Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-05-04
The Paris Exposition-The Main
Building.

Building.
| FOREIGN COUNTRIES IN THE MAIN BUILDING.
The best way of approaching the show of
foreign countries in the main building is by the
line of their Characteristic facsdes. The avenue
that separates the foreign half of the building
from the French forms in effect one long street
of national structures and is the most picturesque
| and altogether the most interesting part OF the
| entire display. Every country of importance has
| a frontage OF one or more houses on this street,
built by national architects IN national styles, and
behind this frontage, or, so to speak, within the
hou.e. lies the whole exhibit Of the country in so
far as it is to be found in the main building. The
countries are here taken in the order Of their
facades, beginning from the grand vestibule on
the river-frout.
England has five characteristic facales. No.
| is a beautiful little Queen Anne dwellin y-house
in the revived sly lie so much 10 vogue in London
| lust now-red brick, small psned windows with
heavy sashes and quaint " carved door; No. is
, a fine house in the Tudor style, designed by Mr..
Redgrave the architect of the British section,
the pavilion for the use of the Prince of Wales
during his visits to the Exhibition-bnck, faced
| with bold stone ornament 10 the lower part, and
| with still holder ornament above to break the
| monotony of the parapet line. This pavilion i
richly furnished in the style of the period, and it
has particularly fine dining room. Next to this
| is a good example of London street architecture
| by DOulton, of the well-known terra-cotts works
Ii is in the Pointed style. The pilasters and otns
|
strength Of stone and more than its richness anu
softness of effect No. is another old English
house. designed by Redgrave, after the buildings
| still to be at Chester and Coventry and in
| other old English cities. This Is perhaps the
most beautiful of all the skeleton of the front.
| age-no better term can be found for it's built
| up 10 wood curved in lines OF ornament, MASSIVE,
| simple and pure, and the space between these
| lines is fled with plastereis work. The bay
| windows are glazed with ozenge panes. and the
e "a.
| ing in the extreme. Next TO this, and completing
| the British line, is another early English house,
| built entirely of wood, somewhat mechanically
| carved, and having its line Of frontage broken by
| deep porch with room above. This row OF
| facades gives access to the English snow, the
largest made by any foreign country in the man
building. Ii is so varied that it is mposs ble to
| do more at present than analy re it in the most
general terms 1t is remarkable (l) for its glass
| work, especially for The prlsmatIc glass for the
table, which reflects all the tints of the rainbow
(2) for is cloths from the great Scotch and York
| shire houses; (3) its pottery from Douton's
| (already mentioned) splendid reproductions il
| terra Gotta of ancient vases and grand Doulton-
ware fountain, the design illustrating "watery"
| subjects taken from Scripture hstorv-Moses a.
| the well, Naaman washing in the Jordan, and
Jonah las a matter of course). The English have
| also a good exhibit OF imitation majoica and
| wedg wood ware made by Adams and Bromley of
| IIanley who were the very first of all the exhib
| American firm the second The show OF
| English laces by Copestake is also very fine and
this is carried out all through the section in the
| shape of haDgings for the doors aud windows.
| One of the most striking things in the Manches-
| ter exhibit is the drawing of a model mill-more
striking perhaps than the show of the stuff. that
| are made there, because it proves that such build
ings may be made to have beauty of their ow n
1t is lesson for Lancashire, where the houses OF
the mill. owners perfect galleries of art while
. ha lie oh
The English colonies make good display, Cana
da for instance sending a duplicate of that col
lection of grains, lumber, tweeds, woolens min
erals which she showed at Philadelphia. The
agricultural aud food products of the dominion
| are specially noticeable, and the show of educa
tiOna appliances is also very fine. Canada a.
seen at Paris, would in fact seen to be micro
cosm of the States and all the characterised pro-
ducts Of the American section, petroleum in
cluded, are to be found in hers. She has monu,
ments in rock salt, trophies in timber, and her
show cases, which are really of great elegance of
design. are the product of her own forests, snd
from first to last the work of native hands. Next
in importance come the Australian colonies
Queensland decorating the outside of her show
with tables OF copOus statistics of the growth of
| cotton. sugar cane, maize, wheat, potatoes oats
and of her wealth in hor es oxen, sheen and hogs
Of her art, As represented by the pictures OF
Dggers which figured at Phiadelphi perhaps
the less said the better. Victoria shows great
its total bulk, which are as precious metal to the
| outward eye, but only plaster within. She like
wise exhibits silks OF her own growth, with tin
antimOny IN great plenty and wines produced on
her soil. For the present, however, her
woods carry all before them hasty review OF
the English show may be concluded with a glance
at q trinket, the Koh-i-noor and other diamonds
from the collections of the crown aud the Princess
of Wales. The koh-noor is the chief gem of
diadem Of eighty six diamonds, and the value of
htG atAn late La actin, L
journalist s 800 600 francs. Next to the diadem
IS collar with an emerald (the finest vet known)
for the chief piece second d adem is enriched
with the ksndavassy stone, bigger than the Koh-
moor and worth 100000 francs as it
stands, in spite of defect.
THE UNITED STATES.
The United States facade, like the United
States show, is cTedrahle to the Union and to Mr.
Henry Petit, the engineer who has had the active
superintendent of this part Of the building He
was at flrst little puzzled in the selection of a
| type oil natOusl building for his design; he at
length decided on ian Office which might be used
for the administration of large undertaking."
| In this his idea was to represent the United
states as pre- emnently country of commercial
and Industrial enterprise. The facade is in wood
and Its elevation is In harmony with the soundest
principles of architecture 10 the perfect cores
pondence between its surface division and the
inner divisions of the building. This point il
VIII be remembered, has been much insisted on by
tue friendly critics Of the new Opera House of
Paris, Charles Carriers great work where the
front, to those who know how to look at it, CON
talns some indication of every main compartment
OF the structure the foyer, the auditorium and
the space behind the scenes. To return tn the
nited States building-the ornameutation is
Renaissance, and it is not devoid of symbolism
The more prominent parts Of the elevation bear
the titles OF the thirteen original States of the
Union on fancy shields; the States and Terri
torres since added have their shields running
along the cornice The interior Of the building
has been fitted up for the use Of the Commission
ers OF tue United States section and of American
journalists balcony over the porch commsnds
a good view of the Street of Nations and
e sersnda by the side Of it as good a view OF the
, Shole American section within All that has
= oeeh done IN this section must be estimated with
Que regard to the very limited time taken in the
sc.ns " ~ Ihere Is nothing to excuse on this
healthy feeling Of pairiolic elat.an rLaa.;.s -