The Evening Telegraph

The Academy of Fine Arts and Natural Sciences-Their Proposed Removal to the Penn Squares.-It is a fact, well known to the larger portion of the community, that some of the more prominent and important public institutions of the "Quaker City" occupy buildings of entire size. Thus we find that the Academy of Natural Sciences, with its treasures' curiosities and wonders of the Old World; with all the specimens and objects dearest yet brought to light, and in point of number hardly without equal, occupies a building large in itself, but too small for its contents. Its inadequacy in size prohibits effectually any perfect classification of the articles contained, or even that fair display which should enable a visitor to learn at a glance the nature of the object under inspection. This now is almost an impossibility, unless the visitor proves to be learned in the mysteries of natural science: and one might roam through the labyrinths or paths between tables and cases, and along the narrow galleries of the present Academy, gaze with reverential awe upon the bits of minerals, with mystical Latin titles, or by assiduity catch a glimpse of some defunct reptile of hideous aspect from behind sundry rows of jars of spirits, and be thereby filled with wonder at the handiwork of Nature, but not at all increased in knowledge, unless it be in becoming more mystified in scientific occultness.

An Academy of Natural Sciences should be an epitome of the universe, duly classified into various departments of orders and species, and so displayed and conveniently arranged that observers might not simply be gratified, but enabled to derive some substantial knowledge of those things which bear such importance in the cosmography of the world. Any who visits the present Academy will admit that this is an utter impossibility; and are either simply pleased, or amazed at the wonderful collections of skeletons, the array of solemn mummies, the gradational display of grinning monkeys, the manifold jars of snakes, or the vast and beautiful collection of birds.

The noted Jardin des Plantes in Paris, with contents greatly inferior in importance, size, and number to those of our own Academy, occupies an edifice of five hundred feet in length, forty feet in width, and two stories in height, built in the finest style of architecture, convenient in its every department, and having attached to it ample grounds for the culture and display of its botanical specimens.

The galleries of the Academy of Fine Arts- an institution on which Philadelphia may justly flatter itself-would be vastly improved could they be enlarged, and the placing of statuary or works of beauty and grace, and casts of ancient heroes in a dimly lighted basement, or in sombre corners, where they are veiled from public gaze by cobwebs and dust, is ocular evidence that this academy, too, needs a more spacious and convenient edifice.

It is proposed to erect on the site of the Penn Squares large and stately edifices to contain the various contents of these institutions, and make them the centres of attraction in the Philadelphian community. No legal difficulties are in the way to prevent this movement, and the proposition is engaging the serious attention of our scientific and philanthropic citizens. It is said this movement will be participated in by the Pennsylvania Historical and Philadelphia Philosophical Societies, and the Philadelphia Library and Franklin Institute, in connection with the two Academies mentioned. It is intended, also, that all these institutions shall be more generally popularized-the Academy of Fine Arts included-by throwing open their doors to the public on two days of the week, requiring, however, the formality of a ticket, which can be procured free at stated places.

The library will have attached to it spacious reading rooms, to which all who desire may have free access-members, however, being the only persons allowed to transfer volumes to their residences. Should this project be fully carried out-and there is good reason to believe that it will-then shall we have a circle of popular institutions of which the city may justly be proud, and a collection of all that is wonderful and curious, with beauty and knowledge, of which a similar instance will not be found in this country or the world.