New-York tribune., 1901-04-13
ARCHITECTURE.
A VALUABLE WORK OF REFERENCE BY
Mr. RUSSELL sTURGIS

kSPfSs hBSSRAPHIcAsL 49, HisTSEicAk siS2Es I
N, Ph. D., Fellow of the American Institute
q Archtects and Many ArShtees I,ts s1Iea
and Foreign. In Three Volumes. Sol. i, AZ
dictionary of architecture and building
which would be concise. thorough, authorita-
tive, we'll illustrated and available at reason
able price in really convenient form has long
been needed. Mr. Sturgis has undertaken TO
give us such a work and the execution of it
could not have been put in better hands he
has a professional acquaintance with his SUD-
Ject; since his retirement from active business
he has been a constant student of, ana ire
ouent writer on architecture. The contributors
associated with him in the making of the three
volumes of which the first has just appeared
are so numerous that il is impossible TO give
their names here: but il may suflce TO state 'na'
they have all been selected with rlgiu We" W
their expert knowledge of the themes on WHICH
they have been asked TO write MI Stufels haH'
furthermore succeeded in communicating to
each of his helpers clear sense of exactly the
proportion required in the treatment OF the mat
ters assigned to him. The first Volume' carrying
,be record from "Aaron's Rod" to "Ezhuahuac."
nleases at once through its excellent typography
illustration and general manufacture. and close
that the dictionary will be when completed one
of the most satisfactory works of reference ever
issued in this country.
Mr. Sturgis has struck a happy medium in the
broad lines of his scheme Technical accuracy
has been sought throughout. and the book VIII
bear the tests of a practising architect or ehsi-
neer as we'll as those Of the layman; but by
adhering TO great simplicity OF statement and
with the aid of illustrations the information is
SO luminously conveyed as TO leave even the
least instructed of readers no excuse for msun-
derstanding the points of description or
defnition. The Limitation of definition is
sometimes open TO question. The nine lines de-
voted TO Golfer" for example. might legiti-
matelv have been extended to permit an init
nation Of the essentially decorative significance
which the coffered ceiling has often possessed.
especially in those examples OF the Italian
Renaissance in which the of carving and
color or at least Of gliding. raised the work TO
] the level of a fine art But the point is not
serious and in the main the explanation
leaves nothing TO be desired. in fact, the search
for omissions which such a compendium as this
invariably invites yields nothing that cannot
be easily corrected single sheet introduced
In the second third volume
Thus the text relating TO Arcade which is
perfect so far as il goes-especally the
brief note on the place of this feature in Italian
streets, notably those Of Bologna In the text
"Amphtheatre' would not have any
less said about the ancient examples than the
book gives, but the paragraph the term in
modern usage" ought TO take account Of such
structures as say. the great bull ring at Madrid.
II the Auditorium Building, at Chicago, and Bit
more House. in North Carolina, worth men,
tioning. which seems TO us doubtful, there
should be room for specific alphabetical COM
rnemoration of divers important chateaus that
have been omitted altogether are only men,
toned under a general caption. Chantilly,
Chenonceaux and others. The sub-tites on the
page devoted TO Brick include no reference to
enameIled brick. ''Cassone" and "Curule
words that might easily happen TO interest tho
student of architecture, unaccountably
omitted The Circus" is discussed with refer
ence to antique models alone The permanent
circus building as it exists in Paris and else
where on the Continent to-day has a sufficiently
individualized character TO warrant its inclusion
in this book. The name of Sir Francis Chan
trey is incorrectly spelled in the biographical
note on that British sculptor. and no allusion is
made 10 the episode in his history which serves
better than any of his works keep his name
alive, the establishment by the terms OF his will
Of the well known -'Chantrey bequest," which
makes provision for the president Of the Royal
Academy and for the purchase of works of art
for the nation.
1t will be seen. however. that the omissions
are few and of very serious character. We
have subjected the book TO repeated tests from
the first page TO the last, returning 10 it again
and again, and practically always finding that
whatever information desired was sure to
be there. The subjects requiring to be treated
more less large, like the architectural char
acterstics of the different countries, like
Church Apartment House." Bridge" and
so on, necessarily given more space than
most of the topics dealt with, but these mnia-
ture essays are marked by the point. clar-
fly and practicality which Mr. Sturgis has else
where shown himself anxious to attain. His
reward VIII be, believe. the heartiest appre-
citation and admiration among architects stu
dents and all those who have OCCASION whether
frequently casually, to consult his pages