_By _HEYWORTH CAMPBELL
Thackeray resigned the editorship of a British periodical only because he
could not endure the ordeal of rejecting the thousands of submitted
manuscripts. This is a distressing phase of an Art Director’s duties and
to my mind his most sacred obligation. No matter how hardened by
experience, a conscientious editor cannot fail to suffer for and with the
unhappy authors and artists whose work goes back with the proverbial pink
rejection slip. Why are drawings and photographs rejected? What is wrong
with the great mass of rejected material? My observation is that they
suffer more from a lack of clear thinking and careful execution than from
a paucity of ideas.
The weird conceptions and grotesque ideas in back of most of the
unsolicited material submitted would make one easily believe that the
artists are inmates, or perfectly qualified to be inmates of asylums. I
am seldom inclined or required to urge an artist to seek originality of
idea. My constant plea, and what to my mind is a prerequisite, is an
optimistic point of view, a sound, intelligent thought rendered with, may
I say, reverence.
Struggling young artists are constantly advised to cultivate their
imagination. What is imagination? Arthur Brisbane defined this in the
most compact, tangible statement: “Imagination is nothing more than the
power to see and realize what others fail to see and realize.” The
illusive idea that we are searching for is nothing hidden or mystic but
right before our very eyes. We have only to “see and realize.”
It is conceded, I am sure, that the idea is the prime requisite of a
political cartoon. A prominent cartoonist was once asked where he got his
ideas. In reply he asked “what ideas?” Men of ideas have brains that
function exactly as those of other normal well-ordered citizens. They are
not gifted by strange kinks in their brain cells. When the prominent
cartoonist is contemplating the banal act of shaving or putting in a new
furnace, his thoughts are no more or less exalted or lofty than when
creating a cartoon idea intended to sway public opinion. Strange, isn’t
it, that considering the thousands of earnest thinking diligent-working
young students, that there are so few artists whose work reflects real
genius? Strange that the standard of the Graphic Arts is as
discouragingly low as it is considering this army of talent. But even
more strange that this contradiction to the law of averages is also
applicable to the field of sports—to a field so practical, tangible and
therefore measurable. Every healthy-minded youngster born, has two early
ambitions: one to be a great baseball player, another to become President.
And yet the scouts and managers for the Big Leagues have difficulty in
discovering talent above the average.
In the field of Pictorial Photography, the average is exceedingly high.
This volume is a demonstration. To be sure, if one seeks, one can quickly
discover atrocities in the galleries and on the printed page; but my
conviction is that the progress from the purely aesthetic standpoint has
kept pace with the mechanical and scientific strides made in Photography.
Quotations are generally sneered at, but they make excellent conclusions.
Some one once said: “All one’s life is music if one touched the notes
rightly and in tune.” A very happy thought and true. But finding the
right note is infinitely more difficult than the striking in tune. Ideas,
to be sure, you must seek. But orderly thought, patience and fine
craftsmanship in carrying out your idea frequently count for more than the
originality or brilliance of the idea itself. Owing to the restlessness
of the world situation—wars and rumors of wars, strikes and overtendency
towards jazz and slang—there is already, especially in the work of
youngsters, too evident an urge to be different; different merely for the
sake of being different.
A thought possibly worthy of the deliberation of every artist is that
Distinction is a result, never the object, of a great mind.
[A DECORATIVE PANEL, By Thos. O. Sheckell, Salt Lake City, Utah]
A DECORATIVE PANEL
_By _Thos. O. Sheckell, _Salt Lake City, Utah_
[IN A DANCER’S STUDIO, By Wayne Albee, Seattle, Washington]
IN A DANCER’S STUDIO
_By _Wayne Albee, _Seattle, Washington_
[HOUSE-BOATS, By Ernest M. Pratt, Los Angeles, Calif.]
HOUSE-BOATS
_By _Ernest M. Pratt, _Los Angeles, Calif._
[MAY I COME IN?, By Robert R. McGeorge, Buffalo, N. Y.]
MAY I COME IN?
_By _Robert R. McGeorge, _Buffalo, N. Y._
[THE DISTANT SAIL, By William Gordon Shields, New York City]
THE DISTANT SAIL
_By _William Gordon Shields, _New York City_
[GATEWAY, DINAN, By Dr. Chas. H. Jaeger, New York City]
GATEWAY, DINAN
_By _Dr. Chas. H. Jaeger, _New York City_
[SILHOUETTES—EGYPT, By Julia Marshall, Duluth, Minn.]
