i7 



whose callings are confined to Art, and derive their inspiration from it. These 

 Industrial Arts, which have always been the glory of Paris — the cabinet maker's, 

 the porcelain and fan-painter's, the bronze worker's and embroiderer's, that of the 

 skilled pattern-designers of both sexes— all these find the elements of study and 

 comparison, and, as a consequence, of inspiration, in the Industrial Art 

 Libraries." 



The chief of these places is the Forney Library in the nth Arron- 

 dissement, founded by a special legacy of ^8,000, left by M. Samuel 

 Forney. Here we saw single plates from the most expensive Art books, 

 mounted on linen or cardboard, and placed in portfolios which borrowers 

 could take home. Designs for every conceivable purpose, from gold and 

 silver plate to wall-papers, are thus lent out, and the managers claim justly 

 that these costly books are thus made available for many students at a 

 time instead of few, and they say that already the list of those successful 

 artificers who owe much of their success to the help obtained at this 

 Library is a very long one. Specimens of most beautiful work were shown 

 us, and some Art needlework copied from designs lent by the Forney 

 Library, was the best I have ever seen. Little or no injury is ever done to 

 the most valuable plates, and their issue of technical books and drawings 

 during the year 1890 was nearly 40,000. I am not sure whether the plan 

 would work in England, but think it well worth a trial in these days when 

 Technical Instruction is so much talked about, and so little understood. 

 It should be mentioned that there are facilities for study and for copying in 

 the building itself, and that the number of Art works for loan is about 

 3,000 volumes and nearly 35,000 engravings and photographs. 



A visit was also paid on the same day to the Musee Carnavalet, the 

 historical Museum of the City of Paris, an absolute model of what such an 

 Institution should be ; and another portion of the company visited the 

 Arsenal Library, another of the four great National Libraries. This contains 

 453,000 books, and nearly 10,000 manuscripts, and one of its most 

 interesting features is the possession of the records of the Bastille. 



On the Wednesday, the members were received and most hospitably 

 entertained by the President and members of the Cercle de la Librairie, an 

 association of French booksellers, and later in the day were conducted over 

 the magnificent Hotel de Ville, and received by M. le Prefet de la Seine. 

 On Thursday, the most important visit of all was paid, to the National 

 Library, over whose treasures we were shewn by M. Delisle, the courteous 

 chief, and his colleagues. A cursory inspection took us nearly five hours, 

 and we were quite ready for the excellent refreshment which the thought- 

 fulness of Madame Delisle had provided for us before leaving. This is the 

 only Library in the world larger than that of the British Museum, and its 

 three millions of books occupy twenty-two miles of shelving. Besides these, 

 there is a matchless collection of maps, charts, medals, and gems. The 

 whole Institution is admirably kept, is in perfect order, and fully realizes 



