New-York tribune., 1902-05-07
A MIDLAND FAIR.
THE woLvERHAMPToN EXHIBITION ON
THE EDGE OF THE BLACK CoUN.
TRY-ELECrRIo MECHANISM
THE ART COLLECTIONS.
wolverhampton. April 25.

On the edge Of the Black Country with its
coal pits. iron mines and layers Of cinders and
sag now rise the gaudy turrets and open Ian
terms OF new series of Industrial palaces and
pazaafs Wolverhampton takes the place OF
glasgow THIS year as the goal of trippers eager
for days outing and the pleasurable excite
lnent OF SIDE shows. 1t is an ancient town with
hoary traditions Of Druid worship on the site
OF the venerable church in the bustIing market
place but while its antiquarians can trace its
history as 1ar back as the seventh century its
manufacturers and merchants are in touch with
the iron and steel industries of Staffordsbire
anc sensitive 10 the reproach of being behind
the times This is the fourth exhibition which
the town has organized for the purnose or
demonstrating its progressive enterprise as a
centre or industry IN the Midland counties
when the last one was opened eighteen wears
ago, the chief manufactures of the district were
locks, Japanned goods and tinplate OF the new
series OF industrial structures. Machinery Hall
with Its electric power and mechanism. appeals
most strongly to local pride. 1t offers evidence
that the Black Country is well abreast with the
sclentihc industry of the day I'VE have a right
10 De proud of this exhibit of electrical mechan-
ISM SAID the chairman TO me as he pointed to
the complex switchboard in the centre of the
hail. and explained how new were the tvpes of
boilers used for generating steam REQUIRED for
motor power and lighting. Everything here is
Americans have
given US shaking up and have done us good
Competition has reinvigorated us. In and
around this town is now made the improved
electric mechanism which a few years ago could
be supplied only in the United States"
Ihe DUKE or Connaught in opening this VOL
Ferhampton exhibition Will not be justified in
repeating the Prince OF WaIes's exclamation:
wake up, England" The Industrial Hail.
with its stalls filled with hardware ranges,
-xrr1a t,og-s
silver and dress goods, may not be unlike other
displays Of miscellaneous manufactures in in
ternational exhibitions; but Machinery Hall,
with its dynamos enormous engines and i'm
proved electric mechanism, has a progressive
character of its own All the oldtime devices
for putting machinery in motion at a worlds
fair have been discarded. Electric power is
generated from various sources of supply and
distributed in a way. The newest types of
boilers on trial IL the British navy, whether
Babcook and Wilson water tubes or those on
The Durr or the Cahall systems are in opera
ton for the production Of motor power: and
whether the original designs come from the
United States or from Germany. Wolverhamp-
ton can make them all as easily as it has turned
out half million locks week. The great
switchboard. which is of the marvels of the
hall, is set up from Lancashire but the bulk of
the electric machinery has been manufactured
tinctively American exhibit in Machinery Hall,
as the director was careful to point out. Ameri-
can ideas and inventions can be found at every
turn, but Old England has come to life again,
and is adapting herself to the conditions Of an
electrical age.
The architecture of this picturesque show in
the Nidlands is as good as that of the Glasgow
exhibition, and the grouping OF the buildings in
a spacious park Of thirty-two acres is even bet
Ter. The crescent formed by Industrial Hail.
the Canadian Pavilion and Machinery Hall is
most effective. The Scotch architects have
shown greater freedom of design here than at
Glasgow. and they have succeeded in imparting
lightaess. variety and grace to immense struct-
ures without having recourse to undue orna-
mentation. The high towers of the industrial
building capped by open lanterns, and the
glazed roof is upheld by semi-circular ribs of
slender construction. The main entrance, with
its free stencil decoration in color is well de-
signed, and the entire structure has symmetry
and grace. The coors, red and green, are well
suited to the light and fancifu treatment of
FACADE, centre and ends. The Canadian Pavilion
with fine dome. is simple in outline and Ma
chnery Hall, with it's slender towers, bow
string roof and circular parapets and fans, fits
into the general architectural scheme admiral bly,
The Concert Hall. at a distance from these
structures IS palmer and more formal in effect !
of the general design. The Scotch architects
who, like the Glasgow painters, have been !
trained in Paris. have shown lightness of touch |
and hexibility of method in their work here.
The Scotch painters, whose work is seldom |
seen in the Royal Academy, were expected to |
rally in force at this provincial show, but they
have kept themselves out Of sight. The men |
Of the New English Art Club promptly filed the |
vacant spaces of the Art Exhibition in the |
centre Of the town. Mr.. Wilson Steers nine |
pictures make a Drawer show here than they |
have done in the cramped little room in Picca- |
dilly, and Sir Charles Shannon's work is almost |
equally conspicuous Mr.. William Strang's |
series Of oils illustrating the story of Adam and |
Eve, for a frieze, is experimental rather than |
advanced work and Mr.. Rothenstein, Mr.. Muir |
head, Nr. Orpen and their ambitious associates /
hardly strong enough 10 bear comparison |
with the great masters in other rooms. There is |
an English Pre-Raphaelite room. filled with i'm !
portant work, which nearly created a new era /
in art Ford MADDOX Browns sincere realism, |
Rossettrs jewelIed effects of color. Holman |
Hunts hardness Of method, Mllas's strong /
draughtsmanship and emotional power and /
Burne Jones's poetic imagination are illustrated /
here by characteristic works which cannot be |
seen too often. but IL was hardly necessary for /
the collector Of these pictures 70 connect feeble /
innitators Ike Mrs. Evelyn de Morgan, Mr.. |
Southau and Mr. Gaskin closely with the !
great men. IN the largest room of the gallery /
there is a strong group of Wattss works. includ- /
ing Childhood Of Jupiter" Charity" Aurora" |
and others; and there is Mr.. Whistlers great
portrait Of Carlyle from the Glasgow Corpora |
tion Gailery-one Of the closest approaches ever !
made by him 10 painting like old master.
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