WELLINGTON WORKING MEN’S CLUB.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5387, 3 July 1878, Page 3

WELLINGTON WORKING MEN’S CLUB.

FINE ARTS AND 'INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION. ■ Yesterday the attendance was good, especially in the evening, when the rooms, were frequently crowded by sightseers, who seemed highly pleased with tlie exhibits. The picture gallery Is a great attraction, and those local artists who have sent in paintings have the satisfaction of having their works placed more prominently before the public, and under more favorable circumstances than they have been previously. It is worthy of notice that two of the bestoil paintings in the hall—Nos. 30 and 21—were won at Art Unions. The former belongs to Mr. G. H. Luxforcl, and was valued at homeat £l5O, and thelatter, ownedbyMr. H. F. Logan, was given as a prize worth £55, but it would now sell in London at a much higher figure. In these two instances the avowed object of an Art Union has been attained by the distribution of pictures of great merit, which probably would not have in any other mode found their way out here.

The electric pen worked by Mr. Fairlio has been inspected by a great many people, who have, os a rule, pronounced a verdict in its favor. Some of the specimens of work executed are excellent, etchings of landscapes, birds, and animals being truly drawn, and samples of plain ami ornamental writing show what good manuscript an expert penman can produce with it. The trials made in the room 'do not prove how many copies can be obtained from one sheet, but many hundreds can be thrown off, and some say thousands, if great care be used. Those who have witnessed this novel mode of writing will be prepared to commend the electric pen as an ingenious invention which is likely to be generally used ero long. It takes but a few days to become accustomed to the heavy pen, and to make the down and up strokes at a speed that will enable the pen, or, more correctly speaking, needle, to perforate the paper with sufficient regularity to enable a clear copy to be taken. The cost of the battery, pen, printer, &c., is only £8 in England, a price that seems low for so complete a turn-out. IN THE CURIOSITY SHOP. The dying confessions of the Maungatapu murderers Burgess and Kelly, which were handed by the sheriff of Nelson to Messrs. Nation and Luckle, proprietors of the Colonist , are exhibits calculated to make sensationalmongers highly gratified ; but they are not pleasant to the eye of most, yet they are certainly curiosities and well worth preserving. A printed letter by Junius Zealand!, dated 3rd November, 1845, is most severe on Governor Fitsroy. One paragraph will suffice to show this ;—“ All your acts, sir, have been illegal since this devoted colony came under your care, and you have not hesitated to add insult to deceit,”

An ancient book published in 1607, styled “The Sinners’ Glass, with Divers Meditations,” gives this homily at the page which chances to be open :—Thee ought to desire, therefore, a separation of the minde from the swarme of earthly delights and desires, and then driving out from the inward of the heart the commotions of unlawful imaginations and thoughts wee should labor with diligence to our heavenly country for the love of eternal rest.”

A valuable and elegant exhibit is a claret jug Of native Cashmere work, of solid silver, inlaid with pure Mohurgoid, a fae-simile of one presented by his, Highness the Maharajah of Cashmere to his Royal Highness the Prince of ■Wales. The design is chaste and the workmanship of a high class. Some well-arranged seaweed makes uj> three pleasing pictures. Bound the walls are two collections of ferns. One from Westport is very complete, and has been greatly admired by competent judges, who pronounce it to be unusually good and extensive. A Wellington collection has also been generally praised. ■ A case of stuffed New Zealand birds contains some creditable specimens of the taxidermist's art by Mr. Capper. Two tiny bumming birds fram Pvio de janiero are little treasures of beautiful plumage. Some well-cut crosses and other ornaments in pawai shell show what pretty things can bo made with this many-hued material. A tasteful piece of waxwork, by Mrs. Powue, is exhibited. The design is a cross, with a passion flower, roses, and ferns, the whole being pure white, and delicately executed. THE rUBNITUBE BOOM Has in it things that would please those whom auctioneers refer to as “young people about to take a house," &c. Mr. Bernasconi, of Cubastreet, comes out somewhat in the character of a monopolist, for he has occupied a large proportion of the space available, yet none of his exhibits conld be well dispensed with. An elegant stand supports an oval shield, on which is placed a gold cross, won by-Bernasconi at the International London Exhibition of 1870, as an award for carved woodwork. .He exhibits a well-designed easy chair, that cun be converted into a comfortable couch, and also a folding camp bed, that will pack into a small space, and when erected is a good height above the ground, and has provision for rigging a cover over all. There is a very neat hall chair, and a particularly handsome bedstead of highly polished wood, a capital specimen of furniture, well designed, and made by a thorough workman. Odoardo Lami, of Tara-naki-street, exhibits a chair, showing good work. A Chinese desk, is a marvel of ingenuity, containing many cunning contrivances and well concealed secret drawers. This was brought from China by the late Mr. John Bryce. Mr. Fowler shows specimens of carved woodwork, deserving of commendation. Mr. W. Cook, of Adelaide-read, has sent in hearth-rugs and door mats made of flax, which look able to stand the wear and tear of many feet. Outside the room Crook and Harrison have a Kob Key canoe, slnog beyond the reach of people, bn t the lines of the boat are easily seen to be good, and the work is of the right sort. A model of a schooner on the landing is cleverly executed, There is in the room a chair with a wool-worked seat, the work of a lady sixty years of age, who sets a worthy example to the younger ’ones. Some excellent imitations of Tasmanian wild flowers are painted by Mrs. J. Young on a small round table, the execution shewing considerable skill. A particularly handsome bookcase, made of New Zealand totara by Mr. W. J. Falconer, of Mannersstreet, commands general attention. Mr. W. T. Levers sends a cedar table. Some bullocks’ horns, which have a number of heads and figures carved upon them by an Italian whose name Is not given, are worthy of a close examination. Miss M. A. Buggy, fourteen years of age, exhibits a large leather pictureframe which does her great credit; and Mr. McDnff, of Wellington, has sent some lace curtains. Messrs, Dalgleish and Reid have a large assortment of what may he termed “wall fixings” of American make, which will have further reference made to them on another day. Mr. Myers, the picture frame maker of Manners-street, shows some mouldings; but his work is. better seen in the picture gallery, where many of the' frames are from his shop, : Mr, Bernasconi also exhibits fyame mouldings. A particularly handsome table made with inlaid wood is exhibited by the maker, Mr. W. H. Barber, who has certainly produced a first-class specimen of joiner’s work, THE PICTURE OALLEBV. In continuation of our report of yesterday of the exhibits in the picture gallery, wo notice two very rare .‘exhibits by Mr. Bothamly. The first is a portrait of tho Doge Leonardo Loredano; the name of the latter does not appear to have been given, A pencil drawing;—“Two Girls”—[exhibited by Mr. Monntier, is creditably drawn. It is no doubt tho work of a young amateur. The next to be noticed is the specimen of penmanship by Mr. Harry Wrigg, of this city. Of all the exhibits in the room, this has perhaps drawn the attention of the public moat. ’ It is indeed a most creditable and cleverly executed drawing. Standing by, one hears the remarks of those who have never before seen anything of the kind ; and it is ludicrous to observe the. attempts made to lift up nr take hold of’the "scale,” or “one-pound note.” Were it not for the glass, theesattempts would be still more frequent. There, carefully depicted, is Piyaro, Illustrated, London News, The Times, London Journal, and many other papers—the Ordphic, for instance, the wrapper of which is admirably co; iod; Punch, a mart gage debenture of tho Ticbbomo estate for one hundred pounds, a facsimile of the signature of Sir George Bowbn,

