The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-27

work OF McKim. Mead d White, but the
chief Use of the rooms was AZ "a meeting
place for gatherings OF theatrical and Other
folk to whom night life was attractive.
The rooms were decorated with things that
White had gathered in his frequent trips to
Europe. The draperies and rugs, the fur
niture and adornments were of the ford
style of three centuries ago that prevailed
In Italy and France. His tastes ran to dec
Grafton quite N much as to architecture
and his apartments in the tower more fully
revealed the artistic side Of the man than
any Of his purely professional achievements
In the field of decoration White had
established u place for himself unlike that
of any other architect. He was acois-
toned to make trips to Europe to secure
collections Of various kinds. He would get
materials for a Francis |. room, or a Louis
XVI. room. bring them home and store them
TO be sold later to some rich man who was
looking for fads in household decorations
Sometimes he would collect windows and
doors. At other times he would scour
France and Italy for hangings and draper
les.
New Yorker, now dead, who had paid White
hundreds of thousands of dollars for ma
terial picked up abroad.
There was great diversity OF opinion yes
terday in the architecture world as to
Whites standing as an architect. Some
OF the architects did not hesitate TO say that
he was the greatest in the profession in this
country since II. H. Richardson. Others
asserted that Inc shone largely by the re-
tiected light of his partners, McKim and
Mead. 1t is certain that no architect was
called upon oftener to serve on juries to
II - nINnn iha T1arifG nf HnSiuUl far fln
great buildings Of the country than White.
Those who decried his abilities said that
much OF the work ascribed to White was
really the work of McKim or Mead. Their
tastes ran to the severely classic designs
and TO what is known as the field of pure
architecture. 1t was declared that White,
disciple of the French and Italian schools,
could not have designed many of the build
ings for which he got credit as a member Of
the firm Of MckiIn, Mead 4 White. One
architect said yesterday
The Boston Public Library, the Columbia
University buildings, the Willard house,
the Agricultural building at the Chicago
worlds fair and other creations Of the
McEim firm We're not and could not have
been designed by White. All through them
to the lighter style Of architecture, the
ford, the modern, and not to the Grecian
or the severe and monumental style OF
purely classic architecture.
Ills mood was mat OF gayety, and II eX-
pressed itself in his designs. The bases OF
Saint Gaudens's statues lent themselves to
his mood, and some OF his best work was done
in connection with them. He was essen
TALLY an artist rather than an architect, and
his influence in his firm was along the lines
Of the artistic rather than along the strict
standards of architectural expression. 1t
got to be the customto attribute any very
fine work Of the firm of which he was a
member to White, when often he really had
not been ever called upon to make any
suggestions either as to outline or az to
treatment.
The flag was at half mast on Madison
Square Garden yesterday out of respect to
White. There was a crowded audience at
the roof garden show last night and a large
number of those who came asked to have
the place pointed ont where White was
sitting when he was shot. The offices of
McKim, Mead Il White were closed yes
terday, and will remain 30 until after the
funeral.