Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-21
MODELS OF WASHINGTON.
Miniatures Of the Capital City Still
Elicit Praise.
From Golfers Weekly.

From Golfers Weekly.
Visitors to the Library of Congress today
are cautioned not to miss seeing the models
which show the city of Washington reduced
to an accurate miniature one-millionth of
the size of the city itself. These unique eX-
amples of a modern realistic art are in
stalled with the rest Of the Senate park
commission exhibit In the south wing OF
the second floor of the building. Since the
installation last May they have gradually
grown to be one of the sights of the capt.
tai. an example of the discovery by the
public of true merit.
The reliefs are in fact the most perfect
miniatures Of city that have been made in
this country. and they interesting be-
cause they faithfully reproduce every build
ing and statue In the city, giving at least
the satisfaction of pointing out the house
in which one dwells One may judge OF
the quality of this work by examining the
Capitol, whose every column Is modelled
separately In 1.-The round: and from the in
dividual steps. the doors. windows and
chitectural detail. to the bronze Liberty"
on the summit Of the dome. this same
curacy is faithfully maintained. Since this
is carried out in the buildings throughout
the portion of the city shown, into which
come such elaborate structures as the Con-
gressional Library. the Treasury, State,
War and Navy buildings. White House,
amount of work may be realized. Some
fifty persons were employed on this work
for about eleven months. Special surveys,
including Photographic survey. were made
Of the area. SO that with it's houses charac-
terstic even to color. streets, sidewalks,
trees, parks. fountains and grass plots. this
model. which is ten by seventeen feet, Is
the most complete and expressive record Of
the topography of Washington in 1902 that
exists. Thus it is of permanent historical
value. By it's side Is similar model OF
the same area as it will appear when the
recommendations of the park commission
are carried out. making Washington per-
haps the most beautifully constructed city
Of modern times
The constructor of the Washington mod
els, which represent the most pronounced
American endeavor toward more rational
work, is Mr.. George Carroll Curtis geolo-
gist by training, who began to develop this
line of work under Prof. William Morris
Davis of Harvard, and then after con-
structing the big model of Metropolitan
Boston (goid medal Paris, 1900 which up to
it's time was the most complete work of its
kind that had been produced on this side
of the Atlantic, went to Europe. and after
a study Of the principal work in this line
placed himself under Albert Helm On every
opportunity offered he has advanced the
American work over any that had been pre-
viously made and the Washington models
turned out under great pressure last year
are evidence of it. He Is working with the
idea that until this naturally expressive art
better understanding of the surface of our
country will be very slowly brought within
the grasp Of the general public. and the
vast amount of typographical information
annually gathered at large expense will re-
main in shape available only to the spe-
cialist The day when We shall be able to
obtain or have access to important por-
lions Of the country modelled out for us as
they really are and as they would truly ap-
pear to US were we to sail over them in
balloon. may not be distant. This day win
mark the beginning of new era OF useful
ness for the vast collections of data stored
away In archives. and Of a general appre-
citation of the form OF the surface of our
country. with the true relations of it's hills,
valleys. streams. mountains, towns, cities,
roads. the distribution Of population, agri-
culture. forests and barren lands, which no
other means is adequate to bring about.