Evening star., 1923-08-02
The North Window
BY LEILA MEcHLIN

The Library OF Congress was the
| first public building which included
mural painting as a part of its in
| tegral design, and this building Syas
| only completed in 1897, less than
| twenty years ago. It's Inspiration was
| the Worlds Fair of Chicago and its
| decorators were the men who won
| their laurels and demonstrated their
| ability in decorating the buildings of
\ the White City.
But the influence of the Library of
Congress has been widespread ana is
yet continuing. The newest exaraple
of a public building so decorated by
| mural paintings is the Missouri State
Capitol, wherein this summer a series
of paintings by Frank Brangwyn.. the
great British artist, has been INSTALL
| ed. These take the form of four his
| torical pendentives, each measuring
| forty-nine by over twenty-three feet.
| Previously decorations In the form of
mural paintings by Oscar Z. Bern
| inghaus, Fred G. Carpenter. Nathan c.
| Wyeth, Carl Melchers. Richard z.
l N1llltI, AdOlpH biOHuHelfn ana f1sHTy
| Reuterdahl were executed some time
| ago and installed. The ma ajority of
| these are historical themes and have
| direct bearing upon life in the state
| of Missouri. Like the Minnesota
| State Capitol, this building has be-
its artistic decorations.
x ***
| Mural painting has not. however,
| been restricted merely to the desora-
| tion of public buildings. .Within the
| past two years Barry Faulkner. and
Ezra Winter, both Academy of Rome
| men, executed extremely handsome
| and decorative wall paintings fog the
| Eastman Theater in Rochester, IN. Y.
And the Cunard building, in New York
| city, one OF the finest commercial
| structures in modern times. has :been
superbly decorated by paintings in
| it's rotunda by Ezra Winter For the
| Detroit Public Library Cart Meiehere
| has executed a series of historical
paintings and Edwin H. Blashfiela has
| produced an allegorical SERIES At
| the extremities of the Burnham Lii
| brary. in Chicago. are to be seen re-
L
| Bartlett; and among the sights of
Boston are the new Sargent deeora-
| tions In the Art Museum aad irs the
| Harvard Memorial In many. re-
| spects painting in this field is most
virile, partly, perhaps, because it
| meets a specific need.
| The unknown soldiers manu-
ment-the Cenotaph-in London lis a
| sacred spot, hallowed by all who pass
| Certain members of parliament have
| suggested recently that the Ceno-
| taph be crowned with a permanent
| light shining skyward from its upper
| surface. The official journal of the
| London Society of Architects says:
| The idea is a fascinating one. The
| symbol of a never-extinguishAd lamp
| is associated with the highest cere-
| monial ref1nements of most of the ere
| ligious cults of the world" But it
| urges that the architect be consulted
| and that the experiment be tried else
| where first. The Dewsbury War Ne
| mortal is TO have a vaulted chamber
| surmounted by metal urn or brazier
| in which a precisely similar light lis
to be fixed.
| This is of particular interest here
| on account of the numerous war me-
| MORALS which are under considers
| tion and also because the idea is
| Identical with that being carried into
effect in connection with the Kansas
| City War Memorial. the most fmpos-
| ing and original yet authorized. Cnz
| doubtedly the idea is appealing. but
| it is questionable whether the thing
4 al 1T
| convey to the average mind the
| thought intended Incense typified
| by smoke is in danger of being re-
1 garded merely as smoke, and in the
| case of the Kansas City Memorial
/ where the urn is of gigantic size and
TO top a high column, the factory
| stack would seem to be glorified
rather than the Greek ideal put into
| effect. However. the journal OF the
! Society of Architects says "one can
| but wait the outcome of the expert
| ment.
| This year has been marked by the
| Tooth anniversary of the death OF Sir
| Christopher Wren. the famous British
! architect, whose great memorial is
| st. Paufs Cathedral, which he design
ed and where he was buried. America
|
tion which his work gave to our
! church builders of early days, for it
| was from his designs that many of
our colonial church towers we're
| copied. and it is these towers which
give beauty and lend attractiveress
J to many of our small villages as we'll
as large cities.
! Unless one has given the matter
thought one does not often realize
\ how much of the picturesqueness of
city is due to it's towers and spires,
yet if one were asked to name great
| London's greatest charm, without
hesitation one would say its church
| spires. and these. for the most part,
! were designed by Christopher Wran.
/ Here in America they were copied
| church in Charleston, S. G.. the two
little churches in New Haven, the
| little churches in Duxbury and
Gloucester, Mass. and so on, ad in
finitum; Fortunately. many have
| spires are still pointing heavenward.
| Occasionally today new spire or
1 tower is reared, but not frequently
| enough. partly perhaps because there
has been an increase in economy. and
towers and spires are adjudged "im-
practical" things. adding beauty but
affording no useful" purpose. Hap
PLY the cathedral which Is now being
reared on Mount st. Alban is to have
spires which will make more beauti-
full the edifice, more inspiring our
! city picture.
X X
Curiously enough. our towers today
take the form of skyscrapers, or vice
versa The great huildipps in Nav,