HOBBIES FOR ALL

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 1, 26 September 1939, Page 9

HOBBIES FOR ALL

Public Displays Planned

Leading shopkeepers of Wellington have agreed gladly to accede to the mayor’s request that they should make window displays of the products of citizens’ hobbies. It is expected that there will be similar demonstrations in other cities and towns. The American National Recreation Association has made notable progress in the encouragement of suitable hobbies for men and women, boys and girls. A recent innovation in New York was a “hobby luncheon,” 'Sponsored toy the American Association for Adult Education, at which a number of wellknown citizens described their own personal hobbies and the satisfaction which had come to them through their hobby interests. Dr. John D. Finley, editor of “The New York Times,” and president of the National Recreation Association, showed several books which he himself had made, one of them a book of poems which he had written to his granddaughter. The complete toook, including illustrations, was all done by Dr. Finley by hand. He exhibited a second book which he had prepared for private distribution for which he had not only written the copy but designed the title page, setting the type by hand. Dr. Finley’s interest in print; ing started in his youth, when he worked ip a small printing shop while attending college at Galesburg. Illinois.

Mr. Gustav Beck, of New York University, told how he had made marionettes for children. When he had equipped himself to do this, he felt the need for plays for the marionettes. He decided the old Greek.legends would be excellent for this purpose so he took up the study of Greek. This led from one thing to another till he reached the point of writing a play covering one day in the life of Emily Dickinson. The value of a hobby, he said, is that it leads you from one thing to another, and requires study and exploration in a number of fields of interest.