The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-24
THE PHIL6 FAIR.
Notes on the main Building The Contest Be
tween England and Misunderstanding Fea-
lures of the British Department.

OIL bftttsu DtpHEttutht'
PHILADELPHIA, May 22.-It is piece of
great presumption on the part Of any newspaper
TO imagine that It can give anything ike an
adequate description Of an Exhibition OF the
magnitude of that at Philadelphia. No amount
OF newspaper writing can convey fun idea OF
this gigantic show, any more than an article on
the United States published In magazine or
cycop@dia Of a foreign country can give an
idea OF this continent supposing even that
newspaper was to furnish profuse illustrations,
It would still he unable TO convey notion oil
the quality OF the fabrics, Of the effect OF tho
colors. OF tho power OF the machinery, and OF
hundreds OF other details which constitute In
dispensable elements Of the complete picture.
Consequently short notes, calculated merely to
guide the visitor and bring before him the most
salient points OF the display, are all that news
paper en- pretend to Give.
Taking this as a programme. the reader Is In
troduced into tho Main Building an immense
cdace consisting OF a framework OF iron. nlled
with glass and wood, covering about twenty
acres Of ground, and measuring eighteen hun
bred and odd feet long by four hundred and
sixty wide. It is devoted to a general indus
trial display, and Is divided between the various
countries OF the world about one-third Of the
whole space being reserved for American exhibit
tors. The so-called great countries, tho United
States, England, France, Germany, and Austria,
have no enclosure, whilo most Of tho minor
countries have surrounded the space allotted to
them by more or less handsome partitions, with
elaborate frontages on the central aisle. Some
Of these frontages, like that Of tho Netherlands,
for instance, show great taste Of decoration;
others. like that Of Egypt, Spain, and Brazil, dis
play considerable skill In house painting; but
the I'm pre- ssion produced Ia rather a gaudy one.
Many ofthe exhibitors do not seem to realize
the fact that the palmer the frame and sur
roundines OF an object exhibited, tue more the
object itself comes into relief. The nations
which have had experience In Exhibitions seem
to have Understood this point. At all events
both Rng and and France show great care to
make estttle Of a display Of accessories as Dos
sible.''Not only 10 the space allotted to them
neither enclosed nor decorated, but even tho
showcases areb as plain as possible. although OF
a very fine and finished workmanship. They are
all mostly OF black walnut or oak, and glass Of
| the unest quality, with little ornamentation, II
| any at all.
The United States exhibitors do not seem to
have Yet Understood the truth Of this principle.
| The decorative part of the Exhibition Is carried
| by them to absurdity. Many OF their Showcases
| and sections are profusely ornamented as to
| withdraw the attention OF the visitor from the
exhibit itself. Some of these show cases are very
| fine specimens Of cabinet making but the great
| ms jority do not display much taste In orna-
1 mental workmanship. The amount OF money
| spent on these decorations must be quite fabu-
lous. There il, for Instance. In the Agricultural
| Hall a show case not larger than medtum-sized
| chtnonier, aud containing few bottles OF Med
| ford rum. That show case is said to have cost
| the exhibitor OF the rum over $1,000. Another
show case for the exhibition Of specimens OF
| hoa of ha IN N n
ufacturcrs of arms and hardware have con-
| structed various emblematic figures with the
| articles they manufacture. A nrearm factory.
| for instance, displays q colossal star made OF
pistols, and the name OF the firm is made up in
pistols, too. The effect is rather striking. but
the final result is that the visitors look at the
star but not at the pistols.
| There can be no doubt that all throughout the
building the exhibits shown to the best advan
tage are those which are placed against n plain
background OF red OF green cloth or velvet.
Another fault which the American exhibitors
commit is that OF displaying the articles the,
sam pie or two Of every one Of them. The mer,
fact OF the exhibits being thrown before the
visitor in large masses causes him TO pay bu'
little attention TO them. He thinks them to b,
commonplace products, and passes them by to
stop before an article Of perhaps much inferior
quality that may be exhibited In a few samples
| properly brought into relief.
This defect. however. Is one Of the neccssar,
results Of the extremely large scale upon whict
the plln Of the Exhibition was conceived. Their,
ia everywhere too much room, and II had to bt
filed.
Next TO tho United States the British natior
occupies the largest space In the Main Building
about one-sixth Of the whole Of 1t, | believe. O
this space Great Britain has taken one-half fol
herself and given the other half to her co.sa.os
The nature Of the exhibits which England b a.
sent over shows that her business men under
stand remarkably well the position they occupy
In foreign markets, and especially in the AmeTi
can market. At Paris and Vienna they had az
immense display Of machinery; but there ar,
almost no English IL achines to be seen In Phila
dephia 1t Is evident that they have hecom,
aware that American machinery Is more ingenl
Gus and more original. and that II denes compe
tition. They know, also, that their best model |.
are copied in this country, aud consequently Dc
not think 1t worth their while to send anything
in that line.
They have also learned by this time that the
taste In Jewelry Is quite different 10 the TIVE
countries. For this reason, and partly perhaps
also because they did not wish to expose theil
valuables either TO the fury OF the ocean, or te
the enterprise Of American burglars, they did
not sehu over any JeWelry at all 10 Philadelphia
while at Paris, and especially at Vienna they had
quite gorgeous display Of IL. The same re-
marx applies To watches. Deuts factory Is. II ]
am not mistaken, the only one that has httl
show case.
Shyerware Is better represented, though also
not largely. The firm of Elkinton & Co. Is the
only one that makes a fine display, In It's ores.
cent-shaped enclosure fronting upon the grand
transept and facing Gilmores orchestra stand
The collection consists almost excIusiyel,
OF ornamental pieces, and Ia estimated
at half million dollars. Nevertheless
does not attract much attention
on the part OF the mass OF the public, for the
reason that hight opposite, on the other side OF
tho orchestra stand, gltters the ware of Tiffany
Of Starr & ARGUS, Of the Gorham Company
and OF Caldwell OF philadelphia.
A glance at this ass OF eIquisitely ms nufac
tured gold and silver dscloses a striking peeu.
liarity In these exhibits OF the two countries.
Almost every article exhibited by the American
silversmiths is 1T for daily use In the househol T.
while most OF the English exhibits are pur, /,