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32X

■x;.

DRAWi#-(r?-t'^"*^

Public, High (fc Normal Schools

-»-^i^*-

A LETTER

From Emil Vossnack, C. E.,

(Lecturer uf Mechamcal Engineering, Naval Architucture, and Instrumental Drawing,

of the Technological Institute of Halifax,)^

TO THE

COUNCIL OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

FOR THE PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA,

AND rat •

SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS

OF THE CITY OF HALIFAX.

HALIFAX, N. S.

PRINTED BY JOHN BtJRGOYNE, "4)AILY REPORTER & TIMES" OFFICE.

1879.

DRAWING IN SCHOOLS.

To the Connj'U of Puhl'u: Itn^ti'iictlou, and to the Board oj
School Coiniiiisi^iouars', Hali/ar, N. S.

Gentlemen: —

Ever since amongst you, wliicli is now over 8 years, I have felt that
something was wanting in the Educational System ; but what, is rather
difficult to express. I wish to draw the attentioi. of your body to sometliing
I have studied in Prussia in Pi. jUc Sciiool, High School, Trade School and
Polytechnic College for over 12 years; I have applied and taught the same
practically in my profession as Mechanical and Consulting Engineer for over
22 years, and may therefore bo excused for making l)old to address you on
this subject. My father is a teacher of the old Prussian System, served his
country over 50 years and has boon decorated with the House Order of the
Emperorof Germany. He is one of the brigade to which the great strategist
Gen. Von Moltke pointed whon he said after the late Franco-Prussian War:
"■Not to me is due the result of this great victorious campaign; it is to tho
schoolmasters who have traine 1 tho moral, intellectual nature of our young
men that the laurels belong to, and to them they belong all over tho
world." D. T. A. McLellan, President Ontario Teachers' Association (a
NovaScotian), says in an address delivered August 13th, before the abovo
Association of that system. "When Prussia had been reduced to the verge ot
ruin by the ravages of Napoleon, her great men summoned to their country's
aid in the darkest hour of her historv, saw in education tho means of her
salvation. It was declared-- it became an article of the nation's faith — that
most was to be expected from national education— that with methods of in-
struction based upon true conceptions of the moral, intellectual nature ot
man, a race physically and morally v«itiong would grow up and a better futuro
dawn upon the nation ; and her marvellous success in every field of humaiL
activity vindicates the foresight of her statesmen and the soundness of her
people's faith. On such principles as these has National Education in
Ontario hem onyanized, and is more or less admired and adopted all over
the world."

Accordini; to latest researches o.' Political Economists there is but littli
doubt, that the future prosperity of this P»ovince will be largely depend-
ent on the development of its great mineral resources and the establish",
ment of manufactures of all kinds, to which the water powers all along

3^i(,l,

its shores will Ibnu a groat factor of suocoss. It sooins to ino that while
the province of Ontario and the far west of tho Hoininion, will predomin-
ate in agricultural products, Nova Scotia and Now JJrunswick are do.slincd
to become (what the New England States are to the whole of tho United
States) — tho manufacturing portion of the Dominion. With this point
established — the popular education best adapted to this country, must
combmo with intellectual culture some form of industrial training, wliich
shall enable youth to enter promptly upon the averago practical duties of
life- The systematic instruction in Drawing which is yet in its infancy
in this part of tho Globe, may be considered one oi tho most intellectual
and important additions to the practical education of the working classes,
(whose children constitute so large a majority of our schools) which has
been attempted in the History of Education.

The bane of society has always boon on the mass of tho people who
are destitute of any industrial skill. Our schools have furnished tho heads
tolerably, but have left the hands comparatively powerless and hence have
steadily sent into the active world multitudes who were suHicienLly edu-
cated to be dissatisfied with their social stations, but who have had no cap-
ability of using their knowledge in improved forms of labor, which should
at once appea?50 their reasonable ambition, and make them contented to
be honest x rk-people.

It is '1 that tha greater number of our poorer children intend to
follow thv. lirade of their fathers, but that is simply to swell the mass of
crude labor, which is equal to only the average brute drudgery of life — to
driving carts, carrying hods, shovelling in gravel pits and the performances
of similar to''.. Wo aught to want these children to do better than their
fathers, and the use of the compass and pencil is one of the instrumcnt-
alties by which they are to find openings into the sort of skilled labor from
which Nova Scotia must draw its future prosperity as a manufacturing
and mechanical community.

