502
18
THE INDUSTRIAL MUSEUM
a night, but as the quickly expanded flower of a trunk, strong and enduring, like that of a cedar of Lebanon centuries old. The mere summoning of the nations to Hyde Park in 1851 would have been of none effect had the summons not been met half-way by counterpart longing for such a call. Natural philosophers are familiar with the phenomenon of still water more than ice-cold remaining liquid and uncongealed, till it is shaken or disturbed, when it shoots in an instant into a forest of crystals. The crystalline forces were all the time struggling to assert themselves, and the slightest motion turned the balance in their favour. The long peace had calmed the world into a similar quiescence; but the latent activities were longing for action, and the Prince Consort had scarcely spoken the words of invitation, before the glass and iron crystallized into a palace, and the nations, as if they had been intently waiting for the call, rose like one man, and piled their works under its graceful dome.
It is in this ready acceptance of the invitation to London, and in the subsequent crowdings to the Exhibitions of New York, Dublin, Paris, and Manchester, that I find the strongest argument in favour of Industrial Museums. In support of this argument, I would also, but with qualification, refer to the
AND COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE.
19
erection of the Sydenham Palace, which, though eminently deserving of encouragement on many grounds, cares only in part for the Industrial Arts. It is further strengthened by a consideration of the circumstances which preceded the birth of those older, yet withal recent, museums in or near London; that at Jermyn Street, which originated in the fact of important minerals accumulating in the hands of the Geological Surveyors; and that of Kew, which originated in the accumulation of equally important vegetable products in the hands of the curator of Kew Gardens. Unless the authorities had thrown away the one class of objects, and burned the other, they could not well have done otherwise than give them house-room. No sooner, however, had they done so, than every one saw that these collections, which had, as it were, come together of themselves, were of the greatest interest and value.
Out of a similar conjuncture of circumstances, arose the Museum of Irish Industry in Dublin. I might name other institutions, but these may suffice to prove the truth of the statement with which I commenced, that the other Industrial Museums of the country created themselves; in other words, they were not the result of a priori views on the part of speculative founders, or sudden creations of government. You will not for
502
18
THE INDUSTRIAL MUSEUM
a night, but as the quickly expanded flower of a trunk, strong and enduring, like that of a cedar of Lebanon centuries old. The mere summoning of the nations to Hyde Park in 1851 would have been of none effect had the summons not been met half-way by counterpart longing for such a call. Natural philo- sophers are familiar with the phenomenon of still water more than ice-cold remaining liquid and uncongealed, till it is shaken or disturbed, when it shoots in an instant into a forest of crystals. The crystalline forces were all the time struggling to assert themselves, and the slightest motion turned the balance in their favour. The long peace had calmed the world into a similar quiescence; but the latent activities were longing for action, and the Prince Consort had scarcely spoken the words of invitation, before the glass and iron crystallized into a palace, and the nations, as if they had been intently waiting for the call, rose like one man, and piled their works under its graceful dome.
It is in this ready acceptance of the invitation to London, and in the subsequent crowdings to the Exhibitions of New York, Dublin, Paris, and Man- chester, that I find the strongest argument in favour of Industrial Museums. In support of this argu- ment, I would also, but with qualification, refer to the
AND COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE.
19
erection of the Sydenham Palace, which, though emi- nently deserving of encouragement on many grounds, cares only in part for the Industrial Arts. It is further strengthened by a consideration of the circum- stances which preceded the birth of those older, yet withal recent, museums in or near London; that at Jermyn Street, which originated in the fact of important minerals accumulating in the hands of the Geological Surveyors; and that of Kew, which originated in the accumulation of equally impor- tant vegetable products in the hands of the cura- tor of Kew Gardens. Unless the authorities had thrown away the one class of objects, and burned the other, they could not well have done otherwise than give them house-room. No sooner, however, had they done so, than every one saw that these collec- tions, which had, as it were, come together of them- Out selves, were of the greatest interest and value.
of a similar conjuncture of circumstances, arose the Museum of Irish Industry in Dublin. I might name other institutions, but these may suffice to prove the truth of the statement with which I commenced, that the other Industrial Museums of the country created themselves in other words, they were not the result of a priori views on the part of speculative founders, or sudden creations of government. You will not for
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