Evening star., 1899-02-06
HALLS OF The ANCIENTS
Visitors Specially Received by the Manage
ment Saturday Evening
Structure Within which is Illustrat.
ed the Art, Arc b ifecture and
Life of Past Ages.

The Halls of the Ancients, the unique
structure lately erected on the site of the
Rink on New York avenue near 18th
street was thrown open to the President
the cabinet, Congress and the press, ex-
clusively, last Saturday night. The Presi-
dent was unable to be present, but others
VINO We're observed We're: Secretary Long,
Senator Hoar, Senator Gallinger, Represen-
tative De A. S. Alexander, William p.
Leech, Mrs. Leech, Representative Thad.
H. Mahon, ]. G. larger Senator Money,
Miss Money, R. o. Bailey, Mrs. Bailey,
Representative John NJ. allen, DR.. Sewers,
John Is. wight, Commissioner of the Dis
trict of Columbia; Mrs. Wight, Represen-
tative George D. Perkins, Mr. George P.
Wetmore, Representative Walter Evans,
MIs ~ o. rNsh; R. r. T9%ne F.
Noyes, L. w. Busby, S. w. Burdett, S. V.
Harris, w. B. Stevens George E. Miller,
Representative jeremiah d. Botkin, John
Lynch, Jr., Representative John A. Nc
powell, Representative William S. Greene,
Representative Thomas J. Strait, Represen-
tative Hilborn, Representative J. H: steph-
ems, H. Broderick, William Tindall, Mrs.
Grosvenor, John Hadley Doyle Represen-
tatlVe James Hamilton Lewis, Representa-
tive Peter j. Otey, Representative Stangar-
rie Wilson.
the art, architecture and life of the ancient
Egyptian, Assyrian, Graeco-Roman and
Saracenlc people. The special purpose is to
show the natural, practical life of the ma
tlona1tleS or the early ages. The origina-
tor is Franklin Webster Smith of this city
supported by the National Galleries Com
pany OF which he is president. The vice
president is S. w. Woodward and the di-
rectors are, in addition to those already
named; E. S. Parker John B. Larner and
b. H. Warner.
Design of the Structure.
Inc structure is designed to demonstrate,
the prospectus states, the unequaled edu-
cational facilities, the exhaustless popular
entertainment and the ready feasibility of
group OF national gallaries and courts
which shall exhibit. in full size architec-
tural demonstrations of ancient nationali-
tles, paintings of their history in chrono-
ioslcal order and realistic representations
of their religious, civil and domestic life
upon grand systematic plan greatly sur
passing all existing museums with their
tration
Ultimately the company expects to es-
tdpiisn win private and government aid
such court which will stimulate spirit
OF inquiry in the unlearned and provide for
scholars vast treasure house of material
duplicated from originals in Europe by
casts and models
A few steps from the street last Saturday
niSht carried the visiting throngs back to
the mysterious times of world-old Fgvnt
Ahead loomed the portal which is a repro-
ductlon from the Hall of Karnak The
columns are seventy feet high and twelve
leet IN diameter. 1t is the entrance TO the
Hall of Columns, which is said to be grand
er In dimensions and color than the one
bu1lt by LepSius in the museum at Berlin
sack OF TINS is the Roman or Pompeian
House, which, in richness of decoration
more than duplicate Mr. Smiths famous
Pompeian House at Saratoga Springs.
Ihat is nearly counterpart of the House
OF Pansa in Pompeii. This later reproduc-
ton exhibits the peristylium and yiridari-
um of the House of Vettius the most hean-
tlful of all hitherto unearthed
Upper Egyptian Hall.
Mounting long flights of stone steps the
Upper Egyptian Hall is reached This con-
tains the beautiful interior of an Ecvptian
house designed by Racinet The larger
section illustrates Egyptian arts and crafts
dado seVenty-two feet in length is fac
slmlle in color of the Book of the Dead
On the staircase is a copy, 10 feet nv :
feet, of Richter's Building OF the Pyramids
Adjacent is Longs Egyptian Feast There
Is model of the tomb brought by Lepsius
to Berlin.
Near by is the Assyrian throne room in
blue and gold, according to examples from
Place. section is walled with casts
from the British Museum. The portal is
between four colossal human headed bulls
from the Palace of Sennacherib The
throne of XerXes is set up from the cast
in the Louvre. King Sennacherib is there
on, modelled in costume from the bas-
rei1ef, the throne chair supported by cap
tives Of different races
The Lecture Hall, in Persian STYLE con-
tains the painting Of the grandeur of
Rome in the time of Constantine. the orig
inal being by Buhlmann and Wagner of
Munich. The Saracenic Hall is a counter
part of the interior of the House of Benza-
quin, in Tangiers. The art gallery is de-
voted to illustrations of Roman history.
The halls most striking and faifhful
IN their color scheme, and will be found
Oh absorbing interest Ihey We're opened
permanently to the public today