The journeyman mason, who can delineate and read plans, is on the
road to become a master mason ; the carpenter who is not obliged to work
by Rule of Thumb, but can interpret the plans of the architect into the
language of his. trade and can express in lines and shadows his own con-
ception of building, is in the order of promotion to the dignity of a con-
tractor ; and the operatives on textile fabrics, who have learned the princi-
ples of design, may hope to take place of and receive a share of the high
salaries at present paid t imported designers on whom our manufactarers
would be absolutely dependent. There are numerous trades from which
France, Germany and Switzerland derive an ample revenue and whose
products are liberally bought by our Canadian people, which might in-
crease the comfort and thrift of thousands of our own households, were
the children possessed of the technical education by which they could
artistically and tastefully combine form and color. The supply of this con-
dition is the great subject of draiving. The moral elevation v/hich results
from familiarity with beauty and grace in nature and art is also a consider-
able element in tho iustr»\ction, not to be under-valued, but tho most hope-

fill iinmotliatc conscquoiiccs arc to be looked for in tlic improved effidency
of (Canadian artizam—a life iiuest'oufor them — whose field of opportunity
will bo ciiluifiod in proportion as llioir lingord aro trained to doltly execute
the commands of an observing eye ; eye and hand being especially edu-
cated in Drawing.

An article in (;'alaxy called " Weakness of our School System," has
some severe strictures on the prosiiit methods of instruction in Common
Schools and their results. I will give a lew extracts. How much truth
is there in it ?

" The (juestion arises, for a thousand children of all classes from each
system of education, which has given them the best preparation for earn-
ing a living in the world as it is, the present public school system of Ameri-
ca or the no->cliool system ? How many has the public shool system pro-
vided with a living ? Tiie answer is very easy. In a thousand boys ten
take to tcaohing otlier boys, while they are studying law or medicine. .Two
of these remain teachers all their lives. Fifty go into book-keepers' places
where ten remain. The rest disperse to business of all kinds, trades and
shopkeeping, all of which have to be learned, and in which the school
education is of little use, save indirectly and by its general cultivation of
the intelligence, 01 the thousand girls fifty go to teaching. The rest
forget all they over learned. Of knowledge useful to them as mothers
they have acquired nothing ; of house-keeping duties less.

" This is the dark side of modern education. There is of course a bright
one. Take a hundred workmen, brought up to any given handicraft,
especially one requiring intelligence. The men who can read and write,
and who have enjoyed the benefits of an English education, are more likely
to rise in the world, to ii prove their position, than those who have never
known anything but one routine of work from their earliest years. To
become a skilled workman ^ indeed, education is absolutely necessary. The
(lucstion remains — what sort of education is most likely to help them, one
wholly theoretical, or on? in which practice and theory aro joined ? The
answer is obvious. It is found in the great and increasing popularity of
industrial schools, wherever such have been established by private philan-
thropy. These are, so far, the only institutions of an educational nature
public or private, with whose benefits no injury has been found to mingle.
The only objection to their universal establishment is found in their ex-
pense, owing to the vast variety of mechanical employments. These at
{)resent rciJcr a complete scheme of industrial schools as a national under-
taking, too difficuH for practical adoption. Ideally such a system would
be the most perfect education yet devised. It would at once train the
rising generation into useful citizens and true wealth producers. Failing
that, let us see what can be done with present systems to attain this desir-
able end. We fii;d that the common schools tend to produce school teach-
ers, lawyers, doctors, politicians, newspaper men, booksellers, clerks, brok-
ers, and all that class of men who live by their ivits. Of artisans, artists
and agriculturists, capable of developing the wealth of a new country,
they produce none. These come from outside."

Ill almost all iiuluslriul uiuloi takings drawing of one kind or the other
is required by those directing the siino, and soino great induatrios are en-
tirely depending on the t.iUe developed by their inmagors, such as sculp-
ture in stone and maible, work in cast iron grates, stoves and railings,
furniture in wood enriched by carving, encaustic tiles, gas brackets or
gasaliers in bronze or brass, ornamented china-ware, cil cloth, carpets or
druggets, table cloth and curtain weaving, silver ware, jewellery, glass
work, cotton printing, paper-hanging, frescoing, sign painting, lithography
wood and steel engraving, etching, glass staining and painting, reproduc-
tion of the round in plfister, nictuls and terra cotta, chasing and emboss-
ing, etc., etc. It is needed by upholsterers, wood turners, watchmakei a,
opticians, hardware workers, bookbinders, fringemakers, locksmiths, gun-
smiths, harnessmakers, wheelwrights, carriage builders.

