The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-14
ARCHITECTURAL VARIETY
At THE ST. LOUIS FAIR
Building Art of the Ancient and
Modern World of All Nations
to Be Exemplifed There.
ADVANTAGE OF DIVERSITY
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
F. ST LOUIS. March 13.-One of the chief
delights of the worlds fair, which Will
open it's gates on April 30 is the variety
of architectural display. To the great mass
OF people, as well as to those of cultivated
tastes. this diversity of exteriors cannot but
anord keen sense OF pleasure. 1t does not
require a technical knowledge of architec-
ture for the susceptible senses of the OBJ
server to perceive beauty and grace in the
lines OF building. Happily, the average
man and woman possesses the faculty OF
appreciation in this respect. In architecture,
as in poetry, or religion, or any other art
or institution, thing of beauty is a joy,
II not forever, at any rate long enough TO
add to the sum of the worlds account of
things worth while.
Nearly every enc dislikes to contemplate
a row of houses, all built on the same
pattern, all alike in porch and door, window
and pitch OF roof. MonOtony in architec-
ture is wearisOme, as it is in all other lines.
The brown stone fronts of New York city
pail on. the possibilities The little red brick
houses of Workingmen i'm Philadelphia ia
tigue the eye and vex the soul. The dreary
fiat houses OF the great cities are repug
nant to the aesthetic Observer-and il
should be remembered that aestheticism in
this respect is not Confined to the gradu-
ates of universities or to those who have
taken art course i'm Paris.
There are no architectural monotones at
the worlds fair. The builders of this vast
variety and they have set forth for the
view of the world satisfying diversity of
construction which is destined to evoke the
praiseful comment -of the multitudes that
will throng the grounds for seven months
this year. 1t is scarcely hyperbolical to
designate this diversity in architecture as
an infinite variety.
Every age and every land has lent it's
aid TO the creation of this all-embra cling
exhibition of architectural triumphs. An
cient. medieval and modern patterns have
been employed; and some of the architects
have scorned TO copy and have drawn from
| their own imaginations such conceptions of
structural grace as show, in the execution.
that originality and daring still are able to
command respectful attention and the plau-
dts of the discerning.
Ii the visitor is inclined to seek for signs
of what Poe called THE glory that was
Greece and the grandeur that was Rome .
he may find 1t here in bewildering plepti-
tude- II his fancy prefers the patterns of
the middle ages, the days of feudalism and
chivalry, of gallant knights and ladies fair
he may find here sOma reproductions of
! medieval castles TO satisfy his tsmtes If
the architecture of this day pleaSes him the
TO this exposition cannot fail to delight him
| The massive, the simple, the ornate, the
severely plain. the bizarre, the chastity elias
sic and the undeniably up-to-date-all styles
are worked out here with strict adherence
to detail 1t should not be forgotten, in
/ considering this wonderful architecturai di-
/ play, that the artists of house construction
| from nearly every nation have had a hand
| in the benevolent plot Not only is this
! true III the loIelSh bullulISS section, but
/ elsewhere on the grounds. and notably Sc
/ i'm the remarkable structures that border thu
| long amusement thorOughfares called the
Pike.
| on the Pike the student of architectural
variety will find nearly fifty separate con
| cessions. the buildings of each being clearly
i different from all the others. The rude huts
| and stores of the fathers OF leo years ago
/ may be seen in "Old St. Louis" Some.
/ thing of the architecture of COnstantinople
/ OF Cairo. of Morocco, of India, of Seville OF
/ the Tyrol-in short of almost every nation
( is 10 be seen here.