Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-16

piece Of stonework. and reviyes some char
acteristie London features which had re-
tired from practical architecture 1t has
an arched basement open on the Piccadiiiy
side and extending over the pavement.
forming pleasant arcade that recalls the
piazza at Covent Garden. or that relic ar
cade that still exists In Regent street at
the corner of Piccadiliy Circus. 1t will be
interesting to see whether It proves an OBJ
struction. a dark spot, or benefit to the
street. The keystone of each Of the arches
bears a carved head. after the mode that
hourshed in the time of Queen Anne
there are some delightfully."- whimsical ex-
amples at Queen Anne's Gate-and grew
silly In the regency door-heads in Cover
street.
The heads on the Ritz Hotel. however. are
rather fiabby things being both insipid and
puffy-like heads from perruquiers shops
grown coarse by exposure. They are
melancholy example of that divorce Of the
mind and the hand that began when tae
craftsman ceased to design. The charac-
ter OF the building a whole is very
French: not skittishly French like the ga
voy Hotel, but with the straight-faced
high-crowned aspect Of the Rue de Rivoli
The attic stories with their large windows
look the most foreign feature. Ii Is a les
son In London lore to reflect that less than
three years ago another hotel almost
tall and important stood on its site. ne
Walstngham and the Bath-the last of the
old coaching inns in Piccadilly-were d'.
stroyed to make room for this elegant mon
ster.
A point OF general speculation about the
new hotel is how 1t will be affected by the
motor buses in Piccadilly ply from morning
about the destruction by 1t of the peace of
households in the main traffic routes. The
motor buses In Piccadilly ply from morning
till night, and the hotels stands on the top
OF the slope. where the music Of the bus
reaches crescendo passage. We shall soon
be able to judge exactly how bad the
trouble here Is, and what modern skill can
do to dispel 1t. Another point is. Can Lon
don support another big, modish hotel?
put this question to man Intimate with
this side of London life, and he answered
that 1t could '.Just about stand It." Hotels
just now, he thought. were In a mutable
state 1t WAS difficult for the man OF good
fashion to know exactly how things stood
Two great hotels which stand rather east
ward OF the theater ring had started out
to DO very modish and as exclusive as
hotels may be. One has become frankly a
comfortable. 30 to speak. railway kind of
hotel Another hotel further west is be-
Ing edged out OF it's old-fashioned reputa-
tioa simply by it's popularity among foreign
and colonial visitors, who have left little
room for the native hotel dinners. A ho-
tells peculiar reputation is as delicate as
that OF racehorse. and the most unlikely
things may scare or attract those groups of
persons whose presence or absence makes
all the difference In the world to the man
agement.
the Thames at Charing Cross and Cannon
street for the use OF the South Eastern
railway were removed London would now
have succession OF bridges from Putney
to the Pool that might suffer a compari-
son with the bridges of Paris, Rome and
Ventve. The new bridge at vauxhall, which
was opened last Saturday, Is not so hand
some as Its neighbor at Westminster. nor
SO gauntiy picturesque as the "auld brig
immortalized by Whistler, which IT sup
plants 1t has. however. a strong and solid
beauty of Its own, and lies slenderly and
gracefully across the water like a Gigantic
twig bent over st.
Il is the first bridge which has been built
py the county council. and will, therefore,
be the first bridge over which the de-
spised tramway will have free access. II
VIII restore to this part Of London some
OF Its old prestige as a pleasure resort, and
we may see revival of the vauxhall Gar
dens OF the Restoration time In fine park
and pleasaunce. The bridge almost lies at
the door of Lambeth Palace the residence
OF the Archbishop of Canterbury. and with
are unique opportunities for an improve
ment OF the district.
American bookplates formed one OF the
special features OF this years exhibition
of the Ex-Libris Society, which was opened
yesterday at Westminster. and composed
work by Messrs. w. F. Hopson. F C.
Brown. w. E. Fisher and E. D. French.
whose display is chiefly remarkable for
pictorial designs. of which many excellent
examples are given. Many ladies contrib
uto to the general collection, which includes
plates designed by Queen Alexandra. the
Princess Of Wales. Prince Albert and Prince
EDWARD The excellent heraldic work
winch Is associated with the name of Mr.
Graham Johnston is seen In an original
grant OF arms designed for the Lyon Court.
iEdinpurgn, while other experts In this
Drancn or art. such Mr.. John Yfnycomb
Mr- Z. w. Sherborn and Mr. G.. w. Eve
are also well represented. Among some
uIconsioered tribes was to be noticed the
coat-of-arms of the extinct family Of G,,.
KIN and a copy of tablet inscription in
Leverington Church. recording the death.
On octooer IL, $780, Of Captain Anthony