering as a radial pattern. The oriental designer is well aware of this and generally uses the fiat radial units. The effectiveness of the rugs, plate LV, is largely due to the subordina- 164 Decoration of the School and Home tion of units of the pattern and the emphasis of the beautiful proportions of the rugs by the borders. The prevalent taste for bare floors is to be commended not only on the grounds of health and beauty, but also upon that of economy both m money cost and in care. The day of tacked-down carpets has about gone by, except in old houses when the condition of the floors wiU not permit them to be exposed. Even when carpet- ing is bought by the yard it is now usually made up into rug form with a border. Turkish rugs in the long run are undoubtedly the least expensive, though good body Brussels, which may be had for a dollar and a quarter to a dollar and sixty- five cents per yard, is very satisfactory. Tapestry, being only forty cents to a dollar per yard, is one of the most common carpets in use, though its comparatively poor wearing qualities and inferior designs make it unde- sirable. Rag carpeting, in good designs a yard wide, may be had for twenty-five cents to a dollar or more a yard from the stores or may be woven to order without additional cost; rugs of this material are now much in vogue. Mattings make attractive floor coverings, but they do not withstand much hard usage. Recent revival of the hooked rug industry in the mountains of New England has made it possible to obtain rugs of purely American design and hand work which are most artistic. Fig. I. The closely related tones of this pattern are restful. Fig. II. The strong contrast of tones and colors creates a spotty effect that is undesirable in floor coverings. PLATE LIV. Fig. I. Saraband Rug. Fig. n. Bokhara Rug. PLATE LV. CHAPTER XV Color and its Application to Interior Decoration The art of selecting and combining colors harmoni- ously comes natural to some people but all may acquire a considerable amount of good taste through study of color in nature and in the fine and industrial arts. Dame Nature will reveal the underlying principles which enter into her wonderful harmonies to those who read her book studiously. Artists and designers have always turned to her for the knowledge which guides them in their work. The coloring of natural objects is either warm, as in flowers of red, orange, or yellow color, or cool, as in the blue and purple flowers; or may consist of a mixture of both warm and cool as in the plumage of the blue- bird. Nature is ever seeking to strike a balance between these two qualities of color. In the landscape, there is a greater proportion of cool colors than warm, owing to the fact that a large amount of the former is required to balance a small amount of the latter, for the red, orange, and yellow are more active than blue and violet. This proportion of color is a wise provision, for the cool colors are more restful to the eye. Nature prefers to paint her large areas in the softer intensities of color and reserves the brightest touches for small accents in birds and flowers, for it takes a 168 Decoration of the School and Home big field of quiet color to offset and hold down a little that is clear and bright. She avoids sharp contrasts of color, but prefers to lead the eye gently from one color to the other through gradation, as in the sunset sky in the frontispiece, where green above changes into yellow, the yellow into orange at the horizon; or in the autumn colored maple leaf, in which the different hues grade softly into one another. This gradual blend- ing of one color into another or one variety of one color into another variety of the same color is exemplified in the gradual transition between the oranges and purples in plate LVI. The simplest harmony of color in nature is a change of quality from pure spectrum colors to their tints and shades. The greater the change toward light or dark, the more sure we may be of obtaining harmony, as a color scheme of very pale tints or very dark shades is almost sure to be good, even if quite varied. In fact, contrast in tone which is change in quality, will har- monize any two colors, as pale blue and dark green, or pale green and dark blue. Still another change in quality which underlies beautiful color combinations in nature and the arts consists of colors that are neu- tralized by mixtures of other colors : as for instance, if, instead of using a pure red, pure yellow, and pure blue, we use a red toned down by an admixture of a little yellow and blue, a yellow toned in the same way with red or blue, and a blue that has in it something of red and yellow, the colors will still be red, yellow, and blue ; but in approaching each other will become more related and so far more harmonious. Decoration of the School and Home 169 The harmony that results from a dominant hue con- sists of a general tone of color connecting or harmonizing other colors. The effect of this may be observed in a spray of young leaves in spring when many hues of green and yellow will be found connected and har- monized by the red of the stem, which color runs through it all, carrying the red into the greens and yellows. Age has given this quality to many old paintings by darkening and mellowing the paints and varnishes which have given them the added charm of the dominant