The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-01-14

this library. must walt while before thoy can
be appreciated.
Mr.. Drayton's residence on the Fifth avenue
near Thirty firth street bears it, most striking
decorations on Its outside. II lisa tall building
OF brown stone. with an deliberately carved FIRST
story and stoop and urea walls. There arc
many poculiarties about II and ono or two less
| conspicuous houses by the same architect. Mr..
| Stanford White. which show that he. too feels
| II to DO his business to obtain some sort OF
ehect by means that are natural to his art al
| though he seems TO place great reliance on the
| subordinate arts. The placing Of the windows
| and doorway In the house now under consider
| ntion ha. been contrvcd as 20 give not
only in appearance. but really great soldity
| to the front wall of the building. The front on
Fifty-seventh street of Mr. G. yanderbllt's house
IL rs faulty In this matter as Mr.. Drayton's
house IL right In the former what appear to
DO two pyramidal masses OF building. bnsed on
| large bays or projections on the ground Moor
and running up into the dormers. seem to be
thrust asnnder by the great central dormcr win
dow and the wedge shaped mass OF mason work
beneath 1t. In tho latter the wall. to the eye
divides itself into PIERS perfectly firm In APP
pearance as In fact. One feels tina. it would
makea respectable ruin ithat these piers would
stand for q long time II all the rest OF the struc-
| ture were purposely pulled AWAY from thcm
| Mr. Post. on the contrary, has given Mr. Van
derbit a house which. II 1t goes down at al will
| 60 with u rush. like a house of cards. Mr. White
has not been satisfied with erecting a really
| solid building nor ono with tho good looks
that generally go with honesty. but has remem-
| bered that 1t is the duty Of An architect above
| all men. TO avoid even tho'more show OF weak
nesa. Mr. Draytons residence is on the steep
est grade OF the Fifth avenue. Like all tho other
| houses In tho neishborhood. II would. II this
fact had not been attended to. look rs though
1t were In danger Of sliding down hill. But the
anchornG OF tho heavy stoop at the up-h hill
side, the disposition OF tho masses OF sculp-
tured ornament around the door. and Of the
bracketed bay window overhead. reassure
the eye. OF course there Ia in reality
no danger OF down-hiil tendency
in any OF these houses. II their cellar
walls are all right: but the foundations
| We cannot see and II Is we'll to give some in
timation that they are secure. All the lines
and proportions Of tho building are therefore.
such rs to increase tho impression OF weight
and strength. and to give one q perfect faith in
tho frmness Of the foundations. and especially
whore such firmness is most needful. The fiat
treatment OF the ornament adds much to this
impression. 1t Is. besidos the only treatment
proper for brown stone. The stone is only too
easily worked. and is susceptible OF receiving
pretty rich and delicate chiselling; but it is
also easily broken. and is more less liable
when exposed to absorb moisture and to scale
or crack from tho FROST Hence low relief 10 the
best for it, The decorations OF conven-
tional foliage. Of shells. and ribbons. and
broad band composed OF the we-known
egg and dart moulding several times repeated.
have been chosen with great good sense. They
might be Clipped or slightly fractured any
whore without giving offence On the whole. II
brown stone must b. used. this Is tho way in
which 1t ought to BIO used.
Our younger brood Of architects have caught
up the idea newer to them than might DO sup
posed. that it is still possible to originate
purely architectural conception. They find
that they are not restricted. when they wish
for fine effect. to formulas called classic.
based on inexact measurements OF some
Grecian or Roman order. The few build
ings such as the one We have just de-
scribed. demonstrate that out OF the condi-
tons Of city domestic architecture restricted
as they are. good and striking results may be
obtained by the simplest Of means-attentio
to convenience and stability. to fair proper
lions. and . proper adaptation Of ornament to
the character Of the building and 70 the ma
terias OF which 1t 10 built. Some Of their at
tempts are bungled. 1t is true. All have not to
tho same degree Mr.. Whites discernment and
taste; but most OF them have enough Of these
qualities to avoid copying his occasional
vagaries while making the most OF the valuable
lessons that he has been giving them. II the
present activity In building In TO end in i'm
proving tho appearance Of our streets. 1t will
! be owing to the younger men like McKim
White. Rich. and to but few OF the older ones.
Mr.. Hunt. Notwithstanding his failure in the
case Of the w. X. Vanderbilt mansion. being
! the best OF these. The house which he has put
up for Mrs. Aston on the corner OF Fifty seventh
street. though now too long erected to Mood
description. Is still ono Of the handsomest in
the city.
In the various trades and eallines that have
J sprung up during the growth OF this taste for
nne buildings and snowy interiors 1t must 10
} admitted that native born Americans make but
small showing. Frenchmen aud Germans do
most OF the cabinet work and inlaying and
carving Englishmen and Scotchmen and Hoi-
landers make the best stamped leather for wall
hangings glass mosaic, or what passes by that
name for ceilings and tho most satisfactory
painted decorations. italian workmen produce
the excellent marble mosaic for floors which 10
coming into use extensively There are. how
ever two or three trades In which Americans
have taken the load. The chief Of these is the
stained glass industry. Mr.. John La Fargo.
very we'll known a. an artist. may be said
to have put q new life into this
, manufacture He does moro important
work In this way than all others combined.
! The ceiling for Mr.. Cornelius Vanderbilt which
! We n0V0 ueSctlO0O was also Oo0l8n0O anu CAT.
l ried out by him. Other painters Of note have
followed him into various branches Of dscora-
ton. Mr.. Louis O. Tiffany. Maitland Arm
! strong. Samuel Coleman. and others whose
work has been familiar At the exhibitions Of
. the Academy of Design. are now making b tained
glass. carving wood and designing for en-
. broidsries. Mr.. Walter Shirlaw has painted for
\ D. o. Nills's Fifth avenue house frieze. gor.
geous In color. full Of life-size figures. young
Q men and maldsns poets. hunters. artists. war
{ riors. a. lavish In textures and hues OF silk
' and nesh Of fruits and flowers. OF sky and
!, foliage, as Hans Makart's celebrated paintings.
but full Of q manly vigor that Makart does not
0 possess.
I There can be no doubt that a. our taste i'm.
proves. and greater intelligence a. we'll IS skill
is called for in the moro mechanical processes Of