cheque forma,' cards, a £1 note of the Bank of New Zealand, and postage and date stamps are - all included ; indeed, it would occupy far too ! much space to detail half the contents’br merits lof this clever specimen of penmanship. It has J only to be seen to be appreciated ; and one is | apt to wonder at the time and labor that must | have been expended on its production. Mr. j Wrigg, we believe, presented a similar drawing j to H.B.H. the Duke of Edinburgh on the occaj sion of his visit to this colony.'- The fair artist whohaspreviously been alluded to, exhibits a picture ef “Mount Ernslaw,” copied from the Australasian Sketcher. . It is a very pleasing picture, and the general tone and coloris much after the style of one of our best water-color artists. The treatment, however, would bear a little more care. The outlines are in some instances ; rather harsh, but that gradation of color an t soft haziness, so essential to correct depiction of the general character of our localacenery, can only be gained by careful study of nature and experience. Next we have a splendid collection of miniature and water color paintings exhibited by the Messrs. Chatfield. These are executed by the mother of the exhibitors, and are well worthy the inspection of those who visit the room. These paintings have all been exhibited at the Royal Academy, and two have each respectively gained a gold and silver medal, the remainder having in numerous exhibitions been the subject of honorable mention. Mrs. Chatfield also received three other medals for paintings in addition to those at present under notice. No. 70 is a water-color drawing by Mr. E. Brandon. This picture was the first prize in an art union of last year, and is now exhibited by the owner. Nos. 71 and 78 are portraits of dogs. They may be correct likenesses, bat don’t call for any special remark as artistic exhibits. “The Fishing Smacks,” by E. Burgess, is a welltreated picture, but the same cannot be said of the adjoining oil painting. Mr. Parnell exhibits a portrait in oils of a lady. This is from the studio of an eminent English artist, but like others which have been noticed, has been ill-treated in varnishing. An oil painting by E. Batterabee, after Turner’s style, is very effectively treated. A marine portrait in water colors of the ship “ Hurunui ” is the next on the list; the vessel is fairly ponrtrayed, but certain stiffness is observable in the treatment of the sea. “My Great Grandmother’s First Dancing Lesson ” is a picture in oils, from the studio of Mr. Townsend, Mr. Allen contributes an oil painting, the subject of which appears to be “ Gamblers,” but no other information is afforded. We next approach one of the best of Mr. Rawsou’s pictures, a view in Milford Sound. This is taken from a point near Fresh Water Basin, at the head of the Sound, and shows the Bowen Falls, with part of Cemetery Point on. the right. It is a beautiful picture, the atmosherio effects (in which Mr. Bawsoa generally excels) being well preserved. It is to be regretted, however , (and this opinion must be accepted by artists in the same spirit in which it is offered), that no pictures have yet appeared which at all convey to the observer the magnificent grandeur of the scenery in Milford Sound. To quote the words of a gentleman who bub recently visited that locality. He says :—“As .we twisted our neck to look upwards, the stupendity and grandeur of our surroundings, and our own insignificance and littleness were fully brought home to our minds.” The scenery generally, its high mountains, Mount Pembroke for instance (7000 ft. high) covered In perpetualsnow; the vivid and rich color of the foliage, ferns, and mosses is beyond description, and even the best artists may quail at the task of depicting such grandeur.