hue. The harmony of dominant hue is observed in the color schemes for interior decoration when each color takes something of the other into it, as in plate LVI, where the yellow is toned with orange, the orange with yellow, and the purple with orange and yellow. In this way even reds and blues may be closely related, each taking on a purplish tinge with a trace of the other in it. This is a safe general method, and goes farther than any other, perhaps, to hold things together. " That sense of 'oneness,' of belonging together, we must have, or we have failed in the charm and peacefulness — the rightness of our surroundings." There is that other possibility of harmony, wherein zest lies, which is apt to appear into even closely thought- out harmonies of related color. And that is the added charm that contrast of color gives, while yet the harmony is preserved. The beauty of many color harmonies in nature is enhanced by touches of black and white, as in the plumage of the oriole, woodpecker, hawk, and owl, while touches of black or white may serve the same 170 Decoration of the School and Home purpose in the interior. There is always the crispness that comes from just the "■telling touch" of a con- trasting color, as in the use of purple in plate LVI and the yellow tones in plate LVII. The dominating influence of one color with touches of contrast that do not reach disturbance will produce the most pleasing color harmony. The combination of yellow and orange tones in plate LVI creates a feeling of warmth and hospitality which is so desirable in the living room. Observe how the designer of this interior selected and disposed of colors to produce unity, balance, and harmony. The color scheme is based upon yellow and orange. The yellow above the wainscoting is repeated in the lower part of the room in slightly warmer tones in the upholstering, for the sake of balance, and forms an intermediate tone between the two wall colors. The small masses of complementary purple in rugs and frieze decoration were introduced to give contrast and thereby heighten the luminous effect in the room. The purple is harmoniously related to the orange and yellow, through selecting colors for draperies, furniture, and woodwork which are composed of a mixture of orange and purple. Other color schemes for rooms requiring warm colors may be composed of yellow or warm green tones with small touches of purple and purple red. An opposite effect to that of the living room is pro- duced in the dining room, plate LVII, through making blue the dominant note in the color scheme. The tones of this color in wall and rug absorb the light and produce a feeling of coolness. Such a scheme needs to be Decoration of the School and Home 17.S warmed up somewhat, even when applied to a sunny room. This has been accomplished by treating the ceiling, floor, fireplace, and door in warm colors. Both the cool and warm colors of the room have been repeated in the stain and upholstering of the furniture. Combinations of cool grays and greens predomi- nating with small amounts of contrasting colors are also suitable for sunny rooms. SUGGESTIONS FOR RECONCILING INHARMO- NIOUS DIFFERENCES OF COLOR People who rent homes frequently find that the walls have been papered by a landlord having more means than taste. The colors are loud and the designs consist of large spotty units. Some relief in this case may be secured through the use of plain rugs and draperies in harmony with the general color effect of the wall paper. Draperies may be easily dyed if they are not in harmony with the paper. The pictures should be arranged so that as many as possible of the objectionable units will be covered. When the wall paper has a pattern treated in tones of two colors care should be taken to repeat the same hues in other parts of the room. The most difficult treatments of woodwork to recon- cile are that stained in a crude cherry color and that which is painted and grained to imitate oak. Diligent application of paint remover and restaining or repaint- ing is the best way to overcome such difficulties. 174 Decoration of the School and Home When this is impossible, such tones of color should be used on the wall as will soften rather than emphasize the crudity of the woodwork. This may be accomplished through use of gray tones of red and yellow. The unpleasant efifect of a bright blue or green tiling about a gas-grate fireplace may be made less noticeable if its color is repeated in a softer tone on the wall or in the floor covering. Thus may any crude color which is a fixture in he room, be made less conspicuous through relating it to the general color scheme. if m ---^^m mtmcM 1 mt 1 BPI h&>^^^9p9m^^^^^y p ^ ^^""^ PLATE LVin. CHAPTER XVI Furniture The furniture for the home should meet all the requirements of utility, durability, and beauty. It should be beautiful within the limitations which its use imposes and be so constructed that it serves its purpose adequately. All the elements of beauty observed in the colonial writing desk, plate LVIII, appear to be lacking in the example of golden oak, plate LIX. Its appearance is cheap and unattractive. The legs are much too small, repose has been sacrificed through use of undulating curves at the top and front of the object. The stuck- on machine carving detracts and is in bad taste. 