The New York herald., 1921-08-08
RUBY NOSED SPORT
CARVED ON CHURCH
VIEWED BY THRONGS
Thousands Attending st.
ThOmas's Gaze at Frieze
With Weird Figures.
ARCHITECT CRITICISED
Walter Gilliss Says Talk of
Society Types Is Bid
for Publicity.
SOME SEE PORTRAITS
DR.. Gateson, Who Is Supplying
for DR.. Stires, Sees No Harm
in Designs.
ARCHITECT CRITICISED
ONE SEE PORTRAITS

III Designs.
Of the thousands who have walked
up the front steps of st. Thomas's
beautiful example of Gothic archi.
lecture was built, at Fifth avenue and
Fifty-third street, perhaps less than a
dozen persons--until yesterday-knew
that by looking above them on either
side they might discover faces Of men
and women carved in the stone to rep
resent well known Fifth avenue types.
1t was different yesterday. The curl
Gus came all day to inspect New York's
new showplace. Most of those who
went to church to worship fingered a
few moments on the steps, gazing up
ward into the faces and wondering
why they never had noticed them be-
fore. They found themselves in the
position of the man who, late in life,
discovered that an Oriental rug which
he had owned for long time had
woven into it a pretty love story But
some of the faces are not so pretty.
The discovery of the faces followed
close upon that of the dollar mark,
which Is traced opposite the lovers knot
in the panel above the brides entrance,
as it is called. just south Of the main
entrance. L. Donald Robb of the now
dissolved firm of Cram, Goodhue &
Ferguson, the architects who designed
the church. explained that just as the
lovers knot and the dollar mark rep
resent marriages with and without true
love so also the faces have their sig
nificance.
1:-but Not Apostles.
Mr. Robb explained that he put the
faces there as symbols OF virtues and
vices, and that 1t is just as correct
to use modern symbols as medieval
ones, but the feeling will not down that
the architect was having his little joke.
otherwise, it is argued. some of the
vestrymen, at least, would have been
let in on the secret.
Churchgoers appeared to be the least
disturbed of all over the discovery.
were not out of place on the front OF
church; others consd dcred it a good
joke. while still others were vehement
in pronouncing 1t an outrage.
There are twelve faces in all six at
the bottom of the frieze, on each side
of the main door. Each face. including
the part OF the head which is shown. Is
little smaller than mans fist, and
all are looking directly downward. To
see the faces clearly one must go to
one side of the steps and look up. Four
pageant of Fifth avenue life as 1t was
ten years aSo and as it is to-day.
OF the twelve faces three are of men
with side whiskers and three are OF
men with monocles and mustaches. But
no two OF them are alike. For example,
the first monocle wearer on the right
obviously Is the sort OF person who
would not be allowed even in the back
doors of the more respectable. He has
weak face, with bad lines about the
nose and eyes, and a sensuous tlroop
to his mouth. On the other side, how
ever. Is a man of a different quality.
True. he has the same monocle and the
same mustache as the other, but his
hair is not kept slovenly. his jaw shuts
tighter and his look is cleaner. He
probably would make a good polo
player.
And n stone Dfvorcee Too.
Likewise. each OF the three with side
whiskers Is different One of them.
called "old Money Bags" by many who
saw him, has heavy pouches under his
eyes. His mouth is hard. Except for
a little curl which hangs over his fore
head he is nearly bald. One OF the
others had the same features. but he
lacked the droopy skin under the eyes
and he had a good, jolly expression. The
third one. however. caused much COM
ment because there IS something about
his nose which leads the observer to
explain In spite OF himself:
"As live and breathe. it's a rum
blossom"
Then there is woman on the right
side who looks both pitifui and wise.
Her lips are apart. slightly twisted and
heavy. A thin faced woman looked 4
her for n minute and then. In voice
that sounded spiteful, called the woman
in stone "a divorcee."
There also were the vapid, aesthetic
youth. the naughty old dowager. the young
matron with pride OF family and posi-
tion written into her face and the
strong man Of forty with the smooth
face denoting stability and courage.
The comments were as varied as the
faces themselves. Nobody seemed quite
sure at first how to take It. Mr.. Robb
came in for terrible drubbing from
some. A thick set young man OF about
thirty. who said he took things like that
seriously said II was "crime for an
architect 70 play joke like that"
Never Jared tn soldier.
1T Is a sacrilege." he insisted. Here
there is church and we find that some
architect who drew down lot OF money
for the job played what he thought was
big joke. It's no joking matter"
Another man wondered IL Mr. Good
hue. head Of the firm, who now is In
California, knew OF the design. An
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