The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-06-16 00:00:00

THE APPROACHING POLYTECHNIC EXHIBITION
AT THE COLLEGIATE INSTITUTION.

We have been favoured with a preliminary peep into se-
veral of the principal rooms in the Collegiate Institution
appropriated for the approaching grand Polytechnic Exhi-
bition—to be opened on Monday next,—and from what
we have seen, we may safely state that it will be, as a whole,
the most extensive, varied, and interesting that has as yet been
tot up in any provincial town, and not perhaps excelled in
essential points by the most celebrated " galleries" of art and
science in the metropolis itself. As the whole of the exten-

sive arrangements—in upwards of forty rooms—are not yet

completed, and valuable specimens still continue to pour in,

it would, of course, be premature in us to attempt to present

more than a sketch of the coming treat.
Beginning- at the top of the noble building, we entered the
Picture Gallery, which is about 220 feet in length, and lighted
from the roof. Here the collection of pictures occupies the
entire walls, and amongst them are many of great value.
Those of the old masters are fixed on one side; those of the
modern school on the other. The variety of subjects is so
great, and the manner in which they are in many instances
delineated by masters in the art, that a whole day might well
be spent in examining them, in order to appreciate their
beauties, and, if you will, their defects. Amongst the mo-
dern we noticed as excellent, though in various degrees, a
large picture of "The Bearing of Christ on the Cross," by
the late Hilton, R.A. : A Hunting Piece, by Ansdele ; Bo-
hemian Gipsies (large), Maclise, A.R.A. ; A Flower or Fruit
Girl, sent by J. C. Shaw, Esq., a sweet portrait; another
near it, A Girl, equally soft and beautiful; Christ's Entry
into Jerusalem, a large and splendid picture, by Aglio;
admirable shadowy Portrait of Iloyarth in his Study, by
himself ; scene from the Bride of Lamtnermuir • sketch of a
Girl and boys at a well—T. S. Cooper; scene of Hamlet and
his Mother, with the ghost appearing, small, but a genuine
gem, said to be valued at nearly .£lOOO ; Lady at her toilet—
the very quality, texture of the satin dress, and covering 'df
the silk cushion on a chair, may be told; "John Gilpin"—
apparently by Wilkie,—full of life and character; entry of
the Sovereign into Edinburgh—Etvbank, 1828; splendid por-
trait of a Clergyman—name not then marked &c. Amongst
the ancient. or continental pieces we noticed a beautiful flow-
er and an equally excellent fruit piece by Rachel Ruyseh,
1710 ; the Magdalen, (copy) by Sementi, after Guido; a fine
small picture by Ochterveldt—a Lady playing the guitar, with
listeners &c.; a splendid landscape, by Gaspar Pousin ; a
small Murillo; one or two fine pictures by Canaletti ; a very
large picture—a Lady and attendants with game. fish, fruit,
&c., all admirably portrayed. These are but a few and taken
almost at random.

A room is appropriated for water-colour drawings, &c,,
amongst which there are line specimens, historical and fanci-
ful, by Coply Fieldinb. Prout, Burnett, Ilardinz, Clayton,
&e. Also the passing,'of the Simplon by Buonaparte's troops,
by Colonel Batty; sketch of a Brigand, by Cattertuole ; splen-
did plate of the Examination of Shakespeare in his youth, for
deer-stealing, &c, &c.

In the Sculpture gallery are some excellent figures in

le
_head of Sappho, by

The are also

ores of Venus, Psyc

few good models
fore, and many

;een be

marble, and. composition.
tie Teinple of Minerva. at Athens ; the Cathedral at Flo-'
Ting Tower at Pisa ; the Parthenon at Rome
is; the Temple of Vista Tivoli, and others

renee ; the H
and that of A

One room will be occupied by a rare collection of Chinese
11 contain Dr. Raffles

le collection of autos

_As; another for philosophical

the ele

tuagnatic tel

graph, anti
here illustrations of electricity and galvanism will constantly
per-ph and lithographic
'tedo —ost improved
iih beautiful working

Letter-

copper-plate,

printing will be practical

with tt

s of stew

Ives, and other machinery,
some set in motion by their own steam ; others by a shaft
communicating with a steam-engine four-horse power out-
side the building, kindly lent by Mr. Tomkinson.
In the board room are all the fine pictures of royal and
distinguished personages from the Town-hall. The large pic-
ture of the Duke of Wellington and his horse, by Haydon;
a marble bust of John Foster, Esq. ; a bust of the Reverend
Rector Brooks ; fine picture of George Canning ; portraits
of Lord Stanley, Charles 11., &c:, &c.
One of the most interesting rooms is that appropriated to
the nautical department. It is fitted with models of all sorts
of vessels, of all countries and all ages, with many beautiful
specimens of the most approved naval architecture of the

nay, most of which have been contributed by our townsmen,
celebrated,in the art. Here, too, is the splendid and unique
.
to Thomas Wilson, Esq.,

shipbuilder,—about forty in number, in an immen.... „
case, and considered the finest in the kingdom. In a room
below, devoted to real navigation and hydraulics, there is a
canal and circular basin, the latter eighteen feet in diameter.
Here a regular ship launch will be shewn four times a day,
by Mr. Melling, professor of naval architecture to the Insti-
.
' ,ho has contributed many beautiful models built
In the basin, steam ships, boats with paddle
;crews, will be constantly in rapid motion on
Here, too, will be shewn numerous fine water-

wheels, or
the water.

pumps, and other hydraulic apparatus, including

many new inventions

A room wil

I be fitted up as a baronial hall, with ancient
furniture, &c. 'ln'another there is a large circular rail-
..

way, upon I
own steam

ich a finelocomotive will run rapidly by its

Here too, there are some curious railway

In the operative illustration of tr

nd manufactures,

the exhibition will be peculiarly

Weaving will

e shown by the Jacquard

figured silk w

also Paisley shawl weaving,
lug, &c., &c.• The looms