178 Decoration of the School and Home PLATE LIX. Ornament should be used sparingly and is only legitimate when related to structure. Simplicity, the first essential of beauty in a piece of furniture, is at once apparent in the colonial desk. Strength and repose are obtained through preserving the horizontal and vertical lines in the structure, and the wonderfully fine sweep of line at the base softens the severity of the straight elements. The color of the wood is rich and the proportions throughout are refined. It is possible nowadays to buy a well designed piece of furniture for a moderate price, such as the illustration Decoration of the School and Home 179 PLATE LX. of this mission sideboard, fig. a, plate LX. Its straight lines will contrast admirably with the curved surfaces of china and silver placed upon it. In contrast the flamboyant ornament on the golden oak sideboard, fig. b, plate LX, is vulgar and offensive. This excess of ornament is meaningless, because it bears no relation to the structure and will hold quan- tities of dust. The beautiful sideboard design, fig. b, plate LXIII, made famous by Sheraton, is of mahogany inlaid with lines of hoUjrwood. Its lasting beauty proves that masterpieces may be produced in furniture as well as in other kinds of creative work. The glaring ugliness of the golden-oak sideboard, fig. a, plate LXIII, is at once apparent. Such machine-made wares will soon 180 Decoration of the School and Home PLATE LXI. become rare if once a little thought is expended in making selection. William Morris never intended that his chair should be carved. Therefore, such a monstrosity as plate LXI is a counterfeit and debasement. Yet it cost more than once again as much as the illustration, fig. c, plate LXII, which was modeled after the design of the famous English craftsman. Plush-covered chairs like fig. b, plate LXII, are neither comfortable, sanitary, nor beautiful. They are veri- table dust catchers and retain a great many dangerous germs. The "spindle" work and other "gimcrack" ornament which manufacturers put on chairs like fig. a, plate LXII, is as meaningless as it is ugly. The spindles break easily, the chair is disfigured and is Decoration of the School and Home 181 PLATE LXII. unsafe, yet it costs three times as much as the Windsor chair, fig. d, plate LXII. PLATE LXIII. Decoration of the School and Home 183 PLATE LXIV. There is an effect of liixurious comfort in the couch, fig. b, plate LXIV, although it is very simple in design. This is due to its generous proportions, which are unusual and are certainly to be commended. In large rooms, especially, such pieces are most appropriate and dignified. 184 Decoration of the School and Home PLATE LXV. In contrast, the absurdity of the unfortunate creation illustrated in couch a, plate LXIV, is at once evident. It conveys no sense of comfort, and it is ugly in design throughout. Such loud patterns in upholstery should be avoided for they will cheapen the appearance of any room. One of the chief objections to the couch, fig. a, plate LXV, is the utter lack of adaptability to any practical use. In looking at it one cannot escape the conviction that it is designed to pitch the would-be occupant on the Decoration of the School and Home 185 PLATE LXVI. floor. It suggests exactly the opposite of comfort. The admirably designed German couch, fig. b, plate LXV, is most attractive. The wooden frame should be stained to harmonize with the upholstering, and both should be done in accordance with the prevailing colors of the room. These hall racks are inexpensive and practical. They are admirably adapted to serve the purpose for which they were made. The designs owe their attractiveness 186 Decoration of the School and Home PLATE LXVU. to simplicity, pleasing proportions, and well related spaces. It is difficult to understand why such ugly designs as figs, c and d, plate LXVII, are produced, yet they are common enough in the shops. Both are altogether clumsy in effect and much time and material have been wasted in their construction. This kind of furniture cannot last; it is an offense to the eye and it is a waste of money to purchase it. CHAPTER XVII Table Lamps Within the last ten years there has been a great improvement in the design of Hghting fixtures. The lamps with round bowls and shades decorated with gaudily painted flowers are rapidly disappearing, and designs of beautiful form and color, as illustrated in figs, a and c, plate LXVIII, are taking their places. Illustrations b and d, plate LXVIII, are in bad taste. They are neither useful nor ornamental in any way. The shades which have required somebody's valuable time to make, seem to be more appropriate for dress trimming than a lamp. Being made of silk they would have no lasting value when exposed to the heat of the chimney, and the whole arrangement is a dust catcher. A jardiniere of dull green pottery forms the base of the lamp shown in fig. a. A brass font holds the oil, and a good burner is fitted on the jar. The wide-spreading Japanese shade sends a splendid glow of light over the table, and altogether the combination of plain materials shows remarkably good results for a comparatively small outlay of money. The lamp illustrated in fig. c is admirably adapted to its purpose. Usefulness is shown in every detail of its construction, while the color and design are beautiful. PLATE LXVm. jiruf )ii liriinii m ni !i'^ "I itm V Fig. a. Tr;'imii)M.