Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-18
TWO TREASURE HOUSES
Notable Buildings Being Erect
ed in New York.
Mr.. MoRGAN's NEW LIBRARY
Will Hold His Artistic and Literary
Collections.
TO BE GIVEN TO THE CITY
Mr.. Huntington's Spanish Museum
Upon Which He Is Spending the
Fortune Left by His Father.
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.


NEW YORK. June Il, 1906.
Two of the most remarkable private
buildings that were ever erected in Amer
lea are approaching completion. and they
win not only furnish important samples of
the architectural art and the science of
construction to students. but will ultimate
~ be added to the public treasures of this
city.
One of these buildings is library which
Mr.. ]. Pierpont Morgan Is erecting In the
rear of his residence at the corner OF
Madison avenue and Seth street. The other
Is a Spanish museum which Mr.. Archer M.
Huntington has built on the heights over
looking the Hudson uorth of the tomb OF
Gen. Grant.
Mr. Morgan's library of itself Is work
OF art. 1t is not an art gallery. nor mu-
scum. but library, and Is considered by
the highest critics the most perfect ex-
ample of architecture in America. 1t is
Intended to be a treasure-house. and was
designed such. 1t cost fortune and
will shelter the most valuable collection
of books, manuscripts. jewels. curfos and
other objects of art and literature belonging
to any private individual. Only two or
three public collections exceed 1t in value
or interest. Mr.. Morgan's ambition has
been to secure the finest examples of the
numerous and various expressions of art
that can be secured. and ne has been re-
markably successful. Not long ago he
paid $31, 375 for an urn vessel called a
''biberon," carved of rock-crystal. and
mounted with enameled gold. This is the
highest price ever paid for single object
in an auction room. The body of the yes
sci. thirteen inches high and sixteen inches
long. is perfect piece of crystal without
a flaw. carved to resemble a monster of
unknown species with wings. The handle
is of enameled gold enriched with precious
stones.
Every few weeks we hear that Mr.. Nor
gan has purchased some other wonderful
work of this sort, and he Is quite as eager
to secure unique books and the manuscripts
of famous authors. He has now on exhi-
bition in the library of the Columbia Uni
versity in this city an almost complete set
of examples of the books published during
the first 100 years after the invention of
printing No private library in Europe or
the United States contains so many val
liable. interesting and important examples
of literature. None has a better collec
ton of fine bindings. His manuscripts are
priceless and his missals are equal to most
of the museum collections Of the old world
Mr.. Morgan's Treasure House.
To shelter these treasures Mr.. Morgan
asked Charles f. McKim of the firm of Nc
Kim, Mead & White to build him a house
of perfect construction. He wanted gem
of architecture, and he has got it. Mr.. Nc
Kim was not hampered by any conditions.
Mr. Morgan wanted the most perfect struct-
ure that human hands could erect, and
was willing to pay whatever it cost. 1t is
not a large building, being III by 80 feet
upon the ground, and forty feet high. All
four facades are equally perfect and of the
same design. The back of the building is
just as good as the front. and the mate
rails are the best and most appropriate
that could have been chosen. Mr.. McKim
says that he adapted the principle of the
toll 1T mo iGc aTlna he 1ArNIi 70
quired and the methods of construction
used by the ancient Greeks.
The building depends for its success upon
Its lines and proportions. the perfection of
its materials and its careful construction.
1t is marked by the utmost simplicity. The
designer restrained himself against every
temptation to establishment The only out
side decorations are the colophons or book
marks of the early printers, which appear
in the vaults of the portico. There are two
inches to be hereafter filed with busts or
statues and two panels over the inches
which are filed with bas-reliefs. One of
them represents the god of music attended
by herald leading the other arts-archi-
lecture, sculpture, painting, weaving and
pottery making. The other represents the
spirit of inspiration leading the several SCI
ences in a rocession-astronomy, philoso-
ply. literature. oratory, etc. with figure
of the sphinx in the background.
The outer walls are of pink Knoxville mar
bio very carefully selected and SO dressed
II
beside and below 1t. The vertical joints
are absolutely dry. No mortar, cement
or any similar material is used. In view
OF the extremes of heat and cold in this
climate film of lead. like tlnfoil, one
sixty-fourth of an inch thick. Is laid be-
tween the courses of marble to prevent
moisture from lodging In possible interstices
Within the marble walls Is an air cham
Der which will absorb all moisture that PEN
etrates and modify the heat and the cold
1t Is lined with hollow terra-cotta two and
onc-fourth inches thick. Following the an
cient Greek method of building, the walls
are bolted laterally by clamps of copper
three-eighths of an inch In diameter, with
a dowel-hole to receive the angle. The
blocks Of stone are not polished. but the
faces are reduced by the honing process
to what Is called a pumice finish.
No other building in Europe or America
was ever erected with this care and
only three In Greece-the Erectheion on the
Acropolis at Athens. the Temple OF Nike
Arteros at the Propalea Of the Acropoiis,
and the little treasure house at Olympia,
where the trophies OF the games were kept
The roof Is divided into three vaults and
the scale is identical with that of the ia
nous Villa Madame outside the walls OF
Rome, which was designed by Saugallo and
decorated by Rafael. Tho general treat
ment of the hall Is based on that of the
Della Signature apartment in the Vatican.
The floor of the hall Is laid In panels of
precious marbles. the ribs and borders be-
ing of Pavona Zetto marble. All OF the
ncors are laid with marbles taken from
tho baths and temples OF Rome and con-
sist Of Porta Santa, Verde Antique. Brec-
ella. Coraline and Greek Cippilino marbles
and very precious stone known as the
Africana, found only In the most ancient
baths and temples. The central disc in the
floor OF the hall Is q piece of porphyry
taken from one of the ancient baths fitted
to suit this library and shipped to the
United States In single piece. 1t Is so
hard that no stone cutter in New York
could work 1t, and 1t had to be sent back
TO Italy to be cut. Over there they do 1t
very skillfuiiy with diamond drill
Exhibition Rooms
There are two apartments for exhibition
purposes. the east room and the west
room, the approaches to which are nanked
by four columns seventeen feet high Of
ancient Greek cippiline marble Of great
beauty which were brought by Louis XVI
from Rome for his chateau Bagatelle near
Paris and recently sold at auction under
the orders Of the French government. Mr.
McFkim bid them In and brought them
home for Mr. Morgan's library.
The east room resembles the Rafael room
In the Farneslna Palace I'm Rome The
west room has an old ceiling from Flor
ence and chimney piece from Ffesole
Both are worthy OF exhibition In any art
gallery In the world. Above base OF pure