The Educational screen (c1922-c1956])

r Apra, 1957 Procccdmiis of the l)cl>artment of Visual Instruction Meeting Page 11 9 This color must be reproduced at any cost. The second step in our effort to reproduce China for the West was the preparation of an cxliibition of China's Beauty Spots in the natural colors. Outstanding subjects were selected from our collection of three thousand films, and these were enlarged for painting. Chinese artists were trained in a special tech- nique which made it possible to reproduce perfectly the bril- liance of lacquer and glaze of architecture, or the delicate hues of nature. Hundreds of hours were often spent in perfecting the coloring of a single scene. It made China live before the eye. The presentation of this exhibition won immediate recogni- tion in China. The production of the Art Volume called "Peking the Beautiful" featuring seventy-two of our Peking views did much to bring our work to the attention of leading China artists and critics. Dr. John Ferguson, noted Art Authority of Peking, and Dr. Arthur DcC. Sowerby, Editor of the "China Journal," pronounced the collection the finest representation that had ever been made of Peking. Prominent Chinese recognized in this exhibition a super- lative means of presenting in a simple and yet effective man- ner the fine things in China's cultural heritage. Dr. David Z. T. Yui, late head of the Y. M. C. A. organization in China, says : "No one who is conversant with the world situation of today will fail to agree that one of the prime requisites and sure guarantees for lasting international peace is international understanding and goodwill. And one of the best ways of promoting this understanding and goodwill is to enable the different countries to genuinely and mutually appreciate the fine and distinguishing points in each other's civilization. What you are doing will, I am sure, have a most decided and favorable effect upon the mutual understanding and goodwill between the two sister Republics on both sides of the Pacific." Mr. B. A. Garside, Secretary of the China Union Universi- ties, New York City, expressed his reaction to our effort in these words: "One of the gravest blunders we Western friends of China have made has been our failure to give any adequate presentation to the Western world of the enduring beauty which the Chinese people have through the ages per- petuated in their temples, their palaces, their inonuments, their landscaping, and even through their costumes and their daily round of ceremonials and observances. "Herbert C. White and J. Henry White have given us a most unique and invaluable contribution which goes far to remedy this failure. With the warm understanding of true friends of China and the Chinese people, they have been able to see and appreciate this beauty. With the genius of the artist they have accomplished the task so many others have attempted without success—they have captured and preserved this beauty so that it may be shown to all. And with the skill of experts in photographic reproduction they have prepared a collection of photographic studies which is beyond compari- son with anything else ever brought to us from China." Putting the Collection to Work On our return to America in the fall of 1929 exhibitions were arranged in leading universities, art institutes, and civic groups and clubs. Illustrated lectures were prepared to ac- company the exhibition of the paintings. The work received immediate acclaim from artists, photographers, and those in- terested in world affairs. Educators saw in it a definite ap- proach to the Orient and a real contribution to the field of international relationships. One of the first educators to sense the possibilities of a visualization of China was Mr. Willard E. Givens, then Super- intendent of Oakland Schools in California. Mr. Givens at- tended our first showing in America and immediately invited us to present our material to his staff and teachers. The re- sponse was most gratifying, and following the lecture Mr. Granger, Director of the Department of Visual Instruction, requested that we give thought to the organization of our ma- terial into units of study for teacher and classroom use. We took Mr. Granger's request seriously, and devoted nearly six months to the selection, organization, and reproduction of units touching practically every phase of China's life and cul- ture. A story was also prepared to accompany each of the three hundred views included in the series. The material was made available in photographic prints and colored slides. Sets of this China Visualized series have been in constant use in leading libraries and city and county systems on the Pacific coast; and in a number of the larger mid-western centers. There has been a constant urge that this material Ije made up in printed form, which would multiply the usefulness of the collection a thousand fold. There is hope that this may be accomplished before many months. In the organization of material for teacher use and in our lecture work we have tried to maintain a balanced picture of art and life. This is very important in developing a visual program for our history and geography classes. During re- cent years we have delivered hundreds of lectures in schools from Bellingham, Washington, to Gorham, Maine; and from San Diego, California, to Miami, Florida. The pictures are everywhere acclaimed as the most beautiful that have ever been shown. The student reactions have been very revealing. For one thing it has proved that a beautiful still picture can be used as a means of educational entertainment. The trouble with many still pictures is that they lack artistic merit, and lack proper application of color. Art in visual education must be the standard of merit. Slides and prints must not only depict works of art, but they must be works of art. It may cost a little more to produce high quality visual ma- terial, but it will be worth the extra cost in a definite reaction on the part of the student. During the past seven years the attitude of thousands of young people has been very definitely changed toward China. Foundations have been laid on which the teacher can build a definite interest in this fascinating country. We have tried to reach teacher groups also and give them the inspiration of beauty from China. Scores of Teachers Colleges have spon- sored our Exhibit and Lecture series called "A Day in China." We have found Teacher Institutes interested in gaining a glimpse of China. The International Relations Committee of the National Education Association sponsored the program last summer in Portland, Oregon. After a week's work in the schools of Elgin, Illinois, Mr. Waggoner, the Secretary of the Visual Instruction Department of the National Educa- tion Association, wrote thus: "It is with a great deal of pleasure that I report to you the reaction of our students and teachers to your pictures on China. All reports were excep- tionally complimentary, and your material fits very nicely into the modern trends in teaching. I know of no other ma- terial that we could have used that would better acquaint students with the contribution made by China to world civiliza- tion. I hope it will be possible for you to make these pictures available to every student in the country." The experiment has taken much time and much effort, and during the past few years has not been an easy thing to carry forward. But we feel well repaid when tributes come such as this one from Mr. Givens, the Secretary of the National Edu- cation Association: "Your greatest contribution wherever you are able to give your lectures and exhibit your paintings is, no doubt, in the building of goodwill. That is certainly something that needs emphasizing at this particular time when there is so much confusion and unrest everywhere." And we certainly appreciate this opportunity of presenting our exhibit and lecture material before the Visual Department at this meeting in New Orleans. We thank Mr. Greene for his kindly interest and his invitation to make this demonstra- tion. We hope that as time goes on many more will devote their time and talent in this great effort to make the world one happy family of nations.