The Washington herald., 1915-10-02
The San Francisco Exposition.
BY JOHN ID. BARRY.


The walled city grew of the need of pro-
tccting people from the winds Favillc's chief aim
was to make wall that should be inexpensive and
that should look beautiful One of his hardest
problems was to avoid monotony. He showed
remarkable skill in varying the SURFACE by means
Iof his richly ornamental doorways his nichcs and
his halfdomes. The doorways he executed after
the manner of the elaborate designs used by tho
goldsmiths and the silversmths, the Spanish plas-
itcresque style of architecture He was ABLY help
ed by the landscape gardener. who placed masses
of trees against the walls securing contrast in
outline and in color.
Ryan's even distribution OF light was intended
to bring out the beauty in detail during the even
ing The heraldc banners that he used as shields
provide brilliant spots of color both by night and
| day.
| At either side of the base OF the tower the
Corinthian columns bear what look like the marks
OF antiquity Under the arch, directly beneath the
beautifully designed and richly colored coffcrcd
ceiling. tho mural decorations by William dc
Leftwch Dodge OF New York. Their deep blue
tones harmonic with the massiveness of their sur
roundings. They show that Dodge followed the
advice given by Guern to the mural decorators
when they first assembled in San Francisco. He
told them that he did wish to limit them as to
SUBJECT, Dut ne rellllnucd tncm that subject
an asset. He meant that a picture with story
enabled the observer to put himself at once into
sympathetic relation with the artist Dodge dealt
with themes drawn from history associated with
early California life and with the building of the
canal. In one of the murals he showed that ma
chinery could be picturcsquey treated.
Beside the arch two wcll-deSigned nches
by Carrere and Hastings, that have been mistaken
ly credited to Mckim, Mead & White The niche
to the right contains the Fountain of Youth, by
Edith W Noodman Burroughs, beautifully concev-
ed and finely executed. The figure of the young
girl has spiritual quality in keeping with the de-
sign as a whole. At the base the father and
mother arc pushing up flowers to the girls feet.
On the panels at either side the younger people |;
are rowing their elders the voyages Of life.
The elders look affectionately and sadly toward |
the girl. emblem of their lost youth /
In the opposite niche is the Fountain of Fl |
Dorado, by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, better
known Mrs Harry Payne Whitney. The groups |
on either side OF the portals in the center show
the people of the world contending for success or
fame or money, or whatever else they prize most
in life. But when they reach the doorway they
find guardians there, keeping them from entering
There are those, however, who dispute this in
depreciation and say that the meaning is not cvni-
kneeng figures at the doorway represent those
who have learned the great lesson of life, humil-
ty.
The forecourt of the Court of the Universe is
beautiful in design, in colorng, and in the grace
Of the pointed cypress trees used for ornamental
on The view OF the San Francisco hills through
he columns IS magnificent, particularly in the late
when 1t is covered with purple haze.
On entering the main court. one is reminded
't Rome. The design was taken from the entrance
Dot To-,
If Bernini's rows of columns four deep. double
ow of columns is used with splendid effect. The =
TX pavilions are very decorative feature, each .
covered with orange colorcd dome. Beneath !
ach dome is OF the best friezes the grounds.
W Hermon A. MacNeil representing Atlas and :
lis fourteen daughters. 1t is called The Signs of
he Zodiac" The sweep of the colonnadc is con- /
idered by the architectural experts one of the y
most successful OF the architectural features. C
The great Roman arches either side OF the q
ourt are nota BILE both for their beauty and for :
eace The crenelatcd parapct comes from mill g
ary architecture and recalls the time when the O
rchcrS used to shoot between the embrasurs and e
art OF sight CleopatraS needles suggest
.gypt Visitors sometimes wonder why the arches \
hould contain windows. Oriental windows too. t
trling Calder, acting chief OF sculpture. has n
lained the reason: When the plans for the court Y
ere sent from New York by McKim, Mead & y
White. Calder happened day to be looking A
yer duplicate copy. He amused himself by OF
>etching in those Oriental windows. couple of
ears later as he walking through the court, Il
e looked up at one OF the arches in process of M
obstruction, and the windows had been in W
.rted. The duplicate had been used in place of a.
le original In similar ways many new idea W
ust have been introduced into art and pcrma d
emily established. Those windows, with their NJ
reen lattccs. when lighted from within, provide :e
lovely color-notc at night lc
The green jars introduced into the inches at Ia Ia
le base OF the arches and elsewhere, designed te
Y Mckim, Mead & White make rich, decorative ia
oteS. ql
The domes of the pavilions and the larger to
,mes of the inner palaces used to lift the ht
,position from the ground and to give it VI
rental character. When viewed from the bay pli
I'd the San Francisco hills it is seen to be a NJ y,
ritabe city of domes. he
tn
Safe Travelling. IN IN