It is absolutely necessary to the architect, engineer, carpenter, mason,
machinist, millwright, workers in copper and metal and shipbuilders.
The importance of drawing to the young is now universally acknowledged,
and many a talent has been directed in its youth to channels of industry
which could not have been reached if the occasion to study drawing had
not been given in early life. Massachusetts has taken the lead in this
branch of education on this side of the Atlantic, and made by an Act
passed May 16th, 1870, drawing obligatory in pul)lic schools. This act also
required of cities and towns of more than 10,000 ir.habitants to make pro-
visions for free instruction in indmUial drawing to persons over filteen
years of age. This Act met with much public favor, but it was soon found
that it was impossible to realize satisftictorily the benefits intended by the
act from want of competent teachers. An act was therefore passed by
the Legislature, providing for the establishment and maintenance by the
Board of Education of a State Normal Art School, which school is intend-
ed as a Training School for the purpose of qualifying teachers and masters
of industrial drawing.

The term Industrial drawing includes both instrumental and free
hand drawing, and is divided into four grades or classes :

A, is devoted to Elementary drawing, 15, to form, color and Industrial
design, C, to the constructive arts, comprising : — Descriptive Geometry,
Topographical, Machine and Ship-drawing, Building construction and
Architectural design, D, to Sculpture and design in the round. Its faculty
is comprised of twelve professors and lecturers, and over 1200 have availed
themselves of the occasion offered.

In France, Germany, Austria, Sweden, etc., drawing is taught in all
schools, and is considered almost as necessary as reading, writing and
arithmetic, and it is established that it has a great influence on the future
of the scholars. In public schools often are talents discovered which with
a little fostering become in after years great lights in the profession they
choose. The simple High School through which I hav'e passed has laid
the foundation for great Artists, in painting and sculpture and many after
only passing through its three years course had profited sufficiently to be
enabled in after years to become Managers of large Iron works, Railroads,

free

f v.

and Gugiucoi iiig E-.(al)l;shin'.Mit^ To diMwiiij; woio devotoil in cacli »»f tlio
three classes uWout IVoni (i to S hours ii week ; in some hi;^h scihocis also,
called Trade Schools, from 15 to 18 hours is devoted to drawing? and model-

luig.

High Schools, as 1 take it, ought to give general useful knowledge nob
only to those who can go to Colleges, hut also to those who are to take
charge of our Industrial Estahlishmonts; and I am highly pleased to learn
that it is the intention of the Hoard of School Commissioners, to cstrjijish
in High Schojl unothcr course hcsides the Classical, in which the dead
languages aie dispiMised with, and suhjccts will ho introduced of hiiihly
practical naturo, 1 ho|)e a course will ho followed something like that of
a. Prussian Trade School of which Germany has now some Two Hundred^
in which aj lizans are trained and which act as preparatory to the Poly-
technic Colleges, with the rudimentary knowledge of Chemistry, Physics,
Mathematics and drawhuj. The scholars would also he prepared to enter
the Technological Institute, enabling that establishment to become much
more etfective than it is at present, whc" the rudiments of those branches
have to be taught. It will also bo found that drawing combined with other
studies works well; it is a relief of the mind from the strain caused by the
study of dead and Modern Languages, and sciences. In it the scholar ex-
periences as in writing, the pleasure of producing something tangible, ho
sees his progress, he handles f)oncil, brush, compass, drawing pen and mod-
elling tool more and more with perfection, ho experiences the intense en-
joyment to create ; it is the most pleasing study that can be introducedin
the course of any School, and remains so lu alter life, if used as an accom-
plishment or in practical work. Many happy hours I have spent preparing
in secret drawings to present to my parents on Cnristmas, to show the
progress I had made in the past year, and the pleasure was always great
to the giver as well as to the parents who valued them h'ghcr than any
gift I could have presented.

To show the high appreciation drawing is held in Boston I will only
make a few extracts from, the reports of the Committee on Drawing of the
Board of School Commissioners of that City : — " The training of young
eyes to see correctly and of young hands to reproduce and combine
forms simple and complex; this teaching of a new languaf!;o of form,
is begun in the primary scliools, connected on a higher plane in the
Grammar Schools, and carried on as far as possible in the High Schools,
where efforts should be more and more directed towards awaking a love
for the beautiful in nature and art in the minds of the pupils, besides
preparing them for |;ractical work.

