Art and Handcraft in the Woman's Building
of the World's Columbian Exposition

IN THE WOMAN’S BUILDING. 67 while showing a wide knowledge of previous accomplishments in this line, and a familiarity with the old masters of the art, there is often a clever reference to the subject-matter of the book in the decorative treatment of the cover. For instance, the attractive outside of a book called “ A Girl’s Life Eighty Years Ago” shows the design and method of a sampler of the same period, lettering and borders appearing in the small block-work of the cross-stitch in the red and black sewing-silks peculiar to sampler work. There are many others which illustrate very clearly the point that thought should be given not only to the art of the cover, but to its connection with the book itself, and indicate tliat the library of modern books will soon be more interesting from the outside than even the most classic use of leather and tooling could make it. An appropriate cover is like an open door into a pleasant interior, or like the skin of fruit which indicates its kind, as the color of the orange invites one to the flavor of the orange. But while book-covers are so interesting from a book-lover’s point of view, the large collection of book illustrations appeal to book-lovers and lovers of all good art. Many prominent publishers, have contributed to this collection, and illustrations are shown in black and white, in water-colors, and in pen-drawings for many recent publications. There is enough here to show more than the average excellence of the art of illustration as it stands to-day, not only in America but in all countries. There is no one great work which is like a monument placed at the highest point the art has reached, but there are many single pictures which are delightful, showing not only power of characterization and expression of sentiment, but admirable composition and draughtsmanship. Candace Wheeler.