The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-30
AUTO SHOW In SWISS SETTING.
S7J,OOO IN DECORATIONS FOR
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN.
Seventh Annual Motor Vehicle Exhibition
10 Have Most Gorgeous Scenery Num-
her Of Firms showing Products Great
est In History OF American Industry.

show for this winter-the seventh annual
affair OF the kind to be held In the famous
exhibition building-will be opened at 8
o'clock on the evening Of Saturday. January
u, and close on January 10. The show
will be run under the auspices Of the As
ISOLATION OF License Automobile Manu-
facturers, and al OF the gasolene engine
driven vehicles displayed will be those
bearing Selden license plates, though there
will be a number OF electric vehicles shown
which will not require the open sesame Of
a Selden license plate before their max srs
are allowed to exhibit them.
This seventh annual automobile show
in the old Garden will be a notable n
in several ways. For one thing. far more
money will have been expended for decorat-
ing than has ever before been used to dress
the building for any sort Of function--the
show committee estimating t~hattheoost OF
the decorations will approach thetotal Of
SIS, 900. This will also be the first automobile
show to which the President Of the United
States and most OF the crowned heads Of
Europe nave been formally invited, either In
person OF through their diplomatio represen-
tatives at Washington.
Another unusual feature OF the show will
be the heretofore unheard Of practice OF
doubling the price Of admission for two Of
the six full days the show will be open, the
show committee having decided to charge
81 for admission to he building IN Tues
day and Thursday. This radical action
is an outgrowth OF the great prosperity
attending last years show, when visitors
came so thick and fast that many of the
exhibitors declared there were 50 many
PEOPLE in the building who so thronged
the aisles that practically none Of the visi-
tors could stop to examine a machine they
might be interested in, as the crowd was 30
thick they we're compelled to keep on walk
ing around whether they wished to or not.
Several exhibitors suggested h raising
Of the price of admission last year as one
means of wedding out mere sightseers
who had no intention Of buying oars, but
who visit the building simply because so
many others do.
In the number OF exhibitors this show
will also surpass any other ever held in
this country, PCS concerns having been
allotted space. OF these forty-three firms
will exhibit gasolene cars OF various
types, American and imported, and eight
firms will show vehicles driven by cleo
tricity, the rest of the exhibitors dis
playing tires and accessories gathered
from all parts of the world. The excessive
demands for space caused the SHOW, COM
mittee to call an engineer to their aid, who
showed how it was possible TO obtain lO,OOO
square feet more space than had ever before
been available for exhibition purposes
by building an Elevated platform some
what on the plan OF a mezzantne moor.
In spite of all his added space, the show
committee was compelled to refuse space
TO more than fifty applicants.
One who is thoroughly familiar with the
decorative scheme from repeated m
lions of the working drawing and colored
plates describes the transformation that
will take place in the building before the
new precedent for superb decorative
schemes will be set when the doors OF
Madison Square Garden open for the
seventh annual show. Not even at the
Automobile Salon Of Paris or IN any
foreign capital has there ever been at
tempted anything like u an elaborate
and artistic creation for a show.
when it said that about SIS 900 is being
spent simply in preparing the setting Tor
the exhibits and that the interior OF the
beauty only a vague idea is conveyed OF
what il to be presented. Those who have
been privileged to see some details OF the
preparations have been astounded at tner
Scope, even though forewarned by the
general statement about grandeur ana
ex pense. IL is almost unbelievable that
30 much elaboration ever would De entered
upon for an automobile show; il is more on
the scale of preparations for the reception
Of some national hero, such as that given
In New York to Admiral Dewey on his
return from the Philippines. At least, the
regaIity of the cars will find an adequate
setting and the whole will be worthy OF the
attendance of President Roosevelt and the
foreign Ambassadors, who have been IN
vited. The motor cars will attract their
usual following of the public, but apart
from them the scenic surroundings VIII be
worth a long trip to every lover OF q gor-
geous spectacle. $1,000
The coloring will be 80 vivid, varied ana
harmoniously distributed as TO elude de-
scription in black and white, but some idea
of the ensemble may be had by those who
can picture in mind 9. palatial Swiss garden
in the late fall or early w~inter--beneath an
amber sky, led W Ui1h, P 20 the t Ti1Ey.
ing sun; all the mellow and flaming glories
Of autumnal foliage are playing hide and
seek about rustic arbors, and the coloring.
ia reflected upon pure white statuary and
splashing fountains; the great sward -of.
the garden is delicately fiecked in white.
by the first desultory fakes Of a snow1urry,
sent TO tell Of the approach OF winter; IN
the perspective, on all sides, is Alpine seem
cry, with hamlGts smuggling b'tveen snowy
peaks. and mountain lakes cleaning in the
lingering, refracted rays OF the sunset
hour.
Last year the decorative plan was to
represent an Italian garden in summer
time, with classic ~cornices about and a color
scheme of white and gold. IL was fine,
hut very cheap compared with what is
being prepared for the coming show. This
winter about SIS, 900 is being expended on
the decorating, and 1t Is being spent jul
diciously. According TO 8. X. Ball, the
official decorator, his first idea after OBJ
tanning the commission was 70. create
something as different as possible from
tn, last show and to carry out to the utter
most whatever scheme was adopted. To
this end he made a tour Of Europe, gather
ing IDEAS and models from prominent
artists for the creation OF a Swiss garden.
Overhead the iron girders OF the big
show house will be concealed by a canopy
Of amber hue, studded with 81 1000 silver
stars. The whole floor will be covered
with a specially woven green carpet, with
white streaks and dots here and there to
carry out the snow motif. The side walls
of the main floor and platform will be con-
Cealed by paintings designed to perfect the
illusion Of an Alpine perspective, and at the
Fourth avenue end will be a huge canvas,
painted by we'll now creators OF theatri-
cal scenes and curtains. IN front Of, the
pillars that support the galleries will be
heroic statues on pedestals, eight on each