" As this end is more and more plainly attained, we arc convinced that
the public will be more and more disposed to regard the course pursued by
the drawing committee with a favor which, in its present incomplete
workings, it cannot be expected to meet with on all hands. The persons
who shake their heads dubiously, are those amongst us who regard
purely '• Mechanical Drawing," as unworthy of " state interference," who
think that Industrial Drawing should from the first, have in it a pronoun-

ccd artistic! cloiiu'iit, nu<l who ivgurd any system as uiisutisractory, which
fhicy not <Jo whit ii hiMO iinposj'iblo, namely, siinoimd children wi;h
heautilul Ibrnis ol ait, and load them to appreciate their most cl( v.itiii'i
subtle qualities. Wo arc indeed of tho opinion th;it to .c;row up in :in
atmosph(!ro pornioatoil with beauty, would be imineasnrably a(lv.intajj;eous
to the rising generation, it would make our future citizens like those of
riatos Rnpublie — men and women who from lovinjj; beauty as a principle,
for itKclf, would rise to an appreciation of divine Icauty, and thus
guarded, against all low taste 5 and di^-ires. would reach an ide.il status.
Unfortiuiatcly under the conditions imposed npoii us, juehhi^ih possiltillt-
ics can only bo aimed at in a very limited degree. In its piesent elforts
tho Drawing Committee must [km force conline itself lo the ta^-k of laying
the brick and foundation stones of education in art, it has noi the m-ans
to purchase such desiraldo rojiroductions of standard examp'oi) of plastic
forms and ornaments as arc necessary to illustrate tlio higher jjrinciples
of art; it must work with dull tools and scant materials, hoping only,
that wdiat is done, may serve to propaie the way tr.r bctier sMid higher
things in the future. Something Mior\ were tho moans jtrovidcd, shouhl
be done by enriching tho High Schodls, and A'vi'niti;/ Dnwnng SrhooU
with good examples of forms and c( dor. Four bare walls and reams of
paper with pencils and rubber ad lil)itum are not all tliat is neodctl. The
teacher must have other appliances if he is to teach effectively.

" ICvery High Sdiool ought to have a large, well lighted room, approp-
riated to drawing, fitted with proper desks and supplied with, casts, flat
copies and natural growing flowers, it should contain a few casts of the
fmest gieek statues and bas-reliefs as well as ornanicntod work of th ;
best periods, also casts from nature, of heads, hands, feet and limbs, In-
gethor with otlr.rs of architectural fragments and metal work. Of i;;it
copies, it should have a selection from Hermes, M. Ilavaisson's studies from
the antique," Gcromcs Cours do Dcssin, Lievres Cours d'Ornomenls, etc.,
etc. With these materials, the instructors could eiifectively cany out the
intention of the City, namely, to make them serve to develop the un-
questionable faculty for design existing in our people — a moUer of vital
importance to our manufacturinf) community.

"The only one of our £ligh Schools which has as yoL been put into
anyihit:g like a favorable condition for the purpose is tho Girls' High
School, wliero the Frieze of tho rarthenon given by Mr. James is\.
IJarnard and the casts of antique statues and busts given by many private
individuals to adorn the exhibition room are available for study. The
Drawing Department is under the charge of a i^i^^hly (lualifu'd teacher;
and a programme of studies, embracing plant form, historical ornaiient
and cast drawing in charcoal and crayons, has been prepared for the uj»i)er
classes, and this will soou enable tho public to judge of the superior
results obtainable in a school projierly equip[)ed.

" We cannot doul)t that these will be such as to conviin'.e everii our vf
the neecHsity of piUtiny each High iSchool in the same favorahle conditio}!.
Then will come the turn of the Grammar Schools whoso raised condition

will pu.sli till) llij^li Schools u|) to a still lii;j;lior lovol. Tims in courso of
tiiiio Wii hluill HOC i::ra(lu:itfl|> IVom Hi^'h Schools, wlio, having uouiinuiicod
llicir odncatioii in tlio Kindergurttin or tlio I'riinary schools, !iuvo advanced
to a rcidly liijih stale of attainment.

" Willi Hiich a prospect in view we can allord to bear the donhLs an<l cavils
ol those who would crown the edilico holoro they have laid the foundations
<•>///» ></ to t^ee the I roof in each succe-tsivo exhihition that we have taken a
wiser course in ^nidually adjusting a systematic course of Instruction to
the schools in phmning and advising each successive step.

