29 



For the best lady's hat, Miss Emma Fryer, Great Barrington, 2 00 



3d do., Miss M. French of Sheffield, 1 00 



A case of hats exhibited by Miss P. E. Walker of Great Barrington, 



would have been entitled to the first premium, but they were entered for 



exhibition onlv. 



II. W. Smith, } 



H. L. Plumb, 



J. M. Burghardt, j- Committee. 



Electa Tittle, 



Mary Fryer, J 



PAINTINGS AND FANCY WORK. 



The committee to whom was referred the delicate task of deciding on 

 the relative merits of the objects of taste and beauty included in the di- 

 vision of paintings and fancy work, has attended to its duties, and submits 

 the following* report : — 



Any committee formed, as this one was, of four ladies and one gentle- 

 man would find itself in an embarrassing position when brought to the con- 

 sideration of its duties. Shakspeare tells us that 



" Beauty itself doth of itself persuade 

 The eyes of men without an orator" 



But when the powers of oratory are united with the charms of beauty, the 

 single gentleman cannot hope to be a match for the four ladies, and, mak- 

 ing a virtue of necessity he must give up his judgment to that of the sex 

 that combines grace with taste. The gentleman of your committee sug- 

 gests, therefore, that in future there be two ladies and one gentleman on 

 this division. The different opinions can then be more readily reconciled, 

 and the examination more expeditiously performed. 



The arrangement of the articles demands a word. Those of the same 

 class ought to be placed as near together as possible, in order to allow of 

 their comparison by the committee. When the wax-flowers arc hung 

 among the bed-quilts, and the drawings are alternated with the paintings 

 in oil and sketches in water, and some articles are with the specimens of 

 needle-work, as was the case at this fair, the labors of the examiners are 

 increased, the rights of the exhibitors are imperilled, and exact compari- 

 sons are out of the question. 



We suggest therefore, secondly, that an officer of the society be respon- 

 sible for the arrangement of all the articles, — that he put them in the best 

 places for the convenience of the committees, — and that no exhibitor be 

 permitted to place his ov\ n articles without such supervision. 



We suggest thirdly, that a set of premiums be offered for paintings in 

 oil colors, and another for paintings in water-colors, for it is manifestly 

 wrong to put such dissimilar elements as oil and water in competition in 

 the same class. We would also have a set of premiums for crayon sketches, 

 and another set for pencil drawings. Further we would suggest that if 

 more adequate premiums were to be offered for photographs, the many 

 excellent artists in Berkshire might be led to enter the lists in competition. 



