The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-31
THE SOLDIERS, MONUMENT.
ss@s Of the Dc,,sn. o,erdone-rhe oue.t,o,
OF the site.

seuae Of the Designs Overdone-The Question
or the site.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir Much has
been written about tho models for the folders
ana sailors memorial monument since thor
public exhibition. and some OF them nave been
well advertised hy the press. While IL 10 likely
enough that all this will have weight with tho
commissioners decision, Il Is still truo that the
IauGation OF ono or another, and the damning
by rant praise OF tho remainder. or the constant
showing OF a single design in most OF the city
papers, Is not the real criterion on which tho
commission can safely base their reputation
with P~osterity Gs architectural experts in max
ing the selection.
In tho first place tho position and surround.
lnss OF tho now monument must be considered.
mo location definitely fixed by the commission,
In conjunction with tho Park Board. is tho
circle between Fiity-ninth and Sixtieth
sGoetA opposite tho Hotel Sethcrland. This
Position, surrounded on all sides by drives. calls
TOT a monument symmetrical and equally inter
esting on oil sides as ono drives or walks past IL
In any direction. No latitude was allowed the
competitors, who were expressly informed, In
addition to tho words Of the programme. that
this location was unalterablc.
1t would. therefore. be manifcstly unfair, X
indeed 1t were possible, for the commission to
grant a change of place to any competitor who
had taken advantage Of such a probability to
make a design unsuitable for the designated To-
cation. but suitable for another of his choice.
The question is not, of course. now whether tho
monument shall DO placed hero or there. but
whether q design quito unsuited to the desig-
mated location shall DO accepted and placed In q
now position. Without urging the matter fur
ther. 1t In obviously fair to ~criticise all OF tho
monuments as they would appear placed upon
tho circle assigned to them. and not elsewhere.
This circle 10 a small spot surrounded by the
drives and walks which form the most impor-
tent entrance to Contra! Park. At some time
made a beautiful and nttins approach to the
Pork. II Is ~ev!aent at least that it must not be
driveway or view Into and from the Park. nor
must the monument to be built be out of scale
with such an entrance, 1t cannot approach, the
be massive as they might be II 1t were to be placed
on the top o! an. open hill. II should nor be too
original. The Grant monument was original. in
contrast to some OF tho other designs in that
competition, which were very scholarly and well
studiet. Its "oririnality" does not save it now
from being considered one OF the most dispro'
portloned., unstudicd, and uninteresting monu.
ments in the country. 1t would have been sup
posed ~ that commission that matters Of purely
technical detail, scale, proportion. &c. would
tako care OF themselves, and could not lie disre-
general design. The Grant Monument Commits.
sion vas completely won, net By architectural
design, and tho result, durable to granite can
make i, is q monument OF which New York city
is not proud.
Tho same result. Is liable to occur again. Sew.
eral OF these monuments are entirely out ot
proportion to, their snrround!ngs: being. toe
large and robust for the scale Of the circle
threatening to I'LL the entrance completely By
their uninteresting bulk and also extremely
parts. These indications arc just as apparent
now to the trained eve as ths unsatisfactory
character or me forn'iess masses OF inc Gran
though the architectural reason for this is not
Of course. apparent te them. In contrast (
arc small IN scale, in excellent proportion. o.
parts and elegant and refined in detail. showing
a just appreciation of the essential conditions O
Two of tho monuments are shown in a location
outside OF the limits assigned to them. .anc
Ersmme. or these No. 3 is grand and larg,
able hren; and No. 8, considered by the papers
TINT have so well exploited IL as original, would
II placed upon, the circle designated. prove en-
tirely unsuitable, because Its arcade can be seer
TO advantage only from the. front, and even so
you'd completely M up tho entrance OF thu
Park and e;Eectually stop the vista instead o
contributing to tho open, spacious effect of tn
ensemble OF the whole place. This is obviousl!
in its proper location or up in the outskirts o
the Park. for tho drive out o! the Park is just a
important as the drive in. and it would not b.
Spo'e ~ ~ S''LA - WA ohiAdS
by a peristyle OF columns. without turning en-
tirely around to fnco It. The scheme for this 10
cation Is n symmetrical monument, visible ant
equally interesting from all sides.
The composition OF No. 8 also leaves much
to ho desired. 1t entirely lacks organic connec
ton between the colo made and The pedestal
while the proportion between the two stories o.
the latter Is not happy. 1t should ut least have
been connected with the colnnnnde by an agree
mont OF height and balancing of the parts.
The pedestal and shaft resemble the Gran
monument in the Original" disposition Of IT.
large, plain masses, which require d tferent study
to make an interesting silhouette or motive.
Such q memorial monument mny he ~Losignct
either to sat. ~ the refined taste OF an art.lovinG
and appreciative public or TO attract the startled
attention Of people by its unusual character. i
will io built to last through several generations
II it is TO be n source of pleasure and pride Lc
the former class it must completely meet tn,
conditions of It's environment, aad must b.
thoroughly studied, refined and perfect in pro
portion and detail: If 1t is to satisfy tho latter
c~lass-like. the Grant monumert-it need only
he original. without tho other requirements
veloping originality for all time. Carlo.