(ii'!.ii.,! « Fig. b, t) M ■ PLATE LXIX. CHAPTER XVIII Draperies and Curtains In purchasing door hangings, as well as in other furnishings of the home, three good principles should be considered. For the benefit and health of the family, these three considerations are practical usefulness, artistic efifect, and hygienic value. The old-fashioned woven coverlet in dark blue and ivory white, figure a, combines all these characteristics. It is good in design and color. It is hygienic in that it will stand being washed over and over again. 190 Decoration of the School and Home PLATE LXX. The curtain composed of bamboo strips and colored beads in fig. a, plate LXIX, is both impractical and in- artistic in design. It does not screen the door completely, nor may it be drawn aside, as it is hung on the pole in a stationary manner. In passing through such a cur- tained door, one must hold the strands aside, and it is a lucky person who escapes having hair or clothing disarranged by catching them on the sharp edges of the beads. The strands soon become broken and unsightly gaps appear. The oblique lines of the ugly pattern make it irritating and out of harmony with the structure of the doorway. Decoration of the School and Home 101 PLATE LXXI. The successful treatment of the double door illus- trated in fig. c, plate LXX, consists of Delft blue muslin; the border set on is a strip of white muslin. The effect is harmonious and restful. The border serves to repeat the vertical and horizontal lines of the door and forms pleasing shaped panels. The much betrimmed velours curtains in fig. e, plate LXXn, combine all the elements of bad taste. They represent a poor imitation of oriental drapery, obstruct the doorway, are heavy in effect, and absorb dust. The lines of the drapery have nothing in common with the doorway and are extremely ungraceful. ^j^*" Fig. e. B''ri'-«W-?, ' -:t^wtt^w-i;.« ' wm-- ]iitij]]ji)j]iJti!iimiimiiimiii]jmii]M ^ :J '■ -^ 1 1 1 1 1 ! , 1 ^ 1 A II PLATE LXXII. Decoration of the School and Home 193 Where two rooms communicate in such a way as to make it desirable to let light through from one to the other, a dainty artistic curtain for the doorway is desirable. Such a one is illustrated in fig. d, plate LXXI. It is made of ecru cotton canvas stenciled, both sides alike, in a conventional design. In marked contrast is the distracting and dazzling treatment of the doorway illustrated in fig. f, plate LXXII, with its dan- gling cords, tassels, and grill-work. Such an apology for a curtain has no reason for being. Economy in furnishing implies little use of expensive hangings of silk, velvet, and heavy wool fabrics. They gather an incredible quantity of dust and dirt; they all fade more or less, and are often attacked by moths. When draperies are necessary a choice may be made among infinite varieties of cotton materials. Chintz at forty-five cents a yard, denim at twenty-five cents or less, and cretonne from twelve and a half cents upwards are all suitable for hangings, and when they have become soiled or faded may be utilized in various other ways. At windows where it is desired only to diffuse the light nothing is better than sheer nets, which may be had for twenty to sixty cents a yard ; a madras, which comes in white, ecru, or other colors at prices from twenty-five cents to a dollar and a half a yard; various white muslins, mulls, and scrims may be bought for twelve to fifty cents a yard. Draperies made up from these materials are not only cheaper but are nearly always in better taste than lace curtains of anything like corresponding cost. 194 Decoration of the School and Home The decoration upon the average lace curtain is overdone and the eye is compelled to wander over its surface in all manner of fantastic curves. Fig. h, plate LXXIII, is a fair example of decorated laces, which is neither refined nor restful. The delicacy of the deco- rative treatment in fig. g, makes it a far more acceptable pattern. Dainty horizontal borders such as fig. i, plate LXXIV, make most desirable decoration for the window curtain. Fig. g. Fig. h. PLATE LXXm. Fig. i. PLATE LXXrV. PLATE LXXV. CHAPTER XIX Sofa Pillows and Vases Sofa pillows may be beautiful as well as useful, although too often they have presented just the oppor- tunity looked for by the individual who just itches to decorate everything within reach with hand-painted heads and flowers. These inartistic efforts, owing to their inappropriateness, crude drawing, and color, are ever clamoring for attention from the couch comer. Comparison between the illustrations on plate LXXVI establishes at a glance the insistence of the design in figs, a, b, and c over that of figs, d and e. The ruffles Fig. d. Fig. e. PLATE LXXVL Decora tio n of the School and Home 199 and curving leaves and stems in a, the girl's head in b, and the buttons in fig. c unduly attract the eye. The designs in d and e are restful and harmoniously related to the use and structure of the pillow. VASES The effect of an attractive room may be ruined by cheaply designed ornaments. If the amount of money usually expended for the many cheap pieces of bric-a- brac could be invested in a few choice pieces, the decorative effect in many homes would be vastly im- proved. Vases ought to be selected with due regard to utility as well