45 
The Lecturer said he had once heard Towneley described as 
a ‘“‘ white elephant.’’ Since that day he had visited Towneley 
Hall more than once, and seeing the people walking about 
the grounds and within the building, enjoying the works 
of art, he could not help feeling that with a good many people 
it had ceased to be a ‘‘ white elephant,’ and was already 
recognised as a valuable acquisition to the ‘resources of 
civilisation ’’ in this neighbourhood. He was Socialistic in his 
idea and desire that the best things should be as widely dis- 
tributed as possible. Towneley, with its surroundings, would 
occupy a distinguished place among public art galleries and 
museums. Its collections would be made by purchase or gift, 
but without appearing to advise, and in simply giving his 
experience, he would say let all be very good. (Applause.) They 
should do what in private life they could not always do—look a 
gift horse in the mouth. Public authorities were trustees, and 
whilst there were various temptations to accept things in the 
hope of getting more and better—and it was often difficult to 
retuse—it was best to guard against this. Then there must be 
a scheme—otherwise they might have a store of incongruous 
things. A high standard must be established from the very 
outset, and then it would not be difficult to ‘respectfully 
decline” inappropriate material. The scope of Towneley was 
somewhat determined, but did they purpose including in the art 
side an industrial or commercial museum? On the science side 
there would no doubt be the geology, botany and animal, bird 
and insect life of the district, and it must be remembered that 
simple science found its way through lowly doors, and had its 
relation to art. Then there might be a link by paintings and 
photographs of the landscape of the district, and photographs or 
drawings of buildings of architectural or archeological interest. 
One thing, however, should be observed—a distinct separation of 
art and science, a too sudden shock or change not tending to 
create the right frame of mind for interest. There was one 
difficulty which must have occurred to everybody. If they were 
building an art gallery they would not build it as Towneley was 
built.. At the same time it had the advantages of historical and 
archeological interest. A number of small rooms was not at all 
a bad thing, and some time they might build an art gallery for 
exhibitions of pictures. It was desirable to avoid the superstition 
which confined art mainly to its pictorial branch. Art was not 
only a luxury; it was a necessity. Everything, nowadays, was 
ornamental, and it would be well to encourage students, so that 
s0 many designs for calico prints need not come from Paris. 
There were pounds, shillings and pence in art. After alluding 
to the portraying of the growth of arts, the Lecturer referred to 
the gift of the busts of the Roman Cesars, which would form an 
interesting chapter in the history of sculpture. They would not 
