The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1899-05-06
A PALACE OF GLASS.
Luminous Building to Be Feature Of
Paris Exposition. II
Beautiful Specimens Of STAINED GLASS
Workmanship VIII Enter Into
Its Structure - Rare =
g. Sight. &-|

The prettiest building Of the Paris
exposition of 1900 will be mansion
made entirely Of glass. e
The luminous palace will be erected
near the Eiffel tower, and it is intended
TO make it, inside and out, the finest
thing in glassware ever seen. The
palace was designed by Mons. Ponsin,
the celebrated artist in stained glass.
It is to be in height 10 feet, and in cir
cumference IT'S feet. The entire struc-
ture will be of crystal, and artistic ef-
tects will be produced by combining
richly stained glass with electric light
ing.
In front of the building there will be
a crystal grotto, giving the approach to
the luminous palace the appearance Of
lake Of ice. After passing through
this fairy.like grotto, the visitor will
come to the glass porch which is TO be
reached by broad tiightof glass steps.
The art of the designer has been used
to the best effect in the planning of the
entrance. The stained glass designs are
all to be beautiful specimens of work.
manship represen ting various scenes in
the progress of the glass industry. from
the time when glass was first discov-
cred. The various improvements will
til the present day. The whole broad
front of the building is to be given up
to these stained glass scenes, and the
first thing to catch the'visitor's eye will
be the educational art work that ap-
pears at the entrance.
The crystal walls of the palace are
to be partly plain glass and partly
stained glass. Where stained glass can
be used so as to show to advantage at
night time, when the building will be
electrically illuminated, the beautiful
pictures of this popular ecclesiastical
will be chosen in preference to plain
glass. Care will be taken, however, to
not only make the building rich in
gems of stained glass art, but as a.
whole beautifully brilliant to. the OBJ
server who sees it from a short dis
tance.
A plain glass building lighted by cleo
tricity would be a beautiful sight. but
not so beautiful as one in which the
glare of the white illumination is soft
ened by the plain crystal alternating
with pictures in stained glass.
So far as is possible the building is to
be entirely of glass material. 1t has
been said that this will be an impossi
bility. but the designer promises that he
will surprise the doubters. The sup
porting pillars, he states, will be con-
structed of toughened glass, so that no
the roof. How he will piece together his
building material is a secret that the
designer. has not. divulg but he hints
that by means Of q process of cement
ing the glass that he has been working
on for some time he will be enabled to
dispense with so much foreign material
as to practically have the entire'building
constructed of glass. There will be so
little other material used in itsconstruc-
ton as to make it impossible to discover
any thing but glass work about the
building.
Exhibits in the interior will beentire-
ly of glass. There will be fancy glass
work of the various ages since glass
was discovered. The most highly priced
glassware of the world will be on ex-
hibition. The process of glass making
will be illustrated and skilled workmen
will be employed to take orders from
visitors for any kind of glass cutting
or blowing specimens desired as SOU
venirs of the exhibit.
Apart from the interest that such an
exhibit will have from an educational
point Of view. the beauty of the scene
in and out of the building when it is
lighted up at night can be readily
imagined. The electric lights will illu-
inmate the flashing crystal interior and
the maze of glassware will scintillate
and CLEAN and glow in all the hues
of the rainbow as the rays catch the
cut glass and polished ware ON the
stands.
The visitors to this charming build
ing will certainly see a sight not often
enjoyed even in this age of brilliant ex-
hibits.-Albany Argus.