New-York tribune., 1871-04-13
THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL.
HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF THE GREAT
BRITISH TEMPLE OF SCIENCE AND AkT
TIE OPENING CEREMONIAL
IFRoM ORR OWN CORRESPONDENT.l

cmOnles seen for some years IN bonuon oCcuiiou w
day in the opening of the Royal Albert Hail In us
incomplete state the Hall has long been an object OF
curiosity to the stranger and something of puzzle
! to the citizen as well. Nobody who came to
London could miss seeing the singular struc-
tnre rising in Kensington. on tho south of Hyde
Park singular in shape, for it was an ellipse of
vast size: singular in color. for it was built OF
red brick an uncommon material in London, with
facngs of Claysh-loOling stone, with frieze SIX
! and half feet wide running all round the outside
circumference, the decoration Of which Is probably
unique the whole surmounted by dome-like roof OF
glass and iron. such cover the huge railway sta
tions of modern days Irreyerent people spoke of 1t
as the Kensington Circus its true name,
and, still more, its true purpose, were
always cnveloped in kind of mystery.
| Until within a few weeks past, when the newspapers
began to diuse little information 1t was useless
to ask any person of intelligence anything
about this building and down TO the day of its OPEN
ing order to your cabman to drive to the Albert
Hall would have been likely to elicit question
whether you meant the music hall of that name.
And whatever might be the destined of the hail.
il universally agreed that it would be fin
ished Yet it was finished to-day far to allow
of its being opened, and there seems no reason to
doubt that the aims of its ndomtabe projectors are
| iu fair way of being accomplished.
! The building originated in wish to erect me
mortal TO Prince Albert. The Princes deep interest
! in art and science made It natural to give to the
memorial a character that might promote objects
! formerly so near to him. so that the Committee ap-
pointed by the Queen in 1862 had difficulty in pro-
posing the erection Of a central Hall of Arts and
| Sciences His own desire for such building bad
been frequently expressed during his life. The other
| part of their scheme included the personal
Ill IL
rectly opposite the new Hall, aud which
has been the object of at least as much criti-
cism as the Hall itself. When subscriptions were
solicited from the nation for the two objects recon-
mended by the Committee it was not found posi-
bic to obtain money enough to erect both, so the
monument alone was begun. Two years later, in
1868. fresh effort was made, the Prince of Wales
taking an active part and this time with bettersuc-
cess grant Of land was obtained from the Commits
soners of the 1851 Exhibition, who had made large
purchases with the surplus funds Of that enterprise
coupled with Gift Of S2jOOOO under certain condi-
tons and the public subscriptions amounted by the
middle Of 1866 TO S5-p0O0 more the subscribers hav-
ing the rieht to sttings in the Hail. Then the great
! contractors Mcssrs. Lucas came forward with an
offer to undertake the construction of the Hall for
81 100000, receiving the $4,000 still lacking in the
shape Of sit.ngs in the Hall of which they should
have the right TO dispose II s under this bargain
that the Hall has been completed, and-the first in
stance, suppose, in the history of the wOrld-has
been completed for the sum fixed in the original
contract The foundation stone was laid in
1867. by the Queen, with great ceremony,
on the spot where Gore House the famous residence
Of the famous Lady Blessington stood, and within
the grounds where Count d'Orsay took his air. pro-
tected by stone walls and savage dogs from the un-
ceasing pursuit of the bailis The plans were drawn
by the lato Capt. Fowke, upon whose death Cob
Scott took charge Of tac constructions be is chiefly
responsible for the shape and details of Che building
as il now stands.
In shape il is nearly true ellipse in style, Italian
Renaissance The rrcatest length, OF, in technical
phrase the major axis Of the ellipse, is 2l9 feet
inches: The minor. 1Sj feet inches. Most of the
exterior ornament is Of terra Gotta BY far the most
remarkable feature of the building outside is the
freze TO which have before referred. Nothing like
il has been ATTEMPTED before. The whole circum-
ference is some 800 feet aud the width being feet
inches there was surface Of about 5000 square feet
70 cover with design. number of artists, Messgs
Piclersgill, II. Sc Marks Yeames Arnitage, Poynter
Horslay and Armstead-al, except the latter,
Royal AcademiCiaUs or AssOciates-ohered TO
furnish the designs, which from the outset
il was settled could not be executed in relief on
account of the great cost. Mosaic-work IN terra
Gotta TO be treated if stone, was decided on lhe
surface is accordingly perfectly fat, the colo1s bun
upon chocolate ground, the outlines all black All
the drawings are upon uniform scale, ana INC
groups Of figures represent actual operations IN tho
arts and sciences plus some allegorcal compositions
There are three sections representing Music Sculp
tpre Painting; three devoted to Workers in Stone,
Workers in Wood and Brick, and Architecture; ;
another group depicting Navigation, followed by
Agriculture Horticulture, Engineering, Pottery, and
GIassmal,ing. and SO on. 1t is interesting and
siouiGcant fact that these mosaics have been exc
| cntcd throughout by female students in the South
Kensington schools.
| Inside the building is simply a vast hail. sur
rounded by spacous corridors and starcaSes and en-
tered by doors on all sides. Nothing could be better
devised for rapid and easy entrance and exit. The
| central space, 1O2 by 90 feet, is called the
arena and seats about 900 persons. Encirclng it
on all sides and rising at its lower extremity by an
ahr,,nt wall four feet above the arena is the amph
tbootcr with ten rows Of seats holding 1866 persons.
These stretch back TO the tiers Of boxes, Of which
there are three, the amphthcater tier called loggie
the grand tier and the second tier The arrangement
of the boxes is peculiar, each tier being KIND Of
gaIlcry of which the front half Is quite open, d-
yded by low partitions, and the rear only forms the
nclosed box Altogether they seat 100. Above the
second tier the balcony, proiectng2l with eight
rows holding 800 visitors. Still above is the area
called the picture gallery opening into the Hall by
30 arches and running all round the building 20 f.
wide 1t would hold, if occupied with seats, nearly
1000 spectators but only $50 seats have been put in
The whole capacity of the Hall is 5000 persons and
so admirable is the arrangement that there does not
seem TO be a seat anywhere from which one may not
both see and hear well. The southern end of the
ellipse is occupied by orchestra and chorus seats
rising very rapidly on either side of the great organ
which stauds at the extremity 60 feet wide and 20 feet
biob-tbe largest in the world says its builder Mr.