the americanization of edward bok-第43节

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In　their　travels　about；　Mr。　McFarland　and　Bok　began　to　note　the　disreputably　untidy　spots　which　various　municipalities　allowed　in　the　closest　proximity　to　the　centre　of　their　business　life；　in　the　most　desirable　residential　sections；　and　often　adjacent　to　the　most　important　municipal　buildings　and　parks。　It　was　decided　to　select　a　dozen　cities；　pick　out　the　most　flagrant　instances　of　spots　which　were　not　only　an　eyesore　and　a　disgrace　from　a　municipal　standpoint；　but　a　menace　to　health　and　meant　a　depreciation　of　real…estate　value。

Lynn；　Massachusetts；　was　the　initial　city　chosen；　a　number　of　photographs　were　taken；　and　the　first　of　a　series　of　〃Dirty　Cities〃　was　begun　in　the　magazine。　The　effect　was　instantaneous。　The　people　of　Lynn　rose　in　protest；　and　the　municipal　authorities　threatened　suit　against　the　magazine；　the　local　newspapers　were　virulent　in　their　attacks。　Without　warning；　they　argued；　Bok　had　held　up　their　city　to　disgrace　before　the　entire　country；　the　attack　was　unwarranted；　in　bad　taste；　every　citizen　in　Lynn　should　thereafter　cease　to　buy　the　magazine；　and　so　the　criticisms　ran。　In　answer　Bok　merely　pointed　to　the　photographs；　to　the　fact　that　the　camera　could　not　lie；　and　that　if　he　had　misrepresented　conditions　he　was　ready　to　make　amends。

Of　course　the　facts　could　not　be　gainsaid；　local　pride　was　aroused；　and　as　a　result　not　only　were　the　advertised　〃dirty　spots〃　cleaned　up；　but　the　municipal　authorities　went　out　and　hunted　around　for　other　spots　in　the　city；　not　knowing　what　other　photographs　Bok　might　have　had　taken。

Trenton；　New　Jersey；　was　the　next　example；　and　the　same　storm　of　public　resentment　broke　loosewith　exactly　the　same　beneficial　results　in　the　end　to　the　city。　Wilkes…Barre；　Pennsylvania；　was　the　third　one　of　America's　〃dirty　cities。〃　Here　public　anger　rose　particularly　high；　the　magazine　practically　being　barred　from　the　news…stands。　But　again　the　result　was　to　the　lasting　benefit　of　the　community。

Memphis；　Tennessee；　came　next；　but　here　a　different　spirit　was　met。　Although　some　resentment　was　expressed；　the　general　feeling　was　that　a　service　had　been　rendered　the　city；　and　that　the　only　wise　and　practical　solution　was　for　the　city　to　meet　the　situation。　The　result　here　was　a　group　of　municipal　buildings　costing　millions　of　dollars；　photographs　of　which　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　subsequently　published　with　gratification　to　itself　and　to　the　people　of　Memphis。

Cities　throughout　the　country　now　began　to　look　around　to　see　whether　they　had　dirty　spots　within　their　limits；　not　knowing　when　the　McFarland　photographers　might　visit　them。　Bok　received　letters　from　various　municipalities　calling　his　attention　to　the　fact　that　they　were　cognizant　of　spots　in　their　cities　and　were　cleaning　up；　and　asking　that；　if　he　had　photographs　of　these　spots；　they　should　not　be　published。

It　happened　that　in　two　such　instances　Bok　had　already　prepared　sets　of　photographs　for　publication。　These　he　sent　to　the　mayors　of　the　respective　cities；　stating　that　if　they　would　return　them　with　an　additional　set　showing　the　spots　cleaned　up　there　would　be　no　occasion　for　their　publication。　In　both　cases　this　was　done。　Atlanta；　Georgia；　New　Haven；　Connecticut；　Pittsburgh；　Cincinnati；　and　finally　Bok's　own　city　of　Philadelphia　were　duly　chronicled　in　the　magazine；　local　storms　broke　and　calmed　down…with　the　spots　in　every　instance　improved。

It　was　an　interesting　experiment　in　photographic　civics。　The　pity　of　it　is　that　more　has　not　been　done　along　this　and　similar　lines。

The　time　now　came　when　Bok　could　demonstrate　the　willingness　of　his　own　publishing　company　to　do　what　it　could　to　elevate　the　public　taste　in　art。　With　the　increasing　circulation　of　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　and　of　The　Saturday　Evening　Post　the　business　of　the　company　had　grown　to　such　dimensions　that　in　1908　plans　for　a　new　building　were　started。　For　purposes　of　air　and　light　the　vicinity　of　Independence　Square　was　selected。　Mr。　Curtis　purchased　an　entire　city　block　facing　the　square；　and　the　present　huge　but　beautiful　publication　building　was　conceived。

Bok　strongly　believed　that　good　art　should　find　a　place　in　public　buildings　where　large　numbers　of　persons　might　find　easy　access　to　it。　The　proximity　of　the　proposed　new　structure　to　historic　Independence　Hall　and　the　adjacent　buildings　would　make　it　a　focal　point　for　visitors　from　all　parts　of　the　country　and　the　world。　The　opportunity　presented　itself　to　put　good　art；　within　the　comprehension　of　a　large　public；　into　the　new　building；　and　Bok　asked　permission　of　Mr。　Curtis　to　introduce　a　strong　note　of　mural　decoration。　The　idea　commended　itself　to　Mr。　Curtis　as　adding　an　attraction　to　the　building　and　a　contribution　to　public　art。

