The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-11-02
KEYSTONES.

KEYSTONES.
Some Curious Survivals That Are Found
In London Architecture.
Keystones and Key stone masks
are only toOe found in classic, neo-
classic and renaissance architecture.
by reason of the Gothic styles not
using the rounded arch. The pointed
windows and doorways ranging
from early English to late Elizabeth
an have no prominent keystones.
Perhaps the best known and alto
gether most notable keystone masks
are those that decorate the center
arch of Henley bridge. The present
bridge of five arches that crosses
the Thames at Henley was built in
1885. The mask facing up river is a
head of Isis; thatltacing down
stream represents the conventional
idea of Father Thames, and they are
really admirable examples of the
sculptor's art. They were the work
of that vo-r accomplished lady, the
Hon. Mrs. Dawson-Damer, who at
that time resided at Park Place,
Henley. She was cousin to Horace
Walpole, for whom she carved an
eagle so exquisitely that he wrote
under it-this enthusiastic cousin,
"Non Praxiteles sed Anna Damer
me fecit.'' So, you see, Praxiteles
can never flch the credit of that
piece of sculpture from this lady
artist Of the eighteenth century.
But the Hon. Mrs. Dawson-Damel.
was, after all. only an amiable anna
teur. She gave her work to the
bridge authorities-a most repre-
hensible vagary-yet the recipients
were grateful, as witness the
Bridge Minutes. f" True, they only
acknowledge one mask: "May 6,
1885. Ordered that the thanks of the
commissioners be given to the Hon.
Mrs. Damer for the very elegant
head of the River Thames which
she has cut and presented to them
for the keystone of the center arch
of the bridge" I"
There are several good examples
of sculptured keystones in London.
There lie an elaborate design, for in
stance, over the western doorway
of st. Brides, Fleet street, contem-
porary with Wren-possibly his
work. It exhibits that widespread
convention of the winged cherub,
podgy and smiling, whom you may
find gracing all the city churches in
different positions of usefulness.
now as a keystone, now corbel.
and again, most appropriately used
as decoration for fonts. The Guild
hall museum-that ola podrida Of
London antiquities, from Romano
British old boots and potsherds to
massive Jacobean carved tireplaces
has two keystones in its crepuscu-
lar crypt. One came from an old
house in Paternoster row, now do
molished. It was the keystone of
window. Another, from the door
way Of a house in Spital square, ID
an example Of that very debased
art, the domesticated keystone
mask, so to speak. There was at tha
end Of last century and at the be-
ginning Of this quite a classic rage.
Buildings fondly believed to be OF
classic design sprang up every
where, and traces of that fallacy ars
to be seen at this day, even in the
undistinguished streets of what
were at that time the suburbs OF
London. Parts of the Marylebone
road, the Clapham road, the Old
Kent road, and many streets of Ken
sington and Brixton, show this de.
based classicism, and many of these
houses bear keystone masks over
their arched doorways. For the most
part, however, they are not sculp-
tured. They are of perhaps half
dozen different patterns, and they
are nearly all cast in plaster from a
mold; also, the would be classicisln
of them is generally very dreadful
to look upon.
A keystone that no longer ful6lls
its Office Of completing an arch is to
be seen in the shape of grotesqus
head built into the wall Of house
In Kings Cross road above singu-
lar tablet bearing the inscription.
''This is Bagnigge House neare tha
Pindar a Wakefeilde, $780," The
"Pindar Of Wakefield was the sign
Of an old inn that stood near here
and took its name from a popular
play of that title that was written
in the time Of Queen Elizabeth. Bag
nigge House, too, is gone. and also
Bagnigge wells, that one time fash
ionable suburban spa.
There is an archway in the renais.
sance style leading into New square,
Lincoln's Inn, that has sculptured
keystone on either side-gaping and
glowering masks that look down
with forbidding aspect upon tbs