EXHIBTION CATALOGUES.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2231, 31 May 1881, Page 2

EXHIBTION CATALOGUES.

Industrial Exhibitions are acknowledged to be most useful institutions. A short time back, in alluding to Mr. Wakefield’s report on the Ashburton Exhibition, we took occasion to advert to their educational tendencies, as distinguished from their uses in the direction of the promotion of native industries. But there is one point in which moat of the Industrial Exhibitioss have, of late, been most lamentably deficient. The local managers have altogether failed to see that a careful arrange-

ment of products and exhibits and a well drawn up catalogue is almost a vital necessity. Visitors are deprived of half the pleasure of their visit, and half the brain power of the student is expended in vain, if the articles are not arranged in good order and a cleverly drawn out catalogue is not forthcoming. At Ashburton the local managers made the most dreadful mess of the whole concern. There appeared to be no rhyme or reason for any of their vagaries, and visitors were driven to the verge of suicide in endeavoring to find out where exhibits wore to be foundand in whatclass they were arranged. In Wellington the same complaint is now being made. “If the Committee of the Athenaeum,” says the “ Evening Post,” “ are to be congratulated upon the success of the Industrial Exhibition, the catalogue they have issued is calculated to bring down on their devoted heads the anathemas of sundry exhibitors and most visitors.” And later on—“ The inaccuracies render the catalogue worse than useless, and render it necessary that it should be withdrawn and a correct one substituted without delay.” The promoters of these exhibitions cannot of course bo expected to be experienced in such matters, but it would be well for them to avoid the glaring mistakes that have of late been made in the direction indicated, as militating very seriously against the utility of most serviceable institutions.