" Meanwhile never loing sight of the goal, however distant it may now
appear to ho,

'•Is it not soiuothing which the city my hi; proud of that, at tlio
examination at the Normal Arts school forty-om head masters ami head
assistants obtained a full Diploma in the Art of Drawing, while over one
thoHHiind teachers from the schools passed examination at least on one
subject.

"In consc(]uence of this we have in all schools some one (pialiliod to
give instruction ill the live sulijects of free hand model and lucmoty draw-
ing as well as in descriptive (leometry and perspective, ami can now dis-
pense with spcciiil instructors.

" Four years ago tiot a master or teacher in any one of the schools
could have taught more than one of the subjects above named; instruction
could only be given by special instructors, who, had any such general
scheme ot instruction as is now possil)le been attempted, would have had to
be nuiltipliod to such an e.stent a;i to render tcacliing of drawing in tbo
l»ul»li(! schools impracticable on account of the expense. Now wo have 101
schools wherein instruction can ami will be given without one dollar addi-
tional cost to the city.

*' In regard to tho niijc evening classes in Drawing your committee
advise, that school should open in October instead of November and close
ill April, and tho courses arranged to be taugiit complete in one single
season. The class of persons who frctpient thera desire instruction in
instrumental and machine drawing, building construction, ship draught-
ing, hcG hand and cast drawing."

The late Superintendent of education of this Province knowing the valuo
of Drawing in schools often lamcnbnl that it was not introduced. He says
in bis last rei)ort, "From the city tables wo learn that 97 pupils are studying
liiilin, 1:3 are at Greek. 400 are receiving tuition in the more advanced bran-
ches of mathematical studies. We have again to regret that no provision
whatever is made for instruction in natural science and the very necessary
and important Art of Drawing." Again he says speaking of county acade-
mics : " Drawing we iind receives but little attention; we regret this, inas-
nuicli as instruction in tho elementary branches of this very advantageous
and ])lo;jsing art is easily obtained "

Since some thirty years ago a great change nas taken place on the conti-
nent. TIjo "Ileal" system of Education has arisen; in tho schools that pro-
lets the same realities of modern life are taught in preference to the

languages and customs of the classical ages, tonJiiig towards giving in-
structions in tlio wants of tiie nineteentli ccntuyi^, and not stopping at
that considered sufl? ^ient in the thirtcciitli ; Classical Schools hav3 lost
thii'w predi(/c.

Speaking of Latin and Greek I think it will not be out of place to in-
troduce here the authenticated opinioi. about dead languages of one of the
greatest statesmen of the present ago. Bismarck said only lately: "I
cannot comprehend why in oi • ago the dead languages can bo studied so
assidiously. When I was in " Prima" in college 1 spoko and wrote Latin
fluently, but )iow it would be really diQicult to me, and Greek I hr.ve lost
altogether. 1 believe ovir learned men and professors do noc wish to de-
preciate in value what has cost them such an immcnsG trouble to acquire.
The study of the classic language? l take to bi an immuH) wiste of tim),
which our practical age will soon end,"

And now in conclusion I would suggest, that the matter of Drawing iu
Public, High and Normal School bo taken up at onco A teacher
or [)ersori able to instruct the above branches may also be found, and if
the matter be taken in hand togcihor by the Gov. iJoard of Education and
the Board of School Commissioners of the City of Halifax, the problem
could be easily solved.

The Master ofDrawii^g could teach two days in ^!ie week at the Normal
at School Truro. Three days in the High School and the teachers of tlio
Public Schools of the City of Halifax during the time they have at liberty
in afternoon or evening. Tiic latter would bo enabled to start a systematii
course of instruction, already in 30 or 60 days after attending instruction.
In this manner a uniforr> system of instruction in Orawing would be
insured. Operation cjuld begin almost at once, and the great benefits
that will be derived from the instruction would be distribute I soon over the
whole Province.

In regard to the expense I can state that 13,00) a year would bo all
that would be required as w-iges to Head drawing m ister, for patterns
and models for the whole of the schools in this city.

Yours truly,

F,MIL VOSSNACK, C. E.

Lecturer Mechanical Engineering', Naval Architecture
and Instrumental Drawing, Technological
Institute, Halifax, N. S.
74 Bedfoud Row,

Halifax, Jan. 10, 1870.

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