SILHOUETTES—EGYPT
_By _JULIA MARSHALL, _Duluth, Minn._
[MOUNT EVERETT, By Robert B. Montgomery, Brooklyn, N. Y.]
MOUNT EVERETT
_By _Robert B. Montgomery, _Brooklyn, N. Y._
[THE BACK FENCE, By C. R. Herzler, New York City]
THE BACK FENCE
_By _C. R. Herzler, _New York City_
[ON DECK OF THE METAGAMA, By Johan Hagemeyer, San Francisco, Calif.]
ON DECK OF THE METAGAMA
_By _JOHAN HAGEMEYER, _San Francisco, Calif._
[TIDEWATER, By Amelia H. McLean, Bronxville, N. Y.]
TIDEWATER
_By _Amelia H. McLean, _Bronxville, N. Y._
[STREET VENDORS—ROME, ITALY, By H. A. Latimer, Boston, Mass.]
STREET VENDORS—ROME, ITALY
_By __H. A. Latimer, __Boston, Mass._
[SUMMERTIME, By Paul Wierum, Chicago, Ill.]
SUMMERTIME
_By _PAUL WIERUM, _Chicago, Ill._
[TORSO OF A DANCER, By Arnold Genthe, New York City]
TORSO OF A DANCER
_By _Arnold Genthe, _New York City_
[A MAINE FISHING VILLAGE, By Eugene P. Henry, Brooklyn, N. Y.]
A MAINE FISHING VILLAGE
_By _EUGENE P. HENRY, _Brooklyn, N. Y._
[SMOKE EATERS, By W. H. Zerbe, Richmond Hill, N. Y.]
SMOKE EATERS
_By _W. H. ZERBE, _Richmond Hill, N. Y._
[PUEBLO DWELLING, By Ernest Williams, Los Angeles, Calif.]
PUEBLO DWELLING
_By _Ernest Williams, _Los Angeles, Calif._
[IN THE BERKSHIRES, By William Elbert Macnaughton, New York City]
IN THE BERKSHIRES
_By _William Elbert Macnaughton, _New York City_
[BEPPY, By Helen W. Drew, Montclair, N. J.]
BEPPY
_By _HELEN W. DREW, _Montclair, N. J._
[EMPTIES, By K. B. Lambert, Glen Ridge, N. J.]
EMPTIES
_By _K. B. LAMBERT, _Glen Ridge, N. J._
[THE WOODCHOPPER’S WOMAN, By Harry C. Phipps, Chicago, Ill.]
THE WOODCHOPPER’S WOMAN
_By _HARRY C. PHIPPS, _Chicago, Ill._
[THE DES PLAINES TRAIL, By E. E. Gray, Chicago, Ill.]
THE DES PLAINES TRAIL
_By _E. E. GRAY, _Chicago, Ill._
[MOTHER AND CHILD, By clarence H. White, New York City]
MOTHER AND CHILD
_By _Clarence H. White, _New York City_
[YE OLD BARN, By Olive Garrison, Yonkers, N. Y.]
YE OLD BARN
_By _Olive Garrison, _Yonkers, N. Y._
[INTERIOR, By Jane Reece, Dayton, Ohio]
INTERIOR
_By _JANE REECE, _Dayton, Ohio_
[PENNSYLVANIA STATION, By Dr. D. J. Ruzicka, New York City]
PENNSYLVANIA STATION
_By _Dr. D. J. Ruzicka, _New York City_
[CLOUDS OF MORNING, By Francis O. Libby, F.R.P.S., Portland, Me.]
CLOUDS OF MORNING
_By _Francis O. Libby, F.R.P.S., _Portland, Me._
[THE CANYON, By Jerry D. Drew, Montclair, N. J.]
THE CANYON
_By _Jerry D. Drew, _Montclair, N. J._
[THE EAST RIVER, By John Paul Edwards, San Francisco, Calif.]
THE EAST RIVER
_By _John Paul Edwards, _San Francisco, Calif._
[THE TRAIN SHED—PITTSBURGH, By W. W. Zieg, Pittsburgh, Pa.]
