Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-16

any inulVluuals In the community to like
that which is worth liking. That is, they
are OF the same sort with all the rest Of us
There are IS chances out of 96 that they will
choose just that design which we would
choose. The best men to select something
1or the people in general are those who best
represent the people in general. And that
describes this committee accurately.
OF course, 1t is possible that an expert
might choose out a design that would delight
the citizens of the twentieth century. 1t is
not unlikely that the design which this com.
mlttee may select will make the artistic
Plttsburgers of that ideal millennium swear.
We need not mind that. What we want is a
build ng to please us. And such building
Will have fine historic value, anyhow,
whether 1t has artistic value or not. 1t will
represent nineteenth century taste.
The trouble with the things which the ex-
perts delight in is that they are above US.
They are like that classic music which, as
somebody assures US for our consolation, is
really great deal better than 1t sounds.
The Carnegie Library building, the Profess
sor understands, is for the people OF Pitts
purS whose names are in the directory or on
the roll books of the public schools to-day.
Ii he meant it for the twentieth century he
| might invest his money and entail it. We
nave reason to be grateful that this COM
mittee stands solid on the actual everyday
:, ground, and that not head out Of the whole
number is in the clouds. The Carnegie
Library will, at any rate, be cotemporary.
| Criticism of Critic.
| "A poet complained, the other dav,
| about a critic, who in criticising the poets
poem had bluntly affirmed that he simply
didn't like it. The poet protested that this
was no sort of criticism at all. The test of
a good poem is not in the like or dislike of a
| nriti %txo
| aptness of its rhyme, the sense and spirit of
it, and its technical excellence The Pro-
fessor's sympathies are with the critic. The
supreme test of anything is in the approba-
| ton or disapprobation of the people for
whom it is meant It's the business of the
| man who has got hold OF a good thing, of a
| new truth, of discovery, Of a revela ton of
| grace or beauty in art or music, to make
| 1t popular. Genius is the gift of making the
supreme best appreciated by everybody.
This committee will not bother their heads
about architectural consistencies They
will take the plan which they simply like
the best. And the Professor predicts that
we will agree with them. What then, will
be the qualities for which the committee
| will look? Out of these 96, which will they
choose?
They will be likely at the first overlooking
| of the plans to be attracted by the architect
who has honored the committee and the
competition and himself by sending his de-
signs to this great architectural reception
dressed in their best clothes. A favorable
impression is made at once by tasteful, and
careful. and artistic drawing. The commit
tee took pains to guard themselves against
temptation of which they we're quite
aware, by specifying that all designs should
be submitted in plain black and white. A
frst-class draughtsman, with brush or two
of color, can give fictitious value to the
drawings of a third-class architect. Never
theless, the architect OF the Carnegie
Library must essentially be O man of cul-
tured taste. and that taste will show itself
in the setting, the finish, the presentation of
even the most severely simple plans And
it may well count for something It is worth
much.
The Appearance OF the Outside.
Then the committee will examine all the
perspectives, the finished pictures Of the
completed building. They will want to
know how it will look ON the outside. Be-
cause this is not merely a contrivance for
the storing and distribution of lot of
books; it is meant to be an impressive mon
ument 1t must do credit to Mr.. Carnegie
and to Pittsburg. 1t is to stand at the en-
trance of great park, in a position of prom
inence. 1t is to be an ornament. The first |
requisite Of this building is that it shall be
monumental. |
But to be monumental it is we'll that the |
building should be not only dignified, and |
stately, but unique. We do not particularly |
desire that this great municipal monument |
shall be like half hundred other monu- |
ments. Indeed, we have accomplished |
something if we get a building out there in |
Schenley Park which is different from all |
the conventional buildings, and worth COM
heca 10 ha op1 v,lo co.
it. The splendid structures which are the
pride of the great cities on the other side of
the water are each one as individual as a
genius or a hero. They have personality.
They do not follow type. They stand out
alone, and set an example.
And, more than that it is well that the
new building should, even on the outside,
indicate what it is for. People ought to
know when they see it that it is not school
house, nor a Jail, not a court house, nor a
church: not a medieval castle, nor beer
garden; not a transplantation from the
Worlds Fair; not shot-tower; not the
winter quarters of a circus, nor restaurant,
nor a post office, nor the Capitol at Wash
ington.
This building is to be for library, for a
picture gallery and for a music hall The
Professor notices that some of the plans
have signs over the doors. A good picture |
does not really need label. horse on
canvas ought to be able to speak for him
self. This great building ought to represen mt
to every passer-by the uses that it is meant
for. In general, every tower, every angle.
every turret, ought definitely to mean some
thing. The basis of beauty is utility That
great tower OF Richardson's court house, for
example, was built for ventilation. 1t was
run away up. as was thought. above the
smoke line, to bring down clean air. No
tower has any business to exist which can
not give good, sound, practical account OF
itself.
So much for the outside, the sum of which
is that any perspective which would DO Just
as well for new Morganza may safely be
set in the background.
As for the inside, that ought to follow
even more accurately the intentions of the
building. The three great practical uses of
this structure are for books, for pictures,
and for music. The best design is the one
" hich provides for these uses in the most
effective and the simplest way. The visitor
oueht not to be confused when he gets in.
1t ought to be plain which way he is to 60.
The Library should not be alabyrinth. The
professor has a personal preference for the
those designs, of which there are number,
which set the book rooms on one side, and |
the picture rooms on the other side, and the ,
music room in the middle. They have the