Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-17
AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE.

Society's Rooms-Cardinal RampOlla to
the Columbian Society-SOcial Chat.
1T was fortunate that so many members
OF the Art Society turned out to hear Prof.
william H. Goodyear make the apparently
dry subject "The Progress in American
| Architecture" as entertaining as any dra-
matte reading or well-acted play could be.
The Pittsburg Club Theater was comfortably
filled. The charm of Mr. Goodyear's style
and the maintained interest OF his
narrative, for the lecture was really q
story with lots of illustrations, made the
hour and half slip away. The photo
graphic views OF buildings at home and
abroad, which followed each other in rapid
succession across the screen, were several
nundreo In number and OF unusually high
| quality. Without them Mr.. Goodyear's
| differentiation and definition of the various
styles OF architecture through which the art
as we know it to-day has come down TO us
would have lacked much OF their nicely and
telling strength. The pictures were abso-
lutely illustrative to every paragraph of the
lecture, although the picturesque quality of
many of them enhanced their value, of
course.
The History of Architecture.
Mr.. Goodyear did not confne himself
strictly to his text, progress in American
Architecture, but with a broad sweep out
! lined the history of the art of building from
the Greek temple down to the Queen Anne
villa, which is not Queen Anne but Rem
aissance. Mr.. Goodyear pointed out that
American architecture did not reach
ne ehe ProgrssslVe s3o age, so to speak, till
had Dominated American architecture
Greek, Roman and Gothic. To illustrate
the results OF these three styles view of
Wall street, New York, was given showing
the Greek Temple reflected in the sub.
Treasury, the Gothic in Trinity Church, and
the Roman in bank building. These
might be called the contractors or tradf-
tional style. To show what progress Amer
ican architects had made since ISIS came
views of Richardson's Holy Trinity Church
in Boston, the TIFFANY mansion ViIlardIs
mansion and the Grolies Club in New York.
The growth OF the new and really Ameri-
can school was still more apparent, Mr..
Goodyear pointed out, in the country house.
OF which he exhibited some beautiful speci-
mems, again including one or two
of Richardson design. Mr. Goodyear
dtsclaimed. any patriotic bias when he
declared his belief that our architects
were already leading the world: in proof of
WHICH he cited the fact that many European
students were using the money they won as
prizes to pay for voyages OF discovery to the
new world. He reviewed more in sorrow
than in anger lot of the mongrel edifices
erected by insurance companies and like
Dodles, which he characterized as committee
ana director built, and therefore represent
ing no one mans idea but a compromise of
many mems desires He also remarked upon
theNsurvfval of the otherwise extinct Roman
and Greek styles in our public buildings
State and national, and accounted for the
phenomenon upon the theory that man
conldn't be politician and an architect at
once, and polit1cs made the plans OF these
structures.
Discovery of the Renaissance.
Then he described in a delightfully."-
lucid manner how the men of the Renais-
used it; how it prevailed and superseded in
Northern Europe the Gothic and distinct
lively national styles until John WinkeI-
mann in 1855 went from Germany to Rome
and stumbled upon Greek art; how the
Greek style took the place of the Roman:
and Mr. Goodyear pointed out that the
study of Greeces literature begot a sentf-
mental reverence for Greek art and led to
adoption OF Grecian architecture. The
influence of this Grecian revival, by
the way, undoubtedly can be traced
In the foundation of this Republic.
Then as it was found that Greek
temples would not make convenient modern
dwellings or ideal public or ecclesiastical
buildings tile Gothic revival came hay--
ing its origin in the article Goethe wrote as
20 op the Cathedral in Strassburz The
Greek style began to dwindle in America in
1920 and had disappeared before IS40 The
Girard College at Philadelphia was a typical
Greclan example in this country shown
upon the screen. As with the GTecian so
with the Gothic-peOple soon found it un-
practical in modern use: the gigantic but
tresses supporting stone.arched ceilings and
the walls almost wholly devoted to glass
windows were well enough for nsediBVaI
cathe6rals, but to-day not desirable. only
one true Gothic vaulted ceiling ex-
1sted in America, namely in the Stewart
Church at Garden City. The limitations
of the stone ceiling in lath and plaster,
which church builders wasted hundreds OF
thousands of dollars upon, Mr. Goodyear
termed denominations. In all the limitations
art suffered: telling the truth was artin its
best sense; 1t was not only weak to try to
it.. Style was not tradition, it was the re-
suit OF individuality asserting itself.
Individuality in Architecture.
An architects style, as in the case of an
author, lay in himself A stylish man was
one who showed marked individuality: so
must a building be to possess style. The
purpose of building should be per-
fectly carried in its outward appear
ance, and be planned always from
the inside: II American architects
three centuries had been going they |
would now be building Assyrian palaces and |
Egyptian temples. Mr.. Goodyear insisted |
that he didn't wish to be understood as say |
ing that all modern Gothic examples were |
bad, and instanced little church of Rich |
ardson's TO show how well the Gothic idea |
could be adopted to modern uses. At this /
point Mr.. Goodyear expressed his regret |
that he had not picture to show of Pitts
burgs Court House, which by the way he
libeled unintentionally by calling it the
City Hall, as he considered it the finest |
building that he knew in the country.
Having made clear the ill adaptabflity of
the Gothic style to secular purposes, Mr..
Goodyear came down to the sO-called Queen
Anne style, which he explained was really
Renaissance. or a return to Roman ideas put
into brick with the protective decorative
work let out. He explained also that the
term Queen Anne is broad cloak for any
thing the architect pleases t. do. This
chapter in our architectural growth Mr..
Goodyear illustrated with some charming
of the country house as it is seen
In America. In the carrying out OF modern
architecture the lack or skilled men with
the chisel, such men as worked upon the
of the Middle ages, greatly ham,
pered the architect. Only Vanderbilt
could import sculptors from Italy. a rapid
summary of his argumenA concluded Mr..
Goodyear's remarks, which were delivered
in a converse tional style and were couched
in excellent language Tonight Mr.. Good
year lectures on Clutch and Flemish Paint
,rS."
MRS PALMER, President of the Board of
Lady Managers OF the Worlds Columbian
has received letter
rom Cardinal Rampolla, in which
le saws that the Pope highly .
Improves OF the collecting and ex.
libiting of the celebrated works produced
,y the ingenuity and industry of Catholic :
women. It is, therefore, settled that such
Collection will be on exhibition at the
" ortd's Fair. A circular has been sent out !
~ Candace Wheeler, Director of the WO- ;
mans Building, suggesting that each State
hall contribute to the WOmen's Department. ,
ybateyer is produced in the best form by
he particular State. The women who are
alling an active Dartin tine preparation of