RENTAL PICTURES

Evening Star, Issue 23377, 21 September 1939, Page 5

RENTAL PICTURES

HEW LIBRARY SECTION OPENED VALUE OF THE SCHEME The new section of the Public Library —the rental collection of prints of old masters and contemporary artists—was opened yesterday afternoon by the mayor (Mr A. H. Allen). The majority of people in New Zealand, said the mayor, could not, despite the excellence of the various art galleries, view many of the works of the great painters unless they travelled. There was only one way of showing those pictures, and that was by purchasing good reproductions. Time had been limited in selecting the pictures at the library, and perhaps the collection was not as wide as it might he, hut it would be added to as time went on. The growth of the collection would (Jepend cm the public’s support, and he trusted that citizens would avail themselves of the opportunity of renting the pictures. The mayor also paid a tribute to the Otago Art Gallery and the trustees of the Art Gallery for the great work done in fostering art locally. Mr Gordon Tovey expressed appreciation of the move made by the Library Committee. The value of such a collection, he said, was • obvious. People could have excellent reproductions brought, into their homes, and the younger members of the community had an excellent opportunity of studying the work of acknowledged artists of every nationality and period. The collection would-also be of considerable assistance to school teachers, and, apart from the deeper meanings of art, the pictures would have a purely decorative aspect. He hoped the collection would be used to its fullest extent; it would provide a different and fuller outlook on art than was possessed to-day. Dr W. H. Borrie, chairman of the Library Committee, outlined the purjjoses of the collection. ' Pictures are loaned for one calendar month at the rate of Is for small prints and 2s for large prints.