The herald., 1897-06-23

COHtuluH lioWc eli pot, with It's Sll.Si
rose--modest decorations which forme
! today's shrines for the children of tn
shadowsin the Whitechapel, Spitalfield
Hexton or Shoreditch alleyways.
1t is. however, to the six and three
quarter miles OF the professional reut
that one must turn for the Jubilee dec
orations. In describing them it ma
be said at the outset that the art of stree
decoration is not understood in Londor
While here and there much that is beau
tiful meets the eye, It is not possible t
escape the fact that the ensemble ha
been ruined by lack of concerted eff
forts. The means employed have bee
as varied as the ends achieved. Will
there is plenty Of red, white and blue
the greatest reliance has been placed ol
royal crimson trimmed with gold. Mot
| toes are bountiful with scrolls, banners
flags, the royal arms, the imperial mon
ogram, portraits of the Queen in ever,
possible form of reproduction, and un
| limited illusions to 1887 and 1897. In tn,
richer streets there are countless costl,
blossoms. but paper flowers have no
been disdained, especially in such deco
rations as are in the street proper, an6
the green Of evergreen and fir and laure
garment the triumphal arches. Vene'
tian masts, idly waving pennons, shields
and standards Of flags. flowers and ferns
lend more picturesqueness than perhaps
anything else. There are no scrolls OF
decorations stretched across the street
by the Queens express desire, owing tc
an accident that befell in the jubilee ten
years ago, when a falling motto bid fail
to frighten the Queens horses and dis
turb the sweet smile her Majesty likes
to wear. Naturally, the flags of all ma
tions figured conspicuously in this car
nival of color.
Buckingham Palace itself was undec-
Grated, save for the royal standard which
fioated above it. The stands in front
and along the garden wall as far as
Hyde Park corner, which were filled with
civil servants, household servants and
their friends, were more to be poted for
the happy faces Of those they contained
than for prominence in decoration, al
though the long lines of national colors
under the trees were decidedly effective.
Indeed. it was not until after passing
Constitution Hill that one was face to
face with the great effect and noted
what the gradual adornment of the last
month had led to. All the old land
marks were there, of course, but the
streets were transformed beyond recog-
milton. 1t all seemed some large fair or
gigantic festival. All the houses and
clubs Of Piccadilly from Hyde Park cor
ner to st. James street were ablaze with
multi-colored draperies. relieved with
of flowers. Red, white
and blue was the prevailing combina-
ton, not only in bunting and CLOTH but
also in scarlet geraniums, white mar
guerites and deep blue lobelias. OF the
houses, the Devonshire House and Bath
House were the most prominent. Bath
House being far the more artistic, with
scarlet draperies festooned in a ground
Of yellow and red stripes, escutoheons
and groups of flags. with baskets of flow
ers showing here and there. The univer-
sal "V. r." with the imperial crowns,
We're not lacking.
st. Albans street was completely trans
formed and presented a brave appear
ance, with its tall Venetian masts,
streamers. laurel wreaths and rich fes-
toons. The Devonshire Club was not
able-scarlet and white predominating,
the rich draperies bearing excellent por-
traits of her Majesty. In Pail Mall much
of the color was established by it's stand.
The Wanderers Club at the foot of Wa
terloo place was decked in a suit of red,
white and blue. A little further on, at the
Pail Mall east entrance to st. Martins
parish, more ambitious decoration was
Between this point and Exc
ter Hall the vestry has placed eighteen
arches, formed of colored globes or BAL
looms of the kind used in Paris during
the Cars visit. The supporting poles
were about five feet high, decorated with
an oriflamme, or bannerette, and an es-
cutcheon with two flags. The masts
carried a garland of 11S globes to each
arch, and every balloon contained an
electric lamp of ten candle-power.
of course, this was to be best
seen later still it was by no means inef-
fective in daytime decoration.
At Exeter Hall, entering the domain of
the Strand oard of Works, an abrupt
change was made from celluloid balloons
to a line of ventritive, parallel with the
footways, extending to the lawn courts
and the city limits. The masts were of
gold, with bannerettes between in grace
full loopings, with garlands of paper and
muslin flowers, which were quite effec-
tive, the design being light and striking.
The Griffin, the site of the old Temple
Nard, was so covered with decorations
for both day apd night as to be almost
BILE. Garlands, shields and
national flags were on the four sides,
while among the notices the most COM
mon was "Victoria, Our Beloved Ruler
of Great Britain's Realms"
The prevailing color in Fleet street
was white and gold and a light arch
spanned the street unlike the majority
Of arches, suggesting the Indian EN-
pire, as decorative use was made of the
elephant.
Ascending Ludgate Hill the sight was
most attractive. High walls of color
and immense seas of faces sloping up
to the great gray walls of Christopher
masterpiece (St. PauTs Cathed-
raD, which really seemed to rise out Of
the hearts of the people-was sight
impressive. Round the
Cathedral the roadway has not been de-
but the abutting premises We're
clothed from cornerstone with decora-
tons rejecting and emphasizing the
whole genius of a people represented
here in symbol or in substances.
IN CHEAPsIDE.
AT the turning into Cheapside there
was plenty of color, plenty of money
spent, but no effect that was noteworthy
until passing out of it, the Mansion
House stood revealed perhaps the most
gorgeous and artistic bit of decoration