VALUABLE DONATION

Taranaki Daily News, 4 August 1934, Page 2

VALUABLE DONATION

BOOKS FOR VICTORIA COLLEGE.

CARNEGIE CORPORATION’S GIFT.

By reason of the generosity of the Carnegie New York, a valuable gift of 230 books on art and 2200 prints, reproductions of famous paintings and sketches, has been made to Victoria University College, Welling-'’ ton. Most of the books and prints have arrived at the college, and at a meeting of the college council members were given an opportunity of inspecting them. A motion of appreciation of the corporation’s gift was passed. The books are a particularly representative collection of works on every phase of art, both ancient and : modern, and will form an exceedingly valuable addition to the college library. For the most part they are profusely illustrated, and in addition to dealing with the historical and aesthetic aspect of art, cover many of the handicrafts that are inseparably bound up with artistic endeavour. COMPREHENSIVE SELECTION. The collection comprises a comprehensive selection of volumes on the history of architecture from Grecian to modern times, the history of sculpture, of painting, of mediaeval art, and of Oriental art. There are a number of volumes on aesthetics and technique, and all manner of 7 arts and crafts, includ- • ing bookbinding, weaving, heraldry, wood-carving, writing and iliummating. There are books on furniture and antiques, on landscape design, on ornament, on prints and on textiles and rugs. The reproductions of famous pictures of the world are mounted on card and are neatly arranged in leathercovered cases. They will not be framed, but will be kept for. reference. Special provision is being made at the college for the reception of the gift, a room apart from the library being set aside. In addition to this gift of art books and prints, the college was granted 25,000 dollars for library purposes by the Carnegie Corporation some time ago. The grant was spread over five years, the part-payment of approximately £lOOO having already been received. The grant is of almost inestimable value to the library at the present time, and some exceedingly fine volumes have been procured by means of the first instalment. SOURCE OF GRANTS. The money for these grants comes from a special portion of the famous Carnegie Trust, called the British Empire Trust, which has a total capital surplus in hand of 14,000,000 dollars. The amount distributed last year from this trust amounted to 700,000 dollars, but for some years previous to that the bulk of the allocation has gone to Canada. Last year the Carnegie Corporation distributed for all purposes 16,000,000 dollars, 9,500,000 of this being devoted to library purposes.