Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-04-04

Exposition has very appropriately been
dedicated to our neighbors in the West
ern Hemisphere.
All the savage races have manifested
great fondness for strong, crude col
ors, and these will be found on the
buildings nearest the main entrance.
The advancement Of man in intelli-
gence and civilization has been marAed
by desire for more refined color COM
binations, and the eliminating point Of
subtlety and grace Of color being in the
Electric Tower, which. representing
the highest advance in material civili-
ZatiOn and occupying the leading posi-
ton architecturally and sculpturally of
the whole Exposition, naturally enough
has come in for the finest color notes.
1t is a happy feature Of the color
scheme that the buildings upon which
the artist would naturally lavish pow
erful colors all lie about the southern
entrance. A regular gradation from in
tense to less pronounced coloring is
thus possible. AS the majority of peo-
pie will come in from the southern en-
trance they will get an impression Of
bright rich, fresh color They will not,
however, have time to grow weary
with the brilliancy. Before their eyes
are jaded they will have got into the
region of more softly tinted surfaces.
1t must not be supposed, however,
that the primitive color schemes are in
themselves harsh or bad or crude. Va
rious devices have been adopted for Sc
curing harmony.
For one thing, the greater part of the
exterior wall spaces are all in warm
white. Color is employed only at struc-
tural points in the architecture, as
about entrances. Furthermore, no
primitive color is brought into direct
contrast with other primitive colors; 4
mass of ivory white always intervenes.
This gives great brillancy and pre-
vents chromatic discords. The quality
of white used on the buildings varies
from warm creamy white near the
bridge to a cool ivory tone at the Elec-
tric Tower.
AS an essential means of promoting
harmony green, in at least few notes,
is employed in the adornment of every
building of the Exposition. The beauti-
full translucent green of Niagara has
been fifty chosen as the dominant color
of the whole scheme. Appearing in its
fullness in the recesses of the Electric
Tower and in the restaurant group be-
hind it is everywhere repeated. Not n
building but bears its echo mark of Nj
agara green.
The color schemes of few Of the
buildings may be noted:
orticulture-Orange, with details in
brilliant blue. green rose and yellow.
Governmental-Yell with details
in primitive colors.
Music Hall-Red
Machinery-Greenish gray.
Restaurant Group-Ivory, accented
with green and gold.
Electric Tower-Ivory. yellow, gold
and green.
The roofs of the Exposition are for
the most part covered with red tiles,
though prominent towers and pinnacles
will be in many cases decorated with
All the buildings will have play Of
colors about their entrances, balconies,
pinnacles and towers. My idea is to
have the sharpest and freshest green
known carried throughout the entire
scheme, and that will be my reference
to power. Green is one Of the more re-
cent and refin.d colors. 1t has not long
been used In art. Pick up any picture
painted long ago, and you will look in
vain for suggestion of green in it.
The grass will be represented as brown.
They said it was impossible to secure
the grass green effect, but it is done
nowadays.
The color scheme has for the most
part been worked out at my studio in
New York. The first step was to get
from the architects small sketches Of
all the buildings. Models were made
from these on a scale of One-siXteenth
inch to the foot which when properly
grouped on a platform - by l6 feet rep
resented the entire Exposition In minia-
ture. Each model was colored in ac-
its relationship to surrounding build
ings carefully studied. Many Of them
had to be painted several times before
suitable results were secured.
once the structures of the miniature
city were all harmonious colored
drawings of the individual buildings
were made, and the decorations accu-
rately worked out to the last detail un
til they were in readiness to be placed
in the hands Of the intelligent painter
decorator.
When the time arrived to begin
painting it was found that the build
ings in the middle Of the grounds were
the only ones on which work could be
| done, and then the value of my model
was demonstrated. Mr.. Washburne
was enabled to readily translate from
the model to the buildings without dan