CO885-(20-21) — Page 257

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TPIC.O.885

21 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

58

The Committee are informed that the Visual Instruction Committee possess a collection of sketches made by Mr. A. Hugh Fisher during a tour in India, Australia, the Straits Settlements, and other parts of the Empire, which would be suitable for reproduction as school pictures, and they understand that the Visual Instruction Committee are at present in negotiation with publishers with a view to the publica- tion of school pictures from these sketches.

I am desired to say that, subject to the Committee being satisfied as to the subjects of the selected pictures, the method and standard of reproduction, and as to the cost, they would be prepared to recommend the purchase for school purposes of a considerable number.

I am, &c.,

12015/08

No. 98.

B. M. ALLEN,

Deputy Education Officer.

MINUTES OF MEETING OF THE VISUAL INSTRUCTION COMMITTEE, HELD AT THE COLONIAL OFFICE ON FRIDAY, THE 17TH OF MARCH, 1911, AT 4 O'CLOCK.

PRESENT:

Sir Cecil Clementi Smith (in the chair).

Sir Charles Holroyd.

Sir Everard im Thurn.

Sir Charles Lucas.

Dr. Heath.

Mr. Mercer.

Mr. Noall (Secretary).

The minutes of the last meeting, having been previously circulated, were adopted.

The correspondence was reviewed.

The Committee were informed that Messrs. Menzies had declined to place the Indian lectures on sale on their bookstalls in Scotland, and it was suggested that Mr. Mackinder might be asked to communicate with them.

The publishers wished to defer approaching Messrs. W. H. Smith until towards the time of the King's visit to India.

It was reported that Mr. Sargent would submit the MS. of the greater part of the lectures on the Imperial Stations in a few days, and that, to complete the illustrations, he required photographs of Zanzibar, the Seychelles, the Maldives, Socotra, Mombasa, the Malay States, and of a Bo Tree at Anuradhapura. Sir Cecil Smith, Sir Everard im Thurn, and Dr. Heath promised to help as far as possible, and Sir Everard im Thurn suggested applying to the Royal Geographical Society.

The Committee agreed that special lecturers' editions of the new sets of lectures would not be necessary.

A lettert from Messrs. Newton was read, in which they suggested that a plain set of the Indian slides (with the exception of the maps, which should be coloured) should be published at £3 5s. for each lecture, or £26 for the complete series of eight lectures. The Committee agreed to the proposal.

Messrs. Newton offered to quote a special reduced price for the supply of à number of complete sets to any Education Authority.

The Committee considered a lettert from the London County Council, dated the 9th of March, with regard to the use of slides by the Council.

In view of Messrs. Newton's offer, and of the fact that Sir John Struthers thought it probable that Mr. Blair would move his Committee to the purchase of several sets of slides, it was decided to inform the Council that the Committee would be glad to meet their wishes, and to ask Mr. Blair to see Sir Everard im Thurn.

Sir Cecil Smith enquired what steps were being taken to induce other Education Authorities in England to purchase slides. Dr. Heath_replied that, if it were possible, the Board of Education would buy a set of the Indian slides, and would bring them to the notice of the Board's inspectors. He asked to be supplied with

No. 92.

No. 77.

No. 93.

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copies of the book of lectures and of the publisher's leaflet, which would be placed in the hands of inspectors.

He informed the Committee that Mr. Mackinder had agreed to address the coming Imperial Education Conference with special reference to the Committee's work.

Letters* were read from Mr. Mackinder's secretary, explaining that, owing to removal, Mr. Mackinder would be unable to store the material at present in his custody, and asking the Committee to arrange to take charge of it Lucas promised to write to Mr. Mackinder on the matter.

Sir Charles

The Committee agreed to grant Mr. Fisher permission to reproduce certain of the Indian paintings in his book on India.

The question of exhibiting the paintings and slides was then discussed, and it was decided that, if possible, they should be placed on view at the Foreign Office during the Education Conference or at the office of the Crown Agents for the Colonies. Sir Everard-im Thurn undertook to ascertain whether they could be shown at the Festival of Empire.

A letter from the London County Council, dated the 17th of March,† on the subject of the publication of school pictures reproduced from Mr. Fisher's paintings was laid before the Committee. Sir Charles Lucas asked that Messrs. Philip and Son should be informed of the substance of the letter, and of the offert made by Messrs. Arnold, of Leeds, to reproduce specimens for the consideration of the Com mittee. It was to be distinctly laid down that any firm submitted reproductions

which did not satisfy the Committee, no copies of those reproductions were to be published, and the means of reproduction were to be defaced or destroyed.

Sir Charles Holroyd offered to inspect any specimens submitted.

During this discussion Sir Cecil Smith withdrew, and Sir Charles Holroyd took the chair.

The Committee agreed that Messrs. Newton should be allowed the use of one or two paintings for experimental work in the production of coloured slides. 36499

DEAR SIR,

No. 99.

MR. A. PORTER to Sm C. LUCAS. (Received 18 March, 1911.)

[Answered by No. 105.]

Norwood, Prestwich, Manchester, 17 March, 1911. PROFESSOR Sadler was telling me yesterday about the scheme of lantern slide teaching on Colonial affairs. He said that it had not been adopted by any English Education Committees, but that it had been taken up in Scotland. Chairman of our Elementary Education Committee in Manchester, but I have not am Deputy heard of the matter before; probably that is my fault, as no doubt official information will have been forwarded to the Manchester Education officials.

I should be greatly obliged if you could send me full particulars, also the names of some of the places in Scotland where the scheme has been put into force. When I get these I will bring the matter before our Committee. It seems to me a most useful idea, and ought to appeal to a great commercial and shipping centre like Manchester.

16200

DEAR SIR,

No. 100.

I am, &c.,

ALEXANDER PORTER.

Training College, Dundee, 20th March, 1911.

Visual Instruction Committee.

In answer to your letter of the 18th, I have to state that the lectures on India, as illustrated by the slides prepared by Messrs. Newton and Co., London, were given to the whole of the students in training at Dundee Training College during a part of the first and second terms of this session.

93081

See No. 96.

† No. 97.

‡ No. 91.

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