The　great　public　dining…room；　seating　over　seven　hundred　persons；　on　the　top　floor　of　the　building；　affording　unusual　lighting　facilities；　was　first　selected；　and　Maxfield　Parrish　was　engaged　to　paint　a　series　of　seventeen　panels　to　fill　the　large　spaces　between　the　windows　and　an　unusually　large　wall　space　at　the　end　of　the　room。　Parrish　contracted　to　give　up　all　other　work　and　devote　himself　to　the　commission　which　attracted　him　greatly。

For　over　a　year　he　made　sketches；　and　finally　the　theme　was　decided　upon：　a　bevy　of　youths　and　maidens　in　gala　costume；　on　their　way　through　gardens　and　along　terraces　to　a　great　fete；　with　pierrots　and　dancers　and　musicians　on　the　main　wall　space。　It　was　to　be　a　picture　of　happy　youth　and　sunny　gladness。　Five　years　after　the　conception　of　the　idea　the　final　panel　was　finished　and　installed　in　the　dining…room；　where　the　series　has　since　been　admired　by　the　thirty　to　fifty　thousand　visitors　who　come　to　the　Curtis　Building　each　year　from　foreign　lands　and　from　every　State　in　America。　No　other　scheme　of　mural　decoration　was　ever　planned　on　so　large　a　scale　for　a　commercial　building；　or　so　successfully　carried　out。

The　great　wall　space　of　over　one　thousand　square　feet；　unobstructed　by　a　single　column；　in　the　main　foyer　of　the　building　was　decided　upon　as　the　place　for　the　pivotal　note　to　be　struck　by　some　mural　artist。　After　looking　carefully　over　the　field；　Bok　finally　decided　upon　Edwin　A。　Abbey。　He　took　a　steamer　and　visited　Abbey　in　his　English　home。　The　artist　was　working　on　his　canvases　for　the　State　capitol　at　Harrisburg；　and　it　was　agreed　that　the　commission　for　the　Curtis　Building　was　to　follow　the　completion　of　the　State　work。

〃What　subject　have　you　in　mind？〃　asked　Abbey。

〃None；〃　replied　Bok。　〃That　is　left　entirely　to　you。〃

The　artist　and　his　wife　looked　at　each　other　in　bewilderment。

〃Rather　unusual；〃　commented　Abbey。　〃You　have　nothing　in　mind　at　all？〃

〃Nothing；　except　to　get　the　best　piece　of　work　you　have　ever　done；〃　was　the　assurance。

Poor　Abbey！　His　life　had　been　made　so　tortuous　by　suggestions；　ideas；　yes；　demands　made　upon　him　in　the　work　of　the　Harrisburg　panels　upon　which　he　was　engaged；　that　a　commission　in　which　he　was　to　have　free　scope；　his　brush　full　leeway；　with　no　one　making　suggestions　but　himself　and　Mrs。　Abbey；　seemed　like　a　dream。　When　he　explained　this；　Bok　assured　him　that　was　exactly　what　he　was　offering　him：　a　piece　of　work；　the　subject　to　be　his　own　selection；　with　the　assurance　of　absolute　liberty　to　carry　out　his　own　ideas。　Never　was　an　artist　more　elated。

〃Then；　I'll　give　you　the　best　piece　of　work　of　my　life；〃　said　Abbey。

〃Perhaps　there　is　some　subject　which　you　have　long　wished　to　paint　rather　than　any　other；〃　asked　Bok；　〃that　might　fit　our　purpose　admirably？〃

There　was：　a　theme　that　he　had　started　as　a　fresco　for　Mrs。　Abbey's　bedroom。　But　it　would　not　answer　this　purpose　at　all；　although　he　confessed　he　would　rather　paint　it　than　any　subject　in　the　realm　of　all　literature　and　art。

〃And　the　subject？〃　asked　Bok。

〃The　Grove　of　Academe；〃　replied　Abbey；　and　the　eyes　of　the　artist　and　his　wife　were　riveted　on　the　editor。

〃With　Plato　and　his　disciples？〃　asked　Bok。

〃The　same；〃　said　Abbey。　〃But　you　see　it　wouldn't　fit。〃

〃Wouldn't　fit？〃　echoed　Bok。　〃Why；　it's　the　very　thing。〃

Abbey　and　his　wife　were　now　like　two　happy　children。　Mrs。　Abbey　fetched　the　sketches　which　her　husband　had　begun　years　ago；　and　when　Bok　saw　them　he　was　delighted。　He　realized　at　once　that　conditions　and　choice　would　conspire　to　produce　Abbey's　greatest　piece　of　mural　work。

The　arrangements　were　quickly　settled；　the　Curtis　architect　had　accompanied　Bok　to　explain　the　architectural　possibilities　to　Abbey；　and　when　the　artist　bade　good…by　to　the　two　at　the　railroad　station；　his　last　words　were：

〃Bok；　you　are　going　to　get　the　best　Abbey　in　the　world。〃

And　Mrs。　Abbey　echoed　the　prophecy！

But　Fate　intervened。　On　the　day　after　Abbey　had　stretched　his　great　canvas　in　Sargent's　studio　in　London；　expecting　to　begin　his　work　the　following　week；　he　suddenly　passed　away；　and　what　would；　in　all　likelihood；　have　been　Edwin　Abbey's　mural　masterpiece　was　lost　to　the　world。

Assured　of　Mrs。　Abbey's　willingness　to　have　another　artist　take　the　theme　of　the　Grove　of　Academe　and　carry　it　out　as　a　mural　decoration；　Bok　turned　to　Howard　Pyle。　He　knew　Pyle　had　made　a　study　of　Plato；　and　believed　that；　with　his　knowledge　and　love　of　the　work　of　the　Athenian　philosopher；　a　good　decoration　w