A Woman’s Profession 
rule, it would be preferable that this post-graduate 
work should be undertaken in some college other 
than the one from which the student has just gradu¬ 
ated. 
Here the prospective interior decorator ought to 
elect all those courses which deal with the fine arts, 
and should supplement them with work in the prac¬ 
tice of freehand and architectural drawing, and also 
in the use of water-colors. 
A thesis might finally be offered for the degree of 
Master of Arts, on some such subject as the interior 
decoration of a historic period, its characteristics, 
its value, the influence which the example should 
have on present-day work. In some colleges two 
years could be profitably spent in this work. Hav¬ 
ing reached this stage in preparation it would be 
advisable for some to commence at once to serve an 
apprenticeship with the best interior decorator in 
whose service a position may be obtained. Many, 
from financial reasons, would find this course more 
desirable than going abroad for further study on 
completion of post-graduate work, and others would 
find it desirable to serve first such an apprenticeship 
in order that they may become more familiar with 
the nature of the work and thus better understand 
what is desirable to see and learn when abroad. An 
apprenticeship with an architect who makes a 
specialty of interior designing would he a very 
valuable and almost necessary experience. A few 
months, with a designer of furniture, would familiar¬ 
ize the student with the method, the draughting, and 
the materials used. This is important since the 
profession will demand occasionally that certain 
obsolete styles of furniture be reproduced, and it 
becomes the function of the interior decorator to 
furnish the drawings and specifications for its manu¬ 
facture. 
At least a year should then be spent abroad before 
attempting independent practice, as it would only 
be possible through study of foreign examples to 
become familiar with what is best and most charac¬ 
teristic of the different periods and the historical 
development of the art. Such work could be accom¬ 
plished through research in libraries and museums, 
and through a study of the interiors of numerous 
public buildings and private mansions. This work 
should go hand in hand with a study of available 
materials, new and old, to be obtained through 
dealers. 
This includes learning quality, types, and 
durability, as well as the artistic value of prints, 
drawings, paintings, sculpture, tapestries, rugs, dra¬ 
peries, tiles, woodwork, in fact, every kind of artistic 
material that might find a proper place in some 
interior. On return from the work abroad the 
student will have opportunity to serve further 
apprenticeship with an established decorator, or 
by securing the co-operation of some architect, begin 
practice independently. Others by co-operation with 
a partner of business ability who could secure com¬ 
missions, would find independent practice possible 
at once. While still others may find, without solici¬ 
tation, work enough to begin alone the practice of 
this fascinating profession. 
Here, then, is a life’s work peculiarly adapted to 
women for which there is a great demand, and prob¬ 
ably a greater opportunity than in any other profes¬ 
sion available to them to-day. It should be an 
opportunity particularly welcome to the increasing 
number of trained women who are now obliged to 
largely confine themselves to the poorly paid profes¬ 
sion of teaching. To those women, then, who are 
inherently qualified, and who will thoroughly train 
themselves for the practice of interior decoration, 
there will come an inevitable success in a profes¬ 
sion which is as delightful as it is remunerative. 
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