as beauty. There should be tall ones to hold long-stemmed flowers and short ones for the short-stemmed varieties. As flower holders the con- tours of vases should be composed of cxirves which will flow gracefully into the lines of plant growth, and their color and surface decoration, if there be any, should be quiet and harmonious. When flowers are arranged in such objects as figs, b, c, and e, plates LXXV, LXXVII and LXXVIII, their beauty is at once overcome by the prominence of the decoration. American decorators must acknowledge with shame the part they have played in this awful ceramic influence, first created by some one who "just loved to paint" and who was allowed to go all over the sur- face, unrestrained, with flowers and leaves and stems and gold scrolls to complete the outrage. Then the foreign potter, producing more cheaply than we, sneer- ingly copies our "American style" and gives it back to us as imported novelties. The element of beauty 200 Decoration of the School and Home PLATE LXXVU. then that is most appropriate to the uses of vase forms is that of simplicity of form and decoration. The relation between the vase and the flowers within it should be the same as the subordination of the accompaniment to the theme in a piece of music. This is also true of the relation between a design which is applied to the PLATE Lxxvm. surface of the vase and its structure. In figs, d and f this subordination is clearly apparent while wholly lacking in figs, b, c, and e. The decorative treatment of a room with panels of beautiful proportions harmonizes with the horizontal and vertical lines of mission furniture. Courtesy of the M. H. Birge & Sons Co., Buffalo, N. Y. PLATE LXXIX. The two-toned design of this wall paper illustrates how a background may serve to enrich the room without becoming too assertive. Courtesy of the M. H. Birge & Sons Co., Buffalo, N. Y. PLATE LXXX. CHAPTER XX. Selection and Arrangement of the Room Furnishings When William Morris, the great English craftsman, admonished the people to have nothing in their homes which they did not know to be useful nor believe to be beau- tiful, he probably had in mind the stuffy effect of rooms overcrowded with misfit furniture, cheap pictures, and over- decorated bric-a-brac, rugs, wall papers, and draperies. There is a general tendency to collect the things with which we surround ourselves without rhyme or reason, and the result is never restful, owing to the lack of har- mony between the neighboring objects in the room. As one enters the living room his attention is drawn hither and thither by the loud patterns on wall paper, draperies, rugs, and sofa pillows, each clamoring for the undivided attention of the visitor. The table, mantel, desk, and piano-top are crowded with photographs, over-decorated vases, curios, and what not, and finally the confusion is increased by a conglomeration of Mission, Louis Six- teenth, Colonial, and possibly Chinese furniture. The effect is more like a second-hand store than a restful living room. There are many people who seem to prefer this " crazy patchwork " mixture for they say that they crave variety. However, variety may be secured without sacrificing dignity and beauty, and blatant noises, forms, and colors are as a rule pleasing only to the uncultivated eye and ear. 204 Decoration of the School and Home Let us make an inventory of the objects in our homes that are really necessary to our well-being and happiness. Eliminate those things which are neither useful nor beautiful, and study to arrange those objects, which have survived the inspection, so that they may appear to the best advantage. Each room should have its necessary pieces of furniture, harmonious in form and color. Unity of effect will be most easily achieved through the use of one variety of furniture in each room, as mahogany, oak, or birch, although occasionally there are exceptions to this rule, as the combination of willow fm^niture with either oak or mahogany. The coloring of the upholstery and stain of the chairs in this case assist in relating it to the other objects in the room. When one is forced, through necessity, to furnish a room with different styles of furniture of such marked differences of form and color as those of oak and mahogany, each kind should be grouped in different parts of the room. Let us suppose, for example, that it is necessary to furnish the living room with easy chairs, bookcases, and a settle of mission style, and a table and chairs of mahogany. In such a case, it would be well to group the mission pieces about the fireplace, and arrange the mahogany at each end of the room. Such differences in color and design in furniture may be made further less noticeable if the colors of wall and floor are similar to that of each kind of furniture, which, in the case of mission and mahogany, would be a tone of brown between red and yellow. Every room requires the decorative touch here and there to relieve the severity of the straight lines and There is a harmonious relation between the proportions of the furniture and the decorative treatment of the wall paper, rug, and upholstery in this interior. Courtesy of the M. H. Birge & Sons Co., Buffalo, N. Y. PLATE LXXXI. Decorative treatments consisting of delicate patterns and colors are most desirable for apartments on upper floors of the home. Courtesy of