THE TRAIN SHED—PITTSBURGH
_By __W. W. Zieg, __Pittsburgh, Pa._
[ODD MOMENTS IN BRITTANY, By George Henry High, Chicago, Ill.]
ODD MOMENTS IN BRITTANY
_By _GEORGE HENRY HIGH, _Chicago, Ill._
[UZERCHES: "IL FAIT UN BON SOLEIL", By Dr. A. D. Chaffee, New York City]
UZERCHES: "IL FAIT UN BON SOLEIL"
_By _DR. A. D. CHAFFEE, _New York City_
[A MISTY MORNING, By N. S. Wooldridge, Pittsburgh, Pa.]
A MISTY MORNING
_By _N. S. Wooldridge, _Pittsburgh, Pa._
[PTARMIGAN IN WINTER, By Clark Blickensderfer, Denver, Colo.]
PTARMIGAN IN WINTER
_By _Clark Blickensderfer, _Denver, Colo._
[MARJORIE, By sophie L. Lauffer, New York City]
MARJORIE
_By _SOPHIE L. LAUFFER, _New York City_
[THE PATTERNED WALL, By Mildred Ruth Wilson, Montclair, N. J.]
THE PATTERNED WALL
_By _Mildred Ruth Wilson, _Montclair, N. J._
[THE SUNNY WINDOW, By Mary F. Boyd, Chambersburg, Pa.]
THE SUNNY WINDOW
_By _Mary F. Boyd, _Chambersburg, Pa._
[AT CLARENCE WHITE’S, CANAAN, CONN., By Florence Burton Livingston,
Mohegan Lake, N. Y.]
AT CLARENCE WHITE’S, CANAAN, CONN.
_By __Florence Burton Livingston, __Mohegan Lake, N. Y._
[STUDY OF A YOUNG GIRL, By charles H. Brown, Santa Barbara, Calif.]
STUDY OF A YOUNG GIRL
_By _CHARLES H. BROWN, _Santa Barbara, Calif._
[IVY AND OLD GLASS, By Clara E. Sipprell, New York City]
IVY AND OLD GLASS
_By _Clara E. Sipprell, _New York City_
[ROSE DANCE, By J. Anthony Bull, Cincinnati, Ohio]
ROSE DANCE
_By _J. ANTHONY BULL, _Cincinnati, Ohio_
[A CONCERT IN THE NURSERY, By Frank R. Nivison, Fall River, Mass.]
A CONCERT IN THE NURSERY
_By _FRANK R. NIVISON, _Fall River, Mass._
[GREY ATTIC, By Edward Weston, Glendale, Calif.]
GREY ATTIC
_By _Edward Weston, _Glendale, Calif._
[MUD-PIES, By Cornelia F. White, New York City]
MUD-PIES
_By _Cornelia F. White, _New York City_
[CARVED WITH THE TOOLS OF TIME, THE SCULPTOR, By Edith R. Wilson, Mt.
Vernon, N. Y.]
CARVED WITH THE TOOLS OF TIME, THE SCULPTOR
_By _EDITH R. WILSON, _Mt. Vernon, N. Y._
[MORNING GLORY, By Otis Williams, Los Angeles, Calif.]
MORNING GLORY
_By _Otis Williams, _Los Angeles, Calif._
[THE CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN, By Thomas R. Hartley, Pittsburgh, Pa.]
THE CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN
_By _THOMAS R. HARTLEY, _Pittsburgh, Pa._
[SEAR AUTUMN, By Anson Herrick, San Francisco, Cal.]
SEAR AUTUMN
_By _Anson Herrick, _San Francisco, Cal._
[THE BAZAR, By Margaret D. M. Brown, Arlington, Poughkeepsie, N. Y.]
THE BAZAR
_By _Margaret D. M. Brown, _Arlington, Poughkeepsie, N. Y._
[WANDERERS FROM HOME, By P. Douglas Anderson, San Francisco, Calif.]
WANDERERS FROM HOME
_By _P. Douglas Anderson, _San Francisco, Calif._
[DECORATIVE STUDY, By Henry A. Hussey, Berkeley, Calif.]
DECORATIVE STUDY
_By _Henry A. Hussey, _Berkeley, Calif._
[THE WAY UP, By Folsom Rich, Chicago, Ill.]
