The San Francisco call., 1908-07-12

n
gates and ornamental grills. products
OF California shops. guard the ap-
proaches TO the vaults. Everything
needed in furnishing-the counting
stalls, doors. desks, chairs. are con-
Btructed entirely OF heavy steel. plated
TO harmonize with the surrounding
decorations. An interesting fact about
this safe deposit department is that
1t Is the first one built in America
for the convenience OF the Italian
people.
Furnished Without Wood
The crowning feature OF this build
ing is the magnificent banking room
on the ground floor. It consumes all
the door space. which Is really the
full size OF the lot. with the ex-
oeption OF the entrance to the upper
part OF the building. This allotment
% space makes room so feet square.
lighted by great windows on both the
Montgomery and Clay street front
ages. This room is % feet in height
and to the last detail has been in
The walls. to window heights the
counters. vaults. facings. together with
The public desks and comfortable set
tees, and including the grand stairway
20 the safe deposit vaults, are all con-
structed OF ehastely carved and taste
fully matched Pavanossa marble. The
noors are laid In strong patterned Ital-
ian marble. The great entrance doors.
ne frames, the window trim. railings
end nightly ornamental counter griIls.
ars all delicately and artistically
wrought In bronze. All the furnish
ingB back OF the counter. including
desks, cases, trays. gratinss. chairs.
clothes closets. racks. etc. are made
Of steel. highly finished in mahogany
plating. providing a room absolutely
destitute OF woodwork. The great wall
surfaces in the banking room are sub
divided. Special plastic features. arch
iteoturally correct and well set. add
greatly to the attractiveness OF lis
room. They Connect the arched win
dows and wall panel treatment and
draw the entire space into harmonious
union.
The entrance arch and main vault
front are particularly well emphasized
by symbolic groups. masterfully mod
eled. The one in the arch represents
the gifts Of man and woman TO the
world. the other. typifyfng time. sur
rounds thA~ dial OF the clock which
forms the central feature on the mar
~
A singularly beautiful part OF this
room is the ceiling decoration. II is
study In italian renaissance, charm
ingly arranged panels OF varied size
and forms Of great depth and broad,
plain surfaces for future decoration.
surrounded with ornamental frames.
Supporting this fine ceiling are strong.
ornate and graceful columns that seem
like sentinels guarding the outer por-
tails The vault. which has been given
the central part Of the room. Is equal
in evert particular to the safe deposit
vaults below. They both afrord un-
equaled security.
All told the home for the Bank of
italy. with Its rich. rare marbles. its
OF bronze, It's exquisite furnishinwa
will be one of the most beautiful al
well as one OF the most complete banks
in the country
All the floors above the bankins
rooms have been arranged for Offices.
They are commodious and light and
provided with every convenience. They
are reached by rapid electric elevators
and auxiliary marble and bronze stair
ways. The halls are lined full height
with marble and have doors OF the
same. paved with mosaic. All the win
dow frames. doors and sash are Of
polished copper. All wood has been
eliminated. The window frames ana
sash are OF metal and the glass "a
wired. There is a perfect system Of
heating and ventilation and a vacuum
system for sanitation. besides all the
means for alarm. mail and telephone
service All the rooms are lined with
battleship cork flooring.
Starting on this new era In IT'S exts+
ence. the Bank OF Italy has the conA-
dence Of the people. confidence horn
Of the splendid accounting IL maae IN
the days OF calamity and nnarc,at
stress Its ambition is to be the bank
OF the home making people-ths bast
life of community. 1t has no specu-
lative loans to make and considers onlv
Improved property as security. Its
business code Is short. straightforward
and easily told
And so. when the conditions are an.-
iyzed that shall have made for -
complete rebuilding of San Francf.c,
one Of the best deductions VIII tell a.
the Italians who wanted TO rema.a
their home without delay. and az ma.
Bank of Italy. that helped so many NJ
them to do this splendid thin.