the M. H. Birge & Sons Co., Buffalo, N. Y. PLATE LXXXII. Decoration of the School and Home 207 flatness of wall and floor spaces. The proper balance between decorated and undecorated surfaces will result in a general effect of simplicity and restfulness, and yet there will be no lack of interest. This happy combina- tion has been achieved in Plate LXXIX. The wall has been broken into pleasing spaces by well related panels, the general character of which is carried out in the design of door hanging. The more elaborate enrich- ment of the curtain is justified as it relieves the severity of the mission furniture and wall treatment. The design of the rug is restful and contributes its share to the room's enrichment. The beautiful vase has been placed where it may be best enjoyed, without the interference which would have resulted if it had been surrounded by other pieces of bric-a-brac. Plate LXXX is a forceful lesson in the efifect of unity and just proportions between decorated and undecorated surfaces. The two-toned design of the wall covering is admirable, and illustrates how the back- ground may serve to enrich the room without becoming too assertive. It is there if we wish to see it, yet it is too reserved to insist upon being seen. Therefore, it gives precedence, as a good background should, to the pictures and bric-a-brac. A fine feeling of harmony is produced in the Recep- tion Room, Plate LXXXI, through the consistency of pro- portion between the furniture and decorations. The delicate patterns of rug and wall paper serve as a fitting accompaniment to the lightness of the furniture. Plain curtains and draperies are wisely chosen to contrast with the patterns of floor and wall coverings. 208 Decoration of the School and Home While the formal treatment of the living room seems most suitable to its uses, there should exist an atmos- phere of airiness in the rooms on the upper floors. Such a one is the interior, Plate LXXXII. Here the eye is attracted by the unusually beautiful treatment of the wall. The dainty Japanese vine motif in the design is judiciously repeated at such intervals as will give a pleasing variety. This vine is the dominant decorative motif in the room. Its beauty is not interfered with by any other ornamentation. The rug and door drapery are plain and the chair cushion designs are subdued. The color of such wall ornamentation should enter into the other parts of the room. The willow furniture con- tributes a large amount of home atmosphere and the design of the upholstering harmonizes in color and general character with the wall paper and rug. The use of design in door and window draperies is made the leading decorative motif in the cosy corner, Plate LXXXIV. It is repeated in the sofa cushions. Unity has further been secured by selecting a rug pattern which is similar in its general effect. Here again care should be exercised to repeat the color of the cretonne draperies in subdued tones in the other parts of the room. THE ARRANGEMENT OF PICTURES AND BRIC-A-BRAC Having selected a few choice pictures and pieces of bric-a-brac the next step is to arrange them in the room so that they may become a part of a harmonious whole. Pictures like furniture should be in proportion to the size of the room. A few good sized pictures are Fig. a. When objects are arranged in the center of spaces and spaced evenly the effect is commonplace and monotonous. Fig. b. Interesting variety may be obtained by balancing objects at tmequal distances from the center of the space which they decorate. PLATE LXXXni. The harmonious effect of this interior is the result of repetition of one motif of decoration in different parts of the room and relating all other decoration to it. PLATE LXXXrV. Decoration of the School and Home 211 more effective in a large room than many small ones. Likewise, large pictures do not show to advantage in a room of small dimensions. It is a mistake to cover up every bit of wall space with pictures, for such an arrangement creates an appearance of confusion. The beauty of each picture will be enhanced if it is surrounded with a generous portion of background. When a picture is of sufficient size to decorate one wall space, its proportions should be similar to those of the space. It should be balanced on the center axis, but placed above the exact center of the wall space as in fig. a, plate LXXXIII. In the grouping of several pictures, or of two objects, care should be observed to avoid the monotony which results from arranging them in a formal, set manner as in fig. a, plate LXXXIII. Far more interesting results will be achieved when balance is obtained through arranging the objects at varying distances from the center of the space they are placed in. These distances should be regulated by the attractive force each object exerts on the eye. The attraction of the " Winged Victory " in fig. b, is balanced by placing the greater portion of the picture and the larger number of objects on the shelf above to the left of the center axis of the wall space. When any doubt arises as to the balance, it is well to hold a plumb line so that it passes through the center of the background upon which the pictures are placed and then the weight of attractions may be judged more accurately. Such problems must be decided through a feeling for balance for they can be solved in no other way.