Page:King Edward VII, his life & reign; the record of a noble career 3.djvu/24

4 the best days, about 1825, Spitalfields kept about 24,000 hand looms at work. The rivalry of Lancashire brought about a gradual decline, and, going forward to 1887, we find that there were then not more than 1200 looms employed. The people in the east end assuredly needed to be cheered from time to time with a show of public festivity, and with the display of beautiful objects, if nothing could be done to revive industrial prosperity. For many years after the enclosure of Finsbury Fields, towards the end of the eighteenth century, this region of London had been destitute of any special recreation ground until the creation, on its northern border, of the beautiful and extensive Victoria Park, sanctioned by Act of Parliament in 1842, and extended, in the year (1872) now under our notice, to an area of 3000 acres. This was well for the people's health of body and spirit, but something more, in the way of mental instruction and pleasure through the eye, was needed. The subject had for some time engaged the attention of successive Lord Presidents of the Council on Educa- tion, including Earl Granville, the Duke of Buckingham, and the Duke of Marlborough. At last, through the exertions of Sir Antonio Brady, the Rev. Septimus Hansard (rector of Bethnal Green), and other public-spirited and philanthropic men, a sum of money was raised by public subscriptions of the neighbour- hood, and a site was purchased, to be held in trust on condition that a museum should be erected upon it, and supported by the State. The building was intended for the exhibition of the col- lections of food and animal productions, with their allied industries, and of architectural models and sculpture, transferred thither from South Kensington. During the first year of its existence the chief attraction of the Bethnal Green Museum was to be the priceless collection of pictures formerly belonging to the Marquis of Hertford, and lent by Sir Richard Wallace for the delight and instruction of the people of East London. The choicest master- pieces of an unrivalled private art collection were thus submitted to the view of the poorest people in the capital. The display comprised over 600 oil paintings, about 200 water colours and miniatures, and more than 1000 specimens of Sevres and other