ARTISTIC AND HISTORICAL TREASURES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 187, 27 April 1918, Page 8

ARTISTIC AND HISTORICAL TREASURES

AN INTERESTING EXHIBITION. Good progress is being made with the preparations' for the loan exhibition of objects of artistic and historical interest to be held by the Navy Leaguo in the Art Gallery towards the end of July in order to raise funds for patriotic, purposes connected with the Navy. Selection, business, and entertainment committees are beinij formed, of well-known citizens, and the Women's Auxiliary Branch of the League, which initiated the idea, is working enthusiastically to make the exhibition a success, and is confident that all citizens who have art treasures or historical relics will readily respond to the appeal for exhibits. Prominent features of the exhibition are expected to be a representative collection of the works of deceased NewZealand artists, including Gully, Rich, mond, Cousins, Vau der Velden, Nairn, Walsh, and others, as well as examples of European and Australasian art that have not been seen in public before. A collection of war souvenirs and relics from any war in which the Empire has been engaged should prove one of the chief attractions of the exhibition, and it is hoped that the Government, the Returned Soldiers' Club, and Veterans will co-operate with the league in this direction. The committee is on the look out for such diverse things as statuettes, china, glass, jewellery, lace, and needlework, paintings and 'drawings, engravings and etchings, medals, weapons, uniforms, and costumes, historical letters, documents, autographs, and portraits, in short, anything that is likely to impress the public■ by its beauty, it? quaffltness, or tlie story attached to it.

Mrs. G. Earle has consented to act as honorary nvßanising secretary, and will l)e glad to give information about that exhibition, the nature of the object.3 required by the league, and the precautions to be taken for the safety of the exhibits, as well as to receive from those interested any suggestions that they have to make and information as to the whereabouts of the private art treasures of the city. Circulars inviting the loan of exhibits have been sent out, but the com--mittee realises that it can hope to reach by circular onlv those known to be connoisseurs or collectors. It looks, therefore, for the voluntary co-operation of all citizens ivho have anything of artistic or historical interest, whether circularised or not.