THE WAY UP
_By _Folsom Rich, _Chicago, Ill._
[COLONEL MARSH, By E. L. Mix, New York City]
COLONEL MARSH
_By _E. L. Mix, _New York City_
[SHADOW DESIGN, By G. W. Harting, New York City]
SHADOW DESIGN
_By _G. W. Harting, _New York City_
[AT GUINGAMP, By Mrs. Antoinette B. Hervey, New York City]
AT GUINGAMP
_By _Mrs. Antoinette B. Hervey, _New York City_
[KISSING THE PADRE’S HAND, By Myers R. Jones, Brooklyn, N. Y.]
KISSING THE PADRE’S HAND
_By _MYERS R. JONES, _Brooklyn, N. Y._
[UNDER BROOKLYN BRIDGE, By A. E. Schaaf, Cleveland, Ohio]
UNDER BROOKLYN BRIDGE
_By _A. E. SCHAAF, _Cleveland, Ohio_
[THE BRIDGES, By Henry Hoyt Moore, Brooklyn, N. Y.]
THE BRIDGES
_By _Henry Hoyt Moore, _Brooklyn, N. Y._
[WHIRLPOOL RAPIDS, NIAGARA, By William A. Alcock, New York City]
WHIRLPOOL RAPIDS, NIAGARA
_By _WILLIAM A. ALCOCK, _New York City_
[STUDY, By A. Ralph Steiner, New York City]
STUDY
_By _A. RALPH STEINER, _New York City_
[DOMESTIC SYMPHONY, By Margaret Watkins, New York City]
DOMESTIC SYMPHONY
_By _Margaret Watkins, _New York City_
[MORNING SUNLIGHT, By Ira W. Martin, New York City]
MORNING SUNLIGHT
_By _Ira W. Martin, _New York City_
[L’ESPRIT DE MANDALAY, By J. Ludger Rainville, Portland, Me.]
L’ESPRIT DE MANDALAY
_By _J. Ludger Rainville, _Portland, Me._
[THE GORGE BELOW THE WHIRLPOOL, NIAGARA, By W. H. Porterfield, Buffalo,
N. Y.]
THE GORGE BELOW THE WHIRLPOOL, NIAGARA
_By _W. H. PORTERFIELD, _Buffalo, N. Y._
[PORTRAIT—GIRL IN BLACK, By Rabinovitch, New York City]
PORTRAIT—GIRL IN BLACK
_By __Rabinovitch, __New York City_
[THE TOILERS, By Edward Ostrom, Jr., Brooklyn, N. Y.]
THE TOILERS
_By _Edward Ostrom, Jr., _Brooklyn, N. Y._
[FROM MY WINDOW, By Betty Gresh, Norristown, Penn.]
FROM MY WINDOW
_By _Betty Gresh, _Norristown, Penn._
[YOUNG AMERICAN, By Louis Fleckenstein, Long Beach, Calif.]
YOUNG AMERICAN
_By _Louis Fleckenstein, _Long Beach, Calif._
[MESA DEL MAR, By G. H. S. Harding, Berkeley, Calif.]
MESA DEL MAR
_By _G. H. S. HARDING, _Berkeley, Calif._
[SEINE BOATS, By William B. Imlach, New York City]
SEINE BOATS
_By _William B. Imlach, _New York City_
[THE MOON OF THE RED GODS, By Laura Gilpin, Colorado Springs, Colo.]
THE MOON OF THE RED GODS
_By _LAURA GILPIN, _Colorado Springs, Colo._
[HIGH SEAS, By Joseph Petrocelli, New York City]
HIGH SEAS
_By _Joseph Petrocelli, _New York City_
[SIXTH AVENUE, NEW YORK CITY, By Ben J. Lubschez, New York City]
SIXTH AVENUE, NEW YORK CITY
_By _BEN J. LUBSCHEZ, _New York City_
[HILLSIDE SHADOWS, By Charles K. Archer, Pittsburgh, Pa.]
HILLSIDE SHADOWS
_By _Charles K. Archer, _Pittsburgh, Pa._
[MOTHER CAREY’S CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST, By Herbert B. Turner,
Boston, Mass.]
MOTHER CAREY’S CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST
_By _HERBERT B. TURNER, _Boston, Mass._
[THE SCHOOL YARD, By Vernon E. Duroe, Brooklyn, N. Y.]
THE SCHOOL YARD
_By _Vernon E. Duroe, _Brooklyn, N. Y._