New-York tribune., 1921-08-10
Carven Satire
AdOrns ? Other
City Churches
St. Bartholomew and St.
Nincent's Contain Whims
in Stone Akin to Those
Found in St. Thomas's
Leaders Among Architects
Say Jovial Freakishness
Is Not Breach of Taste

While field glasses were trained on
the dollar sign over the brides door
OF st. Thomas's Church yesterday and
shocked churchgoers were hunting
around for the miserere panel where
Lenine and Trotzky are depicted eiv-
ing medicine to the Russian bear. we'll
known architects defended the whimsi-
cality expressed in stone on the Fifth
Avenue edifce and instanced the cathe
drals of Notre Dame, in Paris; Of Rouen
a Of Rheims (before its ruin) as be-
ing replete with exactly the same kind
OF Gothic symbolism. 1t also was point
ed out that st. Thomas's has not narsel
its secret alone in New York. st. Bar
tholomew's Church, at Park Avenue and
sIftieth Street, and St. Vincent's, at
Lexington Avenue and sixty-sixth
Street, both designed by B. G. Goodhue
are adorned with the satircal carvings
and gargoyles that nave suddenly ex-
cited the popular imagination
F. L. Mayors, of the dissolved firm
Of Cram, Goodhue & Little. which part
nershlp was responsible for the archi-
lecture Of all three churches men
toned, said yesterday that the sym
bolism of st. Thomas's was designed
to be history of the present as well
as the past. He pointed out that Le-
nine and Trotzky were given q place
IN the church when they first came into
Prominence. Within the main walls
supported by their massive buttresses
the events of the last few years are
expressed in stone
Lusitania Memorial in Stone
The sinking OF the Lustania, Al
lenby entering Jerusalem and the coats
Of arms OF the Allied nations are
carved on panels The American eagle
piucklng the imperial German eagle
constitutes another piece OF careful
stone work. In front Of the boys desks
n the chancel every profession is sym
oollzed and the man whose name is
most closely associated with it is in
some way linked up with the carving.
inns IS the explanation given by Mr..
Mayors for the presence of ]. p. Nor
gan's supposed initials in proximity to
The money bags. The Red Cross nurse,
the Salvation Army lassie, the aviator
ali the figures of modern warfare
nave their place with the saints of the
past. But in the lofty reredos only
the apostles are to be found.
Speaking in defense of his Workman
snip at New Haven yesterday, +. Dom
ID Robb, who was head craftsman
OF Cram. Goodnue & Little "a the
time the church was built. declared that
an artist is we'll within his rights when
ne selzes upon the people and activi-
n , 20 : -, l.
church decoration.
IT IS proper also that humor and
satire should have entered into the
Designs said Mr. Robb so long as
the designs are instructive and are not
profane they are proper for church
The designs used for the decoration Of
st. Fhomass portico were taken from
modern Fifth Avenue types, but not
from any Individuals They were
meant to show the worldly man, the
man of dissolute habits, the man whose
life is devoted to business The idea
was to bring TO the attention Of per
sons who examined the heads the mod
ern human being of that class as he
very often IS in actuality'
Mr. Robb pointed out that the art
lists Of medieval churches would prob
ably have used the fora and fauna of
their own neighborhoods for this dec
grafton, and it was therefore proper
that he should use the fora and fauna
of Fifth Avenue. The carvings over
the portico were serious representa-
tons Of different phases of life, he
said, and he expressed surprise that t
should have taken the public ten years
10 discover this
Horace B. Mann, Of the firm Of Mann
& MacNeille, prominent architects, said
yesterday that no one of his profess
could fail to admire the architecture
o. St Thomas's and that the presence
Of gargoyles and whimsicalities in the
way OF decoration detracted no whit
from its general splendor. He said
it was remarkable that these things
remained unnoticed for so long.
Upholds Scupltured Pleasantly
Il feel that in st. Thomass a little
pleasantly has been introduced in the
way Of decorative carving" cc said.
} This is not at all unusual, although
ninety-nine out Of 100 persons fail to
see the symbolism and are probably
mystitied by the grotesque exterior of
the gargoyie. The original idea OF the
gargoyie was that it served as a water
spout TO carry rain from the roofs. In
course of time decorative effects were
introduced The finest buildings in
Europe are full Of them. can recall
particularly the Cathedrals of Rouen
and Of Rheims. In Victor Hugo's
'Notre Dame de Paris there are many
references to these grotesque figures.
and to come nearer home. IN the
new Hardness dormitories at Yale the
symbolism of the Middle Ages has been
copied. There also every little face
and figure represent some particular
person. Over the entrance is the facc
Of Anson Phelps Stokes. Webster, with
his dictionary, is treated in decora-
tive way over one Of the doorways. It
IS something of a jar to see the mod
ern face with eyeglasses, for we seem
to associate the cowled head of the
monk with these carvings. But they
are all done in the Gothic spirit and
show a jovial freakishness now and
again Only the narrow minded could
object to this symbolism, which is TO
found in the finest buildings of Europe
and which has been accepted down
through the ages as the prerogatiye of
the designer"
1t was recalled that when the Boston
Public Library was being built McKim,
Mead e. White, New York architects,
arranged the names of celebrities on
the facade so as TO spell the name Of
their firm when read downward. This
caused so much CONSERVATION in Bos-
ton when it was discovered that the
stone was levcled and other inscrip-
tions substituted.
When the new Canadian Parliament
buildings were being opened at Ottawa